Tazzy stepped to the edge and slid her right foot off the roof.
“Wait!” Georgia said. “You don’t just walk off the roof, silly. Have you never watched a Mission Impossible movie? You squat down and lean back. That way you can?—”
Tazzy snapped. “Die, Georgia. That’s the way we die.” Starting over, she squatted at the edge of the roof. Then, God help her, she leaned backward.
It took a few tries, but soon enough, she had both feet propped against to building.
“I did it!” she called to Georgia. “Not bad.”
Georgia didn’t answer. Tazzy looked up to find Georgia having difficulty holding her position with the rope. Whether from the irony of that, or Tazzy’s exhaustion, or the sheer terror of the situation, Tazzy began to laugh. She was about to suggest… she had no idea what… when it happened.
Tazzy slipped, dropping three feet and crashing into the wall, banging her knees on the rough brick. Oh God! She was going toplummet twenty-five feet and splat on the ground like a water balloon.
“Jaxon!” Without hesitation, she screamed for the only one who could save her. His name tore from her chest, leaving her gasping for air.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The bang of a metal door slamming against the brick wall echoed through the alley. A roar split the air, angry and afraid, and Tazzy began to rethink all her recent life choices. Looking down, she saw exactly who she’d cried out for, exactly who she needed. The last man she wanted to see. At least, that’s what she told herself.
Her hands ached when his footsteps pounded on the pavement as he ran to the small shed just down the alley and grabbed the ladder leaning against its side. He propped the ladder against the wall beneath her and started to climb.
“Hold on, Darkling. I’m coming.”
She barely understood what he was saying over the pounding in her chest, but his calm, controlled voice eased her fear. He wouldn’t let her fall. He was Jaxon. She vaguely registered that he’d called her Darkling. Funny that it didn’t make her feel as good as she thought it would.
It was forgotten a second later when the rope slipped again. She let out another yelp, which, for some reason, Georgia echoed. All thoughts of pet names vanished as she pictured herself falling.
“Is that Jaxon down there?” Georgia called, still squatting on the edge of the roof.
“Yes.”
“Thank God! Tell him to hurry.”
But there was no need. Jaxon’s warm hand grabbed her ankle. The next thing she knew, his arms were wrapped around her as he guided her toward the ladder.
Even though her fingers ached, she couldn’t make herself let go of the rope. The wind tugged at her hair, whipping strands into her eyes, already wet with her tears. When had she started crying? Her chest was so tight she could barely breathe. How could she be crying?
Once her feet were on the ladder, he stood behind her, guiding her steps and cradling her in safety.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice low and steady.
She was still catching her breath and didn’t answer.
“I’ve got you, babygirl. I won’t let you fall.”
“I know.” The words were out before she could stop them.
“You’d better,” he muttered. “I’m not letting you go.”
Tazzy’s stomach twisted. He was talking about more than the roof, and they both knew it.
Time was funny in a crisis. A few minutes could feel like forever. She had no idea when she’d burst into tears.
“Georgia, get your ass back up on the roof,” Jaxon yelled, even as he guided Tazzy step by slow step down the ladder. Tazzy looked up just in time to see Georgia jerk her head back from over the edge of the roof where she’d been watching them. It made her dizzy.
How could his very presence steady her the way it did after all these years? She’d worked so hard to become independent and strong, only to find out she needed him. If she wasn’t terrified at that moment, she’d be really pissed off at herself. It was hard to be mad at him, though, since he was the one keeping her from plummeting to her death. She was still twenty feet in the air, but she’d be fine because he wouldn’t allow anything else. She might have all this ridiculous equipment on, but he was her lifeline.
Step by step, he eased her down, making sure to only stay one rung ahead. His arms bracketed her waist, making it impossible for her to fall.