That was a relief, though my shivering body didn’t get the memo. I couldn’t seem to let go of him, and my eyes refused to open.
“I’m scared,” I admitted in a choked whisper, even though he had to already know. My nails were digging into his shoulders hard enough to draw blood. But it wasn’t my fault—I’d almost gotten eaten by a snake.
Cade’s voice was steady in my self-imposed darkness. “I don’t see any more snakes.”
“It’s not just the snakes,” I muttered, shuddering. “I don’t want to fall.”
“I won’t let you fall,” he said, remarkably calm.
My brow furrowed. “…How can you know that?”
“Because this rope makes us a package deal. If you fall, I fall.” Without any warning, he lifted me against his front. “Come on. I’ll carry you the rest of the way. The sooner we finish, the sooner you can get back on the ground.”
The thought of being carried made me feel more like dead weight, but… “That’s a good point.”
So I wrapped my legs around his waist and circled my arms around his neck just in time for him to take off again.
“There’s not much course left,” Cade said, voice low and close to my ear. “But we can still catch up to Harry.”
I tightened my hold while he methodically worked his way across another bridge. I didn’t want to be the reason Cade lostto his brother. “Sorry I’m so useless. This really isn’t a great look for female empowerment.”
“You’re fine.” He suddenly slowed, and his arm around my waist pulled me tighter against his hard chest. “Still got those eyes closed, Darling?”
“Yes,” I squeaked out, suspicious as he moved backward instead of forward. The thundering in my chest worsened. “Why? Is there another snake?”
A soft chuckle tickled the hair near my ear. “No, I’m just about to jump over a big drop. Hold on tight.”
“A bigdrop?” I squawked, tightening my hold around his neck. “No! Don’t you dare?—”
It was too late to argue. Cade was already running forward, adding a burst of speed.
One moment we were on somewhat shaky ground, then the next we were airborne and weightless while I screamed loud enough for Whiskey to hear me from the boat.
like a monkey
. . .
Cade
Ellie Darling had an impressive set of lungs.
My ears rang long after my feet landed on the next tree’s platform, and I yanked my and Ellie’s carabiners along the overhead cable.
“Oh my god, oh my god,” she repeated nonstop, trembling against me like a leaf while her grip around my neck bordered on strangling. “We’re alive.”
“Hey. Loosen the choke hold,” I wheezed, patting her arm.
“Oh!” She let up instantly. “Sorry.”
I resisted the urge to rub my neck, instead keeping a swift pace over planks and more bridges. I could just see Harrison and Madison climbing a ladder on their obstacle course ahead of us, but we were gaining on them.
Hauling ass with Ellie clinging to my front felt ridiculous—like running with an awkward human fanny pack—but I didn’t have time to question it.
But at least she’d been honest in her app profile; she was actually terrified of heights and snakes.
I leapt between platforms, only stopping long enough to transfer our carabiners to a new safety line. With how the course was set up, we got closer to the ground the further we went. Icleared another plank bridge with ease, balanced across a thick tightrope while holding on to the safety line, and swung us along a line of hanging ropes.
She clung to me like a monkey every step of the way.