Page 131 of Guitars and Cages

“You have to, Asher, or you’re gonna fall, too.”

“Then I’mma fall,” I groaned, tightening my grip on her hand and wrist.

Above us I heard something metal slam against stone, and I prayed it wasn’t more of the fire escape giving way.

“Reach for the bar,” I pleaded.

“I’m trying!”

And she was, but every time she reached for it, her fingers would brush and she’d swing more, making it that much harder to hold on.

“Holy shit, neither of you fuckin’ move!”

I had never been more relieved to hear Morgan’s voice. I could hear him moving away from the ledge, and I was hoping he was going for a rope or something because I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hang on to Alexia, or if the fire escape was gonna last. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a window being shoved open a little to the left of where Alexia was dangling, and then Morgan was leaning out, catching Alexia around the middle.

“Let go, Asher; I have her.”

For a second I couldn’t make my hands let go. I clung tighter, panicked, and he must have seen it in my eyes, because the next words he spoke were in that commanding tone of his that I always obeyed without question.

“Let go now!”

I did, stifling a yell as Alexia dropped a little and pulled Morgan halfway out the window. They struggled there for a moment, until Morgan was able to haul her in. For a minute I closed my eyes, trying to slow my breathing as I dangled there, waiting for the pain to ease up a bit.

“Asher!”

I opened my eyes to see a rope dangling next to me. I could hear Morgan above me; how he’d gotten back up to the roof so fast was beyond me.

“Grab that rope and tie it around you tight. I’m going to have to pull you up enough that you can unhook your leg before that whole damn thing gives way.”

And if it gave way while he was pulling me, the weight of me and the fire escape would pull him off the roof. No way could I risk that.

“No. This damn thing could go at any time.”

“Then hurry up and tie off that damned rope!”

I couldn’t put him at risk that way. Without Alexia to hold on to, I could curl my body up enough to grab the bar and get my leg free. Or I thought I could. The first time I tried, the pain slashed across my stomach and abs with such intensity that I damn near passed out.

“Goddammit, Asher, grab the fucking rope!”

I wanted to, I really did, but who would look after Alexia and Rory if something happened to him? I tried again to sit up, fighting past the pain, my bruised side protesting as I grabbed for the bar. It took some doing to get enough pressure off my leg so I could pull it free, and once I had, that was a whole new kind of pain. I took a few deep breaths, and then pulled myself the rest of the way onto the teetering fire escape. It swayed, and I could hear another ping. How many damned bolts were holding this thing up? The ominous sound made my blood run cold as I tried to pull myself up the wobbling metal to get closer to the brick.

Morgan was leaning over the ledge, reaching for me, but I wouldn’t reach back. I held tight to the metal railing, trying to pull myself up the steepest part. Another ping, and the fire escape slammed into the side of the building, knocking most of the air out of me.

“Goddammit, Asher, grab my fuckin’ hand!”

It took me a few seconds to clear my head and haul myself higher to grab his hand.

“Don’t you fuckin’ let go,” Morgan hollered as Alexia reached for me, too. I wasn’t about to let go; I held tight to Morgan as they pulled me back over the ledge, the three of us landing in a heap. I couldn’t stop shaking. Even knowing I was safe, my teeth were chattering and it was hard to breathe. There were arms around me, and I wasn’t sure who they belonged too, and at the moment, I didn’t care. I focused on trying to steady my breathing, but even that was failing, ’cause it felt like I was shaking harder.

“Asher, look at me.”

I could hear Morgan, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t focus, I couldn’t think. A part of me wanted to start screaming and never stop. All I could see in my head was the ground, and Alexia dangling over it, ready to fall. Oh God, I could have dropped her....

My breathing hitched and everything got blue-gray spotty.

“Breathe, Asher. Slowly, in and out, son; relax, just focus and breathe. It’s okay. You’re okay, Alexia’s okay, everything is fine.”

Morgan was stroking my hair, his voice low in my ear, talking to me the way I talked to critters when they were scared. I tightened my hold on him, ’cause thinking about the fact that I had almost lost my sister was sending me headlong into hysteria.