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NINE
“What’s going on?” Naya clung to the rope, favoring her right leg. They weren’t moving, and the ashen color on Zack’s face indicated something was wrong.
Naya’s nerves still tingled, and she had to tell herself to breathe.
In and out. Her ankle throbbed, and her pulse tapped a steady rhythm against the inside of her foot.
She hadn’t been able to deny Zack’s partner had needed help first. But when the distance had grown and taken Zack farther away to safety, Naya couldn’t help the tremors that wracked her body. What if he didn’t come back for her, and she stayed trapped on this mountain?
But he had come back.
She’d almost shouted for joy when he’d come into view on his descent.
And the way he’d wrapped her in his embrace. So gentle yet firm when he’d rubbed his thumb across her face. In that moment she’d frozen. Unable to do anything but stare. If she were honest, she liked being held by him. The reality of safetyin that moment. But it was a fleeting desire. A vapor that would prove futile to cling to. There one moment, gone the next.
Naya shifted her gaze to peer over the edge. That was a mistake. The drop to the ravine floor covered with trees and rocks sent her head spinning. If her shirt hadn’t snagged on a rock, giving her time to grab on to the edge, she would be dead.
A shiver worked its way down her spine, and her teeth chattered.
Sure, if she hadn’t stopped her fall, there would have been joy waiting on the other side, meeting her Savior face-to-face. But that hadn’t stopped her body’s survival skills kicking into full gear with the fight or flight response.
“There’s a brush fire.” Zack grimaced. “My team’s all hands on deck. When they can, they’ll bring us up. But for now, we’re safe here.”
Naya tried not to conjure an image of the fire overtaking the area. Zack and his team were trained. If he was confident, then she should be. Still, she didn’t like being a sitting duck here. “Maybe we should find another way out.” Naya shielded her eyes with her hand and turned to the left. She kept her back flush against the wall of rock.
“Naya.” Zack swallowed. “I’m not going to let you down again.”
They both knew what he was referring to. Clearly, he still carried the pain of what had happened when they were teens. It was a weight she still bore too. If she let down her guard, there was no telling the outcome.
“We’ve all failed people. Lost those we cared about, Zack. It’s life.” Naya couldn’t hold on to a promise he made. Not when it could turn out to be empty. She’d be doing herself a favor, saving herself future heartache.
“I know.” Zack waved his hand. “I failed to protect my best friend—my little sis—once, but I’m not going to let that happen again.”
A tear slid down Naya’s cheek, and she swiped at it with the back of her hand. The quick movement sent pain coursing through her injured arm.
Again?
Of coursehe thought of her as his sister. But how could she hold out hope once more?
They’d been teens when Zack disappeared from her life. A time when she’d worked up the courage to trust someone again. And when her confidence in him backfired, she’d blamed him for the hurt he’d caused. His broken promise to always have her back had sent her teenage self into another spiral of distrust. He’d said those bracelets were a symbol of a never-ending friendship between them. Until she’d lost hers. Instead of finding it like he’d said he would, he’d up and left for good.
The one person she’d come to depend on.
Gone.
After so much loss of her own, how could she know who would stick around?
But now wasn’t the time to rehash the past. They needed to get to safety.
She pulled in a breath and offered a smile. “If you help me, we can find a way out.”
Zack’s eyes narrowed. He leaned into his shoulder and spoke. “What’s the status on containing this fire? I’ve still got a patient down here.”
Naya’s stomach flopped at the frown on Zack’s face. She wanted to rely on him to get them out of this situation. But she had a feeling she’d need to resort to her own capabilities. It was nothing new. She’d be strong for herself again.
Zack shook his head and turned to her. “The crew is working to put it out, but it’s bigger than they realized. The engine just showed up—that’s our other crew.”
“So we’re stuck here until they give the go-ahead?” Naya rubbed her arm, careful not to press too hard and aggravate the injury.