Page 35 of Mercury Rising

“Go on, Olena,” Mercury shouted. “You’ve got this.”

Nick stood next to him. He looked worried.

“She’s frozen,” he said quietly.

Poor Olena was stuck and on the verge of tears.

“I can’t,” she cried out.

“Shall I go to her?” Nick asked.

He took a step forward. Then Olena screamed out, “I want Mercury.”

Without thinking, Mercury flung himself at the wall and climbed up.

“You haven’t got your harness on,” the instructor shouted.

Olena stood only two or three metres above him. He would hardly fall to his death. He soon reached her. The poor girl trembled with fear.

“You can do this,” Mercury whispered to her. “I’ll stay here and, if you fall, I promise I’ll catch you.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

With a deep breath and Mercury’s hands around her waist, Olena found the next hold and hauled herself up. Hassan had reached the top now and held out his hand for her, which she took.

Between the three of them, they made sure that Olena got to the top. When she got there, the joy on her face made Mercury want to burst into tears.

He dropped down to the crash mat and joined the others in applause.

“You did it.”

Nick found him and clapped his hand on his shoulder. “No,youdid it.”

They shared a look. One that overwhelmed Mercury’s whole body. He grinned at Nick.

They were safely in the office. The kids were watching a movie after they’d all gorged on greasy food. Mercury would have to renew his gym membership if this carried on.

“I’m sorry for getting you in trouble,” Nick said.

Mercury cackled. “Trouble always finds me. That’s why I’m here.”

Nick frowned. “Do I detect a note of sarcasm?”

With a sigh, Mercury stretched. After their moment dangling in the air, things were a little uncomfortable now he was on his own with Nick. Something had shifted inside him. Not that he would dare act on it. That would be the best way of fucking everything up.

“It’s not worth going into,” Mercury said. “I guess everyone says they’re innocent.”

Nick shook his head. “Not everyone. When I got caught, I confessed straight up. I’d done wrong and I had to face the music. What happened?”

“The artist threw my wine on his own shit artwork. Then he charged out, telling everyone I’d done it. We’d had a very public exchange just before so it was hardly a stretch for people to believe him.”

“That’s terrible. Why didn’t you fight him? Don’t tell me your mother can’t afford the best lawyers in London.”

Mercury bristled. “I can afford them myself, thank you. Anyway, Mum didn’t want the negative press attention. I had no choice to plead guilty and get it over with. Now she’s in Cyprus filming, so I think she quite likes the idea of me being stuck in the house.”

“How old are you? Thirty?”