Page 8 of Lethal Danger

“My friend here is going to help me, and it’ll be over in seconds.” Or at least it would hopefully feel that fast to Bob.

His gaze jumped to the security guard who still held his shoulders.

“Trust me, Bob. You’re perfectly safe.”

Bob returned his attention to Jazz.

“Ready to see your wife?”

He gave a small nod.

Jazz pulled her hand away from his face. “Great.” She glanced at the guard. “Tie him off?”

Something she couldn’t read flickered in his teal eyes before he released Bob and grabbed the coiled rope she handed him.

Bob watched as the guard rapidly knotted the rope around one of the thick spokes.

Jazz stayed where she was, close enough to grab Bob if panic took over again. Or he looked down.

Which he suddenly did.

“Bob, look at me.” She grabbed his shoulder, but the intervention was too late.

His gaze darted around, eyes wide as his breathing quickened, and he sat up again. “Get me down. I can’t—” A strangled sound cut off his exclamation as he lurched past her, reaching for the spoke.

His hands slipped.

“Bob!” She reached for him as he fell with a scream.

Her hands caught rope. She winced as it seared her palms, but she clamped as hard as she could, trying to halt the heavy man’s plummet.

The rope stalled in her hands with a jerk, stopped from behind.

She heard the guard’s grunt before she felt that he stood behind her, probably a couple feet back. “Nice save.” She glanced over her shoulder.

He gave her a stiff nod. “Happy to help. Let’s let him down slower the rest of the way, huh?”

She grinned as she turned forward again. “Good idea.” Bracing her feet carefully on the support beams, she kept her grip on the rope and peered below. “Looks like over fifty feet to go yet.”

“Roger. One foot at a time.” He started to feed her more rope, which she passed on to Bob below.

They created a smooth rhythm, working well as a team to make the rest of Bob’s ride a smooth one.

People gathered under him as he neared the ground. Jazz couldn’t be sure who they all were from that distance, but there was no missing Raksa, Sofia’s German shepherd, and Flash.

“Slower.” Jazz gripped the rope tighter as the people reached for Bob. Though she’d been able to tell the entire time that the guard didn’t really need her help. Good thing, since her palms felt like they were on fire from that initial burning.

She watched as people laid Bob on the ground and removed the rope from his chest. “Okay. He’s down.”

She released the rope, turning toward the security guard who’d helped her save Bob’s life. “Thanks for the assist.”

The tall man let the loose end of rope drop to the crossbeams below them as he watched her. “Likewise.” Splotches of sweat darkened his pale blue shirt, making it cling to his lean, muscled torso.

Wow. Broad shoulders, trim waist, and sculpted muscles on every inch of him as far as she could see. Topped with a face that could grace a magazine cover any day if they wanted to sell thousands of copies. And he was taller than her. Probably six foot two or more.

Now that she got a good look at him, she wasn’t sure she wanted to stop looking. But the heat of a blush crawling up to her face told her she’d better.

Especially since he was watching her watch him. His head tilted slightly to one side as his teal eyes seemed to study her.

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