Page 46 of Kidnapping of a Myth

“Keep moving,” she grunted when John paused, and the teen awkwardly grabbed her shoulder and jumped. She gritted her teeth, her heart pounding unbearably in her chest. If the cage fell, they were too wide a target to slip through the hole. It would drag both of them down with it, and she clutched John’s knees, trying to force him higher. The boy teetered as he grasped her line, and for a split second, Bel thought he was going to fall off. She screamed, ignoring the pain as she shoved him upward, and then his weight was gone, Eamon pulling him through the hatch.

“I got him!” Eamon shouted. “Pull her out?—”

But the snap of the final cable drowned out his words.

The cage plummeted,the damning echo of the snapped cable ricocheting off the mountains, and Bel screamed as she braced for death, but her body slipped perfectly through the ceiling hatch. The unholy crash of metal impacting the earth followed seconds later, and the horrifying sound was all she could focus on until a powerful tug on her line yanked her against a muscular chest.

“I got you.” Eamon pinned her between his body and the rocks. “I told you I wouldn’t let you fall.”

Bel stared at his handsome face, the night air softening as dawn approached, and she wondered why his features were blurry until she realized she was crying. She tilted to wipe the tears on her shirt, and in the pale light, she registered Johnclinging to Eamon’s back, his thin legs wrapped in a death grip around the man’s waist.

“You’re okay.” Eamon cupped her cheek with his flayed hand, the rough skin proof that her life mattered to him more than his own flesh, and Bel leaned into his touch. “You did it,” he said. “You got him out.”

She nodded as she studied the terrified teen, kissing the heel of Eamon’s healing palm as tears fell from her eyes at the truth that they’d survived. Her faith in Eamon was unwavering, but for those horrifying minutes when he was the only thing standing between them and certain death, doubt had infected her. When that last cable broke with her still inside the cage, she feared The Tinker had finally achieved his brutal finale, but here they were. Alive and in one piece.

“Pull her up!” Eamon shouted, and as Ewan’s bear began hauling Bel to safety, Eamon rubbed her back comfortingly. “I’m right behind you, and kid.” He glanced over his shoulder at John. “Hold on tight.”

The second she moved beyond Eamon’s reach, Ewan increased her speed, hoisting her to the top in record time. When her feet landed on solid ground, his bear met her gaze as if to ask if she was all right.

“I’m fine. We all are,” Bel confirmed. “Thank you.”

The bear nodded, and then his massive form lumbered across the dirt to stand behind the truck. His flesh tore apart, reforming into the image of a naked man, and once his terrifying transformation was complete, Ewan fished his clothes out of the truck’s bed.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to seeing that,” she said as he pulled on his shirt and stepped out from behind the vehicle’s privacy.

“You handle it better than most, though.” He patted her back before he strode to the edge. Together, they waited until Eamonclimbed within reach, and then Ewan stooped to grab the teen off his back.

The moment they were all safe, John ripped free of Ewan’s hold. A gut-wrenching sob escaped his lips as he threw himself at Bel, and she caught him, stumbling backward until the truck stopped their fall. The boy was almost as big as she was, but he clung to her as if he were a child, burying his face in her chest, and Bel couldn’t stop her tears as she wrapped him in her embrace. Relief battled fear, wreaking havoc on her emotions, and she worried her tears would never run dry.

“Do you really have Michael?” John asked, his voice muffled by her shirt.

“He’s safe with Wendy.” Bel brushed a hand over the boy’s hair, soothing him as he shook, and she lifted her gaze to meet Eamon’s. He closed the distance, but he didn’t touch them. He simply stared at her as if to reassure himself that she’d survived the danger he’d put her in.

“Thank you,” John sobbed, his voice so filled with pain that Bel cried harder. They didn’t know each other, but it didn’t matter. The boy needed her, and every second he spent in her arms was proof that he hadn’t died, that despite Pann’s treachery, they hadn’t been too late.

“Come on.” She shifted him toward the truck. “Your sister wants to see you.”

“Okay.” John refused to release her, though, and realizing he’d never be able to pry the teen off the detective, Eamon hoisted them into the cab together before sliding into the driver’s seat.

“Here.” He handed Bel a bottle of water and helped her to twist off the top since John wouldn’t loosen his grip on her torso.

“Drink slowly.” She held it up to the kid’s lips, and he took a greedy gulp as the engine purred to life.

“You getting in?” Eamon asked, but Ewan shook his head and shut the doors for them.

“I’ll jump out when we get close to the bottom.” He hopped into the truck bed. “My car is parked right off the highway, and I think it’s best if I’m long gone by the time you guys arrive at the house.”

John clungto Bel the entire trip down the mountain, just like his brother had, and even though they were strangers, she held the boy close as dawn broke. Rays of sunshine chased the dread and death away, and as Eamon parked before the mansion, the front door flew open.

Gold emerged into the daylight, and the moment her gaze found Bel, she sagged in relief. She stared at her partner as if she’d expected to never see her again, and then she stepped aside, clearing the way for Wendy. The young woman charged out of the house with terror-painted features, clearly expecting the worst as Eamon rounded the truck to the passenger side door. He opened it as Wendy sprinted down the steps, but the instant her eyes registered who sat in Bel’s arms, she burst into tears.

“John!” she screamed as the teen scrambled over Bel’s lap, his knees jamming into her thighs. Bel grunted at the sharp pain and gripped John’s waist to help him escape the cab, but his flailing limbs knocked her jaw as he tumbled out of the truck. Eamon caught him before he hit the ground, though, and the moment he regained his footing, he leaped forward, his chest colliding with his sister’s with a soft thud. Wendy’s wail haunted everyone who heard, but her screams were not born of despair. They spoke of utter and absolute joy as her voice traveled onthe morning air. They pulled tears from all who watched, and brother and sister collapsed to the gravel drive, their relief as palpable as a cool breeze on a stifling summer day.

Seconds later, Michael bolted out of the house, screaming at the top of his lungs, and Wendy and John barely had time to open their arms before he collided with them. The three siblings rolled on the ground, a tangle of joy, and Bel couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks at their reunion. The love pouring off them was a normal, everyday sort of magic, and it filled her chest with inexplicable happiness. Rescuing these brothers had come at a heavy price. One they shouldn’t have had to pay, but they’d saved this family, and children were always worth saving.

A bark broke through her reverie, and Bel turned in time to catch Cerberus. She winced at the impact of his meaty body smacking her chest. Bearing John’s weight in the cage had bruised her torso, but she wrapped her arms around her dog anyway. She’d survived, and she had returned to her beloved pitbull. She would hold him, regardless of the pain.

Eamon slipped an arm around her, supporting her as Cerberus wiggled, and Wendy finally met Bel’s gaze.

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