Page 103 of Four Fiances & I

“Will do. Are we one hundred percent certain that no one is hiding in the house?” I call down.

“Yes, Logan has been able to keep an eye since getting access to the cameras inside,” Calvin replies. Thank fuck for that; the last thing I need is to worry about getting ambushed in there. I hear the others discussing how to throw the rope to me so I can pull the bucket to the ledge. I spend a little time trying to find the best route from here to her room and how I will break the window. There is nothing for me to safely stand on to look at the wall, which is why I’ve asked for the screwdrivers. If I can force them into the wall, I may be able to use them as supports to stop me from falling. Is there a way I can use them to support me while I smash the window? That in itself isn’t going to be easy. We have reinforced glass on all windows, making them virtually bulletproof. Nothing about this will be easy; there are many things that could go wrong, but the thought of my girl in there alone and scared has me determined to get to her, no matter what I need to do to do it.

“Maximus!” I look down and see the guys all looking up at me. “We’ve tied something to the end of the rope. Jason will throw it up to you. Once you catch it, you should be able to pull it up. No problem,” Sean shouts. I hold up a thumb and squat down, ready.

“Okay, this may take a few warm up throws,” Jason calls before spinning the rope, and everyone steps back to avoid getting hit. The first throw doesn’t even get halfway up the house, and I can’t miss the opportunity to mock him.

“Calvin, can Luna come and give her Uncle Jason some help?”

“Fuck off prick, I’d like to see you try this!”

“I don’t need to; I just climbed up the side of a building, jackass,” I yell, smirking at my brother, who’s shaking his head and muttering to himself. I can’t hear him up here, but from the way Sean starts laughing, I know it was taking the piss out of me. Jason smiles at him before he tries again to throw the rope up. It gets much higher this time, but it is still not enough to reach me. Jason curses under his breath and takes a step back before lengthening the amount of rope he’s holding and starts to swing it again. This time, when he lets go, it flies straight for me, and I manage to catch it, even if only just.

“Got it!” I call out as I start pulling the bucket up to me. I have to stop a few times as I nearly lose the contents as the wind picks up and makes the bucket swing. Eventually, though, I have it up with me.

I pull everything out and work out the best way to carry it all. My pockets are only small in my sweatpants, and I will need both hands to climb to the window.

I look down at my brothers once I’m confident I have everything in place and won't drop it all.

“Stand back; I don’t want to fall on any of you.”

“You won’t fall,” Jason calls up.

“Christian, I hope you’ve replaced my bourbon because I will need a drink after this!” I call down as I start to get my fingertips into the holes in the bricks.

“There is a brand new bottle that was delivered today,” he laughs as I lift myself higher.

“Why didn’t you start with that? I would be in there already!” I stop and look down at my brothers, who all look small as they shield their eyes from bright outdoor lights. “Don’t tell Shorty I would have saved the bottle before her. I like my balls where they are and don’t want to give her a reason to pour this one away.” They all start laughing as I get closer to the window.

My arms are killing me, and my fingers are bleeding, but nothing is going to stop me from getting to my girl. I know she will be putting on a brave face, but inside, she will be terrified. That’s the type of woman she is. She would rather everyone thought she was fearless and strong than admit she was scared.

When I finally get underneath the window, I take my time to examine the shutter.

“There's a car jack holding the shutter open,” I call out. “One on each side.”

“Blood is going to be spilt when I get my hands on the fuckers that did this,” I hear Christian curse. I will happily help him. I don’t know what we need to do to clarify that our Jasmine is not to be touched. I will kill every fucker if it means she will be safe.

Looking at the jacks, I notice some material hanging from one of them.

“How the fuck did they get up there? That’s what I want to know,” I hear Jason asks below. I am about to tell them to shut up so I can think, and then something flashes in my peripheral vision. Looking in that direction, I notice a hook sticking into the wall above the window, answering the question. It’s climbing equipment. They must have used the ladder and attached themselves with rope while getting everything in place. How the fuck weren’t they seen?

I try to get a feel for where to put my feet next, but there's nothing. This is what I was scared of; I would have to rely on my upper body strength. It’s also why I asked them to send up extra screwdrivers.

“If you can’t do it, turn around. You’ve got a damn sight higher than any of us could have,” Jason calls.

“I can do it; it's just …” I stop partway through and decide to just go for it. Taking hold of a screwdriver in one hand, I let go and swing my body, using the momentum to get higher. Slamming the screwdriver into the concrete between bricks, I test it; thankfully, it stays in place. Once one screwdriver is secure, I do the same with the next. Once that one is secure, I go back a little and start climbing until I’m able to grab hold of the drainpipe that runs down past the window. Praying it doesn’t come away from the wall; I climb up it until I’m at the same level as the windowsill. Taking a deep breath, I grab hold of the wooden sill with one hand and pull myself onto it.

“You clever bastard!” I hear Jason shout below, but I’m too focused to reply. I use the screwdrivers I shoved into the wall to take some of my weight as I stand on them while keeping as much weight as possible on the windowsill, knowing the screwdrivers won’t hold for long.

I move until both feet are on them and I’m in the best position underneath the window. With difficulty, I shuffle another screwdriver out of the sleeve on my hoodie where I had hidden it. As soon as it's in my hand, I know I only have a few seconds to make a real difference.

Everyone is deadly silent below. I can feel all their eyes on me as I close mine for a second, let out a deep breath, swing one arm up over my head and slam the point of the screwdriver into the corner of the window. The whole pane shatters but remains in place as I expected.

By now, my arms are screaming as I hold on with both of them, trying to keep as much weight off the supports at my feet, knowing they will bend. The screwdriver is lodged into the glass, and I know I still need to remove the broken pane and break the second. With one hand, I reach up and put some of my weight onto the windowsill, but instantly, I know it won't hold much longer.

“Go back, and we will work something else out!” Sean calls.

“No, I can do this!” I call back as I manage to press my feet against the wall to take some of the pressure off my arms. It's not much, but it may buy me a little time, even if it's only seconds. Acting quickly, I grab the hammer from the side of my sweats and hit the window as hard as I can from this angle. It's not great, but some of the glass falls out, which makes it easier to get to the next pane.

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