Taken Bride (The Secret Bride 3)

This man is going to throw himself off a cliff to rescue a woman who is barely alive, and I’m going to hold him with nothing but my weight and hopefully a well-rooted aspen tree.

Ember and Holly both run over to where I’ve just gripped the rope and take hold as well. We can use all the help we can get, because he is not a tiny man.

With the skill of a true outdoorsman, the man wraps the rope around his torso and begins to rappel off the edge without the slightest hesitation. The tug on the rope burns my hand, but I hold firm as I glance at the tree, which is also remaining steadfast.

“If this tree breaks, let go of the rope,” I order the women. But I already know they won’t, just as I won’t. If Mountain Man goes down, we all do.

“I’m almost there,” the man shouts from the other side. I appreciate his feedback, because not knowing makes this harder.

I scan the length of the rope and am happy to see that so far it’s holding his weight as well.

“I’ve reached her,” he yells up. “She’s alive and conscious. I don’t think she can make it up the cliff alone. She’s pretty hurt. So, I’m going to have to tie her off with me. It might be too much for the rope—”

“We got you, man,” I shout out, sweat beading on my forehead. I want to take as much of the weight as we can so we don’t tax the tree until we absolutely have to. I’m terrified to hear the snapping sound of the bark.

“Please be okay. Please be okay,” I hear Holly chant under her breath as she digs her heels into the snow and holds the rope with a strength that only a sister trying to save her sibling can do.

“Go ahead and start pulling,” he orders from down below.

I can tell the minute Violet is added to the rope and the mountain man is climbing back up. I begin to pull with all my might, tearing at the flesh of my hands. Ember is yanking, Holly is as well, and slowly we are pulling them to safety.

Fresh snow begins to fall from the sky, but luckily it seems to not be sticking. The only sound is our heavy breathing and groans of exertion.

“Almost there,” the man calls out. “I can almost reach the landing.”

I pull harder with his words, knowing he’ll need that extra heave to get Violet to the top.

“Ember, you let go of the rope on the count of three, go to the edge, and help pull Violet up when you see her. One. Two. Three!”

I dig my feet farther into the wet snow as I feel the rope give when Ember follows my command. For such a small woman, it’s clear how much of the weight she was holding, because I feel my feet slipping a bit, and Holly and I both have to readjust our stance to pull even harder.

“I see them,” Ember calls out. “Violet’s eyes are open! She’s alive. Alive!”

“Be careful!” I shout between clenched teeth. “Get down on your belly to reach out. Don’t let their weight pull you over.”

Grateful that Ember doesn’t question my command, I watch her do exactly as I say. And within seconds, Violet and Mountain Man are cresting the impossible. His thick fingers grab the edge, and he climbs the rest of the way up, pulling Violet alongside him with Ember’s assistance.

Holly and I both release the rope and run toward them.

“Violet! Oh God! Violet!” Holly is nearly hysterical.

Ember sits back on her butt, winded from the exertion. She’s watching the sisters hug as tears run down her face.

Violet is weak, cringing in pain with every movement, but still able to give her sister the affection that none of us believed would happen again.

Feeling as if I can breathe for the first time since running out of the house, I walk to the stranger and extend my hand, helping him off the snow-covered ground.

“I don’t know what to say, man. Thank you.” If he hadn’t come out of the woods… Violet wouldn’t be alive. No way in hell could I have done that myself.

He nods, looks at Holly and then Violet, and starts to walk away.

“Wait!” Holly calls, jumping up and reaching for him. “You can’t leave. Please stay. Please. Violet needs you now.”

I get the feeling she knows the man—the way she ran up to him and now begs for him to stay. But at the same time, she knows it’s unlikely he’d stay without her begging him to.

Ember is looking at Violet’s leg. “I think it’s broken,” she says.

The man’s face appears pained, and he kneels where Violet is lying and takes over examining her leg. When he moves it, she cries out in pain.