Page 277 of Her Reluctant Hero
“Doug will get them back.”
“We can’t leave them!” She dug in her heels and he glared at her impatiently.
“We can’t reach them. They know what to do. I’m more worried about you. Let’s go!”
Off balance as he pulled on her, she scrambled after him. “I’m scared.”
“Do you trust me?”
She didn’t think twice before answering. “Yes. Yes, of course.”
“I’ll get you out of here. But you have to promise to do what I say.”
She nodded.
They scrambled up the side of the mountain. As the route became steeper, she sobbed with frustration and fear, sucking smoke into her lungs.
The optimism she’d felt when she had first seen Gabe dissipated now in the hopelessness of the situation. Even Gabe wasn’t good enough to get them out of this. She was too weak—she couldn’t keep up this brutal pace with the fire pushing them forward. Her hair was burning, and she batted at it. The roar of the flames drowned the pounding of her own blood in her ears, or the choking of her own breath.
“Gabe, please! Go on! You can move faster without me. Go!”
He stared at her as if he didn’t understand. Then he let go of her hand.
