While their victim continued to be pulled up from above, Mitch started fussing over Aidan’s injuries, which were now bleeding in rivulets along with all the rainwater. The gash in his knee was three inches long and deep. His pants leg was soaked through with blood. Same with his elbow. And his face. Shit happened.

“Bad week to be you,” Mitch said mildly.

“Shut up.”

“Don’t worry, next week it’ll be my turn to get the boo-boos.”

“Yeah?”

“Hell no. I’m just that good,” Mitch said, chortling, impressed with himself, the asshole.

Aidan pushed him away. His elbow was just a scrape. His face felt bruised, but he didn’t think it was anything to be too concerned about. He could see straight and could feel all his extremities. Horn Dog had made it to the top, and now it was their turn. “Okay, let’s do this—”

Before he could finish the sentence, a lightning bolt flashed so bright he and Mitch jerked back, coming up against the rock wall of the ledge. The following boom of thunder nearly split their eardrums.

“Jesus,” Mitch gasped. “Jesus Christ, my life just flashed before my eyes. Aidan?”

“Still here,” Aidan managed, blinking hard but still seeing only white. “Too close.”

There was a radio call to verify that Aidan and Mitch were still breathing, but as was feared, the lightning strikes made it way too unsafe to bring them up. It was even more unsafe for the topside crew to stay out in the open with all the gear laid out and the trees surrounding them.

Leaving the rescue lines attached to the anchor points with the ropes slackened enough that Aidan and Mitch could sit on the ledge as close to the rock face as possible, their crew pulled back to seek out refuge.

“Sucks to be us,” Mitch said. But the truth was, they were in a better position there on the ledge than the guys on top had been. They sat with their backs to the rock and watched the storm rail.

“Nice view,” Mitch said, after a few violently noisy but awe-inspiring minutes. “It’d be better with a few hot chicks and some popcorn.”

Aidan set his head back to the rock and laughed softly. His muscles were quaking good now as the adrenaline wore off and the pain set in. Around them the thunder and lightning continued to rage, leaving them no choice but to play the waiting game.

Lily held on to the dash as Gray’s truck tossed them both around on the drive up the mountain’s fire roads. The storm had come out of nowhere, as it often did on late summer afternoons. They blew in, dumped, and then blew out.