Page 74 of Widow’s Walk

Then, through the flood of light below, she saw movement—headlights cutting across the drive. Sully’s truck. He stepped out and was soaked instantly, but his shape was solid in the howling chaos. Even from the roof, she could sense his anger and fear.

For a fleeting second, she felt both relief and guilt that he was there.

Then the wind screamed. A hard gust hit her side, almost lifting her off her feet.

Before she could brace herself, something snapped.

The railing—the same one Sully had warned them all about—tore free with a shriek of twisting metal. The world dropped out from beneath her. Amy flung her arms, trying to grab anything, but momentum wrenched her outward into rain and air.

The harness caught. Her body jerked violently, the strap biting into her ribs. The air was torn from her lungs.

She dangled four stories in the air, spinning. Pain flared as the harness dug into her skin and the wind smashed her against the side of the house. Rain blurred everything into streaks of white and black. She tried to plant her feet, to scrabble against the slick siding, but the wind shoved her away again like a toy.

Below, panic erupted—crew shouted, lights wobbled in the gusts. Someone screamed instructions; another called to protect the cameras from the rain. None of them seemed to know what to do.

She finally found some purchase by digging her fingernails deep into the soft, rotten wood about to give beneath her fingers. A scream ripped through her throat as the wood pulled away from the roof, and she swung out again to dangle high in the air. Panic struck when she realized if the harness broke, she would fall four stories to her death.

Not this way, she thought. Rain pelted her face as she spun like a wind chime, making it difficult to get her bearings. Miraculously a gust of wind slammed her back to the sloped roof, and she groped the surface desperately to find purchase on the slippery wet surface. Her nails dug into the wood again, and she found a tentative hold.

Slowly, she clawed herself upward, fingernails ripping on the rough surface. She used the harness as an anchor up to the platform of the widow’s walk.

Inch by inch, she made progress. Her hands were going numb from the cold and effort. The harness creaked under her weight; the clip ground against the anchor point. She needed to pull herself up over the side of the platform, and she almost had it.

Then—footsteps.

“Amy!”

Sully’s voice cut through the chaos.

She looked up, rain running into her eyes. His face appeared over the edge, pale against the lightning. In seconds, he was on his stomach, reaching down and straining to grab her harness strap while she pulled one final time with all her strength. The next flash blinded her—his jaw clenched, eyes wide with fear—but his voice stayed steady.

“That’s it. I’ve got hold of the harness. I won’t let you fall.”

The next blow of wind slammed her as they worked to get her back onto the platform; she hit the floor with a terrible crack. She bit back a scream, searching for him in the dark. His hand found hers. She felt his arms wrap fully around her.

They tumbled together onto the wet planks, gasping. For a heartbeat, neither moved—all she heard was the hammer of rain and the thundering pulse in her ears.

Once they were on their feet and Amy was disconnected from her tether, they stumbled together inside, and the noise dulled to a heavy murmur. Water streamed from their clothes onto the floorboards. Amy’s entire body trembled, muscles locked with adrenaline. Sully was breathing hard, soaked through, but his hands were still gentle as he checked her arms, her shoulder, every surface of her body.

“You’re okay,” he said, half to her, half to himself. His voice was rough, stripped of its usual confidence. “You’re okay.”

She blinked at him through wet eyelashes. His expression—torn between anger and relief—stole her breath. There was no disappointment in it now. Only fear. Pure and raw.

“You were right,” she whispered. “This was a bad idea.”

He shook his head, jaw tight. “I should have stayed. Whatever our disagreements, I should never have left you alone up there. When I saw you fall, Amy, I almost died. I can’t lose you. I love you.”

Before she could respond, a burst of laughter echoed from the hall. Mason.

He appeared in the doorway, grinning. His hair was plastered to his head, his expensive jacket slick with rain. “That footage is gold!” he exclaimed, clapping one of the drenched cameramen on the shoulder. “The railing giving way and falling over the edge couldn’t have been scripted better myself!”

Sully’s look snapped toward him like a loaded weapon. “You put her life at risk for your show.”

Mason waved it off. “She was harnessed. Perfectly safe. Besides, we got exactly what we needed. This episode will put Dead Reckoning on the map permanently.”

Amy straightened herself. She was dripping and shaking, but her voice came out steady. “Get out.”

Mason blinked. “What?”