Page 183 of In Too Deep

Harrison tightened his grip. There was no fucking way he was letting him fall back down there. “Can you give me one more push?”

Jake dragged in a shaky breath, then nodded. “Aye.”

“Alright. On three.”

Harrison counted, and Jake pushed again. Harrison got an arm beneath his good shoulder and hauled until Jake’s chest cleared the opening. From there it was easier. Awkward and graceless and accompanied by enough swearing to strip paint from the walls, but easier.

Harrison dragged him the rest of the way through.

Jake collapsed onto the plant-room floor.

“Fuck. Christ.”

Harrison dropped beside him and cupped Jake’s face in both hands, sweeping grime from his cheekbones with his thumbs before pushing one hand into his hair.

Warm skin.

Damp curls.

Jake’s breath against his wrist.

Alive.

“Roman.” Jake swallowed, trying to lick his dry lips. “Levenson. Was him. He put me down there. He—”

“Hey, stop.” Harrison stroked Jake’s hair back from his face. “I know.”

“You know?”

“I know Roman’s involved. We’re already looking for him.”

Jake stared at him. “So I got trapped in a bloody ceiling for nowt?”

Harrison gave him a look.

A glare.

Jake shook his head. “I just went to work. I didn’t chase him. Promise. Please don’t be mad at me.”

Christ.

All the anger Harrison had carried into the building disappeared so completely he could barely remember feeling it, and he bent over Jake to press their foreheads together. “I’m not mad at you, baby.”

Jake looked up at him, and the tiniest widening of those blue eyes held a softness Harrison wasn’t sure he’d ever seen on Jake Whitton before. “No?”

“No.” Harrison brushed his thumb across Jake’s cheek. “Roman Levenson, on the other hand, is going to have a considerably worse evening.”

The corner of Jake’s mouth twitched. “Scary.”

“Hm.”

Whatever had been holding Jake together seemed to disappear then, and he sagged into Harrison. Harrison drew him carefully against his chest, avoiding the injured shoulder, and held him.

Jake didn’t move.

After a few seconds, Harrison’s relief sharpened into alarm. “Hey.” He eased him back enough to see his face. “You still with me?”

Jake opened one eye. “Still on that hi-hat for you.”