𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 - JJ Maybank

Chapter 124: Couldn't Stand The Weather

Grace's pulse quickened as her husband climbed higher and higher. The sandstorm whipped golden clouds into her eyes, turning her vision into a shifting blur. She felt wobbly on the ground; she could hardly imagine how precarious clinging to a dust-coated monument felt. If she was stressed before, she was on the verge of panicking now.

"He's got this..."

Grace wasn't sure that Rafe's muttered words were meant to comfort her or if they were meant to go unheard, but either way, they did little to calm her nerves.

Just as he was reaching the top, hand grasping onto the sandstone, his steady climb took a rocky turn. As he gripped onto the ledge, the sandstone tore apart, spraying sand and rock that plummeted to the ground.

Grace felt as if she'd stopped breathing, her entire body rigid as she watched the love of her life dangle from one hand at a deadly height. "JJ!"

His legs flailed, seeking purchase as his fingers scraped against the sandstone, raw and slipping.

"Come on, come on," Grace muttered the mantra under her breath as she watched.

Using all of his momentum, JJ flung his hand back up, curling it around the grainy monument. The particles of sand only made clinging on that much harder.

Feeling unsteady, JJ promptly hurled himself up onto the ledge, muscles burning at the effort.

The moment he was standing, the wind made his balance unsteady. He leaned back against the statue as the sandstorm vied to pry him off.

He took a moment, catching his breath. As much as he wanted to peer down and spot his wife cheering him on, he would much prefer being oblivious to just how high up he was. It would be far more difficult to face the rest of the climb if he could hear the fall calling out for him, nipping at his heels.

"They have to be up here!"

Grace's head whipped around, attention tearing from the statue to the sound of a much-too-familiar British accent.

"Shit. Here they come."

Grace had almost forgotten about her brother's presence until he spoke up. From their spot at the top of the hill, they could just about make out a group of men armed to the teeth clawing at the base. It seemed the sand was finally working in their favour. From the direction the men were approaching, it would be almost impossible to see through the dust.

That didn't mean they were in the clear, however. It was only a matter of time before rifles were pointed towards them.

"JJ! They're coming!" Grace really didn't want to rush him when the climb was already so treacherous, but bullets spewing from below would be far more threatening than a shout to hurry it up.

"Almost there!" JJ finally peered down as he shouted back. His heart skipped a beat. Yeah, it was a long way down. Taking a deep breath and steeling himself, his fingers dug into the sandstone with that much more vigour. He had to remember that the faster he got the crown and got back down, the faster he and Grace could make it to safety.

Using the cracks as handholds and the bumps for his feet, he worked his way up the statue.

"Hey! You stay here. I'll go down and buy us some time!" Rafe shouted over the howling sand.

"Are you insane?! They have rifles, Rafe. They'll kill you!" His half-sister was quick to argue.

"I'm a killer too!" Rafe was quick to argue back. "I've got nothing to lose, Gracie. Not after everything I've done."

Grace bit her lip roughly, tearing at the skin. The weight of the pistol pulled at her waistband. One bullet. Did she really want to hand that final bit of protection to Rafe? "Okay. Just... just be careful, yeah?" No. She didn't. It was the only weapon they had left against an entire arsenal. It was just too risky to give it up. The pistol remained snug in her waistband, the weight continuing to taunt her.