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“Move,” Joe ordered.
Patricia had one foot on Joe’s shoulder while he held her leg to steady her. She felt around and placed her other foot on Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan reached up and steadied her as she got her other leg over, and then he slid her down his body to her feet.
Joe took the mummy from Julia and threw it over the fence, past caring whether anyone caught it. The voices of the security guards were getting closer. Time was running out. If they didn’t get over the fence fast, they’d get caught.
“You next.” Joe crouched to help Julia climb up his body. “Hold on tight to the fence, baby. I’m going to stand up so you can step over it.
“Joe?” Julia’s voice was shaky. “Please don’t look up.”
He couldn’t help the grin, in spite of the circumstances. “Nobody’s going to look up your dress.”
“Unless we have to,” Ryan added with a smile.
“Not helping,” Joe told him. The voices were near the wall now. “Elle, you still there?”
“Yup.”
“I need a diversion. The security guys are almost at the back wall.”
“On it.”
Julia was astride the fence, one foot on Joe’s shoulder and one on Ryan’s. “That’s it. Stand on Ryan and swing your other leg over. He’ll grab you and help lower you down.”
Just as Julia swung her other leg over the fence towards Ryan, the alarm on Hayes’ house blared. Julia jerked. Her foot slipped. She lost balance. And toppled.
Right towards the spikes.
Chapter 16
The alarm went off. Julia startled. A second. That was all it took. And then she was falling. Joe shouted. Hands grabbed at her. She saw the fence spikes come
at her. She twisted to the side and fell, barely missing the deadly points.
There was a ripping sound and then Julia’s descent jerked to a sudden halt.
“No blood. No blood.” She felt Joe’s hands on her body through the fence. “No damage. You’re okay. You’re going to be okay.” She could hear panic turn to relief.
And then she realised his hands were on bare skin.
In one crashing second, her predicament came into startling focus. Her dress had caught on the spikes and she was now hanging from the fence like a coat on a peg. Her dress was up around her armpits and the lower half of her body was on view for everyone to see.
“Joe?” Julia frantically waved her arms as she tried to cover herself. It was impossible. They’d been pulled up and to the sides by her dress.
“It’s okay, baby, it’s okay. We’re gonna get you down from there.” His voice had turned husky and kind of strangled.
Julia squeezed her eyes shut. This was not happening. It was a dream. A nightmare. One of those ones where you’re naked in public. She opened her eyes and stared straight into the face of a grinning Ryan.
“Nice underwear,” he said.
She froze, well aware that she was wearing beige granny pants. Although her gran wouldn’t be caught dead in them. Julia had picked the underwear for comfort. Cotton, for the heat. Beige because… Oh, drat, there was no excuse. Her underwear was only fit to be burned. But to be fair, she didn’t think anyone would ever see it. Let alone most of her team.
“Joe!” Julia began to thrash around, trying to get off the fence.
“Shut your eyes,” Joe snapped at Ryan.
“How am I supposed to help you if I can’t see?”
Joe growled, sounding half feral. Ryan shut his eyes.
