Page 118 of Snow

She blew out a breath. “So let me make sure I understand the plan. I crawl through an air duct while the platform is on fire.”

“We don’t know it’s on fire.”

Nova just stared at him.

Snow held out for approximately two seconds before reluctantly nodding. “Okay. It’s probably on fire.”

“Thank you.”

He stepped closer, his hands settling around her waist as the teasing disappeared from his expression. “I know you’re scared.”

Nova almost denied it. The response was right there on the tip of her tongue, but when she glanced toward the vent again, she couldn’t quite make herself say the words.

“Yeah,” she admitted. “A little.”

It was more than a little, but thankfully, he didn’t call her on it.

“If you follow the duct, it should take you into the storage room. Once you’re out on that side, you can get the door open.”

“Should?”

“The blueprints show the ventilation running between both rooms.”

“The same blueprints that conveniently forgot this room exists?”

Snow winced. “Yeah.”

“Awesome. I’m feeling better by the second.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to do this if there was another way.”

That quieted her more effectively than anything else could have.

Nova knew he wouldn’t. If there were another option, Snow would already be doing it himself. She also knew standing there arguing with him wasn’t going to make another exit appear magically. The smell of smoke was getting stronger, and if Brett really had set the platform on fire, every second she wasted was one they might desperately need later. She could do this. At least, she hoped she could. God, she hated small spaces.

Snow tipped her chin up gently until she looked at him. “Hey. You can do this.”

The absolute certainty in his voice made her want to believe him.

“What if I get stuck?”

“You won’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“No,” he admitted, his thumb brushing softly over her cheek. “But I know you, and you’re a hell of a lot tougher than you think.”

Nova swallowed against the sudden tightness in her throat. Damn him for knowing exactly what to say when she needed to hear it.

She nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Before I change my mind.”

He kissed her, quick but firm, and when he pulled away, his forehead rested briefly against hers. “I’ll be right here.”

Snow dragged one of the worktables beneath the vent, climbed onto it, and removed the grate before jumping back down and holding out his hand. Nova stared at the opening for a moment, deciding it somehow looked even smaller without the grate covering it.