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“What’s wrong?” Tamsyn rasped.

“Can you walk?”

“I-I think so?” She tried to get to her feet but her knees were weak. “What’s wrong?”

Tabitha gave the body one last kick, then walked over and grabbed Tamsyn’s stronger hand, hauling her up onto her feet. When she almost went down again, she sighed as if the weakness was an inconvenience, then looped her arm around Tamsyn’s waist for support. “Seems like running didn’t save Merrick.”

“I—what?”

“He got shot.”

What little strength she had left plummeted, buckling her knees. The forest went white, her head ringing with those three devastating words delivered in such a blasé tone. She thought of the gunshot, the one that seemed so loud and personal, like it was aimed at her. Was that the one?

Cursing, Tabitha lowered her to the ground. “Sorry, my brain is still in work mode. That was inconsiderate. Grit will be mad—he’s been in your position, I haven’t. I was the one dying.”

“Dying?” The word was a quiet wail of despair.

“Fuck. I’m doing this all wrong. Probably why Grit told me to let him do the talking,” she muttered to herself under her breath. “Look, I get it’s hard. Not knowing how he is or if he’s going to make it. But what you do know is that he needs you, right? He loves you, and if he loves you half as much as Grit loves me, we need to get you home.”

Before it’s too late.

She heard the words in her head even though Tabitha didn’t speak them.

How many times had she thought about how much he’d given her since she appeared in his life? How much he’d given upforher on this journey? Was she really going to huddle on the forest floor, unwilling to haul herself back down the hill for fear of what waited at the bottom?

The fact he’d been shot destroyed her. Her heart—the heart she’d left behind forhim—was in pieces and her soul was cracked in two, but if procrastination cost her the chance to be there for him when he truly needed her most, or God forbid, the opportunity to say goodbye, she would never forgive herself.

Some things were bigger than her secluded little universe.

Merrick was the whole of it.

He was justit.

Shoving aside physical aches and mental anguish, Tamsyn exhaled roughly through her tender throat and summoned the strength to stand shakily. Clamping her hand on Tabitha’s arm, not missing the woman’s flinch, she gave a firm nod. “Take me to him.”

“Hah. Knew there was some fighting spirit in there.”

“Are you hurt?”

Inelegantly, Tabitha turned her head and spat blood. “He got in a couple lucky shots, that’s all. Mine weren’t luck.” When Tamsyn’s eyes slid down to where her hand was on Tabitha’s rigid arm, the blonde shuddered slightly. “Oh, that. No. I have issues with people touching me. Grit is trying his best to desensitize me, so don’t worry about it.”

It was apparently the end of that particular conversation, as Tabitha set off walking, towing Tamsyn along at a speed she wasn’t sure she could keep up with for long. Her bones were aching, her muscles crying, and her limited supply of energy was about to blink red.

Merrick,she reminded herself. “He’d do it for me.”

Blue eyes glanced in her direction. “Make it back to you?”

“Yes.”

Tabitha snorted loudly, shaking her head. “I’m pretty sure he almost died trying to protect you. It’s safe to say that man would do anything for you.”

Almost diedwasn’t the same asdead, Tamsyn reminded herself when her insides wilted with grief again. He would hold on if he could, would stay with her if the damage to his body allowed him.

The problem was, she more than anybody knew how fragile the strongest body could be. Too many vulnerable places, so many organs and arteries that surrendered when injured. No amount of muscle or fat could stop a projectile traveling hundreds or thousands of feet per second.

“Can we go faster?”

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