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Then Boone is there.

His hands cradle my face, rough palms warm against my skin. He’s speaking and I can see his lips moving but I don’t hear a sound. I shake my head, a desperate attempt to clear the fog.

I suck in a ragged breath. Then another.

“There you are,” he soothes. “I need you with me, Ani. Are you hurt?”

I manage to shake my head. My eyes find his and hold on for dear life.

“You’re safe,” he says. “You’re okay. He’s gone.”

I don’t trust my voice, but I nod. Boone keeps one hand on my cheek, the other wraps around my body. He doesn’t move until I do. Then he’s pulling me in, arms holding tight around my shoulders.

“I—” The word catches in my throat. My whole body is shaking now, each tremor rolling through me like a tidal wave. I try again. “I’m okay.”

“Mae,” I choke out.

“She’s fine,” he says immediately. “Finn has her. She’s inside and safe.”

My breath hitches. Boone keeps one hand at my back, rubbing it slowly even though his own pulse is thudding hard where his chest presses into mine.

“Finn’s already called the sheriff,” he says. “We need to make sure the bastard doesn’t double back.”

I press my forehead to Boone’s collarbone and allow myself to fall apart, sobs wracking my body.

Chapter 32

Ani

It’s late. But none of us are sleeping except for Mae. It took us a while to get her to sleep, but a hot bath and some chamomile tea with extra honey finally did the trick.

We’re in Boone’s bed and Finn is curled around my right side, his hand resting over my stomach. I can almost hear him counting the rise and fall of each breath. Jonah is on my left, forehead pressed to my shoulder, his arm slung across my shoulders. Boone is standing up next to the window, peering out into the darkness.

I haven’t spoken since the sheriff left.

I don’t know if I remember how.

No one asked me to explain what happened. No one voiced what would’ve happened if Boone hadn’t been there to fire that warning shot. They know.

It would be so nice if we could just pretend everything is fine, that we’re past the worst of it and the danger has retreated back into the trees.

But it hasn’t. I can still feel the danger. It's sitting on my chest like an elephant.

So, we don’t speak. But they don’t stop touching me either.

Today was too close. And that’s what keeps me awake while they rest against me, doing their best to keep me safe.

Because I’m not just afraid of what could happen to me anymore.

I’m more afraid of what will happen to them if I stay.

Finn presses his lips to the top of my shoulder. Jonah slides his hand across my stomach. Boone joins us on the bed, kneeling near the bottom of the mattress watching things unfold.

Finn sits up and lifts my shirt. He slides it up slowly, fingers dragging warm over my skin. He pulls it up over my head and tosses it aside, then kisses me softly.

“You scared the hell out of me today,” he says.

“I know.”