Page 83 of Dustwalker

Dread sank in her belly, dragging her remaining hope down with it. She should’ve known by now that hope only led to heartache.

She dropped her hand. “Why not?”

His fingers twitched against her cheek. “We need supplies.”

“We havesupplies, and you have all the stuff you just brought in to trade for more. And we can sell this, too.” She grasped the ring and slid it off her finger.

Ronin closed his hands around both of hers before she could remove it. His gaze was steady when she looked up into his eyes. Her heart was pounding, her breaths were heavy, and she didn’t know why. There was nothing left for her in this town but despair, fear, and death. She had to leave.

“No, Lara. Keep it.” He pushed the ring back onto her finger. “The nearest settlement is about eighty miles, depending on the route. I can make that in a day. With you, it’ll take at least five days, depending on the weather.”

Lara tugged her hand, but Ronin didn’t release it. “You don’t think I should go because I’d fucking slow you down?”

“That’s not what I’m saying, Lara.”

“Sure as hell sounds like you are!”

“That’s five days, minimum, of food and water. If a bad storm blows through, it could delay us another week on top of that.”

“I’ve gone a long time without food before. I can do it again.”

“I don’t doubt that, but I’m not willing to take that risk. We need to bring enough food and water to last at least ten or twelve days, and we need more durable clothing to protect your skin out there. I also want you to have a reliable weapon before we leave. And we don’t have all that sitting around here.”

When she tugged on her hands again, he released his hold, and she raised one to show him the ring. It only had meaning while he was alive, while they were together. “That’s why this needs to go. Between this and the rest of your haul, we can get everything we need.”

“No, Lara. You’re keeping it. You told me it means eternity.”

“It’s just a thing, Ronin. I’m going to have to hide it when we go out, anyway, because anyone who sees it will try to take it from me. It’s just a piece of metal.”

He pressed his lips into a tight line.

Really, Lara?

Fuck!

She growled in frustration. “Damn it, that’s not what I meant, and you know it!”

“Regardless, I don’t want you to sell it. Give me a few more days. I’ll bring in enough to obtain everything we need, plus some scrap to trade at the next town. Then we can go, and we won’t ever have to look back at Cheyenne again.”

Lara pushed herself up from the windowsill and glared at him. “Are you fucking serious? You justgot back, and you’re already going to go out and leave me here alone? Again?”

“Yes. One more run, so you can come next time.”

“And what if there is no next time? What if you come back and find me lying dead out there, just like you found Tabitha?”

His expression went blank, pupils expanding before dwindling to pinpoints.

“I’m defenseless here, Ronin. This place is a deathtrap, and I’m going insane just sitting here, doing nothing.”

“And you’ll have to endure that for a few more days, Lara.” His voice had that edge to it, the one she’d only heard when he was truly angry. “I’ll leave my rifle. It can punch a hole in most bots. Sleep with it, if you need to.”

The fire inside Lara guttered out at the thought of Ronin in the Dust, unarmed. A chill skittered up her spine. “And what will you use out there?”

“Whatever I must, if it comes to that.”

“Will that be enough?”

He was silent for a moment. “Whatever happens, Lara, I will come back for you.”