“Nothing, love,” Ryker says, his tone gentle as he pulls an old as fuck energy bar from his pack. “Keep eating this, okay?”
She nods weakly, her hand trembling as she grabs the bar. She’s still pale, barely holding on, but at least she’s with us again.
We don’t waste time. We move fast.
“I’ll take her,” I say, and Knox nods, passing her into my arms. She gives me a small smile.
“I’m tired,” she chuckles, but I can see the fear hiding behind her eyes.
“I know,” I murmur, tightening my grip on her, “but we’re almost there. Just stay awake a little longer, sweetheart.” I lock my gaze on those beautiful eyes. She’s holding on for us, and we’re holding on to her just the same. Knox isn’t the only one clinging to her like a lifeline.
After Bryn’s death, Dante being taken, and Ethan’s backstabbingghost, Aspen is all that’s keeping us from falling apart. From charging into the base guns blazing and getting ourselves killed. It would be a suicide mission, and if we didn’t have anything to lose, we’d already be dead.
But we have her. And Dante’s last words before the line went dead still echo in my head.
Protect her at all costs.
“Finally,” Ryker mutters, picking up his pace as the outline of the farm appears ahead.
Hidden in the trees, half-swallowed by overgrowth, and thick with herbs and brush, it barely looks like a place someone once called home. The windows are boarded, the door reinforced, and every corner prepared for a fight. It’s not much, but it’s all we’ve got.
Knox unlocks the door, and we step inside. Aspen lifts her head, eyes darting around the space. The second the tears start slipping down her cheeks.
“Aspen?” My heart kicking against my ribs.
“It looks like my home,” she whispers.
Fuck.That hits harder than it should.
“Oh, Aspen…” I pull her tighter against me, cradling her to my chest as I press a kiss to the top of her head. I don’t say more. Can’t. Words won’t fix what’s been done.
Knox is already moving, clearing off the dining table with efficient motions. He throws a clean sheet over it just as Ryker runs in from the back room, arms full of the supplies we stashed here the last time we passed through.
I lay her down gently on the table. Her body trembles under my hands.
“This is going to hurt, sweetheart,” I murmur, brushing a tear from her cheek. “But I need you to be strong for me, just a little longer.”
She nods, silent, her face streaked with tears that haven’t stopped falling.
Knox moves to her head and gently takes her hands, lifting them up and lacing his fingers with hers, holding her in place.
“Ryker,” I call, and he’s already there, dropping to his knees beside the table and wrapping both hands around her leg to keep it steady.
The belt is soaked through with blood, clinging to her skin like it doesn’t want to let go. I suck in a breath as I grip it, her body twitching beneath my hands.
“Easy, sweetheart. Just breathe for me.”
Knox leans closer, still holding her hands above her head, murmuring soft reassurances against her temple. Ryker grips her leg tighter, jaw clenched so hard I swear his teeth might crack.
I start to loosen the belt. The second I peel it off, blood gushes from the wound, hot and angry. I curse under my breath and press a thick pad of gauze to it, trying to slow the bleeding.
“Fuck,” Ryker growls. “It’s deep.”
“I know,” I grit out. “Hold her steady.”
The gauze soaks through too quickly, but I don’t stop. I clean the area with whatever we’ve got—alcohol, iodine, or wipes—her body jerking with every pass. She’s trying to be strong, but she’sfading. I can see it in her face, the way her eyelids flutter and lips pale and trembling.
“I got you,” I whisper. “I’m right here. You’re not alone, Aspen. Stay with me.”
