I shake my head fast and point behind me, where the body liescrumpled on the ground.
Ryker’s eyes follow, and his jaw clenches so hard it ticks.
“Shit, Aspen.”
My hands won’t stop trembling.
“He punched me,” I mumble, touching my cheek. His eyes soften instantly. He reaches up, brushing his fingers feather-light over the bruised skin.
“You’re a warrior, love.”
He presses a kiss to the tender spot, and it steals the breath right out of me.
“Knox and Max?” I ask, needing to hear it from him, needing something solid to hold on to.
He pulls back, dropping his hands to his sides. I see the worry clouding his face.
“They went to get Dante.”
“And because I ran, you had to come get me…” The guilt thickens in my chest. “I made it worse,”
“No, Aspen.” He cuts me off, reaching for me again but stopping just short, like he’s afraid I’ll break if he touches me wrong.
“Even if you’d stayed at the house, one of us would’ve stayed behind. We weren’t going to leave you unprotected.”
He is so gentle it splits my heart wide open.
I realize I’m holding my wrist awkwardly. Ryker notices too.
His face twists in panic. “I hurt you,”
“No!” I rush to say, grabbing his hand before he pulls away. “I was about to stab you. You barely touched me.”
His shoulders sag, and he smiles that soft, heart-shattering smile.
“Come on, love. We have to move. Once the guys free Dante, all hell’s going to break loose. We can’t stay in these woods.”
I nod, wiping the blood off my hands onto my pants.
We walk in a steady, limping rhythm.
The woods are so dark, so endless, that it feels like we’re marching through another world.
“Are they mad at me?” I ask, barely above a whisper.
Ryker runs a hand through his hair and sighs. “More worried than mad.”
“Liar,” I mutter with a weak laugh.
He grins, but there’s no real humor behind it.
“They’re pissed, love,” he says softly.
A shiver runs through me.
Knox is going to tie me to a bed, if I’m lucky.
We walk for a while in silence.
