Page 128 of Love in the Wild

The burn in his throat was unbearable. He needed to either throw up his guts or throw himself into the unforgiving river.

“Are you okay?” Hadley asked low.

No. Not even close. “I’m fine.”

Mr. Benson paced somewhere behind Gage, on the phone detailing directions to their location out in the middle of the wilderness.

“What happened? I mean, after I fell. I heard screaming and gunshots.”

Shaking his head, Gage cradled her hand to his chest as he leaned closer to her. “We’ll talk about it later.”

“Gage, that doesn’t ease any of my worries. Just tell me.”

“Nobody was shot. Rome kept missing.” That was a small truth he was happy to reveal. Gage had some minor scrapes from rolling around on the forest floor, but that was it.

It wasn’t fair. He should be the one lying in pain. Not Hadley.

Gage had only missed those bullets that had been meant for him because Mr. Benson had been there to hit Rome in the head like a batter peeling the cover off a baseball. Gage’s brush with death hadn’t really registered yet. He was still trying to process Rome’s lifeless body lying on a rock in the river.

“Where is he?” she asked.

“Who?”

“Rome. Did he get away?”

Man, what he wouldn’t give to skip this conversation. Hadley’s heart was kind enough that she wouldn’t wish death on anyone, even the man who tried to end her own life.

“No. We got him. He won’t hurt you anymore.”

Travis made his way back over to them and crouched on Hadley’s other side. The small shake of his head told Gage his assumption about Rome was correct. He was dead and gone, never to hurt them again.

The same fate might be waiting for Gage. Being locked up for murder wasn’t a far cry from death. Losing Hadley and the life he’d been building with her was an end in itself.

Mr. Benson’s shadow loomed over Hadley as he approached. “They’re only about five minutes out. Hang on, Hadley.”

“I’m okay,” she said back with a tight smile. Even her best efforts couldn’t hide the evidence of her pain.

“I’m right here with you. I won’t leave you,” Gage promised.

His jaw tightened until his teeth ached. He might not have a choice if the police arrested him for manslaughter before they even loaded Hadley into an ambulance.

He was destined to fail her, and not even his best efforts could make things right.

A call came from over the rise, and Mr. Benson scrambled through fallen trees to signal the first responder team. Dawson was the first one to crest the hill with Asa close behind him. Several paramedics wearing bright red carried bags of medical equipment on their shoulders.

Dawson turned his head to speak into the radio on his shoulder. He took one look at Rome before locking eyes with Gage.

The sinking feeling was back in his chest. So much for paving a new way. Every alliance he’d made in the last few months just went up in smoke.

Dawson carefully walked to where Gage sat beside Hadley and waved the medical team over. “Is she okay?”

“Need to rule out internal bleeding or punctured lung. Also spinal injuries,” Travis said.

Dawson squatted beside Gage at Hadley’s side. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m really okay,” Hadley assured with a half-smile.

Looking up at Travis, then Gage, Dawson asked, “What happened?”

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