Page 52 of Chasing Paradise

If they were even chasing us at all.

In the end, it was a stupid fallen tree that brought us to an abrupt stop.

My ankle caught it and I went flying.

Wick’s hand tightened on mine, yanking back before he had no choice but to let me go, or else risk dislocating my shoulder. My momentum was too great.

All I could do was brace my forearms for the fall.

I barely even registered the pain of the fall, the way the underbrush nipped and sliced at my arms.

All I could feel was the fire in my lungs, the way I couldn’t seem to catch a breath, leaving me gasping, panic growing with each second that I couldn’t get enough oxygen.

“Hey, okay. Alright.” Wick’s voice was soft as he reached for me, pulling me up onto my knees as he knelt in front of me. “You’re alright,” he assured me as he reached for both of my wrists, yanking my arms up and out wide. “This’ll lift your ribcage,” he explained. “In through the nose,” he demanded.

With the threat of men with guns behind us, he shouldn’t have been able to be so patient and gentle with me. Even if I was nearing the point of no return with panic.

“There you go. Again,” he said, demonstrating the breath he wanted me to take, and I found myself obediently following instructions. “Alright. A little better,” he said, nodding at me.

We stayed just like that, breathing, watching each other, until, finally, the vice grip on my lungs eased.

“The impact of the fall probably triggered that,” he said as he let my arms drop.

“It’s okay. You can blame the fact that I don’t do nearly enough cardio,” I said, voice sounding weak as Wick passed me a water bottle. “We have to keep moving,” I told him as I took along swig before handing him the rest of the water. “Do you have any clue what direction we should be going in?”

“No,” he admitted, looking around.

“Well, I guess we keep going this way then,” I said, gesturing toward where we’d been heading when I fell.

Wick offered me his hand again.

I didn’t even bother to dry the sweat off mine before I took his.

“Fast walking instead of running, yeah?”

With that, we took off, both of us tense, jumping at any small noise, eyes constantly on a swivel.

“How did you know?” Wick asked a long while later.

“Know what?”

“That there was a gun?”

“I got a strange feeling. There was crunching that just… sounded wrong. Then I saw the gun muzzle.”

“How do you know about guns?”

“My father. I mean, my mom knows a thing or two, too. But my dad. And uncles.” At his curious look, I shrugged. “He’s an outlaw biker. They run guns.”

“Wait a second,” Wick said, lips twitching. “Your dad is a criminal, but you gave me shit about insider trading?”

“It’s different.”

“How so?”

“There’s not a bounty on his head. I mean, actually, there probably is somewhere in the world. But not one I know of.”

“It’s not personal, huh?”

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