Page 82 of Stay for Me

Find Diana.

Once I was at the base of the hill, I frantically scanned around for her, hoping to see her honey blonde within this deep sea of turning green. My throat tightened when I didn’t see her, panic like a weight at the bottom of my gut, threatening to hold me down and suffocate me. The echoes of gunshots played in my head as I looked over my shoulder, my eyes tracking up the hill, following the disturbed path she’d slid down.

Fuck, my baby.

I knew, down to my broken damned soul, she was hurt—badly. A fall like that could’ve have killed her, and not finding her at the bottom gave me a flicker of hope she was able to scramble away. As the past tried to suck me back in, mixing with the heavy toxin of fear and panic, I looked straight ahead to the clearing currently blanketed in the autumn sun, its bright rays bouncing off the still-green grass. Keeping to the shadows, I scanned over the tree line on the opposite end, and then my eyes landed on a familiar teal backpack, my knees nearly giving out.

There, sitting against an old oak, was my firefly. Her head was tilted back as she looked up at something in the tree. For a moment, I let the cool rush of gratitude hit me, but it came to a screeching halt when I saw blood stains on her bright leggings.

There.

Was.

Blood.

On.

My.

Woman.

Her blood.

Behind me, the talons of war latched on my to shoulder, digging into my flesh as shame whispered something in my ear.“You couldn’t even protect her here, in the middle of your sanctuary.”

With a growl, I rolled my neck and shouted her name.

“DIANA!”

Chapter Sixteen

Diana

Atwigsnappedonthe other side of the clearing, and for the second time today, I was scared for my life. I don’t know how long I’d been sitting here, trying to get my phone to turn on—which had gotten smashed somewhere along the way of me falling down the hill—-but hearing that twig snap had me paralyzed with cold, harsh fear.

I’d managed to pull myself up and hobble to the other side of the small clearing before sliding to the ground against a tree. From there, I finally mustered up the courage to look at my ankle. There was no blood, but I could feel the swelling inside my boot. I didn’t have the energy to try and remove it. Instead, I assessed the rest of my body for injuries. My knee was cut, my leggings ripped in various places, but the biggest tear was at my knee. The wound was caked with dirt and dried blood. There was a significant cut on my right forearm, but nothing too major. My neck and head felt fine, but I still wasn’t ruling out a concussion.

I kept my eyes on the shadows, looking for anything bear-shaped, and when nothing came, my shoulders sagged. I tilted my head back, looking up the tree, memorizing its beauty instead of focusing on the throbbing pain. “You’re okay, Diana,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Everything is going to be okay. Caleb knows you’re out here, and someone will come for you.”

Not very convincing, Di.

Above, a cloud moved over the sun, taking its warm rays with it. I blinked away my somehow endless stream of tears to look up again, watching the turning leaves gently shift in the breeze. The green leaves were slowly being taken over by bright oranges, stunning golds, and deep reds. Even though I was in immense agony, and most likely my ankle was broken, at least I was surrounded by beauty. I looked over to my pack, my mouth dry, my stomach rumbling. I’d brought a protein bar to eat at the top of the mountain, along with a bottle of water. I didn’t know how long I was going to be out here, and I definitely didn’t need to open that bar if the bear was still around.

Something landed on a branch above me, the wood cracking. I looked back up to find the branch swaying harshly, disturbing the breeze and rocking the top of the tree in the opposite direction. A second later, the same hawk I’d seen before starting this disastrous hike was looking down at me, its yellow eyes bright in contrast to the now gray skies above.

“Hi,” I croaked, giving the animal a smile.God, he or she was gorgeous.

The bird blinked, watching me with an eerie stillness that sent shivers across my arms, down my legs. It cocked its head to the side and from this angle, it looked as if he was frowning at me. “Great, even the hawk knows I’m a disappointment,” I mumbled.

“Diana!”a deep voice roared, cutting through the air like a blade.

I righted my head again, a gasp leaving me as my eyes landed on a cowboy emerging from the trees—tall, broad. His hat kept his face shrouded in darkness, but I could feel his eyes, the heat of them.

He was burning me alive.

“Mags,” I rasped, trying to sit up more.

“Don’t move a fuckin’ inch,” he snarled as I caught a glimpse of his white teeth.

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