Promise.
And somehow that’s even more dangerous.
I shift back toward the valley and raise my rifle again, but everything feels different now.
Because this thing between us?
It’s not fading.
Not after carrying her through gunfire.
Not after waking up with her in my arms.
And definitely not after the way she just looked at me like she already knew I was hers.
13
Olivia
We keep moving.
Up narrow ridges.
Across loose rock.
Through stretches of desert so empty it feels endless.
Nobody complains anymore.
Not even the children.
That’s what scares me.
Exhaustion has swallowed the fear whole.
My side throbs with every step.
Sharp at first.
Then dull.
Then sharp again whenever I breathe too deeply.
I tighten my grip on the strap of my medical bag and keep walking.
Don’t think about it.
Don’t slow down.
Behind me, boots crunch steadily against gravel.
Russ.
Always close enough now that I know his footsteps without looking.
“Slow down.”
His voice lands right behind me.
