“He’s two rooms down.”
“How is he?”
“Mostly exhausted,” he says. “The gear protected him from the worst of it, but he got too hot in there. Dehydrated too. He said it’s heat stress.”
My jaw tightens. “How bad?”
“Not as bad as it could be. They’ve got him cooling down and pushing fluids. He’s already better than he was an hour ago.” Stefano exhales. “He’s actually gearing up to leave.”
“He saved her.”
“Yes,” Stefano says. “He did.”
I close my eyes.
For one breath, all I see is fire.
For the next, I see Olivia in Foster’s arms.
Then Amelia collapsing when she saw her daughter alive.
My chest tightens until it feels like something inside me might crack.
Stefano lowers his voice. “Go see him. I’ll stay with them.”
I look at my brother.
“I won’t let them out of my sight,” he says.
I believe him.
Still, it takes everything in me to leave the room.
When I make it to Foster’s room, he’s sitting on the edge of the bed, putting his cut on.
He looks up when I step inside.
“Don’t start,” he says. “I’m fine.”
I cross the room without a word and pull him up into my arms.
For half a second, he goes still.
Then his arms come around me.
“Thank you, brother,” I say, my throat tight. “I will never be able to repay you for saving her.”
Foster’s hand tightens at my back.
“There’s nothing to repay, Outlaw,” he says quietly. “We’re family.”
My eyes burn as I step back and look him in the eyes.
“Still,” I say. “Name it, and it’s yours.”
His mouth twitches. “A million bucks.”
“Done.”
