Page 165 of Shadowing You

“You put eyes on him again, and I will tell you.”

“Mei Lin.” That was Alyssa. “Tell us what he said.”

She crept around the edge of the hill and peered through the branches toward the gray meadow.

If she told these Wrights what the man had said, they would tell her to stay where she was. Or they would come back and fold her deeper into the trees. They would tell her to wait because the witness had to live.

But what about Ethan?

He’d sacrificed himself for her. In the hours since he’d jumped off the snowmobile, she’d turned his decision over, always coming up with the same thing—he was in danger, perhaps hurt or worse—because of her.

This was more proof that she’d cost too much.

She could still hear the words her grandmother had snapped at her when she was a child, telling her she wasn’t worth the trouble. She’d believed that about herself for as long as she could remember, had done the sums a thousand ways in her mind and had never once come out ahead.

But Ethan had never done the sums. He hadn’t crossed an ocean because she was a debt he owed or a problem he was obligated to fix. He hadn’t slid off the snowmobile because he was a fool.

He’d done it because he loved her.

And love didn’t weigh a person to decide whether she was worth the cost. It simply gave everything it had.

It wasn’t about what she was worth or he was worth. Love was worth the sacrifice.

Which meant she wasn’t going to cower here while he put his life on the line.

If she stepped near the meadow—not into the open, but close. And if she shouted so they knew she was there, then maybe they’d look for her. And maybe Grant would have a chance to save Ethan.

Maybe.

She wouldn’t let them see her. She would just peek.

“Grant.” She breathed his name into the comm. “Save my husband.”

“Stay where you are.” His voice was hard now, as if he could control her feet with his voice. “Summer, are you with her? Is anyone with her?” When nobody answered, he changed tactics. “Listen to me, Mei Lin.” His voice was soothing. “We have more people coming. They’re almost here. Right, Alyssa?”

“Pulling in now,” she said. “Mei Lin, give us ten minutes.”

Ten minutes was an eternity. Ethan might be dead in ten minutes.

“There are men looking for you,” Grant said. “If you show yourself, you will die. And so will Ethan.”

“But you will save him.”

The man was still shouting in Chinese, and as she crept closer, she could hear him better. It was Lu Feng, she was almost sure of it. He was counting down.

These people, this whole family, had helped her and Ethan escape from China. And they’d put themselves on the line today to protect them.

Asher was out there somewhere. Nobody knew where he was. Perhaps he’d already died for her.

Father, You see them all. You see me. And You see Ethan. What should I do?

She didn’t get an answer. She got courage.

She kept moving through the woods.

She could listen to the voices in her ear telling her to go back to the hill and hide.

Or she could listen to the voice in her heart telling her to find her husband.