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“Really?” His face showed surprise.
“Really. I miss this, and being around horses.” As the last word left her mouth, she heard the first gunshot.
“Christ!”
Turning at Jack’s anguished cry, she watched his horse rear, and him fall off the back. Bailey dropped her reins and quickly dismounted. The second shot had her dropping to all fours, and scrabbling through the dirt as she made her way to Jack.
“Jack?” She kept her voice low. “Are you all right?”
“My side,” he rasped. “I’ve been shot. You need to head back, Bailey, and get help. There’s no cell coverage here.”
“I’m not leaving you out here alone.” She reached him, and moved the hand he had pressed to the wound. Raising his shirt, Bailey saw blood, lots of it. She took off her own shirt, and reached for his belt buckle. “I need to use this, Jack.”
He edged forward, and she forced the leather through the belt loops. Folding her shirt into a pad, she strapped it to his side. Taking his good arm, she pressed the hand against the dressing to hold it in place. “You have to keep the pressure on now, Jack.”
“Y-you need to go for help, Bailey. I mean it. One shot could be a wild one, but not two. I think someone’s d-deliberately targeting us. I’ll hide.” His voice was strained, and she knew he was in danger of losing a significant amount of blood.
“No, I’m not leaving you here exposed. We have to get back, Jack. To do that, I need to get you on my horse.”
“Bailey, just go for help, please. We can’t risk whoever is shooting seeing us.”
She ignored him, and brought her horse closer. Jack’s horse was standing a few feet away, wild-eyed. No way did she want to attempt to get on her.
“Right, up you get now.”
“Bailey—”
“Now, Jack!” The tone of her voice had him struggling to his feet. She put her arm under his shoulder and helped him rise. His legs were shaky, and the hiss of breath told her he was in pain. Shock, she realized, and blood loss were very real problems. She had to get him help now. Had to get him back to safety.
“Hold out your leg, I’m going to give you a boost up.”
“I’m too big, Bailey, and my side is burning like fuck.”
“Jack, shut up and do as I tell you!”
He did as she asked, and used one arm to pull himself up onto the horse. He was pale and sweaty now, blood flowing over his fingers and onto the ground.
“Move back and stick out your foot.”
Again he did as she said, and seconds later she was seated before him. “Now I’m bending forward, you bend over me, Jack.”
“Jesus, Bailey!”
“Just do it, damn you!” Fear put strength into her words. Seconds later she felt his body hunched over hers.
She directed the horse through the trees as fast as she could, all the while listening for movement, or gunshots. Nothing happened, and then she was out of the forest.
“Hold on!”
He did, one arm wrapped around her waist. Bailey galloped as fast as she could.
“Stay with me, Jack!”
The relief when she saw someone coming toward them was immense.
“It’s Joe,” Jack said.
“Thank God.”
