All the strength left my body, sending me sliding toward the ground. But Venezio was faster, his arms going tightly around me, pulling me up to my feet once again.
“You’re fucking frozen,” he murmured, lips on my temple.
He held me up with one arm, then the other, as he slipped out of his jacket, then wrapped it tightly around me.
He trapped his body heat between us, but the heat suddenly felt like knives to my frigid skin, making me cry out and try to wrench away.
“No. You have to warm up,” Venezio said, pulling the jacket more tightly around me.
“He’s here. In the park.”
“Fuck,” Venezio said, his hands chafing up and down my arms. “When’s the last time you saw him?”
“I don’t know. After I called you. But it’s been a while.”
“Do you know which way he went?”
I pulled back enough to try to look. But I didn’t even see the arch anymore. The snow had obscured any possible familiar landmarks. I was completely turned around.
A strange whimper escaped me.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”
“I need to get—” he started.
When a shot rang out.
A yelp clawed its way out of my throat as Venezio whipped around, his hand going toward his waistband.
“Run, Steph,” he demanded.
“No. I don’t know—”
“Run. Stay on the path. I’ll find you. Go.”
Another shot rang out, thunking into a tree trunk just off the path.
But then Venezio was lifting his arm and squeezing off a shot back.
The man ducked behind a tree.
I had no choice.
I turned and ran.
As I made my way around a bend, I heard a yowl of pain, making my heart seize.
Was that Venezio?
Was he hit?
Dying?
Dead?
Was I all alone again?
I chanced a look back but saw nothing, no one.
