He shifted his focus back to Kendra. Now he had to figure out how to get through this next part. How to help her . . . without deceiving her any further.
Without losing control of the situation.
And without breaking her completely.
Hadley ran.
At first, instinct drove her—pure, desperate instinct that pushed her forward through the trees, away from the gun, away from Kendra, away from the rocky ridge that had boxed her in.
Branches clawed at her sleeves, snow slipped beneath her feet, and her ankle screamed in protest with every step. Her lungs burned, her head still felt thick and aching, but she didn’t stop.
She couldn’t.
Not until she’d put distance between herself and Kendra.
Not until she was sure she wasn’t about to feel a bullet tear through her back.
But as the seconds stretched, as the darkness swallowed her again, something else began to rise beneath the fear.
Guilt.
It hit her hard enough to slow her steps.
Max.
She stumbled to a stop, her breath coming fast and uneven as she turned, looking back the way she’d come.
He was still there.
Still facing Kendra.
Still in danger.
Hadley pressed a hand to her chest, trying to steady the wild rhythm of her heart.
She couldn’t just leave him.
The thought settled deep, firm and unshakable.
But what could she do?
She was barely steady on her feet. Her ankle throbbed with every movement, and her head was still foggy from whatever Kendra had given her. She wasn’t thinking as clearly as she needed. If she went back in recklessly, she could make things worse.
She could get in Max’s way.
She could get him hurt or even killed.
Hadley squeezed her eyes shut.Lord . . . help me do the right thing.
The cold air bit at her skin as she stood there, caught between instinct and reason.
Then she made her decision.
Carefully, she turned and began to move again—but this time slower, quieter. She limped through the trees, angling wide before circling back.
She kept every step deliberate, and she stayed low, using the trees for cover.
She didn’t know what she would do if things went wrong. Didn’t know how she could help in the condition she was in.
