Oh no.
Carys’s heart dropped. Rosie grabbed hold of her. The world started to spin. Nausea caused bile to rise up and burn the back of her throat.
Blaize!
“Don’t go out there,” Rosie said. “You might end up getting shot.”
“I can’t leave Blaize out there alone to deal with—”
The back door opened so hard it smacked against the wall. Rosie screamed.
“It’s me,” Blaize said.
Carys bolted around her and into the dark hallway toward the kitchen. The first thing she saw was blood.
“Blaize, you’re shot.”
“I know. It’s okay.” It would be just like him to reassure her when he was the one bleeding out. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”
Blood flowered on his shirt sleeve near his right bicep.
“It’s a lot of blood, Blaize.”
He was shot, bleeding. Rue was gone. Sharon was somehow alive.
“Help me!” shouted a female voice from outside.
Rosie came running into the kitchen and straight to the door. “It’s her.”
“Don’t open that door,” Carys warned. “It could be a trap.”
But it was too late. Rosie had already undone the lock. The second she did, the door flung open and smacked her.
“Rosie,” the redhead from the picture—Sharon—said with concern in her voice. She scanned the room. “I’m so sorry.”
“Where’s the baby?” Carys asked.
“He got her,” Sharon said.
“We have to get her back. Call the sheriff,” Carys said to Rosie. “Now!”
“They’ll arrest me,” Sharon said.
“Do you want to lose Rue forever?” Carys worked on stemming the blood dripping down Blaize’s elbow.
“Who has her?” he asked.
“Silus,” Sharon said.
“He came himself?” Blaize asked. He looked to Carys. “I’ve got this.” She’d put enough pressure to stop the bleeding temporarily.
“That’s right. He said he couldn’t trust anyone else to get the job done or handle a precious package like her and—”
“Lock the door behind me,” Blaize said. “I know a shortcut. I can head him off, but I have to go now.”
“Not in this condition, you can’t.” No way was Carys letting him go out there without her. “You’re bleeding.”
He shrugged it off like it was nothing.
