He couldn’t manage to finish the question. Then he didn’t need to. She rolled onto her side, and he saw a red dot flowering on her upper thigh.
Blaize cursed the heavens and earth.
He immediately stripped off his shirt.
“No. You need that,” she said, eyes wide in a state of mild shock.
“You need it more.” If they didn’t stem the bleeding, she might bleed out. Now that he’d found her, he couldn’t lose her. Not her, too.
He wrapped the shirt around her thigh slightly above the wound and tightened the knot enough to slow the bleeding, if not stop it altogether. “Let’s get you in the back seat.”
Could he hop into the front and turn this vehicle around? Head back to the house?
There wasn’t much of a choice, was there? Neither of them were in any condition to run back to the house. Add the weight of carrying the baby and it would be next to impossible.
The nagging question of why Silus abandoned the car and baby niggled at the back of his mind. All he could focus on right now was getting the three of them to safety.
He helped Carys into the back. “Stay down. Okay?”
“Okay,” she parroted.
Another nagging question surfaced. Why only one shot? They were out in the open. Did Silus know he’d hit both his targets and figured it was a matter of time before they bled out? Problem solved without even having to get his hands dirty? Or was he saving bullets until he could get in closer range in case he’d missed?
Would he panic and take off? The shots meant to stop anyone from following? Silus wasn’t normally the one to get his hands dirty, was he?
Blaize took the driver’s seat and closed the door. He sank as low as possible into the seat, not bothering to put on his seat belt. The smaller the target he made, the better.
Rather than turn the vehicle around, he put the gearshift in reverse and sped backward until it seemed safe. Only then did he turn the vehicle around for the rest of the drive to the house. The only other road meant driving by the house again. So be it.
“How are you doing back there?” he asked Carys.
Rue had stopped crying, and it was far too quiet in the back seat as far as he was concerned. He glanced at the rearview. Carys’s head was lying against the headrest, bobbling back and forth on the gravelly road.
“I’m okay,” she said, her voice weak.
Could he get back to the house and call for emergency medical treatment? Or should he risk getting on the road? There were probably some supplies back at the house. Had the makeshift torniquet’s knot come loose? Had the bullet hit an artery?
“Stay with me,” he said to her, more plea than request. “I can’t lose you, Carys. I love you.” He risked a glance. “You should know that I’ve fallen in love with you and I can’t imagine spending another minute without you.”
He couldn’t lose Carys.
Did she hear him?
Was she conscious?
The fact she hadn’t responded made the decision to stop at the house clear. She might not make it to the hospital. At the house, she had a fighting chance.
He couldn’t lose Carys.
Blaize sped to Sister’s Love. He pulled up in front, not bothering to park. He couldn’t get out of the driver’s seat fast enough. He immediately pulled Carys from the car. Her head fell to one side. No. Not a good sign.
He couldn’t lose Carys.
The front door opened, and Rosie stumbled onto the porch. Eyes wide, mouth open, her look of shock and sudden jerk forward said she was pushed from behind. Sharon came out next in similar fashion.
And then Silus came partially into view. He stood behind the ladies.
“Turn your head,” he said to Sharon.
