Page 563 of Reign

I turn the phone over in my palm, ready to use it as a weapon even though that’s ridiculous. Useless. I have the gun Luciano gave me sitting inside my purse at home.

Of course I forgot it tonight.

“Elena.”

The voice is faint.

Rough.

His.

I step slowly toward the opening.

“Luciano?”

For one horrible second, there is no answer.

Then I hear him again.

“Elena.”

I move out far enough to see past the edge of the culvert.

One of the SUV’s headlights still works, its damaged beam cutting unevenly through the trees.

Something moves inside it.

Luciano drags himself into the light.

He’s crawling.

The sight nearly drops me with him.

I scramble out of the culvert. “Luciano!”

He lifts his head.

“You shouldn’t be out here.”

“I don’t care.”

I reach him and drop onto my knees. Mud soaks through my jeans immediately. I slide one arm around his back and try to lift him.

He’s too heavy.

He plants his hand against the ground and helps me pull him toward the nearest tree. His leg drags, and every movement tears a low, broken sound from his throat that he tries to swallow before I hear it.

I hear all of them.

“Are there more?” I ask.

“None that I saw or heard.”

I get him against the tree and push until his back rests against the trunk.

His head tips against the bark.

“You came back,” I breathe.