Page 116 of Reins

As gravel and fire billow above us, I bury her beneath me, covering her body with mine.

My ears ring in a way I only remember happening once before.

The accident.

“Ros,” I cough against the wall of dust encapsulating us.

She is my priority. Always.

“Ros, are you okay?” Raising my head, I blink past the dirt stinging my eyes.

She squeezes her own shut but nods. “They’re here.”

“I know, baby. I was trying to find you.” Blood rushes through my ears at the violent panic of not knowing where she was. “I love you so fucking much.”

“He’s going to find me,” she stammers. “Please. We have to get out of here.”

The screams behind me start to overtake the ringing. Part of me wants to check on Sophia.

Ros will always be first. If Eli and John are both here, who knows what their next step is?

Fuck, everything hurts as I stand and help her up.

But I don’t think I broke anything. “Am I bleeding?” I lift my brows and do a quick turn.

“Only your nose and lip.” Her ginger touch wisps over my swollen face.

“Can’t make this ol’ mug worse,” I mutter wryly. “Let’s go, baby.”

Chapter 55 - Rosalyn

It’s ironic that six months ago I was sitting in the exact chair he is while he dabbed my face from injuries that Eli caused.

Today it’s me carefully tending to Cade’s split lip from his fight with not only Eli but his niece’s new husband.

“Why didn’t you tell them there was a bomb?” My brows knit as I hand him a cold pack for his cheek.

“I was trying,” he groans. “It all happened so fucking fast. And the whole time all I could think about was you.”

That makes a shiver run through me. He was almost killed because I was a distraction.

I froze with my panic at the woman knowing who I was. It had me blindly following her even though I knew it was wrong.

“You still didn’t tell me how you got away.” His palm wraps my waist to pull me onto his thigh while his other holds the frozen bag of peas to his face.

“You called.” I shrug, leaning into his shoulder. “It reminded me who was more important to listen to.”

When his mouth lifts in a smile, it makes him wince. “I’m a guardian angel whispering in your ear.”

“Or the devil,” I giggle, kissing his neck. “But it made me finally open my eyes and look around. That’s when I saw the sheriff. When I called out to him, she panicked and ran off.”

“I can see that, I’d hate to be on his bad side,” Cade groans. “I need to touch base with him. He sent a text that said Sophia and her husband were rushed to the hospital and that there were a few other bystanders with minor injuries.” He lets out a long sigh. “I wish I had done things differently. I should have just shot that motherfucker.”

It’s a shock when I realize how little that bothers me.

“I wish you would have,” I admit quietly. “Then at least there would be one less terrible person.” I curl against him, my thumb drifting to the cut on his lip. “He just keeps hurting people. They do all these awful things and yet that bitch had the audacity to tell me that you’re the bad guy.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “Maybe I am? I always end up in the wrong place and the wrong time. The only thing I did right was wandering into the damn woods behind your house and talking to you like a creep.”