Page 115 of Beautiful Exile

“What? Where are you hurt?” I didn’t see any blood.

“I’m okay.” Her throat worked as she swallowed. “But you’re not.”

It was as if her words sent feeling zinging back through me, and with it came the pain. A burning sensation took root in my side, and I glanced down. Blood bloomed on the lower right side of my torso.

It couldn’t be that bad. I wasn’t passing out or struggling to breathe. But the pain intensified as if to argue that point.

Arden was already moving. She hauled up the pack that had taken the brunt of our weight and began pulling items out of it. As she grabbed what looked like a phone, she cursed. The screen was smashed. She tried hitting a couple of buttons before giving up and moving on to something else and calling to Brutus. “Freigeben.”

The dog ran over, licking her face and then mine. He was fine. No injuries. Just pissed as all hell on our behalf.

“We should move,” I said, wincing with the words.

Arden sent a scathing look my way. “We’re dealing with your wound, and then we’ll move.”

My gaze swept the campsite and the surrounding landscape. I saw no signs of movement, but that didn’t mean someone wasn’t out there, waiting. “How are we going to get home with only one horse?”

Arden winced. “We’ll have to walk. Stardust can carry the supplies.” She began pulling things from the first-aid kit. “Whiskey’s smart. She’ll run home. We just have to hope Cope or Sutton see her and send help.”

If they didn’t, the hike would take us all day. Who knew what could happen in that length of time?

“Lean against the tree and pull up your shirt,” Arden ordered.

I did my best to shift back, the pain flaring, bright and fierce. I didn’t miss Arden’s panic as she saw my pained expression. Forcinga smile, I tried to keep my voice light. “You know, I really don’t think now’s the time for you to get lucky.”

“You’re not funny, Cowboy.”

I leaned against the tree, wincing. “Come on, I’m a little funny.”

Arden didn’t laugh. Instead, she pulled some hand sanitizer from the kit and squirted some into her hands, rubbing them together. Then she donned gloves. “Lift your shirt.”

I did as she ordered and cursed. There was definitely a bullet wound. “See? Not that bad. It’s practically a graze.”

Arden’s gaze lifted to mine, fire flaring there. “You’re not helping.” She maneuvered so she could see my back, as well. “It looks like the bullet went through. That’s good. But you’re still bleeding. I need to clean the site and then pack the wound.”

“Why does something tell me that’s not going to feel like sunshine and rainbows?” I asked.

“Because it’s not.” She reached for a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide. “I’m sorry.” And then she poured it over the wound.

A strangled noise left my mouth, and Brutus growled in response.

“Stay with me,” Arden said, shifting so she could get to my back. She didn’t wait for me to say I was ready, she just poured the peroxide there, too.

I didn’t make a sound this time, but I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek—so hard I tasted blood. That probably wasn’t the smartest move given the fact that I needed all the blood I could keep in my body. But there was nothing to be done about it now.

“Okay. Lean back,” Arden instructed, helping me rest against the tree.

Pain pulsed through me, and my breaths came in shorter wheezes now. But Arden didn’t stop. She rifled through the kit in search of something before cursing. Then she pulled something out of a zippered nylon bag.

I blinked a few times, trying to clear my vision. “Vicious,” I mumbled. “What do you think I’m going to do with a tampon?”

Arden squared her shoulders. “You’re not going to do a damn thing, butIam going to plug your wound.”

I gaped at her. “With a…tampon?”

“That was how they were first invented. To plug bullet holes in the eighteenth century.”

“Should I be scared that you know that?”

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