Page 11 of Wyatt

Gone.

Yeah, well, he had longer legs. He sprinted, rounded the corner, and caught sight of her quick-walking down the hall.

“Coco!”

He couldn’t help the shout and his voice practically boomed down the hallway and lit a fire under her.

For the love of— “Stop running!”

She pushed through the back doors out into a courtyard.

He caught the doors before they closed. She’d opened up now, moving fast as she wound her way around flower beds and planted trees in the landscaped garden.

He didn’t bother dodging them and ran right through the gardens, a straight line toward her.

She was cutting through a gazebo that overlooked the river when he caught up to her.

“Stop!”

And because he didn’t want to tackle her, he ran up and caught her around her waist, pulling her against him, easy. He braced his hand on a pillar in the gazebo, breathing hard. “Stop. Please.”

“Let go of me.” She turned in his arms, pushing against his chest.

“Not until you promise to stop running.”

“Fine,” she snapped.

And yeah, he should let her go, immediately, but, shoot, he’d missed her, and with everything inside him, he just wanted to wrap both arms around her and hold on. To breathe in the scent of her skin. Look into her eyes and see…well, there was a part of Coco that must still love him. He believed that with everything inside him.

Or maybe just hoped for it with the power of every heartbeat.

But he didn’t want to be that guy, the one who scared her, used his brute force on her. Made her feel helpless and small.

He let her go.

She stepped back, her mouth tight. Her hood had fallen off, and he nearly reached out and touched her hair, black as night, and startlingly bold and beautiful, despite his love for her usual red.

It only made her gray-green eyes stand out in a bright and terrible beauty, especially when sheened with tears.

“I’m sorry,” he said now, not sure why. “I just didn’t want you to get away. Why did you run?”

She wrapped her arms around her waist. “I…” She swallowed and looked back at him. Wiped a hand across her face. “I’m not sure why I’m crying. I’m just—”

“Wow, I’ve missed you.”

Her eyes widened.

Oh, that sounded pitiful and heartbroken, but—

“Please tell me you’re okay.” Because he’d almost forgotten that she’d been shot just over a month ago. “Did you—are you—” He ran his hand behind his neck, squeezing tight. “RJ said you were shot.”

His heart fell when she nodded. “But I’m okay. I’m healing.”

His jaw clenched against a horrible roaring in his chest. “Did I hurt you?”

She shook her head.

His chest uncoiled from the terrible knot inside. “I…I was worried.”