I brush off some of the grass and dirt on my knees, then bend to where Fielding lies at my feet.

I go right for the kill shot and jam my fingers into his armpit. The man shoots straight up, then is on his feet and screaming like a banshee a second later.

“Field! Shh! Shh! You’re okay! It’s just me!”

His lagoon-blue eyes are wild and hazy. He’s looking right at me, but it’s clear he hasn’t connected the dots.

“It’s Maddie,” I soothe, reaching out and placing a hand on his arm. “Maddie Wheeler.”

“Fuck,” he hisses, his right hand coming up to gingerly press on his swollen eye. “Fuuuck,” he groans again, but with real feeling this time, as he skims his right hand over his left arm.

We lock eyes, and he blinks.

“Maddie?”

“Yes. Your brother’s on his way. We have to get out of here, though. Can you walk? We have to get to the road—”

“Grab my wrist,” he grunts, cocking his head toward the left arm hanging at his side.

“Field, I don’t want to hurt—”

“Just do it,” he commands.

I swallow down a lump in my throat. Get it together, Maddie. He’s standing. Dempsey’s on his way. We’re gonna be okay.

“Like this?” I ask as I gingerly circle his wrist in my hand.

“Both hands,” he growls.

I don’t know if he’s hurt or pissed or both.

“Hold on tight,” he says before jerking away from me. I keep my feet firmly planted but still lose my balance from of the momentum. I hear it and feel it before I realize what’s happening.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” he grinds out as he doubles over in pain.

“No, no, no,” I panic as he takes a knee. “Please don’t sit down. We have to move, Fielding. We have to go.”

He stays propped up on one knee, panting. When he looks up at me, he’s impossibly pale.

“You just put my shoulder back in place, Little Wheeler. I’m gonna need a minute to recover unless you want me to pass out on you again.”

I look from the house to the barn. A few people have passed and paid us no mind. But I can’t help but feel the sense of dread that Andrew or one of his goons will be back out here to check on us soon.

“Thirty seconds,” I offer. “Thirty seconds to get it together, then we’re fucking out of here.”

“I hear you,” he groans. “And I heard what Adley said to you.”

We lock eyes, and I see the gravity of the situation on his face.

He heard Adley? So he knows what I did. I gulp down my fear and silently count the seconds as we stare at each other.

As soon as I reach zero in my head, I step toward him.