“Who . . .” she starts, but he turns around and squats next to her.

“Do you want to die? Because it seems like you do.” He stands again, shaking his hands out at his side. “God!” he shouts. She flinches at the exclamation, and he gives her an almost apologetic look. “No one prepared me for such a difficult—”

“Price.”

He stops pacing and turns to her. “What?”

Lynell turns, dropping her legs over the side of the bed. Whatever bruises she has must be deep because the movement causes a slight spike of pain. She grits her teeth and Price walks closer, settling his hand on her shoulder to steady her.

“Careful,” he mutters. His voice is filled with so much concern, and she can’t understand why he cares. Not after Registering her.

“What happened? Who was that? He said . . .” she swallows and finishes, words quieter now. “He said he Registered me.”

“I think his name is Jered or something stupid. I knocked him out. The Regulators were ready to arrest me, but I explained that you were my Registration, and you know how they get, protect a man’s Registration or some shit like that. You fainted. I had to carry you. I’m sure Jered will come looking for us soon, but I can handle him.”

“For how long?”

“A few hours. It’s almost seven.”

She blinks. Hours. This isn’t the first time she’s fainted from a panic attack, but she always wakes up after just a few seconds. “What’s going on?”

He shakes his head. “I can’t . . .”

“Price.”

“Stop, Lynell. I can’t say. Not now. Not until I get you to Dallas. God, why couldn’t you just stay with me? The others won’t be patient or gentle with you. They’re brutes, Lynell. They just want to win.”

“They? Win what?” Her throat burns, but she’s desperate for answers.

“The reward. There are at least ten people after it. They Registered you and they won’t stop looking for you. Whoever gets you first has the best chance of getting the reward. You’ve got to stay with me.”

Reward. Who would care enough about her to offer a reward for Registering and capturing her? Selling your Registration is rare enough, but the only people who have ever had a bounty on their head were dangerous criminals.

“Why should I stay with you?” she asks. “You Registered me, too.”

Price frowns and drops to the bed next to her. “Yeah.”

“Why?”

Price turns to her and cocks his head. His eyes are glassy and he reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Because my d—I had to. I didn’t have a—I didn’t want one of them to—” He pulls his hand down his face, shaking his head before saying, “I don’t know, Lynell. But you’ve got to trust me.”

She scoffs.

“Seriously. Right now, we need to get you to Dallas. Promise me you won’t run away again.”

“Price.”

“And call me Zach. I hate it when you call me Price.”