“Don’t be so sure.”

“You planted evidence to frame Daria. You killed Owen.” Connor’s eyes narrowed. “What did he do? I’m guessing he tried to warn Maddie instead of hunt her down. Yes?”

The gun didn’t waver as Evan moved his finger to the trigger and kept it trained on Connor. “You should stop talking.”

A new wave of dizziness swept over her. She couldn’t let this happen. There was no way she could watch Connor get shot and survive it.

“Connor, please.” She didn’t know what she was begging for other than his safety and he’d already forfeited that.

He treated her to a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I have no regrets.”

No! He was going to die for her.

Her knees buckled. “Please don’t do this.”

“You’re worth it.” He talked right to her now. “I didn’t know the you back then but the you now—the one in front of me—deserves everything.”

Forget Evan and the freezing cold. He stood there, making himself a target, for her.

Her breath hitched and her energy drained away, leaving nothing but sadness behind. “Please run.”

“I’ll shoot him in the back.” Evan continued to aim at Connor as he let her body sag against his. “Pick up the boat.”

He would die. She knew that much. “Don’t.”

Evan swore under his breath. “That’s enough. We’ll do it without you.”

His hand shifted a bit, no more than an inch, and she reacted. She threw her body to the side, aiming all her weight against that outstretched arm. She caught him off balance and his arm swung wide.

She saw a blur in front of her and heard shouting in the distance. It all blended together but she didn’t lose focus. She slammed into that arm a second time and kicked back at his shin. The double hit had him stumbling.

Connor smashed into them and they all went down. The hit against the hard ground made her teeth rattle. It took a second for her to get her bearings and move again.

While Connor and Evan traded punches, she scrambled, climbing over their bodies. Kicking and fighting. A hand slipped into her hair and yanked hard enough for her vision to blink out. Fingers wrapped around hers and her wrist ached from where Evan pounded on it.

“Maddie, no.”

Connor’s voice rang out but all she could see was the gun. It dangled from Evan’s fingers as he kicked out against Connor’s shoulder. She gave him an extra shove and the weapon landed on the ground. She dove across Evan’s thighs to get it.