Template placeholder with Chapter 185

Chapter 185:

“Wyatt?” Amelia called his name, desperation tightening her voice, but he didn’t respond. Color drained from her cheeks.

Hearing the alarm in her tone, Barrie hobbled to Wyatt’s side. Years as a bodyguard had given him enough first-aid to handle emergencies. He dropped to his knees and pressed two fingers to Wyatt’s neck. Only when a faint, steady pulse met his touch did his nerves ease.

“He’s just lost consciousness,” he said.

Relief flickered across Amelia’s face, but before she could answer, rain began to fall. She raised an arm to shield Wyatt’s face as the storm swept over them. Barrie shrugged off his jacket and held it above Wyatt to block the worst of the downpour.

Amelia dug through her bag for anything useful. Her phone surfaced with a spiderweb of cracks across the screen, and disappointment clouded her features.

Barrie scanned the darkness. “There’s a village ahead, Mrs. Stewart. I’ll try to get help p>

Amelia followed his gaze to a distant scatter of lights, hope cutting through the storm. She glanced at his injured leg. “Are you sure you can make it with your leg like that p>

“Don’t worry about me,” he said, jaw clenched against the pain.

Moments later he disappeared into the curtain of rain, and Amelia did her best to shield Wyatt, holding the jacket over him as the downpour hammered the sand.

The rain soaked them within minutes, drenching every layer until their clothes clung, heavy with water. Scanning the area, she spotted a broken bridge about ten meters away. That battered structure might offer enough shelter from the wind and rain. She had to try to get Wyatt there.

When his full weight settled on her, Amelia nearly fell, but she managed to hold on. She pulled his arm across her shoulders, gripped his waist, and inched them both toward the remains of the bridge. Each step was grueling. The short distance stretched into half an hour of struggle, but she pressed on, refusing to let him fall.

𝗖𝗁і𝗻еѕ𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝘷𝘦𝗹𝘴 𝗍𝗋𝖺nѕ𝘭𝗮t𝗲𝖽 o𝗻

Under the bridge, she tried to prop him upright against the wall. As soon as she let go, his body gave way. She caught him around the waist, and they both went down. Luckily, the soft sand cushioned the fall and spared them any real injury.

With the rain kept at bay at last, Amelia had a moment to collect herself. Reaching through the darkness to wipe the water from his face, she realized his skin was cold. Her heart lurched. Trembling, she pressed a finger beneath his nose. Wyatt’s breathing was faint and shallow, and fear sliced through her.

She called his name, desperate. “Wyatt p>

Even then, he did not respond. The man pressed against her grew colder by the second. She glanced toward the direction Barrie had gone, but only the distant glow of scattered lights flickered through the night—no rescue in sight.

Gently, she laid Wyatt down and shrugged off her thin jacket despite the biting chill, tucking it around him. The cold wind washed over her, and she shuddered.

She pulled him close, cradling him with all the warmth she could offer. Minutes dragged by, taut with fear. Then distant voices drifted toward her, and bobbing lights wove through the darkness.

Rain pounded down as Barrie’s voice rang out, calling her name. Amelia shouted back without hesitation, “I’m here p>

Barrie limped toward her, trailed by several people. With the villagers’ help, they made it to the village before long.

The seaside hamlet seemed nearly deserted, only a handful of houses glowing with life. Tall and imposing, face streaked with blood, Barrie found that no one dared approach him at first. He knocked on door after door until, at last, someone answered.

Robbie Ward, who lived at the edge of the village with his elderly mother, opened the door. Robbie’s mother handed over clean towels and a bundle of small clothes. “These towels are new, but the clothes used to belong to my grandkids. I hope you won’t mind,” she said, a little uneasy.

Amelia accepted them with both hands, gratitude spilling from her lips.

Wyatt was laid out on a bed, and Amelia wasted no time peeling off his sodden clothes. Barrie moved to her side, offering help without a word.

When Wyatt’s shirt came away, Amelia gasped. A long gash stretched from his shoulder to his spine, deep enough to expose the flesh beneath. Blood was smeared across his back. The black fabric had masked the stain, leading her to think he was only drenched.

Standing there, she fought to steady herself, her mind racing, uncertain what to do next.