Page 160 of Shadowing You

At some point, Pager had quit fighting. Ethan looked at his face. He’d passed out, either from pain or blood loss.

Ethan hoped for the first but guessed the second as he packed his folded sweatshirt deep into the wound, pressing with all his weight. He counted under his breath, praying the bleeding would slow.

Pager’s skin was pale as death in the harsh light of the phone Lu was holding up.

Lu lowered it, pushed Kyle out of the way, and checked the patient’s pulse.

Ethan shifted the sweatshirt aside and saw exactly what he’d expected. The blood had quit gushing. It had quit pumping.

Lu’s expression shifted from worry to shock, as if it had never occurred to him that bringing people he cared about into his scheme might be dangerous.

Ethan sat back on his heels and met Lu’s eyes.

For a moment, less than a second, they were doctor and doctor, sharing the horrifying realization that all their efforts had failed. That the patient was gone.

Bo asked a question in Mandarin.

Lu’s gaze hardened, all his anger focused on Ethan—the doctor who’d at least tried—before he spoke to Bo.

The man howled, the sound pierced with pain and rage.

Ethan scurried backward, but not fast enough. Bo’s leg swung back.

Ethan ducked, lifting his arm instinctively to protect himself from the kick, and caught the leg on its forward swing. Bo stumbled backward and would have fallen if Kyle hadn’t caught him.

Ethan should’ve taken the kick. Defending himself had been an error. Maybe a fatal error.

Bo was on him in seconds.

Ethan twisted away. The first kick hit his side.

He curled into a ball and covered his head as more came, harsh and punishing. How long before Lu stopped him? Or would he? Would he just let the man kill him now?

Blow after blow, and there was nothing Ethan could do but curl up and take it.

He’d hoped Gavin would come for him or at least send someone else.

But nobody had come. Nobody was coming.

A familiar voice whispered in his ear, louder than the cruel words of the men who’d decided it was Ethan’s fault their friend was dead.

One more betrayal in a lifetime of betrayals. Nobody has ever cared enough about you to show up or stick around. Nobody has ever chosen you.

It didn’t matter that Gavin hadn’t come. It didn’t matter that nobody was there. As long as Mei Lin was safe, he’d take whatever punishment they wanted to mete out.

As long as Mei Lin was safe.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

A howl sounded in the distance, and Mei Lin’s heart lurched. She looked at Summer, whose eyes widened.

“What was⁠—?”

“Shh.” Summer shook her head, gaze skimming the forest.

Something had made that sound. An animal? What kinds of animals prowled these woods?

But it hadn’t sounded like an animal. It’d sounded like a man.