She pushed to her knees.
Cale was standing over Wyatt’s prone body. Cale’s legs were braced apart and his gun was trained on the sheriff. Only Wyatt wasn’t moving.
“He’s dead!” Cale shouted. “Take care of Veronica!”
Jasper turned toward her, but she was already wrapping her arms around him. His body trembled against hers, and that tremble scared her more than anything else. Jasper was always strong. Always so in control. Always...
He kissed her. Hard, desperate. His arms wrapped around her so tightly that her ribs hurt. She didn’t care. She held him just as tightly, clinging to him as fiercely as she could.
It had been too close. Too close. In those terrible moments, she’d realized...I don’t want to be without him.
“Scared me,” Jasper rasped against her mouth.
She could feel his blood on her fingertips. He was still scaring her. “Jasper, you’re hurt.” Serious understatement. The bullet hadn’t come out; she could see that much for herself. It was still lodged in his back.
“Won’t ever...lose you...”
“No,” she whispered at once. “You won’t. Jasper—”
“Love you...Veronica Lane...”
She couldn’t breathe. “Jasper, I love you, too!” She stood on her toes to kiss him again and that was when they fell. Jasper’s body seemed to crumble against hers, and they hit the ground. “Jasper?”
She tried to shake him, to get him back up, but his eyes were closed. He wasn’t moving.
“Jasper!”
But he wasn’t answering. She remembered the blood on his back. The bullet. And Jasper’s skin seemed to be losing its warmth. The warmth that had been there to banish the chill and the worry that had cloaked her for so long. That warmth was fading now.
Desperate, she looked up. “Cale! Cale, help me!”
Her brother rushed to her side. Behind them, she heard the growl of more motors as other cars rushed to the scene. She didn’t look back at those cars. Didn’t look at anyone or anything but Cale and Jasper. Cale’s face was grim as he looked down at her lover. Jasper was pale, too pale.
“Don’t leave me,” Veronica whispered to Jasper, and she pressed a kiss to his lips. “Don’t.”
Her fingers curled around his. His lashes seemed to flutter. No, maybe that was just the wind. Not him, not...
“I...won’t...” Jasper whispered.
Her breath choked out. Jasper had just made her a promise.
She wouldn’t let him break it.
Sydney and Logan ran to his side. Veronica kept her hold on Jasper’s wrist, and even when the EMT crew came, she didn’t let go.
She would never let go of the man she loved.
Death could just wait. She wasn’t done with Jasper Adams yet. Not by a long shot.
Chapter Thirteen
Not many people bothered to come to the funeral. Seemed as if the folks in Whiskey Ridge were too betrayed and shocked by the actions of Wyatt Halliday to be able to forgive him, even in death.
But Veronica was there. Standing silently beside the grave. To her right, the young deputy was looking as if he’d seen a few better days.
The poor kid probably had. But at least Jimmy Jones was alive, thanks to Veronica. He could look forward to a whole lot of better days to come.
“I’ve seen the way you look at my sister,” Cale said, the words whisper soft.