“Let’s go before they come back,” he said, glancing down the street behind them.

Her throat was dry, but she nodded. Her right leg throbbed with each step, forcing her to limp as she followed him.

“Want to stop by a hospital?” he asked, his voice softer this time.

“I’m fine,” she muttered, her gaze fixed on the ground.

Silence stretched between them as they walked, the only sound the shuffle of their footsteps on the pavement. He walked ahead slightly, holding her bag, while ...