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Her face pales when she sees Pepper. “Oh, God.”

“I’m okay,” Pepper says.

“You’re a bloody mess!”

Pepper sighs. “Yeah, that too.”

One of the paramedics steps toward Theo. “We need to take her.”

His arms lock.

Pepper touches his face. “Theo.”

He looks down at her.

“It’s okay. Let them check me.”

His purr turns rough. “I’m coming.”

“I assumed, and I want you to.”

The paramedic points toward the porch. “We can start there.”

Theo carries her up the steps and lowers her onto the wide bench beside the door. I follow.

Scarlet stops in front of Pepper, hands clenched at her sides as though she wants to touch Pepper and doesn’t know where it is safe. Pepper reaches for her. Scarlet takes her hand.

“You look terrible,” Scarlet says.

“I love you too.”

Roman stands behind Scarlet with one hand at her waist. His gaze finds mine. I see him check whether I’m solid, but he doesn’t say anything. I appreciate that more than I can explain.

The paramedic cuts Pepper’s jacket sleeve away from where the bullet tore through it.

Theo’s scent goes sharp.

“It didn’t hit her,” I say.

“I see that,” Theo says.

“You smell like you don’t.”

He glares at me.

Pepper reaches for both our hands. “The projectile and I had a brief disagreement about personal space. I won.”

Another paramedic cleans the cut at her temple. Pepper hisses. Theo nearly comes out of his skin.

Scarlet moves closer. “What happened?”

Pepper looks toward the cemetery. “We finished it.”

Scarlet’s eyes flick toward me.

I lift both hands. “Solid.”

Her breath leaves her. “The disappearing?”