You Hit My Heart by Kylie Stanford

Chapter 2084: Unfortunately, We Met Too Late "Go!" Joyce commanded in a low voice.

At the stime, she fired her gun, creating an opportunity for the man to quickly get up and run to the right. In an instant, he was hidden behind a rock. After emptying her handgun, Joyce also darted behind a large rock next to Clint. She was panting heavily, having expended too much energy. She was exhausted.

Clint's voice was tense, "Are you hurt?" Born into royalty and wielding power, he had experienced many intrigues but never gunfire.

"No, don't jinx me," Joyce moved to lean against the big rock. She needed to rest. Her heart was racing, her body tense. She closed her eyes and kept breathing heavily.

The two large rocks were very close, almost touching.

Clint wanted to get closer to Joyce to see if she was really uninjured.

Hearing the movement, Joyce's eyes snapped open. "Don't cover." Clint froze; she was so resistant to him.

"If you don't want to die, stay put," Joyce warned him. "If you move, the sniper will shoot. He has night vision goggles. There's a gap between the two rocks behind us. From your position, he can't aim at you. From mine, he can. But if you move closer, they'll shoot through the gap and hit you." Clint frowned.

By now, his reinforcements should have arrived. But they were trapped here; Hirota had sent more than one sniper from multiple directions to finish them off.

"Rest for a bit," she said. "They won't fire for now." "I don't have night vision goggles; I can't snipe from a distance. Our only option is to wait until dawn." "Okay," Clint said no more.

"Cough cough," the night wind made him cough. His illness hadn't healed, and today had drained his energy. He needed rest.

No one spoke again; silence enveloped them.

Who knows how much tpassed.

Suddenly, Clint heard a rustling sound-an unusual noise.

He turned toward it and his face changed instantly.

A black snake was slithering toward Joyce from the left. He suddenly remembered that although she wasn't injured, she had someone else's blood on her. The snake must have been attracted by the scent of blood. In the darkness, under the moonlight, it was hard to see clearly, but there was no mistaking its writhing movement.

Joyce sensed it too.

She stiffened all over but couldn't make a sound.

Seeing Clint about to move, she quickly whispered, "Don't move. If you do, the sniper will shoot." "But there's a snake..." Clint's voice was tense; he could vaguely see the snake crawling up her waist and along her back.

"You have blood on you; it will bite you. What if it's venomous?" Clint's eyebrows knitted tightly as his fists clenched.

"How many venomous snakes can there be in these mountains? We'll just go down and get antivenom later." Joyce's voice trembled; she was actually very scared. This disgusting creature induced a physical fear in her. She watched helplessly as the snake crawled onto her arm and coiled around her shoulder, raising its head as if ready to bite her neck at any moment.

But she couldn't move; moving meant death.

Her heart tightened sharply.

As the snake raised its head, Joyce closed her eyes, bracing for the bite.

At that moment, she felt like her breath had stopped.

But no pain cto her neck as expected.

She only felt a gust of wind.

She opened her eyes abruptly and saw Clint's hand reaching over, grabbing the snake barehanded.

Then, with a gunshot ringing out, Clint withdrew his hand and flung the snake far away with force.

The sniper bullet passed through the gap between their rocks and hit a branch not far from them, shattering it into pieces that flew far away. "Don't move again! Get back!" Joyce shouted.

Bullets rained down again from behind them, sending shards of rock flying over their heads.

Clint held his breath and leaned against the rock without moving again.

Finally, the gunfire ceased and silence returned around them.

Joyce exhaled deeply and then turned her head to scold him, "You're crazy! If it were daytime, you'd be dead." Clint took a deep breath. "The snake must have been venomous; if it bit you, you wouldn't make it until dawn." He was immensely relieved that he had grabbed it in time; otherwise, would she still be alive if that venomous snake bit her? Joyce detected a hint of restraint in his voice-along with hoarseness and pain. Something wasn't right! "Did you get shot?" she asked in alarm.

"Yeah. Got hit in the arm; bullet went through. Didn't hit anything vital; it's fine." Clint didn't deny it; cold sweat broke out on his back. His body was weaker than most people's; otherwise he could've hiddenit vet? better from her notice. "You need to stop the bleeding; even an arm wound can't keep bleeding until dawn." Joyce frowned.

With a ripping sound, she tore off part of her inner lining-the stretchy fabric was perfect for bandaging.

She tore it into strips and then fumbled for a stick under herself.

"I'm going to pass these cloth strips to you using this stick. The enemy can't see you but can see the stick and might shoot at it. Don't move at all-show your head and you're dead." As Joyce spoke, she threw a stone in the opposite direction to distract the sniper's attention. Then she quickly passed the cloth strips to Clint using the stick.

Luckily, the sniper was fooled and didn't shoot.

Joyce sighed in relief. "Quickly bandage yourself but keep your movements small so your body doesn't show beyond the rock." Clint grasped the cloth strips tightly; they carried her scent-faint but distinct at this moment. His heart stirred as he clenched them tightly.

In a hoarse voice he asked, "Are you very worried about me? Afraid I'll die?" Joyce closed her eyes to rest. "Of course I am! If you die who will break my curse? Besides if you die I'll die too-I don't want to risk my life for yours." "If I could I'd shoot you myself," she added coldly. "You should be grateful you're a prince-that's why I hesitate." Hearing this made Clint's handsface stiffen under cover of darkness hiding its paleness well enough though not entirely masking how much those words stung him deeply within himself while leaning against that big rock struggling hard wrapping injured arm rounge round till finally tightening last knot slowing blood loss yet feeling colder both physically & emotionally realizing how much hatred filled. heart towards him despite risking own life saving him earlier during firefight leaving mixed feelings mostly bitter ones wishing things were different lamenting meeting too late...