cry.
She fixed her gaze back on the road, pushing even more on the accelerator. Addison flipped on her brights to ward off animals. “How’s he doing?”
“Breathing is steady. Heart rate too. The gunshot looks like a through and through.” Jason’s voice was calm, but worry rode the warm timbres of his tone. “It’s still bleeding, but it’s manageable. How far till we get to the vet?”
“Ten minutes. Hang in there, Connor.” She gripped the steering wheel. “He saved my life. Without even thinking about it, he attacked.”
“He’s a soldier. It’s his job to protect the innocent. He does it well.”
She barely tapped the brakes as they rounded a curve. “It all happened so fast. I didn’t even get a good look at the intruder. He was wearing all black and a ski mask.”
“Nathan said the same.”
Jason’s phone beeped. Addison sensed rather than saw him check the message. She didn’t take her gaze from the road. “What is it?”
“It’s Kyle. Everything is quiet at the cabin.”
“Michael and Wendall don’t know where Chloe is, thank God.”
Jason’s phone rang. He answered and must’ve put the call on speaker, because Grady’s voice was loud enough for Addison to hear. “Where are you, Jason?”
“Route 14, ten minutes from the vet’s office.”
The twinkling lights of the town were up ahead. Addison breathed a sigh of relief, but didn’t lessen her pressure on the accelerator. She had to get Connor there as fast as possible.
“A trooper will be waiting for you at the emergency vet’s office.” Grady’s tone was clipped. “You are to stay there until I tell you to move. Michael hasn’t left his house, but I’m not taking any chances. We’re still searching for Wendall.”
Grady’s next words were lost as an engine roared. Something slammed into the back of Addison’s vehicle. The wheel jerked under her hands and she fought to wrestle it back under control before they skidded into the embankment. Bright lights flicked on, bouncing off the rearview mirror, blinding her.
Wendall. He’d found them.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, Addison heard Jason barking out information to Grady, but the words were a jumble. Her focus was on the road in front of them. A set of rapid curves approached with frightening speed. This section of the road was notoriously dangerous.
Wendall’s vehicle kissed her bumper again. Addison swerved into the opposite lane, weaving to make them a harder target to hit. Her knuckles were white on the steering wheel. “Jason, hold tight to Connor.”
She slammed on her brakes without warning. Wendall’s SUV shot past them.
A horn exploded in the night. An oncoming car rounded a curve, heading straight for them. Addison jerked her wheel to avoid the collision but overcompensated. Her tires skidded off the edge of the road as the vehicle went into a spin. A whirl of trees rushed her.
Metal crunched followed by the sound of shattering glass. Addison’s airbag exploded, smashing her in the face. Her seat belt pulled tight as the vehicle came to a shuttering stop. Pain erupted along her collarbone.
Silence.
It was extraordinarily loud in the wake of the crash. Addison shoved aside the airbag and sucked in a breath. Her hands shook violently. Tree branches pressed against the shattered windshield, the scent of pine filling her nostrils. One of her headlights was still working.
“Jason, are you and Connor okay?”
No response. Addison twisted in her seat. Her heart cried out, even as her mouth couldn’t find the words. A large pine bough had shattered through the rear window and lodged itself in the car. Pine needles and smaller branches blocked her view of the back seat. Thousands of scenarios assaulted her, none of them good. The pine bough was so large, it could have seriously injured Jason, if not killed him.
Frantically, she shoved aside some of the branches, but it was impossible to see past them. “Jason, answer me!”
Silence. Tears coursed down her cheeks and her stomach swirled with nausea. Darkness beckoned at the edges of her vision. Addison fought it back, taking several deep breaths. She would not give up. She couldn’t. If Jason was injured in the back of her vehicle, he needed her. She had to help him.
Please, Lord. Give me strength.
With shaking fingers, Addison hurried to unlock her seat belt. Every movement sent a wave of pain crashing over her. She took half a heartbeat to assess her physical condition. Her collarbone ached and there was a large lump on her head, hidden in her hair. She must’ve hit her head during the crash.