Rocked (The Everyday Heroes World) - Julia Wolf Page 0,5

of the road. Think they’re lost?”

“No idea, Ells. Sounds like they could be,” I said.

Her dark eyes lit up with excitement. We lived on Main Street, but on the opposite end from all the cute boutiques and restaurants. We didn’t get a lot of action down on our dead end. Tourists typically turned onto a side street once the shops faded into houses and cottages. I guess a car driving at a snail’s pace counted as the thrill of the day.

“Leroy and I are going out to the front yard to watch,” she said.

“Okay...call for us if they stop and ask for directions,” I said.

She rolled her eyes before she turned and ran through the house to the front door, Leroy nipping at her heels.

“We should probably go check that out, huh?” Veego was already walking, headed for the gate which would let us out of the backyard. Before we rounded the house, there was a loud screech followed by the sound of metal scraping against a solid surface and the crack of something big breaking. And then, the worst sound in the world: Ellie’s panicked scream.

Veego took off like a bolt of lightning, and I was right behind him, racing for my daughter.

As a paramedic, I dealt with the worst of the worst. I’d had every bodily fluid soak through my uniform, seen the horrific aftermaths of motorcycle accidents and burn victims, but finding a car crashed into my mailbox and Ellie maybe a foot away, nearly brought me to my knees.

“Baby, move!” I yelled. “Get away from the car!”

Before my words registered her into action, Veego had her in his arms, carrying her away from the wrecked car. Leroy was going crazy, barking and braying, his head whipping back and forth between me and his girl.

“Go with Ellie. Go make sure she’s okay.”

He gave me one last look before charging toward the front porch where Veego was setting Ellie down on the wooden swing. My training kicked in just as the door to the car swung open. Striding forward, I held a hand up.

“Stay in the car please. You might have injuries and shouldn’t move.”

As I approached, I saw a man sitting in the driver’s seat, rubbing his forehead. “Sir, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

He grunted. “Shit. Yeah, I’m okay.”

Except he sounded lethargic and his words were slightly slurred. This motherfucker was drunk and had nearly run down my kid.

“Please don’t move.” I wrenched open the door the rest of the way, checking that he was the only one in the car. “An ambulance will be on its way soon.”

I assumed so anyway. I imagined once Veego made sure Ellie was uninjured, he’d make the call.

“What?” His head lifted, foggy eyes meeting mine. “No, I don’t need an ambulance. I’ll pay for the damage.”

He started to swing his legs out of the car, but I pressed a hand to his shoulder. “You should stay seated until you’re checked out. Symptoms of head injuries can sneak up on you.”

His mouth pulled down at the corners, his expression puzzled, like I was speaking a foreign language. “I don’t have a head injury. I just fuckin’ fell asleep. And I’d like to do some more of that in my bed.”

My hands went to my hips, a good portion of my training now slipping away. Drunk driving was one of the most selfish decisions a person could make. Want to fuck up your own life? Have at it. By why risk innocent lives just because you needed a drink or ten before you headed home for the night?

“You can sleep it off in the drunk tank as far as I’m concerned.”

He reared back, his head knocking against the rest. “What? I’m not drunk. I’m an idiot who fell asleep at the wheel. I haven’t had a drop to drink.”

His words were slightly less slurred than they had been a minute ago, and his eyes had lost some of their glaze, but he still seemed out of it. It was possible he’d just fallen asleep, but I’d been around drunks enough to know how good they were at hiding it when push came to shove. And this guy...he made me uneasy.

Now that some of my panic had subsided, I took him in. He was outlandishly attractive. Not the kind of handsome I saw every day. No, those full, wide lips and hooded, hazel eyes weren’t small town fare. He looked like he brought a storm of trouble with him and left a