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I blink, unsure how long I’ve been out. The rain still makes a faint tapping sound on the roof, but as I regain my senses, I realize the back seat is silent.
My side screams in agony as I twist to look back. The door is open, and Holden is gone—car seat and all.
I unbuckle my seatbelt and yank on the doorhandle, but my door won’t budge.
Sirens wail in the distance. I need to find Holden.
If anything happens to him...
Intent on finding a way out of the car, I move to climb over the center console, but as soon as I put pressure on my right foot, a searing pain causes me to fall back into my seat. I bite down on my lip to keep from crying out as I reach for my pant leg. There’s no blood, but my foot is bent in an unnatural position. My heart sinks, and my vision blurs again as I swallow back the bile in the back of my throat.
I shift myself closer to the console and try to move again without putting pressure on my broken ankle. Crawling across, I shove the passenger door open, and twist around to stand on my good leg.
The sirens grow louder, but my head can’t deal with the blaring noise, so I try to focus on the sound of my own thoughts instead.
I scan the surrounding area, still trying to make sense of the situation. There's no way Holden could have been thrown from the truck, but nothing is left in the back seat, and there are no signs of other cars.
But I have no idea how long I was unconscious.
I swore to keep him safe and failed. I lean over the bed rails and my head swims as nausea burns my throat.
No.
I slam a fist against the truck bed. “No!”
I don’t even register that the police have arrived until I feel hands on my shoulders.
“Sir.” The word finally cuts through my fog.
“I need to find Holden.”
Another man approaches, but this time, the voice sounds familiar. “What happened?”
I look to my left and realize Jax is standing behind the officer. I see the officer take a step back and I know Jax must be saying something to him, but I can’t hear over the blood pounding in my head, and I can’t make the pounding stop.
“Why aren’t you with Arden?” I snap.
“Harlen and Wes are at the restaurant. I heard about the accident a few minutes after I left. Now, how about you?”
I blink until the world comes back into focus. “My brakes were all jacked up. I skidded in the rain, and when I came to, Holden was gone.”
“An elderly lady placed the emergency call,” another officer says. “She said she saw another driver in a blue sedan pull over to help.”
“Then we need to talk to her.” Almost forgetting I can’t walk, I let go of the truck, intent on finding answers, but Jax grabs ahold of me.
“You’re not doing much in this condition except going to the hospital.”
I look beyond Jax to the officers, who are talking to the EMTs. Please let me find him.
I’m struggling to keep the panic at bay, but I can’t imagine what I’ll do if anything happens to Holden.
I don’t realize I’m shaking until Jax puts his hands on my shoulders. “It’s gonna be all right. Let the police do their job for now. They’ve already dispatched a patrol car to question the witness.”
