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Shaye

“Max, stop the car!” I shriek. Even with the snow falling, I can see the passenger side of Nico’s Range Rover crumbled like an accordion.

The car slows and before it’s even come to a full stop, my seat belt is off, and I’m out the door. My Hunter boots pound into the deep snow drifts as I run toward Nico’s car. Smoke is coming from the side smashed against the tree, and my throat constricts when I round the car toward the driver’s side.

Oh, God, please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead…

Tears spring to my eyes as I grab the door handle and pull, not knowing what I’m going to find inside. I yank once, twice, but nothing happens. The lock must have gotten damaged in the crash or the frame of the vehicle is bent from the impact. Max appears next to me with a tire iron. Of course, he’d have one on hand. “Watch out, let me try.”

With one swift tug, he has the door open. My hand flies to my mouth once I see Nico. His face is twisted in agony, but he’s alive. And even though I still want to kill the bastard, I’m so thankful he’s safe.

“Fuck,” he groans, holding his right side. “Thank God you guys were behind me.”

“Dude, what the hell happened?” Max peers into the car. “You are so goddamned lucky. You can’t imagine what the other side of the car looks like. Thank God there wasn’t anyone in the passenger’s seat.”

“If I hadn’t made the turn, the driver’s side would look the same way.”

“A-are you hurt?” I mumble, swiping at my eyes, cursing myself for showing any modicum of emotion. Even though he crushed me, I’m still in love with him. Not that he deserves it.

“Yeah,” he growls. “My back is all sorts of fucked up, and I banged my head against the window when that asshole plowed into me. I need to get to a hospital.”

Blaring sirens appeared from out of nowhere, and I flash a questioning look at Max who grins. “While you were mourning Nico’s car, I made the call. I’m shocked to hell they showed up this fast, especially in this weather.”

I try to calm my breathing, but I can’t. So many conflicting emotions rumble inside of me, and I’m torn between gratitude and rage. He could have been killed, and here I am, wanting to unleash a toxic tirade against him, the man I’ve obsessed about for the better part of my life.

An ambulance slows and pulls in front of the car. EMTs jump out, clad in all-weather gear to battle the frigid air. A cop car with obnoxious flashing lights stops next to us. An officer approaches, a suspicious look on his face. “Anyone been drinking?”

“No, sir,” Nico replies, flinching as he shifts in the seat. The EMTs are working fast to load him onto a gurney, and he lets out a few choice words as they ease him out. “I was making a turn and some asshole crashed into me, then drove away.”

“Did you get the license plate number?”

“No, I tried, but…” He lets out another groan. “…the car was going too fast.”

“What was the make and model?”

“Don’t know. It was too dark. All black, I think. Big SUV, tinted windows, front and sides.”

“Ok.” The officer rubs the back of his neck and looks at me and Max. “Were you in the car behind him? Did you see anything?”

We both shake our heads. “So, what happens next?” I ask. “Are they just going to get away with it? I mean, he could have been killed!” My voice rises, and Max gives me a strange look. I press my lips together to keep any other tells from escaping my big, fat mouth. My eyes follow Nico to the back of the ambulance, where he’s being loaded in. I swallow hard. He shouldn’t be alone…

“Do you want to go with him?” Max mumbles after the police officer goes back to his car to write up the report. “I’ll wrap things up here and meet you guys at the hospital. Call his parents. too.”

I nod, nibbling at my chipped thumbnail, trying to appear nonchalant even though I feel like I’m about to crumble on the sidewalk in tears. “I’ll see you there.”

He gives me another long look and nods toward the ambulance. “Go.”

I turn and trudge through the snowdrifts just as one of the EMTs is about to close the doors. “You coming with us?”

“Yes.” I take his hand and climb into the back, collapsing on the bench next to Nico. He’s got a neck brace on, but he’s no longer complaining about the pain. He flashes me a crooked smile and points to his wrist and the IV. “This is the good stuff,” he murmurs.

Tears pool in my eyes, and I look toward the ceiling of the ambulance to prevent them from falling and dripping all over the guy who has a tighter hold on me than anyone on this planet.

“Hey,” he whispers. “It’s okay. I’m gonna live.”

“I know.” I sniff, refusing to look at him.

He lets out a low chuckle. “I get it now. You’re upset ’cause you’ve been wishing me dead, and it almost happened?”

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