AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Tires screeched as they came to an abrupt stop and doors slammed.
And as if we both had conjured him up, a deep, masculine, and frantic voice boomed through the night.
“Brinley! Zander! Where are you?”
I opened my mouth to yell, but nothing came out.
He came for us.
A big spotlight shined bright and my hand flew up to shield my eyes as Rowan’s voice rang out again.
“Come on, baby! Talk to me, please!”
Hearing the panic in his tone, I started walking back toward where the car was. We hadn’t made it very far away in our attempt to get away from whoever was out there, but we had descended a good distance off the road when the person hit us.
“We’re here!” I yelled.
“Keep talking, sweetheart, I’m coming to get you guys.”
I did as he asked and we reached my car at the same time. How the hell he made it down that fast was crazy, but I was freaking glad he was there.
Zander immediately cried out for his dad and turned in my embrace practically launching himself at him and I winced at the discomfort. Rowan caught his son and also the look that crossed my face. It was dark, but the big light shined down on us, and seeing the man in front of me, I knew everything was going to be okay.
So, when he pulled me gently into his arms, trying to be careful of any injuries I had, and asked if we were okay, I lost it. The trembling started and the tears broke free.
In the distance, I heard the sirens, more footsteps coming down the hill, and people talking, but all I wanted to do was hold the two most important people in my life.
And just feel.
* * *
I wasn’tsure how we ended up in the back of an ambulance.
Everything was a blur after Rowan found us. Somehow when we got back up to the road, all the guys fromNo Surrenderwere there and the cops had things blocked off, searching the area for clues.
Rowan insisted we be seen at the hospital and I shuddered at the thought. I hated hospitals after spending so much time with my mom there during her illness before she passed away. But it was important to get Zander checked over so I didn’t argue.
“Stella,” I whispered.
The name popped into my head and left my lips. I shut my eyes trying to think. My head pounded and I rubbed my temple trying to grasp why the name crossed my mind.
“Baby, what did you say?”
Why would a woman’s name jump into my head? I wondered if I hit it so hard that something was seriously wrong. But the name wouldn’t leave my mind.
Eyes still closed, a vision was coming forth. The headlights in my mirror as the truck had come closer. I’d glanced in the mirror just before it had hit us the first time and saw the license plate. I remember it seemed odd that it had a woman’s name and wondered if they named their car, but when he bumped into us I’d forgotten until I lay in the ambulance.
My lids opened and Rowan was staring at me as I rested on the gurney, Zander seated in his lap, his head against his dad’s chest. Our son didn’t want to leave either of us and was doing okay physically so Rowan insisted we all ride in the back together to the hospital.
“The front license plate said Stella,” I told him. “I forgot until now.”
Rowan’s eyes widened and he looked toward the door of the ambulance where Gyth and Braxton stood.
Something passed between them, but I didn’t know what was going on.
The pain in my head was getting worse and I winced. Rowan’s gaze swung back to mine and he told everyone we needed to get going.
“We’ll meet you at the hospital,” Braxton said just before the door shut.
