After slipping the papers into her purse and thanking Bunny, Eve made a hasty exit. The second she got to her office she was going to pore over these records. She wasn’t sure what she was going to find but if she could figure out who he’d been in contact with recently she might have her first big lead.
As Eve pulled out of the quiet, upscale neighborhood she spotted a black SUV behind her. She thought she might have seen one on her way here but she couldn’t be sure. She’d been too focused on that stupid kiss Mac had left on her forehead. She still tingled all over thinking about it and it wasn’t even a real kiss. Not like what they’d shared last night.
Steering on to the two lane road that led back to town, she shook those thoughts away. She didn’t have time for that right now. When a bright flash caught her attention in the rearview mirror, she frowned.
Why had that jerk turned on his brights? It was daylight. They flashed a couple times so she slowed down. She was already going five miles over the speed limit but if he wanted to pass her, she’d let him. The cops around here didn’t give speeders a break so either he was passing through and didn’t know any better or he was stupid.
The moment she slowed down the other vehicle rammed into her. She gasped as her head and body jerked forward but she managed to hold onto the wheel.
A surge of adrenaline roared through her when the SUV rammed into her again. She jolted forward again. The sound of metal crunching was unmistakable, but Mac’s truck was tougher than her little car would ever dream of being. The big truck took the impact of the hit without crumpling. Her throat seized as her grip on the wheel tightened. Someone coming after her in the middle of the day was insane!
She floored the accelerator and risked a glance in the mirror again. The windows were too tinted to see inside. Even the windshield had a dark strip across the front.
Her heart pounded wildly. With shaking hands she grabbed her purse from the passenger seat. As she tried to dig her phone out, the SUV clipped her again. The truck fishtailed wildly.
Eve struggled to keep a grip on the wheel as her purse slid across the bench seat and slammed into the passenger door.
Sweat bloomed on her forehead. Whoever was doing this was serious and she was out by herself with no way to defend herself.
If this guy managed to run her off the road… No! All she had to do was hold on another couple minutes and she’d be closer to town. And other cars and people.
She watched the rearview mirror as he slowed down then zoomed up again. Taking her eyes off him, she floored the truck again. Hating the high speed and the out of control sensation swelling through her, she held on tight and kept her foot on the gas.
The needle point on the speedometer steadily rose—higher than her car could. When she spotted another car coming toward them on the opposite side of the road, she felt a tiny spike of relief.
She was almost to a local gas station that was always busy. All she had to do was get away from this guy. Whoever it was couldn’t be stupid enough to attack her in public.
Easing her foot off the gas, she held her breath and glanced in the rearview mirror. The other driver was doing the same. Looked like he didn’t want an audience after all. Now she had a dozen other questions. Maybe someone had seen her last night after all. This attack couldn’t be random. Not in a small town like Hudson Creek. Her last story had been about the struggling real estate market. Not exactly motive for murder.
Taking a chance, she ducked down and swooped up her fallen phone from the floorboard. The other car flew past them and she knew her window of opportunity was closing. Scrolling to Mac’s number—after this she was
so
putting him on speed dial—she pressed send. Calling the cops in a situation like this was laughable. If she knew Mac, he’d be able to help her a heck of a lot faster than anyone else.
The second she hit send, she felt another shock from behind. This one was stronger, harder, and she lost her grip on the phone. And on the wheel.
Crying out, she fought for control but it was no use. The truck tilted on its side as she flew off the side of the road.
Trees flew at her. Blood rushed in her ears so loud it was all she could do not to scream. She tried the brakes but it was useless. The tires weren’t even on asphalt.
As the truck hurtled forward she heard the sickening crunch of metal a split-second before she felt the harsh impact throughout her entire body.
Her head slammed into the exploding airbag. She instantly jerked back against the headrest. Her neck ached something awful.
Then silence.
She blinked a few times as something dripped down across her right eye. Blood? She reached up and gingerly touched her forehead. The slight contact made her wince in pain.
Blinking again she looked around. The truck was still on its side. When it had tipped, her purse and phone had slammed back to the driver’s side. The vehicle must have slid sideways because she couldn’t see the main road anymore. Just a tree and underbrush.
Clutching onto the strap as if it were her lifeline, she held her purse because it gave her a weird sense of comfort. When she heard male voices nearby, her heart pounded harder and she snapped out of the haziness threatening to overwhelm her.
Escape!
She needed to get out of this death trap. She scrambled to get the seatbelt off. When it finally snapped free she fell sideways onto the driver’s window and door. No way out here. The door was pinned against the ground.
Her arms and legs ached as she pushed up and tried to crawl toward the other door, but at least her bones weren’t broken.
“I hear movement. Hurry!” a male voice shouted.
It registered that there must be two of them. Maybe the same two who’d killed Allen Martin.
They were close now. Eve stopped trying to climb higher and crouched back down. Even if she managed to get out there was no escape.
They were going to kill her!
Eve shrank back against the door. Fear blossomed in her chest with a painful awareness that she was probably going to die. Her heart pounded loudly and blood rushed in her ears. She had no clue who was after her and there would be no witnesses. A burst of anger surged through her, overwhelming her fear. She wouldn’t die without a fight.
Looking around the cabin of the truck, she frantically searched for a weapon. Anything to defend herself. Though if they had guns it wouldn’t matter much.
Before she could move, a middle aged man wearing a Stetson appeared at the top of the broken passenger window. He actually looked concerned. “Ma’am? Are you okay? We saw what that SUV did.”
She blinked at him, trying to comprehend what he was saying.
Wait, what? He was here to help her?
“Ma’am, can you hear me?” His voice was louder this time.
Eve nodded. “Yeah. I think I’m okay.” She could at least move.
“Hold on.” He shouted orders to someone else that she couldn’t see. Then another man appeared next to the front of the truck by the windshield. He had a big stick in his hand.
Fear jumped inside her again and she tried to move back.
What was going on?
Sirens sounded in the distance but if these two planned to kill her it wouldn’t matter. She doubted anyone would make it in time to save her.
Her vision hazed for a moment and she realized more blood was dripping down her face. She tried to wipe it away but her hands shook along with the rest of her.
“Try not to move. We’re going to pull the windshield off and get you out!” the second man shouted.
That’s why he had the stick. She allowed a kernel of relief to blossom inside her. Staying put—not that she had anywhere to go—she watched as he slid it into the small opening where the windshield had broken away from the frame. Using it as a lever, he pushed it down and the whole windshield started to peel up, frame and all.
The other man grabbed the frame. “I’ll hold this, you get her out.”
Understanding what they were trying to do, Eve hooked her purse across her middle and held her arms out. As she struggled over the steering wheel, the man dropped the stick and looped his hands under her armpits. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and let him pull her out.
Once she was free, he bent and picked her up under her knees. “What are you doing?” she mumbled.
“We’ve got to get you away from this truck. I doubt it’ll explode but we’re gonna get you closer to the main road. The cops are on their way.”
“Cops?” She didn’t remember calling them.
“Yes, ma’am. Don’t you worry, help is on the way. We couldn’t get the full license plate number for that SUV but we got part of it.” The man continued talking as he carried her across the dried grass and spots of bare dirt.
Unbidden tears started streaming down her face the farther he walked. It finally started to register what could have happened if it hadn’t been for these two men. “Thank you so much for helping me,” she said on a choked sob.
“Ah crap, please don’t cry ma’am. You’re going to be fine. I don’t think you have any broken bones at least.” He stopped near what she assumed was his four-door truck on the side of the road and gently sat her on the crunchy, dried grass. Then he also sat and turned to face her. “Can you understand what I’m saying?”
She glanced at his friend who stood next to them looking just as concerned, then looked back at him. “Yes. The cops are on their way and you don’t think I’m hurt.”
“Good.” He nodded then pulled out a plaid handkerchief. Putting it against the top of her forehead, he asked. “Can you hold this in place?”
Nodding, she replaced his hand with her own and held it. Awareness of the stinging sensation skittered across her face at the contact but it was bearable. She was alive. At this point she figured anything was bearable.
* * * * *
“Can’t you go any faster?” Mac asked Grant through gritted teeth.
“I can’t pass the ambulance.” Grant was so calm, Mac wanted to slug him. He’d gotten a call from Eve then heard what sounded like a horrific accident. From the sound of things, some men had apparently helped her out of the truck but he didn’t know if she was okay.
His foot tapped against the floorboard impatiently as they flew down the road. He’d called in a favor from a friend at the sheriff’s station and found out that a single car accident had been reported around the same time he’d gotten the call from Eve.
As the ambulance slowed down, all his muscles tensed. When he saw his mangled truck turned on its side off from the main two-lane road his heart jumped wildly.
Eve had been driving that.
Before Grant had fully stopped Mac jumped out and ran past the two paramedics pulling a stretcher out. He heard another siren in the distance—likely a police car—but he ignored it and sprinted toward another truck sitting on the side of the road. When he cleared the front of it, he almost tripped.
Eve sat next to the truck on the small incline with two ranchers he recognized. “Eve.” All he could manage was her name.
Holding a handkerchief to her head, she looked up at him. When her eyes started to water, he lost a decade of his life. The only time he’d seen her cry had been at her parents’ funeral.
He ignored the other two men as he knelt in front of her. Taking him completely by surprise, she lunged at him and threw her arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry about your truck,” she mumbled against his neck.
“Forget the damn truck.” His grip around her waist tightened as he pulled her close. All he cared about was her. She might mess with his head like no other woman could but the thought of Eve hurt…he shuddered. Lightly, he stroked his hand down her back, hoping to soothe her. Though he hated to do it, he slightly pulled back to look at her. Mascara smudged under her eyes and blood had dried on her forehead but she seemed to focus on him without any trouble. “Are you okay? What happened?”
Before she could respond the two EMTs appeared out of nowhere barking orders. He understood he needed to move and let them take care of her, but the most primal part of him didn’t want to leave her side for even a second.
Feeling helpless, he stepped back as they helped Eve to her feet. “I’ll follow you to the hospital.”
“But your truck…”
He shook his head. He didn’t give a shit about that. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll see you in a little bit.”
With watery eyes, she nodded as the two men helped her stand and put her on the stretcher. Since she was moving on her own he doubted she even needed it but he was glad they weren’t taking any chances.
Once she was out of earshot he turned to the two ranchers. He nodded politely at them but didn’t bother with small talk. “DJ, Derek. What the hell happened?”
Derek took off his hat and shook his head. “Don’t know exactly. Saw a dark SUV run her off the road. I think the driver started to slow down until they saw us coming from the other direction. We thought it was you in the truck at first until we got to the accident.”
He frowned at their words. “Was it intentional?”
The two men glanced at each other, then Derek nodded. “I think so. It could have been someone passing through being an asshole but it didn’t seem that way. I got part of the license plate at least.”
As the sound of a siren grew louder, Mac glanced over his shoulder. Sheriff Marcel was pulling up. Mac quickly looked at Derek. “Can I see what you wrote down?” He wanted to look at it before the sheriff took it.
Derek nodded and handed it to him. He memorized the few numbers and letters before giving it back. Mac wasn’t sure what was going on, but if someone had intentionally tried to hurt Eve, they were going to pay.