“Yes, I’m positive. She’s propped against my side and looks as good as new…well almost.”
“What do you mean almost?”
“She’s frowning. Even in her sleep, she’s upset, man. Are you guys fighting?”
“No, we’re not fighting. She feels guilty about Rebecca’s death and won’t let anyone comfort her. She had nothing to do with it, but she still feels responsible.”
“Who are you talking to?” I hear Ryanne in the background.
“Colton,” Bragden says. I grimace. He should have lied and said Liam.
“Can you tell him I’m sorry?” she whispers, barely loud enough for me to hear.
“Why don’t you tell him?” Bragden says. I can hear shuffling as if Bragden’s handing the phone away.
“Colton?” Ryanne’s soft voice asks.
“I’m here,” I reply. I can almost see her clutching the phone to her ear.
“I’m really sorry I walked away from you. I didn’t want to, but I saw everyone watching me, and I freaked. I needed some alone time. No one in this car knew what I was thinking about. I feel like you and Liam always know what I’m thinking, and Natalie can read my emotions, so it’s hard to keep anything from you guys.”
“Ryanne,” I start.
“JAMES!” Ryanne shouts right as the sound of crushing metal and glass breaking resonates through the phone. I can hear Ryanne scream in the background before everything cuts off.
“Ryanne?” Nothing. “Ry?”
Silence.
“We have to turn around,” I demand.
“Why?”
“They were in an accident. Ryanne shouted for James right as something crashed into them. I could hear metal breaking and glass shattering, and Ryanne screamed. Then the call ended.”
“Oh my gosh,” Emma says. Tom pulls into a parking lot and turns around. Pulling back into traffic, he flies down the road. James was a couple miles behind since he left the house after us.
If she’s hurt…I can’t breathe. Black spots start to fill my vision as I imagine Ryanne lying bloodied in the car. Natalie jumps forward and places both of her hands on my shoulders, calming me. Air rushes back into my lungs, but the worry remains. It won’t end until I see her safe and unharmed.
Two miles back, I see their car. James’s black sedan is lying on its side in a ditch with smoke coming out of the engine. From this distance, I can see James crawling out of the side window, but I don’t see anyone else yet. There are no other cars around, so what hit them?
I look toward Liam in the back seat. He’s not reacting, which can mean two things: that Ryanne’s unconscious or…Tom slams on the break and stops the car. I hurtle out of the side door and run toward their vehicle. I can hear everyone following behind me.
James falls to the ground outside the vehicle and winces as he tries to get up. We need to get everyone out of there before it goes up in flames. The left side door is completely smashed in. I run past James on the ground and look through the driver’s window. Ryanne’s not inside the car. Where is she? Bragden looks the worst out of everyone. He’s awake but trapped to the side. James walks up beside me and rips the side door off its hinges. Throwing it to the ground, he starts to help pull Bragden out. Larkin transports out of the car and lands in the grass behind me.
“Where’s Ryanne?”
“There was,” he gasps for breath and winces, “a man who came and grabbed her…out of the car.” He grimaces again as he stands up. “She was unconscious. He transported away. He was a traveler too.”
“She was kidnapped?” Liam runs past me and helps pull his brother out of the car. David rushes past them and helps Logan crawl out of the side. Natalie rushes toward the car and reaches for her brother. After helping Bragden out, Liam stops and reaches for Natalie as she runs past him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulls her backward and away from the smoking car.
“I have to help him!” she yells as tears come to her eyes. She starts struggling against Liam’s strong grip. Natalie may be strong, but Liam is stronger.
“I’ll save him, Natalie,” Liam says as he tucks a strand of hair behind her ear…something I would do to Ryanne. Her attempts to get past him stop, though her eyes keep flickering to the car. With a nod, she resigns and backs up toward Emma. Moving towards my brother, I help him get Logan out of the car. Logan’s leg is heavily bleeding from where a piece of metal stabbed into it. I wrap his other arm around my shoulder and pull him out. He cries out as we move his leg.
“What happened?” David asks as we set Logan gently on the ground.