The Darkest Hour(46)

The truck rocked precariously, and the window slid down, letting in a blast of fresh air.

"Rachel, no! Goddamn it, don't move!"

She had to get out. She didn't want to die.

"Goddamn it, hurry up and get it secure!" Sean yelled.

She let out a low whimper. Her throat tightened until she couldn't  breathe. She could hear Sean talking to her, his voice low and soothing.  She could hear the noise around her, the men hurrying to secure the  back end of the truck so they could pull her back.

"Okay, Rachel, listen to me."

She turned just enough that she could lock onto him. He stood just a  foot away from the truck. Close enough to touch, but neither he nor she  made any move to do so. His features were tight and worried, but his  lips were set in a determined line. He wasn't going to let her die.

Some of her panic abated. No, Sean wouldn't let anything happen to her.  His determination bled into her, and she grabbed hold with both hands.  She was equally determined that she wouldn't survive a year in hell,  only to come home and let some asshole force her off a bridge.

Sean stepped closer, until he was inches from the truck. He leaned down so they were at eye level.

"We're going to pull the truck back, okay? I need you to stay calm. Let  us do our job. We'll get you out safe. We won't let you go. I need you  to trust me, Rachel."

She gave one slow nod to let him know she heard and understood. There  was a slight bump from the rear, and she grabbed the steering wheel  again as her heart accelerated damn near out of her chest.

"Easy!" Sean barked. Then he turned back to Rachel. "Okay, honey, stay with me here. We're going to do this."

Again she nodded. She swallowed the panic back. Sean was here. He  wouldn't let anything happen to her. But she wanted Ethan. She needed  him here.

"Ethan," she whispered hoarsely

"He's coming, Rachel. He'll be here any minute, okay? Promise."

The metal of the truck creaked and groaned in protest. It lurched back,  popping her neck forward. There was a protesting shriek and then she saw  the hood start to shift over the edge.

Then there was a loud crack and a bang and the truck dipped forward. She  screamed and then her door flew open. Sean reached in, yanked at her  seat belt, then hauled her roughly from the seat.

They fell to the ground, her sprawled over him. She looked back just in  time to see the truck plunge over the bridge. Horrified, she heard the  explosion of water and felt the spray as it lifted into the air and blew  back over them.

"Son of a bitch," Sean muttered underneath her.

Numbly she stared at the empty spot where Ethan's truck had rested just  moments before. She couldn't wrap her brain around it. There were people  everywhere. Fire trucks, ambulances, police cars. They'd roped off the  entire area, and rescue personnel raced to the edge and stood looking  over with expressions of awe. Then they looked back at her.                       
       
           



       

She began to shake. No matter how hard she tried to control it, every muscle in her body jittered. It was worse than withdrawal.

Sean sat up, his arms closing around her.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

She couldn't even answer. Her teeth chattered together painfully. She  raised a hand to her mouth, but even her fingers trembled violently.

They sat on the hard surface of the road, her sprawled over his legs as  he held her. All she could do was stare at the empty space on the  bridge.

"Oh my God," she finally said. "Ethan's truck."

"Don't worry about the truck. Ethan will only be glad you're alive," Sean soothed.

"Rachel!"

She turned in the direction of Ethan's voice, and a moment later, he  burst through the crowd, shaking off hands that tried to hold him back.

Finally his gaze lighted on her, and the relief she saw was staggering.  He ran over and dropped to his knees beside her and Sean. Then he hauled  her into his arms, his hold so tight she couldn't breathe.

"Oh God, baby. You scared me. Holy hell, never do that to me again. Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

As he rambled, he pulled her back and ran his hands over her body.

"I'm okay," she croaked. "Sean saved me."

"Thank God, thank God," he said over and over as he rocked her in his arms.

"Your truck," she blurted. "It's gone. I'm sorry."

He framed her face in both hands and stared fiercely at her. "I don't give a fuck. You're all that matters to me."

Garrett, Sam and Donovan all came running up and staggered to a halt  where she, Ethan and Sean were still sprawled on the ground. Sam  ventured toward the edge where so many others were standing and peered  over.

"Jesus," he muttered as he came away again.

Rachel turned to Sean, who was still pale and breathing erratically.

"Thank you. You risked your life to save me when the truck was going over."

"Was glad to do it, but Rachel? Can we never do that again?"

She mustered a smile and reached over to squeeze his hand. "I promise."

Sam and Donovan reached down to haul Sean to his feet. Garrett bent down and gently helped Rachel up while Ethan also got up.

"You okay, sweet pea?" Garrett asked.

She nodded. "Thanks to Sean."

She glanced down at the hands that wouldn't quit shaking. She sagged tiredly against Ethan and clutched at his waist.

"Can we go home?"

Ethan looked toward Sean, whose lips twisted in regret.

"Are you up to answering some questions for me, Rachel? I need to know what happened here."

Cold fear snaked up her spine as her mind flashed to that moment before  impact. It was odd just how clear it all was in her mind. That brief  glimpse in the rearview mirror. The feeling of impact. And the second.  She frowned.

"Someone tried to run me off the bridge," she blurted.

Ethan stiffened beside her. Garrett's face drew into a storm cloud while Sam and Donovan raised their brows in confusion.

Sean frowned, then gestured toward a waiting ambulance. "Why don't you  have a seat in the back and let the paramedic look you over. We can talk  while he's taking a look at you."

She looked down. She wasn't hurt. Then she looked around at all the  faces staring back at her. Deep concern was etched into their  expressions. Sure, she was shaking like a leaf, but did she look that  bad?

Ethan guided her over to where a paramedic waited. The first thing he  did was wrap a blanket around her shoulders, and then Ethan lifted her  to sit in the back of the ambulance.

Dutifully, she listened to the medic's instructions, and she frowned  when she shook even harder. "Shock," she heard someone murmur. Well duh.  She'd nearly fallen off a bridge.

"Now, tell me what happened," Sean said in an even voice.

She shrugged. "I don't really know. One minute I was glancing over where  the last accident had taken place and then he hit me from behind."

"He?"

Her brows scrunched together. "Well I suppose it could have been a she. I didn't see. It was just a supposition."

"I see. What happened then?"

"He hit me on the left so that I spun toward the part of the bridge that  was missing. Then he hit me dead-on. It pushed me closer. I practically  stood up on the brakes, but he hit me a third time, and that was what  pushed me over the edge."

Sean exchanged glances with Ethan and his brothers. She couldn't tell if  he was concerned over the idea that someone would try to push her off a  bridge or if he was worried she was losing her mind.

"I'm not crazy," she said softly.                       
       
           



       

Ethan curled his hand around hers. "Shhh, baby. Of course you're not."

"Any witnesses, Sean?" Garrett asked.

"They're being questioned now. No sign of the other vehicle. We're  looking. No plates, not even a partial. Likely the guy panicked and fled  the scene. We'll find him. He couldn't have gotten far. There has to be  substantial damage to his front end."

"Can I take her home now?" Ethan asked over her head.

"Yeah sure. I'll follow up with more later, but yeah, get her home. She looks done for."

"Come on, I'll give you a ride," Garrett said. "Sam, you need to get Donovan back home so he can head out."

Ethan helped Rachel down as the paramedic smiled encouragingly at her.  Though Ethan took a wide berth around the gaping hole in the side of the  bridge, she knew what was down there, and she couldn't shake the uneasy  feeling that whoever had hit her had done it with a single purpose in  mind. Her death.





CHAPTER 32



ETHAN lay back on the couch and rubbed his fingers up and down in a  soothing pattern on Rachels' arm. She was huddled close to him, her body  warm and sweet against his.

Both of them had their shoes kicked off, and she had her legs entwined  with his and her feet tucked between his. They were wrapped up like  mating love bugs, and it was hard for him to remember a time when he'd  been more content.