Page 1 of Stolen Summer

Prologue

THE ACCIDENT

Death used to fascinate me until I stared into its eyes. I couldn’t figure out if I welcomed the relief the darkness offered or if I wanted to spit in its face.

Sheets of rain poured from the sky, blurring the long stretch of road. Every so often, a beam of headlights struck me blind for a heart-stopping moment before passing by, and the grim road would appear again, and yet, I didn’t mind the drive. The radio crooned classic rock, my dad in the passenger seat singing along to every word.

He had a great voice. Always had, and I loved hearing him sing.

For as long as I could remember, it had always been Dad and me. And tonight, we were celebrating. A stupid tradition, and not really a celebration at all, but Dad always made the little things seem big.

Neither of us had any idea how significantly our lives would change in a split second. Nothing would be the same again after tonight.

Tapping my thumbs on the steering wheel in time with the beat, the car glided along the slick road. The conditions were too dangerous to push the vehicle too far over the limit. Dad had a few drinks tonight at dinner, so I drove us home, being the responsible, underage daughter.

A flash of headlights cut through the darkness a mile or so before me. They were brighter than normal and coming closer faster than I anticipated. Squinting, I gripped the leather-clad wheel in a sweaty, tight clasp.

Why does it seem as if they’re right in front of me?

I shook my head, leaning a bit farther in the seat. It had to be a trick of the glossy road and blinding lights. And yet…

My body stiffened.

Holy shit, they’re going to hit us.

My foot immediately went for the brake but a hair too late.

I screamed, the sound meshing with the shrieking of metal crashing into metal, an ear-piercing, unforgettable sound. The car spun, whirling in circles, shoving me against the side of the door. My head rammed into the window as the airbag exploded in my face. Holy fuck. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Pain knocked the breath out of me, but it was short-lived.

Before I had a chance to fully comprehend what happened, darkness pulled me under.

Death whispered in my ear, a brush of a kiss along my skin meant to coax me to the other side. How easy it would be to follow the cool, calm voice, and yet, another harsher voice nagged in the darkness, growing louder and more insistent until all I wanted was to make it shut up.

My eyes fluttered open, and before the pain registered, I stared at my fingers. Blood covered them and was splattered over the steering wheel and the shattered windshield. A wave of dizziness threatened to take me back under, but I gritted my teeth, forcing my body to stay awake even as my brain finally registered the pain.

I regretted my decision. Perhaps being lost in the unknown was better than the torment every part of me was being subjected to. I was afraid to move. Then I remembered I wasn’t alone.

Dad.

I angled my head despite the pain yelling at me and gasped.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

The passenger seat was compacted into nearly half its size, and Dad’s large frame was squashed between the seat and the dashboard. Fear rendered me motionless. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t speak. I could barely breathe.

What should I do? What should I do? Panicked thoughts continued to race through my mind as rain pelted into the car where the window had once been.

911. I needed to call for help. The problem was I couldn’t find my phone. It was in my purse, which happened to be in the back seat. Craning my neck, I scanned the empty seats. Where is it?

My door flew up in a groaning mess of mangled metal, and I turned my head too damn quickly and saw a dark, wet shadow looming over me. “You’re alive,” someone with a deep, husky voice said. Arms went under me, wiggling and shimmying me out of the car.

“Wait,” I rasped, barely able to speak. Every inch of me screamed in agony, but he didn’t listen, and I couldn’t get the words out. Help my dad. Help him, I cried out in my head. “Please.”

The stranger mistook my plea. “It’s okay. I got you,” he assured, lifting me into his arms and carrying me to the side of the road. He laid me on the grassy part of the shoulder with gentleness.

I started to shake; my body so damn cold. Rain soaked my clothes, plastering them against my skin and washing away the blood. The wind carried a trace of something woodsy with a hint of sea salt.

“Hey man, we need to go. Now!” another person with a gravelly voice demanded, and the stranger turned their head toward the impatient command.

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