Page 71 of High Intensity

I grab the mic and depress the button to respond.

“Wolff here.”

“Blue pickup heading your way. Don’t let him pass.”

Don’t let him pass? And how the fuck am I supposed to do that? I had to hand over my weapon before I was taken by ambulance.

While I’m still debating my options, I catch sight of a vehicle coming down the road toward us. No headlights, that’s got to be him. He’s going at a good clip too. Behind the truck I notice several vehicles in pursuit.

“Is that him?” Jillian asks from the back seat.

“Yeah. Make sure you’re buckled in.”

When the truck gets within a couple of hundred yards, I turn on the cruiser’s headlights, hoping to blind him, maybe force him to slow down. Unfortunately, it seems to have no impact, and with time running out, I only see one option left.

“Brace,” I warn Jillian, as I shift the cruiser in drive.

Then I slam my foot on the gas and jerk the steering wheel to the left.

The truck never slows down, and the enforced grill guard of the sheriff’s cruiser hits it broadside. The impact is bone-jarring, throwing me forward against the restrains of the seat belt. Over the sound of grinding and squealing metal, I can hear Jillian scream behind me.

The next thing I know, bright lights shine in my eyes and I’m a little disoriented as I hear voices yelling outside the vehicle. Then a cool hand touches the side of my neck.

“Lucas? Are you okay?”

I lift my own hand to cover Jillian’s.

“Yeah. You?”

“As far as I can tell,” she replies dryly. “Except my heart is still lodged in my throat, and I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night.”

I take her hand and turn my head so I can kiss her knuckles.

“Fair enough.”

Suddenly, the door beside me is yanked open with a loud metal groan, and Junior Ewing sticks his head inside.

“You are one crazy motherfucker.”

“You’re the one who told me to stop him,” I fire back, unclipping my seat belt and heaving myself out of the mangled vehicle.

Ten feet from me, FBI agents are slapping cuffs on whoever was driving the truck. He’s down on the ground so I can’t see his face, and right now all I need to know is that he’s secure, so I can get Jillian from the back of the cruiser.

She’s already out of the seat belt when I open her door, and I barely have time to open my arms before she launches herself at me.

“God…” Her voice is muffled by my shirt as she pounds a fist against my chest. “I wanna be so angry at you for that harebrained stunt you just pulled, but I’m just too damned relieved it is over.”

Her head abruptly pops up and she seeks out Ewing.

“Itisover…right?”

Twenty-One

Jillian

“Your daddy is crazy.”

Aspen agrees, nodding her head and bouncing on her toes as she hangs on to the porch railing.

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