Page 17 of Justice Denied

“Thank you.” Her voice hitched as if she was choking back a sob.

“Are you okay?” Dumb question, considering the message he’d found and texted her.

“I don’t know.” She blew out a breath. “My mom has started looking into what happened to my dad.”

“I thought you said your father died when you were a kid?” Seth should have couched the question with more sensitivity, but her comment had caught him off guard. He turned onto the road out of the complex parking lot.

“He did, but apparently, there’s more to the story—much more—than I ever knew. And now I don’t know what to think or do.”

“I see.” He didn’t, but maybe when he saw her, she would elaborate more.

“I—”

Her scream cut off whatever she was about to say.

“Jetta!” Seth slammed on his brakes to avoid ramming the car in front of him, which had stopped at a traffic light. The call dropped before he could hear a reply. His heart pounded faster than a heavy metal drummer. GPS informed him it would take twenty-three minutes to reach the clinic. Jetta had said she’d been near Graham Road and 50, so he reprogrammed the GPS to that location and shaved four minutes off his arrival time. Still too long. With a prayer for Jetta’s safety, he reined in his impatience and concentrated on making the drive as quickly as possible.

ChapterSeven

The impact of the truck into her smaller crossover vehicle snapped Jetta forward, her seatbelt holding her in place. She mashed on the brake pedal and wrenched the wheel to the right to avoid clipping the car in front of her. By some miracle, she managed to maneuver onto the grassy verge and out of the traffic lane. The pickup roared off, weaving in and out of traffic until she couldn’t see it any longer.

Her phone had flown from the console onto the floor of the front passenger seat. She trembled so violently, it took her three tries to put her car into park and cut the engine. She set the emergency brake and hit the flashers before releasing her seatbelt. Her shoulder and hips ached but she was in one piece. At least the airbag hadn’t deployed. Rubbing her belly, she prayed her baby was okay too.

Reaching over, she snagged the phone and placed a call to 911. A knock on the passenger side window, which she’d lowered a couple of inches, triggered a scream.

A man held up a phone, his forehead creased. “I called 911. Police and ambulance are on their way. Are you okay?”

“911, where’s your emergency?”

Jetta raised her finger to the man to indicate she was on a call and replied to the dispatcher. “Someone clipped me with their vehicle and fled the scene, but another driver called it in, so I think I’m good.”

“What’s your location?”

“I’m on 50 near Graham Road.” Jetta clenched her fingers together to stop the shaking.

“I’m showing emergency personnel are on their way to that location. Are you in a safe place to wait?”

“Yes, thank you.” Jetta disconnected the phone and turned to the man. “Thank you for calling. I think I’m okay. Did you see what happened?”

“Yeah, a white truck with Florida plates clipped your bumper.” He craned his neck as if to see the back of her vehicle. “Your left rear bumper is toast. I was sure you were going to smash into other cars.”

“Me too.” She leaned back against the seat as the sound of sirens filled the air. Seth! She’d been talking to him when the accident occurred. Before she could hit redial, an ambulance screeched to a halt, along with a fire truck and police cruiser. Opting instead for a quick text, she let him know she was fine.

The next moments blurred as she repeated what had happened to a Fairfax County police officer, then allowed an EMT to check her over for injuries in the back of the ambulance. He gave her over-the-counter pain medication and an ice pack for the darkening bruises on her shoulder and hip. He strongly recommended she report to her OB-GYN to check on the baby.

“Jetta!” She turned from the back of the ambulance as Seth raced up, his face pale. “Are you okay?”

“Just some bruises, thank goodness.”

His concerned expression nearly made her rush into his arms, but she hugged herself instead. Hadn’t she learned her lesson in Chicago about letting her feelings push her too quickly into a relationship?

“What happened?” He reached out a hand as if to touch her shoulder but dropped it without making contact. “I was so worried when the call dropped after you screamed.”

She drew in a breath, then recounted the accident. “A bystander snapped a photo of the fleeing truck, and the police officer said the vehicle was reported stolen.”

“Have they recovered the truck?”

“I don’t know.” She shivered. Seth stepped closer, his bulk soothing instead of intimidating her like a man of his size would normally do. So unlike Kyle, who used his height to get his way. She’d thought Kyle had a kinder side too until he’d proved her wrong. Better to remember that and not get fooled again. Seth’s caring veneer might hide a darker underbelly.

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