Page 102 of Surrender
We rounded a bend up ahead, and there was a dirt road to the right—the large gates that usually shut it off from the world were open, and Rafe turned in slowly.
It was more like a trail through the woods, and it would have been beautiful had I not felt like my chest was going to cave in with each nervous breath.
Rafe moved slowly at first, as it was clear the narrow road wasn’t made for much more. But we didn’t have long, so he eased his foot down heavier on the accelerator, and it wasn’t long before Parker noticed the car bouncing and jerking around.
“What the hell are you doing?” he screamed, and I twisted in my seat just enough to see his hands clinging to the headrests. Both hands. No gun. “Slow down!”
I clenched my teeth, gripping my belt and the door as a sharp corner appeared ahead.
Rafe didn’t ease up.
He didn’t back down.
“I saidslow the f-fuck down!” Parker shrieked again, but this time his voice cracked, the fear breaking through. He’d lost control, and he was scared. Each bump jolted him into the air, the tires skidding and sliding on leaves and pine needles, throwing him from side to side as the car lurched back and forth.
“Hold on, Darcy,” Rafe growled, and I barely registered the warning.
Two seconds.
That was all he gave me before he yanked hard on the wheel.
Too hard for the sharp corner.
But that was the plan.
The car careened off the edge of the narrow trail road, and we hit the turn at the worst possible angle.
Parker was tossed like a ragdoll through the air while Rafe and I held tight to our belts, keeping us pinned in as the car flipped onto its side. I clamped my eyes shut, listening to the sound of metal crunching and glass shattering around me. Little pieces nicked my skin, and it felt as if the world around me was caving in.
But not for long.
A hard thud knocked the wind from my lungs, and we were suddenly still again. Heavy breathing and creaking of the car around us were the only sounds.
It was quiet.
So quiet.
Rafe let out a loud groan. “Fuck!” he cursed, slowly turninghis head to me. There was blood dripping down his forehead and into his eye, and he kept blinking, trying to see through it. “Darcy… you okay?”
“Yeah,” I choked out, and a sharp pain flared in my chest. “We need… to move…”
He nodded, looking around frantically for some kind of exit. “Okay, unclip your belt, and follow me out my door.”
My hands trembled as I struggled with the release button, the adrenaline helping to numb some of the pain I was sure to feel later, but it was doing nothing for my coordination.
A low moan came from the back seat, and I looked back to find Parker wedged in behind the driver’s seat. His eyes were closed, but he was breathing and moving.
“We gotta go,” Rafe said urgently, struggling with the door. When it didn’t move, he lifted his foot and kicked, booting the life out of it until it finally gave way, screeching loudly and flying open. “Darcy!”
I finally got my belt loose, reaching out and taking Rafe’s hand so he could drag me out, my feet kicking at the center console, desperate to be free of that fucking crumpled cage.
My body ached
Everything hurt.
But once I got my feet under me, there was no stopping.
That survival instinct kicked in, and nothing else mattered.
