Page 62 of Every Single Vow
“It’s just a little sus,” she mutters before biting into her waffle cone.
I laugh, glancing in my rear view mirror at the truck coming up behind us. He seems to be in a hurry, and I’m expecting him to pass me even though I’m driving a steady seventy-five. When he approaches my bumper, following a little too close for comfort, I slowly move to the shoulder to let him pass.
He doesn’t.
Squinting in the side mirror, I try to see the make and model. Looks like a black dodge. Older model. License plate looks custom.BRR. I tear my eyes from the mirror with a frown. Drifting back in my lane, my pulse picks up as Ari sings quietly next to me. I let my boot press harder on the gas, hoping to pull away from the asshole who clearly didn’t know how to drive. Unfortunately, we get a lot of those in these parts. But he eats up the space, his front end so close that I can’t even see the grill anymore.
Something is off.
As soon as the thought occurs, a jolt rams us forward, the force so sudden Ari’s ice cream flies into the windshield.
“Shit,” I curse, gripping the steering wheel.
“What was that?” Her grip tightens on the seat, her head swiveling to look behind us.
Another force comes, the crunching of metal roaring as he rams into my tailgate.
“Hold on, Ari!” I shout, trying to maneuver us from the shoulder.
Before I can right the wheel, the dodge speeds up, using his front fender to jar into my driver side door. The impact sends us barreling straight for the ditch.
“Dakota!" Ari shrieks, panic evident in her voice as my foot darts to the break.
I’m not quick enough to slow us down. My tires hit the loose gravel, spinning us in a half circle, before the guard rail connects with the back passenger side of my truck.
The hit causes my head to bounce off of the window, pain searing through my temple as my vision blurs. On instinct, my hand reaches for Ari, my eyes blinking as she sits frozen.
I can vaguely hear the dodge rev its engine in the distance when I finally gain my composure.
“Are you ok?” I croak, my hands checking over her body.
“I’m ok.” Her voice shakes, before she faces me.
Her eyes widen, her hands trembling. “You’re bleeding!”
“What?” I reach up to my temple, then bring my hand down to see my fingertips coated in blood. “I’m fine,” I assure her.
I glance around the cab, trying to find my phone. I spot it in the floorboard beneath Ari’s feet.
“Grab my phone.”
She scrambles for the device, handing it over as I try to still my shaking hands. With my pulse still thumping and my heart pounding, I dial three numbers.
911.
Chapter forty-one
Cooper
Ryder adjusts his hat before standing from the chair across from my desk. We had a game plan for tomorrow morning, and with all hands on deck, we figured three days was plenty to get the job done.
Maddox is seated on the edge of an old file cabinet, smiling at his phone like a lovesick fool. Not that I’m complaining. I’m stoked that he loves my sister so much.
“Y’all got plans?” I ask.
Ryder shrugs. “Maddox mentioned something about dove hunting in a couple of hours.”
Maddox lifts his head. “Saw some in the pasture behind our cabin. Perfect spot.”
