12. Triton
I jerkedthe wheel and screeched to a stop on the side of the road. My heart beat so fast that it seemed like it was going to explode out of my chest. I’d just watched Pastor Trammer’s truck fly off the road and roll a half dozen times before it came to a stop upside down in a field of wildflowers.
Drak and Chance stood on the side of the road, guns drawn and pointed as Phoenix and Razor dragged two men out of a black SUV. My brother Kane and his buddies from the Lonestar Riders MC pulled up behind me. All I cared about was finding Bess. If something had happened to her… I wouldn’t let myself go there.
I scrambled down the embankment and ran toward the truck. Bess had crawled out through the shattered back window and crouched down next to the passenger side front door.
“It’s going to be okay, Mom. Help is on the way.” Her eyes met mine as I reached her.
“Sugar Pie, are you hurt?” I wanted to wrap my arms around her and pull her up against me, but needed to make sure she wasn’t injured. Settling for brushing her hair away from her face, I pressed a kiss to her temple. “An ambulance is on the way.”
“Mom’s stuck and my dad is unconscious.” She gripped my t-shirt and sagged into me. “I was so scared.”
“I know, baby. I’m here now. Everything’s going to be okay.”
Kane jogged over to me. “Can we have a quick word?”
“I’ll be right back. Keep talking to your mom. Help will be here soon.” I got up and walked over to where Kane stood several feet away. I knew what he wanted to talk about… what to do with the fuck faces that just ran my woman off the road.
“It’s your call, but you need to make a decision fast.” He hooked his thumb on his belt loop and cleared his throat. “Ambulance is probably only about seven minutes away.”
I wanted to pull the trigger myself, but I wasn’t about to let Bess out of my sight. “No trace. The men, the vehicle, everything. I don’t want there to be any sign that another vehicle was involved. Will your guys be able to handle that?”
“Yeah. Anything for you, brother.” Kane gave me a half hug and took long strides back to the road while I resumed my spot next to Bess.
“What did he want?”
I shook my head, unwilling to add any more pain to the burden she was already carrying. “Those men won’t bother your family again.”
Her forehead creased and her lips parted like she wanted to ask for some clarification. Then she nodded and glanced back down at her mother’s hand. “Thank you.”
The SUV pulled out and headed down the road in the opposite direction the ambulance would be coming from. Bison, Fuse, and the others followed. I didn’t know who was behind the wheel or where they were headed. Didn’t matter as long as they got the job done and came back alone.
With the threat to Bess and her family neutralized, I sent a text to Drak to have the Rebel Hearts head back to Maplewood. If the authorities showed up and saw a bunch of bikers hanging around, they might not be as likely to buy the story that it had been a one-vehicle accident. Based on the damage to the truck, it was already going to be a hard sell.
The rumble of bikes faded away just as the sirens approached. Bess relaxed into my arms as a swarm of firefighters and paramedics surrounded the truck and started to assess the situation. Within minutes they had her mother out of the vehicle and stabilized. She had a few bumps and bruises, but they felt sure she’d make a full recovery.
Bess’s dad came to as they cut him out of the driver’s seat. He was diagnosed with a concussion and his left leg had been shattered. They loaded him into an ambulance and Bess’s mom said she was going to ride with him.
“Will you take me to the hospital?” Bess squeezed my hand and looked up at me with love shining in the depths of her eyes.
“Of course.” I helped her pull her backpack out of the truck and we left it for the tow truck to handle. The only thing that mattered was that she was safe, and we were together.