Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“What the hell am I doing?” Sawyer asked himself as he turned his Bronco onto the Collier property.
He’d told Amber he wouldn’t be back until that evening to check on her. Yet there he was, coming to see her with a sack full of stuff he’d bought for her at Joe’s general store.
“It’s not your place,” he growled. “She didn’t ask for you to take care of her. Besides, you know how well it went the last time you had a Little. Do you want to screw another one up?”
He stopped arguing with himself when his brain finally realized what it was seeing beyond the Collier cabin.
Out there in the large field was a truck driving erratically and way too fast.
“Who the hell?”
Sawyer’s blood was boiling. Had someone come onto the property uninvited? Some idiot wanting a place to do donuts or something? They were putting Amber in danger, which meant they had an ass-kicking coming.
He gunned the Bronco, taking him closer to the soon-to-be sorry intruder. But when he got near the truck, he realized who was behind the wheel.
“Amber!”
He got closer and then killed the Bronco, hopping out and traversing the rest of the way on foot. Amber wasn’t going too fast, but it would still be hard to hop into the truck at the rate of speed it was going. He had to time this just right.
Thankfully, the window was down, so even over the roar of the old engine, she should still be able to hear, Sawyer thought.
“Move over! I’m getting in!”
She nodded and slid across the bench seat. He pumped his legs hard to catch up and stretched his arms out to make a grab at the out-of-control vehicle.
His left arm found purchase and hooked inside the door. Gritting his teeth, he clung to the vehicle and ran with it, trying to keep pace, his feet thumping painfully against the uneven ground.
He bounced on his knees to build some momentum. Finally, he transferred that energy and hoisted himself up with one desperate push, sliding headfirst into the cab through the window. It was a jarring disorienting experience, but he had to move quickly as there wasn’t time to overthink it.
He twisted and writhed until he was sitting behind the steering wheel properly. Knowing the result he’d get, he tried to pump the brakes anyway.
Nothing.
If anything, it seemed the vehicle was picking up speed.
“What’s going on?” Amber cried, the terror and panic evident in her voice.
“I think the damn gas pedal is catching,” Sawyer said. “Hold on!”
He leaned down the best he could in the confined space, desperately grabbing for the pedal. All the while, the pace picked up and the world started flying by even faster.
“Sawyer!” Amber screamed.
Jerking his head up, he cursed bitterly as he saw the quickly approaching tree. He jerked the wheel and turned the pickup around. As fast as it was going now, the vehicle nearly went up on one side, causing Amber to scream.
“It’s okay. We’re going to be fine,” he yelled over the angrily growling engine.
The truck rocked violently as it went over several holes, slamming its occupants forward and then back several times. Sawyer stuck out his arm to act as a barrier, protecting Amber from hitting the windshield just in case the old seatbelt failed her.
Thankfully, it held.
That wouldn’t do much good if they crashed into a tree, though. Not at the rate of speed they were now going. He had to pry the gas pedal loose.
With a bit of space now before they got to more trees, he said, “If we’re going to crash, turn the wheel! I’ve got to get this pedal.”
Leaning down again, his fingers grasped the pedal and he began to pry it free. Grunting, he put some more strength behind it and finally got it.
“I’ve got a plan,” he said, sitting up again.
The truck was no longer gaining speed, but it was still traveling plenty fast and the brakes hadn’t changed their mind about not working. So, Sawyer aimed the vehicle toward the road, sending it past the cabin.
“But the road is this way!” Amber called.
“So is this big hill,” he replied, turning the wheel to the right.
The road veered up a steep slope and the truck went with it. For a few yards, anyway. Soon, the incline was more than the truck could take without getting fresh fuel injected into the motor. He put it in neutral. It was only a few seconds before it started sliding back down the hill, rolling backwards.
The pickup finally came back to where the ground leveled out and came to a gradual stop, signaling the harrowing ordeal was over.
“You did it!” Amber cheered while clapping her hands.
Sawyer breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Hop out before the demons infesting this thing decide to take us on another ride.”
Amber laughed. Sawyer didn’t find anything very funny. Not funny at all, actually.
And it was all he could do not to open the back tail gate, sit down, and pull the naughty Little over his knee for a good sound spanking.