15. Easton
EASTON
It all happens so fast. One minute I'm driving behind Lev, following him to Mallory's last known location, the next, out of the corner of my eye, just as we are slowing, I catch sight of a car racing down a dirt road. Someone within yards of the vehicle’s pathway falls to the ground.
My stomach clenches at the person's unmistakable fiery red hair and it causes my breath to catch in my throat.
I don't have time to think—only react. I press the gas pedal to the floorboard, and gun it.
I swerve my Bronco around Lev's truck, trying to head off the car barreling toward Cat.
My wheels squeal as they try to grab hold of the asphalt before hitting the dirt road.
Before impact, my eyes make contact with the driver of the car—Mallory. Then, the front end of my truck collides with her passenger side door. There's an explosion of metal scraping metal and my seat belt locking up, pulling tight across my chest before everything comes to a stop.
My heart is pounding, and adrenaline is coursing through my veins.
My neck hurts from the force of the impact, but I ignore the pain and climb from my Bronco.
"Cat!" I shout, searching around the wreckage.
Several yards away, I spot her lying on the ground, unmoving, and rush toward her.
Falling to my knees, I pull her into my arms. She's unconscious.
"Come on, open your eyes, baby," I plead, my words getting stuck in my throat when I notice the left side of her hair is soiled with a mixture of dirt and blood.
"I'm here, Red." I stroke her cheek. "Wake up," I coax her.
Lev's truck comes to a stop, his headlights shining a light on the wreckage behind me. "The cops are on the way!" he yells on his way toward Mallory's car.
Arthur joins me, kneeling at my side. "Sweet Jesus." He looks at his granddaughter.
Leaning down, I press my lips to Cat's. Emotions roll down my face as I whisper one more time, "I love you, Baby. Wake up." I swallow hard, trying to hold my shit together.
"Easton," Cat softly moans and tries to get up.
"Don't move," I tell her.
Her hand slowly lifts, and she touches her head. "My head."
I look around for Lev, finding him standing by the wreckage. "Cat needs to go to the hospital and get checked out."
"I'm okay," Cat groans.
"You're bleeding," I inform her.
"Mallory—she hit me good on the side of my head," Cat states.
"Then you're going to the hospital and letting a doctor look you over. You may have a concussion," Arthur tells his granddaughter.
"Where's Mallory?" Cat clutches my arm with one hand and I notice her nursing her other, holding it close to her chest. Her wrist looks swollen.
I look around for Lev, finding him reaching through the driver's side window. When he emerges, there's a gun in his hand. Lev looks at me. "She's alive."
"Easton." Cat looks at me. "Mallory mentioned something about Miles. I think she may have hurt him too."
"Shit." I fumble to dig my phone out of my pocket and pull up Miles' number. The phone rings a few times before his voice fills my ear. "Are you okay?" I rush my words.
"Don't worry about me. Easton, it's Mallory. She's the stalker," he says.
"I know. Mallory found me."
"Dammit. Are you okay?" he asks.
"Mallory went after Cat."
Miles spits out a few more curse words.
"She's alright, and Mallory is in custody," I finish telling him.
"Thank God. And I'll relay all this to the authorities."
"Are you hurt?" I ask again.
"Got a knot the size of a golf ball on the back of my head.
Her crazy ass cracked me over the noggin with a baseball bat.
When I came to, I was lying on the garage floor next to my car.
" He pauses a minute. "Listen, I'm still dealing with the police and detective Wilkerson. Keep me updated." The call ends.
Flashing lights surround us as three police cars roll up on the scene.
Soon after, an ambulance arrives, and Cat is loaded onto a stretcher into the back of the vehicle.
While they assess her injuries and the paramedic starts an IV line, her grandfather sits with her.
I keep my eyes trained on my woman from a few feet away while answering questions.
Finally, I peel my eyes off Cat long enough to watch an officer leading a defiant Mallory to a waiting patrol car, with her hands cuffed behind her back.
She suffered no injuries from my truck ramming into the side of her car but will be taken to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation before taking a trip to jail.
"Let me go!" Mallory screams, flailing her legs and trying to break free.
"He loves me—not her." She looks at me. "Easton, tell them.
Tell them you love me—tell them!" Mallory continues to wail as they place her in the backseat of the patrol car.
I say nothing in return and feel nothing while the vehicle drives away from the scene.
A couple of hours later, I'm sitting beside Cat while we wait for her discharge papers and for her grandfather to return with transportation home.
The blow Cat suffered to the side of her head gave her a mild concussion and required eight stitches and she has a sprained wrist. I stare at her bruised cheek, and guilt eats at my insides.
This should have never happened to her. It's my fault.
"I'm sorry about your truck," Cat gives me a half-smile.
"My truck is replaceable—you are not." I stroke the back of her hand.
"She wanted to kill me." Cat's words cut deep, and I hang my head.
"I'm so fucking sorry for putting you in harm's way."
Cat touches my cheek. "You didn't do this, Easton. Mallory's choices belong to her alone."
"Her choices were directly affected by the obsession she has for me." I close my eyes, trying to push away thoughts of what could have happened. The situation could have taken a far worse turn. Cat could have died tonight, and her death would…"Stop," Cat says. "You are not to blame."
"You could have died." My voice breaks. I take her hand in mine and kiss her knuckle. "I just found you, and I'm not ready for what we have to be taken away from me. I'll never be ready," I confess.
Cat tilts her head, and her fingers brush across my forehead. Cat takes my hand and places it over her heart. "You feel that? Because of you, it still beats."
How did I get so lucky? Cat is the best thing to happen in my life. She's the one who sets my soul on fire. I'm not the least bit worthy of the love she feeds to me, but I crave it more than life itself.
I bring myself closer to Cat. The gravity of what I feel for her at this moment is inescapable. I hover my lips above hers, and she smiles at me. "I love you."
"I love you too," she breathes, then adds, "so, kiss me already."
She's perfect.
And I kiss her.