Chapter 39
ELLIE
The loud pop, followed by the wobble of the steering wheel, felt like some kind of damn sign that I should just turn around and forget about this whole trip.
It was bad enough that I had Jeff following me around and yapping the whole freaking way. If he called Ryder, I’d never live this down. He’d likely go on and on about how lucky I was to have a man with me to help me out, and this was exactly why he didn’t want me going on my own.
“Pull over,” Jeff said as I already started steering to the side of the road.
“Really?”
“Yes, you have a flat tire,” he said, acting like I didn’t already know that.
“You know, it’s lucky for me that I have a man with me. How ever would I know that my tire was flat if it wasn’t for a man sitting beside me to point it out?”
Jeff grinned at me, kicking open his door as the Jeep coasted to a stop. “You know, you’re a lot of fun, Ellie. I’m glad we’re doing this together.”
“I know you’ll regret that statement by the time this trip is over. In fact, you’ll be wondering how to get away from me halfway through the trip.”
“Highly unlikely,” he chuckled, getting out to check out the damage.
I looked both ways before opening my door and getting out. Not that we’d find much traffic around here. This road was pretty much desolate, which was why so few took it to begin with. If you got stranded out here, it could be for days.
Jeff let out a low whistle, lowering to his haunches to check out the damage. “Geez, Ellie. What the hell did you do to your tire?”
“What do you mean? I didn’t do anything.”
He ran his fingers along the treads, his brows furrowed as he checked it out, finding more than one nail dug into the rubber.
“Did you drive through a construction site?”
“I haven’t gone anywhere. I just had new tires put on two days ago because of this trip.”
His frown deepened the longer he looked at it. Then his eyes darted around the area in suspicion.
“What? What is it?”
When he didn’t immediately respond, my gut started churning with worry.
“Nothing. We probably hit a bad patch of road back there. Let’s just get this fixed. I’m assuming you have another tire.”
“Of course. It’s in the trunk.”
“Do me a favor and stand away from the road. I don’t need you hit by a passing vehicle.”
Rolling my eyes, I did as he asked while he dug out the spare and everything he needed. If I really had to, I could change a tire, but making sure the lug nuts were tight enough was not something I felt confident enough to do.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
Laughing, he got down on his knees and started changing the tire, timing himself like he was part of NASCAR. Why men always thought they had to do everything in record time was beyond me.
“I think I can handle a tire.”
“I know you can, but I can hold something. At least then I won’t feel completely useless.”
“You’re not useless,” he said, squinting up at me through the bright sun. “You can talk to me and keep me company while I do the man’s work.”
“The man’s work?” I rolled my eyes again.
“Well, what do you think Ryder would say if I told him you had a flat and I let you change the tire?”
“I think if you called him at all, he would yell at you, and then tell you to hand the phone over to me, which he would then proceed to yell at me. So, best not to say anything at all.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
A glint of light reflecting on the horizon seemed to be moving our way. “Hey, I think someone’s coming.”
“I can handle a tire on my own,” he grumbled.
Shielding my eyes from the sun, I watched as the vehicle got closer and closer, until finally, pulling over directly in front of us.
“How’s the tire coming?”
“Fine, if only they hadn’t tightened them so much. Did they think you were going to rip the tires off somewhere along the way? Fucking hell.”
I glanced over my shoulder, grinning at him. “Are you telling me you can’t get the lug nuts off? Because a man just pulled over. Maybe he can help you.”
The glare he shot my way would have been hilarious if not for the strain on his face.
“Problem?” the man asked, tipping up his hat as he watched Jeff struggle to loosen the lug nuts.
“We’re fine,” Jeff muttered. “I can change a tire.”
“Are you sure? I can lend a hand—”
“We’re fine!” Jeff snapped, stopping the man as he started to step forward.
I chuckled under my breath. Leave it to a Parker to get that upset over some lug nuts not coming off.
“Maybe I can take you into town,” the man said to me, moving a little closer.
“Uh, thanks, but we’re fine.”
“Really. It’s no problem.”
I took a step back, but he followed, crowding me. “Like I said, we’re fine.”
I turned to walk away, but he grabbed my arm, tugging me against him. “Jeff!” I shouted, my heart skipping a beat as fear spiked inside me.
Jeff was on his feet in an instant, the tire iron in his hand held out and ready to strike. “Let her go.”
“I don’t think so, friend,” the man said. I could hear the grin in his voice, the way his hand tightened around me in a bruising grip. Whatever was going on here, this was not going to turn out well.
I tried to calm my racing heart, to make eye contact with Jeff as the man pulled me even tighter against him.
I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t trained in fighting or self-defense.
Hell, the only thing I could say I even knew was the SING method from that Sandra Bullock movie, and based on the fact that I’d only watched the movie, I wasn’t sure now was the time to employ such untested tactics.
“Let go of her,” Jeff snarled.
“I don’t think so,” the man retorted.
One hand released me, but his other arm banded around my waist, making it impossible to move.
“Don’t make me do this,” Jeff said, his hand raised as he prepared to attack.
A low chuckle left the man’s lips right before he shifted suddenly, tossing me to the ground. My body skidded across the gravel and dirt, scratching the hell out of my hands and knees right before I heard a deafening bang that reverberated through my brain.
Rolling over, I watched in horror as Jeff fell to his knees, his hands clutched over his stomach as the tire iron fell to the ground.
“Jeff!” I shouted, scrambling on my knees over to him. I caught him just as he fell sideways, his face pinched in pain.
“Ellie,” he mumbled right before he gasped in pain.
“Oh, God. Oh, God,” I cried, tears streaming down my face as I lowered him to the ground. “Hold on. Just—”
I was yanked away from him, tugged off my feet as the man hauled me off to his truck.
“Jeff!” I screamed, watching in horror as his head rolled to the side and his eyes drifted shut. “No! Let me go!” I shouted, beating my fists against the man’s back.
He tossed me into the backseat, but I scrambled to my knees, determined to fight him. But as soon as I got close, his fist hit me hard across the face. I fell into the back of the seat, and then his fist slammed into me again and again until the light faded into nothing.