To Protect His Mate by Serena Pettus Read Free Book Online Page B

I’ve got a knife wound on my arm that’s really starting to hurt.” Another bullet zinged past her and through the windshield. “Shit! That was almost my head!”
    “Go faster, Stephanie!” Sarah shouted.
    “I can’t! The roads are too slick. I might hydroplane.”
    “Or you could keep up your current speed and get shot in the fucking head. Now floor it!”
    Another bullet flew through the car, striking the headrest on the passenger seat, and Stephanie barely stifled a shriek before pressing the gas pedal to the floor.
    The car lurched forward and, being able to feel the traction she had on the road, Stephanie felt relatively confident she could maneuver the roads to Abraham’s home safely. The bridge was just ahead, and that was only half a mile from his home. Help was literally just around the corner.
    Her car zoomed toward the bridge then, with another crack from the gun, her back tire blew. The car spun out of control, and Stephanie screamed as it plunged down the embankment and crashed into the frigid water below.

 
    Chapter Seven
     
     
    “Stephanie?” Sarah shouted into the phone, and Abraham anxiously waited on his end to hear that she was okay. “Stephanie!”
    “She’s not answering?” Erik was on the phone with Abraham and trying to keep the truck steady as they raced to catch up to Stephanie and her pursuers.
    “Hand Sarah your earpiece, Erik. I want to talk to her,” Abraham ordered as he climbed into Ethan’s vehicle before heading out.
    Sarah came on the line and explained quickly, “Abe, I heard a gunshot, what sounded like screeching tires, a crash, and then it sounded like a splash. What would sound like a splash?”
    Abraham clutched the phone, trying desperately to think of anything on the way that would cause a splash when Sarah’s voice came back over the line. The only water near his home was the creek. “I hear her!”
    “What is she saying?”
    “Nothing. It was a groan. She’s hurt. We need to hurry. If she crashed, they can get to her now.”
    “The creek! She must have made it to the creek,” he shouted.
    “We’re coming up on it now,” Sarah informed him. “I see the Town Car and two men at the bridge, looking over into the water with another in the driver’s seat of the car.” Sarah growled low. “They dove into the backseat when they spotted the truck and are speeding back toward town.” She paused, and Abraham struggled to keep his composure. He knew he needed to keep a level head and be prepared to do whatever was necessary to help Stephanie, but Sarah’s next words nearly stopped his heart. “Abraham, she went off into the water. Bring blankets and get down to the bridge, now!”
    Dear God, that water would be freezing right now! The smaller lakes in the area had already begun icing over, and Stephanie wouldn’t last long if she had ended up in the frigid water of the creek.
    “Sarah, you have to tell me what’s going on,” he demanded. “Is she okay? Where’s Stephanie now?”
    “Abe, you need to hurry. Her car is half-submerged, and Erik is jumping in to get her out. The water temperature should be close to freezing, especially with the winter storm that just breezed through. Stephanie might be suffering from hypothermia because of it.”
    “I’m almost there, just get her out as quickly as possible and try to keep her awake if you can.” He prayed that she was conscious. He would need her to tell him where she was injured since he would be unable to determine if she’d suffered any internal injuries in the crash.
    When Abraham heard Erik in the background calling out, “She’s not conscious,” he cursed. That could mean any number of things. With Stephanie being the one with the most medical experience, it put them at a disadvantage.
    Ethan’s Jeep came to a halt on the bridge, and Abraham and his brothers all vaulted out and down the bank while Erik wrestled Stephanie’s door open. The look on Erik’s face once he had her in his