Through the Fire (Daughter of Fire, #1)(24)
The next time he tried to ram me I twisted the truck to the right as I applied the brakes. The extra momentum he had in the Hummer brought it halfway alongside me.
Too late, I saw my potentially fatal mistake.
The new position of his Hummer gave him the opportunity to smash against the side of the F150. Each time he did, another involuntary scream raced from my throat. A bridge loomed near us and Ethan’s attack grew more incessant. Each time he rammed the side of my vehicle, the exposed metal on the steering wheel bit into my fingers and I lost control of the truck.
Once we hit the bridge, my vehicle pin-balled between the Hummer and the guardrail on the bridge. I’d lost control of the situation. There was only one possible outcome. I made my choice—an easy one to make considering the vehicle was slowing.
If Ethan was able to bring it to a complete stop while I was still inside . . .
It didn’t bear thinking about.
I yanked at my seatbelt, freeing myself from the restraint. Once I was clear, I pulled my feet up and climbed over to the passenger side. Trying to focus on each task one at a time as I moved as fast as I could, I wound down the window.
Timing my movement between bounces, I pulled myself out of the seat until I was sitting in the window cavity. The truck careened along out of control at some crazy, breakneck speed, despite the friction of the constant attack slowing it down.
That was all the more reason I needed to get the hell out.
The wind whipped at my hair, lifting it until it was a halo of flames around my head. Risking a quick glance at the Hummer, I watched Ethan’s face twist into one of shock at my appearance.
I drew my legs free from the now completely out of control truck and balanced on the windowsill, holding to the roof with everything I had.
Under the heat of my hands, the metal buckled and curled, and the paint peeled away. The next time my truck struck the guardrail, I made my move.
I mustered all of my strength and leapt out of the window, aiming for the lake below.
CHAPTER TEN
THE WATER was colder than I would have expected as it worked its way around my body like claws, dragging me to the depths. I was surrounded by snapping and popping sounds as the lake instantly drew the heat from my skin. My momentum carried me deep under the water until I was so deep I risked not being able to fight my way back to the surface. Finally, I was able to stop the downward pull and dragged my arms through the water to try to force myself up and away from the place I went under before I had to surface. My lungs burned as I forced myself to open my eyes and orient myself under the water. Despite the danger of boats and debris, I thought the safest place for me to go would be under the bridge and then to follow it back the way I’d come. I was certain Ethan would expect me to continue in the direction I’d been driving in.
I broke the surface but only kept my head above water long enough to swallow a fresh lungful of air, and then I dove back into the depths of the lake and moved toward the shore. My arms ached as I struggled against the strong currents and whirlpools near the pylons of the bridge. I forced myself back to the surface and hid between the supports, clutching to the concrete as I tried to recover my breath and orientate myself for what I hoped would be the final leg of my swim.
I pulled myself ashore, exhausted and on the verge of collapse. Without allowing myself a moment to relax, I dragged myself into an area of dense trees and finally rested my body for a moment. Sirens wailed in the distance, and I wondered whether they were for the accident scene of my truck. At some point, I might have even slumped into unconsciousness—certainly the sun seemed to pass noon quicker than I would have expected otherwise.
My still partly wet and extremely muddy clothes clung tightly to my body, dissipating any heat I tried to infuse into my limbs. Eventually, the need for answers and to check on the two most important people in my life overshadowed the fatigue in my body, and I headed back toward Charlotte. I had to know whether Dad and Clay were okay. There were so many questions and worries eating me from the inside that I could barely restrain myself from running most of the way home.
Due to the caution I took at every road and intersection, the journey back was almost twice as long as it should been. By the time I neared the end of my street, it was well after dusk, and the dark of night clung to everything.
I’d barely turned onto the road when red and blue lights flashed out chaotic patterns that beat against the white houses and bounced off car windows all around me. A second after I’d seen the lights, the cacophony of sirens all wailing a slightly different tune filled the air. I watched the macabre disco pass by in a dizzying rush, all spilling from my street out into the rest of city. Knowing I must have looked an absolute mess, I turned my head away from the procession of vehicles to avoid raising any unwanted interest.
“Evie!”
I jumped a mile when I heard my name called from a patch of trees halfway down the street. “Clay!” I screamed his name before racing toward his voice, not even stopping to consider the possibility of any lingering danger. “I was so worried. I thought I’d never see you again.”
He stepped out of the shadow, and I immediately noticed a dark patch staining his cheek. Another red mark ran the length of his face. It was clear he’d been hurt in the fight. He’d incurred the injuries because of me—fighting for me.
“What happened?” I asked, running my finger over the skin below the gash.