Cassie put two fingers to Penny’s carotid pulse.Nothing.
“No pulse.Starting CPR.”She stacked her hands over Penny’s sternum and began hard, rapid compressions.
Penny was dying.She knew there was no way to stop it, and that an ambulance would never get here in time to save her.But Cassie couldn’t stop.Was determined to do every single thing in her power to try and stave off the inevitable.Refused to give up now.
Penny had been her responsibility.This was her fault.
“Come on, come on,” she chanted, arms and back already burning from the pace of the compressions.Her hands were slick with blood, the smell of it thick in the air.
She glanced up as the two vehicles she’d seen coming from the north pulled over to the side of the road.The drivers rolled down their windows, staring at her and Penny in horror.“I’ve called an ambulance,” one of them said.
“I’ve got a first aid kit,” the other called out, scrambling out to grab it from her trunk.
The woman ran it over, bent down to open it beside Cassie, and then backed off, hand to her mouth.Cassie didn’t respond, teeth clenched as she focused completely on the compressions.Sweat beaded on her face, dripped down her sides.Where the hell were Tristan and Ryder?
Her arms and back were screaming when she finally heard a familiar engine racing toward her.She hitched in a breath and looked up, swallowed a sob when the CPS vehicle came into view at last.
It screeched to a stop close to hers and the front doors flew open.Ryder and Tristan both jumped out, running to them.
But the sight of Tristan racing toward her made her eyes blur with tears.
Chapter Five
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Cold swept throughTristan as he got his first good look at the shot-up Rover.He ran past it, his attention instantly locking on Cassie.She was kneeling on the road beside Penny, hands covered in blood as she continued CPR.Her face was pale and sweaty, jaw clenched.
She looked up at him, and the sheen of tears in her eyes when their gazes connected hit him like a sledgehammer to the chest.
Cass...
He dropped down on Penny’s other side.“I got it,” he said, pushing Cassie’s hands away to take over the compressions.Even though he was pretty sure Penny was already dead.
Cassie fell back on her heels, breathing hard as she dragged a forearm across her sweaty forehead.Her face was drawn and pinched.
Ryder knelt beside her and reached out to check Penny’s carotid pulse.He looked up at Tristan a moment later.Shook his head.
