One last deep breath and she shot straight up.
Dylan’s gaze swung to her in the rearview mirror. “What the fuck?”
A wave of dizziness almost had her dropping back down again, but she locked her knees and swung her fist, nailing Dylan in the temple.
He cried out and the car swung. Aspen screamed and grabbed onto the back of Dylan’s seat. The car hit a telephone pole hard, bashing her head into the seat padding before she flew back. Then there was stillness. For a second, she didn’t move, shock rendering her completely motionless.
Silence filled the air, making the ringing in Aspen’s ears loud.
She lifted her hand, biting back a whimper at the sight of the blood.
Oh, God. Had she killed him? Was it possible to kill someone like that?
With trembling arms, she pushed herself up to her knees on the back seat. Dylan was hunched over the wheel, seat belt still on and completely still.
She focused on his back. It was moving. He was breathing…he was alive.
She had to get out.
Her fingers wrapped around the door handle and she pulled, but it didn’t budge. She tried again, then the window. Still nothing.
Crap, crap, crap.
She crawled to the other side. Same thing.
Her gaze shifted to the front. It was her only way out.
Slowly, she climbed onto the center console. Her knee slipped, landing in Dylan’s side, and she froze, holding her breath, expecting him to wake—he didn’t.
She crept onto the passenger seat and tried the door. It opened. Thank God! Quietly, she pushed it farther open, wincing when the hinges creaked. She was about to step out when strong fingers wrapped around her ankle and tugged, dropping her to her belly.
“Aspen—”
She screamed and kicked, nailing Dylan in the face. He growled and she fell out of the car and slammed into the concrete.
Pushing up to her feet took every scrap of energy she had, but she did it. Then she ran, her feet pounding against the ground with each step.
Familiar shops bordered the street. She was still in Amber Ridge. But none of them looked open. It was Sunday evening in a small town—ofcourseeverything was closed.
“Get the fuck back here, bitch!”
Her heart crashed against her ribs at Dylan’s shouted words, and she almost stumbled to the asphalt. She shot a look behind her. He was already out of the car and following.
Shit.
She turned a corner and tried the first business door—a bookstore…locked. She tried the second store. Also locked. As she moved, she reached into her back pocket for her phone but it was gone. Dammit!
A big business sign across the road caught her attention.
Sky’s Doggy Daycare. The lights were on. That meant someone was there, right?
She took off, sprinting across the street. When she pushed on the handle, it opened, and relief shot through her system.
She all but fell inside and slammed the door closed behind her. She looked for the lock, but there was only a key lock with no key.
Dylan appeared across the street. Their eyes locked.
She spun and ran around the front counter and into a dark hall. She passed a bathroom, a few medium-sized rooms with dog beds, and a couple more with toys. But none of the rooms had anywhere to hide.
