The car is going directly into the icy depths of Mill River.
I’m sure there’s screaming around me as I brace myself for impact. I glance over at Sloane who is thankfully buckled in and has just thrown up on herself. In a blink of an eye, the car smacksagainst the water, disorienting me for an unknown moment in time.
A sharp smack hits my face.
“Sorry. Sorry,” Sloane says as she unbuckles her belt, and I blink myself awake.
My cheek stings, and it’s not from Sloane’s slap, I must have hit my head on something on the way down.
Sloane has tears streaming down her face as cold water starts to rush my feet.
Both of the front airbags activated, and Bram and Max seem to both be unconscious.
“Wake up. Wake up,” Sloane says, shaking Max who is sitting in front of her.
She’s sobbing as she tries to wake him up.
The car is sinking, thankfully rather slow, so I don’t think the river is too deep. But with the way it’s rushing from the latest snow, if we don’t get out of here soon, the car could fill up, or we get hypothermia.
“Wake up. Please. Please. Wake up,” Sloane is crying, and I shake my head, trying to get my brain fully functioning.
I reach across the seat and feel that Bram still has a pulse before reaching over to Max.
Okay, they’re both good.
When I lean toward the trunk, Sloane looks at me like I’ve gone crazy.
I pull apart Bram’s bag until I find what I’m looking for and open the smelling salts.
As soon as I put them under Max’s nose, he wakes up with a jolt. Unfortunately, Bram doesn’t do the same.
Max makes a startled sound as he realizes what’s going on as the cold water laps at our shins. He shoves at Bram’s shoulder, but he doesn’t wake up. I don’t see any blood anywhere, but I don’t have the greatest vantage point either.
“Get her out of here,” Max says.
“We can’t leave Bram,” Sloane says with her teeth chattering.
“I’ll get him out,” Max promises. “Go, get her out and somewhere warm, now,” Max says, and I nod my head. I grab a long sleeve workout shirt from Bram’s bag and tie one sleeve to Sloane’s wrist before tying the other to mine so she doesn’t drift away from me.
“We can’t leave,” she chatters.
“Go to safety now,” Max says, using his Alpha voice.
Sloane’s eyes go wide as she stares at him and then glances at Bram.
“Baby, I won’t leave him. Please go,” Max pleads, trying to hold back his own emotion.
I roll down the window and climb out first. I can stand on a rock, but the water is brutally cold, and the current seems to want to drag me along with it. I hold out my hands, and Sloane climbs out, her teeth chattering as I direct her to lie on her back, and we let the current take us down river.
Once we’re close enough to the bank, I grip her hand and drag her to shore.
We’re both so fucking cold. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced this level of cold, like every inch of me is freezing yet on fire at the same time.
Sloane holds herself and sits in the snowy, muddy bank, just staring at where the car is half above water and half below.
If the car floats away, we’re fucked.
But we also need help, immediately.
