I ran to my bike. I kept paracord in one of the storage compartments. The uses for it were endless and it didn’t take up much space, so I always kept some. I also had a few chains and tie-down straps, so I grabbed those, too.
I took the items over to Copper, where he was engaged in a heated conversation with Phoenix. “You can’t be serious! I’m not letting you do this!”
“I am doing this and you’re not going to stop me. What if it was Ember in that car? You would want someone to go down there and get her. I just happen to be here and have experience with these types of rescues. We don’t have time to wait for the fire department to get here. We don’t have time for this bullshit either. Help me make a harness and get the ropes ready,” Copper returned.
“Even if you can get down there to her, you might not be able to get her back up. What if she’s hurt?” Phoenix questioned.
Copper was already working on his harness, “Take a look at that car, Phoenix. It’s moving. It ain’t going to stay in that tree much longer. I can hear the wood creaking as we speak. We have to get her out now. If I can’t get her back up, which I damn well know I can, I’ll hang there with her until the trucks get here with better equipment to pull us up.”
Carbon was silently stringing rope together and quickly tying knots. Once he was finished, he looped the rope around a large tree trunk and secured it. He moved to a nearby tree trunk and repeated the process.
I watched in awe as my brothers worked as fast as they could to create a rudimentary rope rescue system from the items a few of us had on our bikes. I probably should have been watching Reese, trying to reassure her that help was on the way, but I just couldn’t. I wasn’t strong enough to look into those big green eyes filled with fear. I couldn’t stomach the thought of watching her plummet to her death if the car fell. I was scared and weak, and very much ashamed of myself, but that didn’t change anything.
When the ropes were ready, Copper went to the edge of the drop-off and Carbon and Phoenix began to carefully lower him. More flashlights had materialized. I could clearly see Reese, and to my horror, I could clearly see blood. I started to turn away again, unable to watch the scene before me, when she said my name, “Duke.” That one word, my name, a broken sob, was filled with so much pain it almost brought me to my knees.
I locked eyes with her. She placed her hand on the window, tears running down her face, and asked, “James?” She was on the verge of death and she was worried about our son.
“He’s okay,” I rasped out.
Her relief was visible. Her lips trembled with her next words, “I’m so sorry.”
What could I say? I wanted to yell and scream at her. How could she have kept my son from me? If she hadn’t wrecked her car, how long would she have kept him from me? I couldn’t do that, though. There were more important things to focus on.
I was still trying to formulate a response when Copper reached the car. Reese sobbed in earnest when she saw him. I’m not sure what Copper said to her, but she shook her head. He said something else and she shook her head again. The next thing Copper said was clearly heard, “You have to, Reesie Piecie. You have to!”
She grimaced, clearly in pain, as she tried to move. She gingerly maneuvered her body and lowered the back of her seat. She looked to Copper, her face full of uncertainty. He nodded. She took in a breath and started crawling toward the back seat.
The tree creaked and groaned with the shifting of the car. Where in the hell was the fire department? If they didn’t get here soon, we were going to have two casualties on our hands.
Carbon shifted his weight and leaned to one side. Dash walked in a different direction, pulling firmly on the rope he was holding, while Phoenix held his rope steady. They were moving Copper toward the rear of the car. My heart was pounding, my chest tight, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of Reese.
She pulled herself through the rear window. She wasn’t putting weight on her left arm and her left foot was limply resting at an odd angle. Carefully, she balanced herself on the trunk of her car. Carbon and Dash made adjustments with the ropes, inching Copper toward her.
The car shifted, raising Reese about a foot above Copper. Her shrill scream reverberated through the night air. Scooting herself to the edge of the trunk, she nervously looked down to Copper.
Dash, Phoenix, and Carbon were furiously pulling on the ropes, trying to raise him up. Everything was happening too fast. Before they could get Copper lifted to Reese again, the top of the tree snapped.
Reese jumped.
The car fell.
Copper caught her.
And that’s when the fucking fire department finally arrived.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Duke
My Aunt Leigh walked into the emergency department waiting room carrying my sleeping baby boy, with Judge at her side. They sat down beside me and she laid James in my arms. “How is she?”
I looked down at my son. My son. I still wasn’t used to that. I gently ran my hand over his fuzzy head. “I haven’t heard anything yet. Carbon went back with her and hasn’t come out.”
“Do you guys have any idea how the wreck happened?” Judge asked.
“I don’t know if she has said anything to Carbon, but I can tell you she was hit by another car, no question about that.”
“How do you know?” Judge asked.
