He finds the strength to ease us onto the next side street, and I take control of the wheel, guiding us through two more turns until we’re rolling down the familiar tree-lined road.
Chase’s eyes roll up, his head slumping against the headrest. “Don’t go…Stella…” His voice is barely a breath now, the fight slipping from his body.
A second later, his chin drops to his chest.
“Chase?” I shake his shoulder, but there’s no response. “Shit…Chase!”
The car inches to the right, tires crunching through fresh snow. Panic spikes as I scramble into action, reaching for the gearshift with one hand while keeping the other on the wheel.
Alex’s face flashes through my mind, his instructions, the way he screamed at me before everything—
Neutral.
I grasp the shifter and yank it into N, the engine whining as momentum carries us forward. My heart is a bass drum in my throat.
“Come on, come on.” I lift off the seat and brace my knee against the center console. The car is still moving too fast, moments from coasting onto the curb. I throw myself sideways, half straddling his lap, my dress bunching around my thighs as I stretch for the brake.
My heel skids against the floor mat. “Dammit—” I yank it off, my toes barely grazing the pedal.
Old brick and vinyl houses materialize on both sides, address numbers bleeding into the whiteout.
206…202?
Some numbers are on mailboxes, others plastered to pillars and siding, too obscured for me to make out.
My attention shifts between maneuvering the car and locating the right house. There’s no way I can drag this giant man through five inches of snow in my stilettos and too-tight dress.
I scan the homes, my vision muddled from snowfall and streetlamps casting hazy light over the porches. The numbers flicker past, my pulse skidding along with the car.
There.
A small dark-blue house appears, the porch light glowing faintly. On the mailbox 112 is in big block letters.
The car bumps over a patch of uneven pavement, jolting Chase’s body against mine. His head flops to the side, and a weak moan escapes his lips.
My palm slams against his chest for balance as I shift lower, pressing down on the brake with every ounce of strength I have. The tires groan, the car jerking as we finally lurch to a stop.
I don’t breathe for a second.
Slamming the lever into Park, I lean over him and shove the door open.
“Somebody help us!”
Chapter 3Annalise
The world swirls, spins.
Freezing air shocks my skin as I fly out of the car and turn toward Chase. My hair blows in front of my eyes, the life-and-death panic crashing into a dizzy blur of cheap alcohol and the unsteady relief of finally being on solid ground.
I shake his shoulders, trying to bring him back to life, while kicking off my other heel. “Chase, let’s go. We’re here. Can you stand?”
His eyes flutter open, and he tips sideways, spilling out the door and toppling onto the pavement. I react quickly, bending to catch his head before it smashes on the driveway.
“Dammit…come on, don’t die on me.” Using all my strength, I reach under his armpits to lift him, huffing and puffing as I prop him against the frame of the car, while mentally thanking those extra planks I did this afternoon.
His skin is even paler now, lips parted, eyes hardly open.
Desperation claws up my throat.
