Page 26

He'd known the accident was coming the moment that asshole revved his engine, but even with his vampire speed, there hadn't been a damn thing he could do to stop it.

Kent's eyes shot toward the restaurant when the doors flew open and people began spilling onto the sidewalk. His gaze immediately found Dawn, who was already running toward the wreckage. Of course she was. The woman was a doctor, and there were people hurt, but that didn't stop him from cursing when she hurried into the street toward the Corvette.

“Dawn!” he shouted, knowing damn well she wouldn't hear him over the chaos.

A flash of headlights caught his attention. Another car was coming down the street, its driver apparently unaware of the wreckage blocking the road until it was too late. The tires screamed against the wet pavement as the vehicle fishtailed, heading straight for the pickup truck.

And Dawn was running right into its path.

Kent had faced death more times than he cared to count, but nothing had prepared him for the sight of Dawn seconds away from being crushed beneath a fucking truck. Something cold and unfamiliar tore through him, and for one terrifying instant, he wasn't sure he'd reach her in time.

“Fuck!” Kent moved with every ounce of vampire speed he possessed, reaching her just as the second car slammed into the pickup. He grabbed her around the waist, hauling her off her feet as the force of the collision shoved the truck sideways toward where she'd been standing. Metal crunched, glass exploded, and Kent twisted his body to shield her from the flying debris.

They hit the sidewalk hard, Kent taking the impact as he held her tightly against him. Around them, people screamed, but all he could concentrate on was the woman in his arms. He could hear her heartbeat, feel her breathing against his chest, yet his hold on her remained tight.

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” he demanded, looking down at her. “You trying to get yourself killed?”

Dawn stared up at him, stunned. “Kent?”

“Yeah, Kent.” His jaw tightened as he glanced toward the wreckage before looking back at her. “What the fuck were you thinking running into the middle of a goddamn accident?”

“I'm a doctor!” Dawn snapped, recovering quickly enough to glare at him. “There are people hurt!”

“And you'd have been one of them if I hadn't grabbed your ass!”

Dawn shoved against his chest, and Kent finally released her. He was still pissed, although at what exactly he couldn't say. The idiot driving the Corvette? The asshole who hadn't been paying attention and slammed into the pickup? Or the stubborn woman who apparently had no regard for her own safety?

Probably all fucking three.

“Stop yelling at me and help me!” Dawn shot back, already looking toward the wreckage.

Kent opened his mouth with a smartass reply ready, but the sound of someone crying out in pain stopped him. Dawn was right, which only irritated him more. There were people hurt, and standing there arguing wasn't doing a damn thing to help them.

“Stay behind me until we know those vehicles aren't going anywhere else.” His tone left little room for argument as he helped her to her feet.

“Kent, I know what I'm doing.” Dawn gave him an irritated look before turning toward the wreckage.

“Dawn!”

Kent's jaw tightened at the sound of the man's voice. Of fucking course.

Danny Jackson hurried toward them, looking shaken as he glanced at the wreckage before focusing on Dawn. “Are you okay? I thought that truck was going to hit you.”

“I'm fine, Danny.” Dawn brushed some dirt from her clothes. “I need to check on those people.”

Danny reached for her arm. “Are you sure you're okay? You hit the ground pretty hard.”

Kent's gaze dropped to the man's hand, and the irritation he'd barely managed to get under control came roaring back.

“She said she's fine,” Kent growled.

Danny looked at him, frowning. “And you are?”

Kent gave him a hard stare. “The guy who just saved her ass while you stood there watching.”

The look Dawn shot him told Kent he'd be hearing about that comment later, but he couldn't bring himself to give a shit. Danny Jackson hadn't done anything wrong, and Kent knew it. Hell, the guy was probably a decent enough man, but that didn't change the fact that every time the asshole got near Dawn, Kent wanted to knock him on his ass.

And that was becoming a serious fucking problem.