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He squeezed her closer "What good is a police vehicle if I can’t rush you to the hospital?" He kissed the top of her head "We’re lucky Eddie drove by when he did--he’s got a work site near the Simmons place He found Laura in the ainst his chest "It’s our shortcut Old Mine hits a couple of back roads that eventually land you on 88 to Silver City"

"I know the route," he said "It was a miracle Eddie saw the car She’d rolled into a pretty deep ravine" The prospect chilled hi, shrouded by rock face on one side, sloping down to tall pines on the other It was the foothills, and the drop off the eastern side got pretty steep in parts "It’s possible a few people drove by and didn’t even see her"

Keri’s accident flashed in his head She’d been in Oakland, in the middle of the city Howfor a gli on, thinking he o He knew firsthand just how lucky Laura had been How lucky they all were that she’d survived

The door to the waiting roo open, and Sorrow looked expectantly at the nurse who’d appeared, but she was just calling in a patient Her shoulders sagged "I hate hospitals"

"Who doesn’t?" He smoothed a hand over her hair "Don’t worry You’ll be able to see her the y"

"Do you think she broke her collarbone?" Sorrow asked, repeating the same question she’d asked not five minutes earlier It was pure speculation, but he was happy to indulge in asas it helped her pass the ti off the difficult news he needed to tell her

"Whatever happens," he repeated for the uh just fine She’ll be okay, and you till be at each other’s throats again before you know it"

At that, she burst into tears Panic overwhelh his"What is it?"

"I said such horrible things to her the last tis I ever said to her?" She scrubbed her face, and it was a relief to finally see her tears start to flow The whole drive to Silver City, she’d been frozen, unable to cry, and he was beginning to fear it was shock

"It’s okay" He gently shushed her, rubbing her back and thu the tears froh this just fine She was lucky It could’ve been a lot worse I finally talked to the guys on the scene--your little GMC Jih him anew, a ball of ice in his belly He’d lost one worabbed her chin, held her gaze, and told her in a grave voice, "I want you in a better truck With air bags all over the place And steel beaiant Ford Excursions Or how about a tank? I need you safe, Sorrow"

She laughed, looking grateful for the flash of humor A wave of emotion sla, so self-possessed The words I love you burst into his heart, cut to the forefront of histo say, so instead he hugged herwith intensity as he told her, "I feel so blessed it wasn’t you behind the wheel" An accident had clai in his power to prevent it fro shifted inside him, and the sheriff took over for the man "We are lucky," he said vehe we need to talk about Silver City PD told s you need to hear"

"What? Was it her fault?" She pulled away to look at hi up to As well she should "I still don’t understand how the accident happened"

He took her hand, led her to a seat in the corner, away fro area He walked slowly, piecing together just the right words "That’s just it, Sorrow It wasn’t an accident Your sister said a Hummer was on her tail She slowed to let hi her, he slowed, too, andout of aconfused "Youside by side with her?"

He nodded "He, or she Laura didn’t get a look"

"So what’d the driver do?"

"A car approached from the other direction When your sister saw it, she panicked The Hue her over, off the road That was how she lost control and flipped"

"Oh my God" She dropped her head into her hand "Poor Laura That should’ve beenerrands"

"That’s the point," he said, and the fierceness in his voice took the that car Do you hear what I’ht you were driving"

Just the thought of it made him want to prowl the roads in his Sheriff’s SUV until he found the son of a bitch

Her eyes ide, her skin blanched of its color "This has soe, doesn’t it?"

In that moment, she looked so vulnerable, he wished he could scoop her up and hide her away, protecting her until this was all over

He wrapped an ar her head "I believe it absolutely does Listen to ht now" Technically, it was in Silver City’s jurisdiction, but SCPD was being remarkably cooperative And even if they weren’t, nobody could stop hier under her eyes, drying the athering herself, and itone, his Sorrow

She inhaled and exhaled sharply "Okay, tellLay low Stay off the roads asto like what he had to say next "I want you to stay away from Damien"

Her eyes popped wide "What?"