Page 50 of When It Reins (Three Rivers Trevors Ranch #5)

mitch

The scene is something my worst nightmares couldn’t have conjured.

CT drove as fast as he could. All the while, my brothers stayed silent in the back seat, and my heart was lodged in my throat.

“The car went off the side of the road. The front end is completely smashed. I’m going to try to get down there and see…”

My big brother’s words were haunting my every thought. The front end was smashed. They went off the road on a mountain highway. There are only two options when that happens. Either you hit the mountain, or you fall off of it.

I jump out of the truck, ignoring the new falling rain that is pelting my face, and rush to the car that I can barely see the brake lights of. Logan is sliding down the side, but I am quicker and more careless given the circumstances.

“Juniper!” I scream her name, the energy that is pulsing through me needing an outlet, and I beg silently to hear her call back.

The bank is already slippery with wet grass as I slide down, my brother grabbing my arm and holding me before I can get too far.

“Mitch, stop. You don’t want to see this.”

His voice has my eyes shooting back to his, and I see the graveness in his gaze. “You think she’s dead. She’s not dead!”

“Mitch.” His voice is stern, but I am angry. So angry that I can’t possibly listen to what he is saying to me.

“Starling!” My voice echoes around the empty mountain. The rain falls harder, making it nearly impossible to see. I yank out of my brother’s hands and slide down to where the car is lodged against a rock.

Glancing inside, it is probably a blessing in disguise that I can’t see well, given the rain. I see Aaron’s head slumped against the steering wheel, not moving.

Then I see Juniper. She is curled up halfway on the floor of the car, her body bent sideways. My heart falls, and the tears I tried to hold back escape, a ragged sob escaping me at the sight of her body.

“No!” I bang on the glass, trying the handle and ripping at it, hoping with everything that it will break the lock. Nothing works. “Dammit! Open!”

She doesn’t move, no matter how much noise I make or banging I do. I see her lifeless body through the window of the door and see my life as I know it change forever. I can see my brothers working their way down to help, and I think of anything that can get this door open.

An idea sparks, and I rip off my belt.

“What are you doing, Mitch?” Logan asks, but I don’t answer him. I take the belt buckle and flip it over, placing it against the window where the prong pokes out, and I press hard, slamming my other hand over it and praying it works.

By some miracle, the glass breaks, and I drop the belt, scooping out the glass until I can unlock the door. I hear sirens in the distance, and I thank God for that.

Opening the door, I’m careful to hold her head and shoulders. Logan reaches over me, trying to help me pull her from the car. Smoke is billowing from the engine now, and I don’t know how much longer we have before the car decides on exploding.

Juniper’s head lolls as I pull her into my lap. My tears are falling freely from my face, but I have one mission.

Checking her pulse, I breathe out my first full breath when I find it. It’s faint, barely there, but it’s there, nonetheless.

“Come on, man. Hand her to me,” Logan says, and I look up at him in confusion. “We need to get you both away from this car before something happens.”

I look back at Juniper and at the car. When I look up the mountain, I see EMTs rushing the embankment. I stand, holding her close to me and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

I want to say something to her, make her open her eyes and look at me again with that sweet smile on her face. But I have to do what’s good for her, so I hand her to Logan, pick my belt off the ground, and march up the hill after him.

Stetson and Jax help Logan, and I’m right on his heels as the EMTs get the stretcher ready for her.

They take her gingerly and lay her on the gurney, quickly attaching her to it and stabilizing her.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see my niece, Lue, standing off to the side, tears streaming down her face as she watches Juniper get loaded. I take a quick second to walk over, pulling her to my side and kissing her forehead.

She hugs me back tightly.

“Everything will be okay.” My voice cracks on the last word, but I mean it. Juniper has to be okay.

Logan and my brothers come over, taking Lue, and I rush to the ambulance, stepping up into it without asking.

One of the EMTs looks to me, glancing at the spot where I am holding her leg, my eyes stuck on her bruised face.

“Are you family?”

I swallow, shaking my head and watching her closely, and answer him the best way I know how.

“She’s my everything.”