Parker

By the time Parker broke free of Jared, Beth had a good head start, but he didn’t let that deter him. Nothing was going to stop him from getting to her. Panic spurred him on as he sprinted to the valet stand. A new valet driver had just parked an Escalade under the carriage porch. He was greeted by the chaos Beth’s Porsche-napping had caused.

Parker took advantage of the distracted staff, running right past them, skidding to a stop only long enough to jump into the driver’s seat of the waiting Escalade and shove it into drive.

The SUV was rolling before Parker even had time to shut the door. Valet drivers yelled after him, but he didn’t stop. All Parker could think about was the reckless way Beth had driven away. Terror lanced through him. If something happened to her . . .

Dread spread like ice in his stomach as he came to the end of Bellemora’s tree-lined lane. There were tire tracks skidding to the left. Beth was driving way too fast if she’d left these. The marks barely managed to stay on the road. Parker veered left, following at his own breakneck speed. He flew down the road, eating up miles in seconds.

Please, he began praying. Please don’t let anything happen to her. I’ll do anything. I’ll— But Parker didn’t finish his thought, because as he rounded another shallow curve his heart stopped. Up ahead, he could see the wreckage of a black sports car. It had smashed through a fence and lay upside down, smoke billowing from somewhere within.

Parker gunned it, reaching the overturned Porsche in seconds. He screeched to a halt, leaping out of the car. His heart was in his throat as he sprinted toward the wreck, screaming Beth’s name wildly.

“Beth! Beth!”

Parker ran immediately to the driver’s side. He couldn’t see in. The front end was totaled and the airbags blocked the windows. He tried to wrench the door open but the way the car landed pinned it shut. Rushing around to the passenger side Parker had better luck. He hauled the door open, shielding his face from the smoke. The engine was in the trunk and some part of it was smoldering, quickly filling the car with putrid smoke. When it finally cleared Parker saw Beth slumped in the driver’s seat. She was covered in blood.

Beth needed an ambulance, but there wasn’t time. He glanced back at the smoking engine. He had to get her out of the car while he still could. Parker’s heart pumped in overdrive as he climbed inside the cramped sports car to reach Beth. He unclipped her seatbelt and pulled her free as gently as he could. She was unresponsive. Parker called her name again and swore her eyes flickered open for a moment, but he couldn’t be sure if it was real or just wishful thinking.

“You’re okay, Beth. I’ve got you. You’re gonna be just fine.” He continued to murmur reassuringly to her until he finally had her free of the smoking heap of metal.

He held her close to his chest, moving as quickly as he could to the awaiting Escalade. He needed to get her away from the smoking wreck. Flames had started licking their way out of the engine. Parker reached the SUV, carefully balancing Beth against him while he opened the back door. The rise and fall of her chest and steady thrum of her heart pushed against him with welcome relief.

“Hold on, Beth.” He whispered lowering her into the back seat with the delicacy of a bomb technician. “Please, angel. I can’t lose you.”

Parker secured Beth in the back of the Escalade before propelling himself into the driver’s seat. They were roaring away from the accident in no time. Parker pulled out his phone and called 911. A dispatcher answered immediately.

“This is dispatch, state your name and emergency.”

“My name is Parker Reed. I just rescued a girl from a car accident. I’m on 80 heading west to Memorial South Hospital. She needs medical assistance.”

“Parker, can you tell me how far away you are from Memorial South?”

“Um, I think about ten minutes away.”

“Okay, son do you feel confident you can drive there?”

“Yes. Yes, I’m not injured.”

“Good. I want you to keep driving and keep talking to me. Can you do that?”

“Yes.”

“Parker can you give me your phone number in case we get disconnected?”

“617-823-2977.”

“I’m going to get the hospital on the line and let them know you’re coming, okay? I want you to stay on the line with me.”

“Okay.” Parker glanced in the rearview while he listened to the dispatcher dialing the hospital. Beth was still laying listless on the backseat, blood dripping from her beautiful face. The phone continued to ring for what felt like forever before someone picked up.

Parker listened to the dispatcher relay the information to the hospital, before coming back on the line. “Son, what can you tell us about the accident victim?”

“Her name is Beth Bennett. She’s eighteen. She was in an overturned car off of Highway 80 west near the Bellemora exit. I think she has a head wound. She’s bleeding a lot. Her face is covered in blood but I can’t tell where it’s coming from.”

“Is she conscious?”

“No,” Parker answered, his voice cracking with grief.

“Can you please repeat that?”

“No, she’s not conscious.”

“Okay, son. I need you to stay calm. We’re going to have the ER team ready to receive you. Can you tell us your estimated time of arrival?”

“I’m pulling in now!” Parker yelled. “Where are you?”

“What kind of vehicle are you driving?”

“A black Cadillac Escalade. I’m here, I’m here. I’m in the ambulance bay. Please hurry,” Parker urged.

“Hold tight, son.”

Parker put the car in park and switched his phone to speaker. He ran to the back seat opening the door to check on Beth. She still lay motionless. The blood on her face had turned dark and sticky as it dried. He supposed it was a good sign that it wasn’t still gushing, but he was shaking as he picked up her slender arm checking for a pulse. It was still there, but it seemed more sluggish than before.

“Come on, come on!” Parker yelled looking around. Where the hell were the doctors?

He couldn’t risk waiting. Parker gently lifted Beth from the back seat and carried her through the automatic doors, shouting for help. Beth’s arms hung loose at her sides as he carried her into the hospital.

“Somebody help! She needs a doctor,” Parker yelled.

A team of people in scrubs rushed toward him with a gurney and in a flurry Beth was strapped to it and rushed away. Parker was left alone, surrounded by deafening silence and the pounding of his broken heart. He looked down at the dark stain Beth’s blood had left on his shirt, praying it wouldn’t be all he had left of her.