didn’t perform like her Lexus. She squeezed the brake pedal again, and the car barely responded. Her tires squealed as they gripped for purchase on the road, churning up gravel from the shoulder on her right, which descended to the rocky cliffs above the ocean.
As she came out of the turn, the car zoomed forward, and she jammed her foot on the brake. The car lurched and shuddered, and she gripped the steering wheel with clammy hands. It didn’t want to stop.
A turnout for a viewpoint loomed ahead, its steel guardrail acting as a barrier to the cliffs. Mia eased the wheel to the right, glancing in her rearview mirror. A car coming the other direction honked. She aimed the car toward the turnout, and it jostled as it left the smooth asphalt. Mia stomped on the parking brake and the car skidded into the wide turnout.
Her back wheels fishtailed, sending the car into a spin. The right side of the car slammed into the guardrail. The air bag exploded, pinning her against the seat and knocking the wind out of her. Mia gritted her teeth against the scraping, tearing noise of metal on metal. A shower of sparks flashed outside the passenger window.
The car heaved to a stop, but she could still hear something spinning. Her nostrils flared at the smell of burning rubber.
She pushed against the air bag, and the car tilted to the side. Turning her head, she rested her cheek against the air bag and peered out the passenger window. Her heart slammed against her rib cage and she managed a small whimper.
The right side of her car was hanging over the edge, and she was looking at a sheer drop onto some vicious rocks before they tumbled into the ocean.
One more inch and she’d be getting the view of her life…the last view of her life.
Chapter Two
As he strode toward the mangled car, Dylan swore, the adrenaline pumping the words to his lips. One side of the car that had just been parked illegally in Leon’s spot, Mia’s rental car, now hung precariously over a cliff. His gaze scanned the ground—no body. So that meant Mia was still in the car…over the edge.
The radio in his car crackled—a 911 emergency call to this very spot. Someone else must’ve seen the crash.
“Mia?” He edged closer to the car and the open window, not wanting to upset its precarious balancing act.
“Dylan?” Her word came out on a sob.
“It’s going to be fine. Don’t move.”
“It’s going to go over, isn’t it? The car’s going over.”
Not if I can help it. “No. I’ll get you out of there before that happens.”
“I’m afraid to move. The air bag has me pinned down, and I don’t want to struggle against it.”
“Good idea.” He hovered over the car and lifted the door handle. “Can you unlock the door?”
“I—I think so.”
He heard a click and let out a pent-up breath.
“Someone must’ve seen you go over. Emergency vehicles are on the way.” The car rocked and a tumble of rocks slid down the side of the cliff.
But would they get here in time?
Dylan eased open the car door. The car tilted back toward him. That was a good sign.
“Unlatch your seat belt, very carefully.”
She shifted against the air bag, and the click from the seat belt sounded like a shot.
“You’re halfway there, Mia.” He shuffled closer to the car, holding his breath as if a puff could send the car hurtling over the cliff.
He tensed his muscles and slid an arm between Mia’s back and the car seat. He curled it around her waist. “Okay, I’m going to pull you out all at once. Don’t hesitate to come to me.”
Dylan braced his foot against the car and pulled Mia toward him, dislodging her from her position wedged behind the air bag.
He staggered backward, dragging her along, until he stumbled and fell to the ground.
Her soft body landed on top of him.
Then a creak ripped through the air and they both looked up in time to see the rental car slide down the cliff. Several seconds later, a crash shook the ground.
A ripple rolled through Mia’s body and Dylan clutched her closer. “It’s okay. I got you.”
Sirens wailed in the distance while black smoke rose from the explosion on the rocks. The smell of gasoline overpowered the salty air.
Mia drew in short puffs of air against his chest, sucking in his khaki shirt with each breath. His hands lingered over her hair and he wanted to smooth his palms over the silky strands, but it felt like taking advantage of her vulnerable condition.
A fire truck wheeled into the turnout, and Mia jerked up her head. Her glassy eyes reflected the revolving red lights. The wail that assaulted their ears seemed to jolt her out of her shock.
She sat upright, straddling Dylan’s hips. He didn’t mind, but she quickly took stock of her position and rolled from his body, staggering to her bare feet. Her shoes must’ve fallen off in the car.
He jumped up next to her. “Are you okay? Did you lose control of the car?”
Shaking her head, she bent over and brushed the dirt and gravel from her flowery skirt. The toes of her bare feet curled into the gritty ground. “The brakes went out on me.”
The firefighters scrambled from the truck and rushed to the edge of the overlook. Then the fire captain, Dave Melendez, peeled away and approached them. He nodded at Dylan. “Hey, Chief. Miss, is that your car?”
“That was my car, or rather the rental company’s car.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m okay. Shaken up.” She waved a hand in Dylan’s direction. “Dyl…Chief Reese came to my rescue.”
The ambulance roared into the overlook and squealed to a stop. Dylan held up both hands to slow them down. Thank God the EMTs wouldn’t be scraping anyone off those rocks down there.
Melendez asked, “Did you see what happened, Chief?”
“No, just the aftereffects. Ms. St. Regis’s car had plowed through the guardrail and was hanging halfway over the cliff with her in it.”
The captain whistled. “You’re lucky you got out of there before it went over.”
“Thanks to the chief.” Mia rubbed her arms. “He pulled me out before it went kaplooey.”
Dylan shrugged out of his windbreaker and draped it over Mia’s shoulders. His arm followed, as she swayed forward and he clamped her body to his.
An EMT, Patrick O’Shea, charged into the group. Dylan knew him, too—one of the more interesting aspects of working in a small town.
