Page 25 of Meant for Two

Avery took a Power Bar from her purse. "Here, have this. Your blood sugar might be low."

Blair appreciated her assistant's thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Avery. I'm lucky to have you."

Avery's smile was warm. "Let's hope you never have to know otherwise."

After collecting her belongings, Blair made her way outside to her car, knowing that Avery would lock up the office. Slipping off the sling supporting her injured wrist, she settled into the driver's seat and started the engine. As she drove past the guardhouse, Carl, the guard, offered a friendly smile and waved. The sense of community here always lifted her spirits.

Her mind flickered with thoughts of both Zane and Jeff. Another rumble from her stomach brought her back to the present, and she reached for the Power Bar Avery had given her. Keeping her gaze on the road, she tore open the packaging and took a satisfying bite, savoring the chocolate and caramel combination.

The road ahead was clear, a fact that lessened the usual stress of the journey home. The trees lining the road swayed gently, casting shifting patterns of shade and light across the asphalt as the setting sun painted the sky with a warm palette of colors.

Blair made a mental note to send Zane an email, inquiring about their plans to secure the forest border. If her clients asked about the recent break-in, she wanted to be able to reassure them that measures were being taken to address the issue.

Her thoughts were disrupted as a quick shot of pain traveled from her injured wrist to her shoulder a second after a massive impact struck the side of her car. Time seemed to slow. As she glanced down at her hand, a rising sense of horror gripped her.

Before she could fully comprehend what was happening, her car skidded sideways, the world outside spinning in a dizzying blur. The vehicle flipped onto its side and careened down the hillside, each bump and jolt sending shocks of pain through her body. Her head collided with the steering wheel, the force of the impact momentarily disorienting her. The seatbelt dug into her chest, expelling the air from her lungs.

Fear surged through her like a tidal wave, the rush of adrenaline forcing her to instinctively reach out, to brace herself, desperate to shield her face from the impending collision.

Why hadn’t the airbag deployed? It should have by now, or would it only come out if the front of the car had been hit? Her mind raced as the chaos of the moment overwhelmed her. The car finally came to a stop, and her body felt trapped, unwilling or perhaps unable to move.

CHAPTERNINE

Blair's hearthammered in her chest, the rush of thoughts and adrenaline making it hard to think straight. What the hell had just happened? The impact was undeniable. A brutal collision had thrown her car off the roadside.

Had it been an intentional act or a terrible accident? If it was by mistake, whoever was responsible should stop and check to see if she needed help. Blair waited for the driver to come down and help her, but he never showed. As much as she strained her memory, the details of the other vehicle were frustratingly elusive.Damn.

Pushing panic aside, she knew her immediate priority was to get out of the car and call for help. Her seatbelt constricted her movements, and her phone was just out of reach on the passenger side window—which was now resting on the ground. As she extended her hand toward it, that simple act sent waves of pain radiating throughout her body.

This couldn't be real. First, she’d tripped over a log in the woods, hitting her head, spraining her wrist, and now this. It felt like a cruel sequence of events, almost as if the universe had conspired against her. Was Mercury in retrograde or something?

"Stay calm. You've got this," she whispered to herself, her own voice a reassuring anchor amidst this mess. Talking to herself might seem odd to some people, but it helped to regain a semblance of control over this horrible situation. It was something she said every time she’d witnessed her father’s violence against her mother.

Stop it. Don’t dwell on the past. Blair needed to concentrate on the here and now. First things first. She needed to assess her injuries before attempting to release herself from the seatbelt. The last thing she wanted was to unfasten it and tumble toward the passenger side, potentially worsening her condition.

Drawing on her memory of how Malia had evaluated her after the fall, Blair carefully moved her feet, wincing at the sparks of pain shooting through her body. At least they moved, allowing her a small sigh of relief. Next, she tentatively shifted her legs, trying to swing them sideways. If she could manage to stand, her chances of escaping the confines of the car would greatly improve.

As Blair carefully moved, a mix of relief and trepidation entered her. Her ankles and legs seemed to be cooperating, and the pain, while still present, was manageable. Gritting her teeth, she reached for the seatbelt buckle, her fingers trembling as she worked to unclasp it. With a strained breath, she finally managed to release herself from the constricting belt. As quickly as she could, she swung her legs to the side and let gravity do the rest of the work.

The once simple act of more or less standing up felt like a monumental achievement in her current state. She took a deep breath as she noted the car's odd angle, but Blair was determined not to let panic take over.

The driver's side door was now facing skyward, but this was her best chance to escape. She needed to open it somehow so she could crawl out.

Summoning her courage, she gingerly shuffled the debris that littered the car's interior out of the way and planted her feet firmly against the passenger side door. With a strained grunt, Blair pressed upward, her injured wrist protesting the effort.

Crap. The door wouldn't budge; it was jammed, stubbornly resisting her attempts. Frustration welled within her, and she let out an unladylike grunt. The realization that she might be trapped in this precarious position hit her full force.

The odd angle of the car, along with her injuries make it impossible to climb over the seat to the back. Even if she made it, that door looked to be in worse condition. Clearly, she needed help. But who could she call? Avery, her reliable assistant, wasn't equipped to handle an emergency like this. Blair couldn't bring herself to call her boss just yet. She didn’t want him to see her in such a vulnerable position.

And then it hit her. Zane. She'd seen his bulging biceps and thick thighs. The man was pure raw power. If anyone could help her in this situation, it was him. Grabbing her phone, she dialed his number with shaky fingers.

The phone rang, each tone echoing in her ears. "Blair, is everything all right?" The tension in her chest eased when he finally picked up, his voice deep and reassuring.

Her words came out hesitantly. "Zane, I'm in a bit of a situation. Someone sideswiped my car and I slid down a hillside on the passenger side door. I can't get out of the car. Both car doors are stuck."

“Oh, shit. Are you hurt? Where are you?" Zane's tone shifted, concern lacing his words.

"I'm banged up, but nothing too serious, I think," she replied. "I'm at the bend on Forest Road 17, near the Woodland Estates."