Jace nodded. His eyes held only a hint of apprehension, but exhaustion was clearly dominant on his face. Colt didn’t press him more.
“You need to sleep,” Colt said. “I can’t see where you had any last night.”
“I’m sorry for doubting you.”
“I get it. Just talk to me before you leave again. Now, come lay down. I’ll be standing guard to make sure you don’t try and bolt again.” Colt grinned and took Jace by the hand, pulling him back to the bedroom. Jace undressed and slid back in bed. He made a halfhearted attempt to pull Colt down with him, but he fought the move. That would lead to sex, and that needed to wait. This was one of those times in a relationship that other things needed to be worked out before anything else happened. Jace was asleep within seconds of hitting the sheets.
Colt decided he was awake for the day, adrenaline still pumping after his near miss. How had he almost lost Jace, again? What would he have done if Jace had gotten on a plane? The answer came quickly, he’d have gone after him and he wouldn’t have stopped pursuing him until he had him back in his arms. Jace was the right road for him. He’d been forced off this road ten years ago and where had it got him? Nothing but a screwed up life filled with pain and heartache. Never again.
Colt showered and dressed, quietly shutting the door behind him as he left Jace sleeping in the bedroom. He padded into the kitchen, made coffee, and started to pull the bacon and eggs from the refrigerator only to find he’d eaten them all.
He did a quick scan and realized Jace was out of his morning guava juice too. That wouldn’t do. His decision made, Colt grabbed Jace’s keys and went for the front door. He’d get a few groceries and be back way before Jace woke. A grin tore across Colt’s face as he sat in the driver’s seat, settling in behind the steering wheel. Through all the drama of the morning, he hadn’t let himself remember the reason for the ache in his ass.
Chapter 26
Colt drove to town with the windows of the Prius rolled down and the radio cranked up. The early morning air was crisp and sultry against his skin. He took the long way into town, choosing the scenic route, through the hills. The rising sun and ocean made a picturesque backdrop. He could see for miles and miles, being so far above sea level. He wound his way through the small roads, thinking about how much he wanted to bring Jace out here tomorrow morning. He had to see the island from this perspective. The view calmed his haggard soul.
A fallen rock tumbled out onto the road. Colt dodged it, making a wide sweep to the right. Two things happened simultaneously. First, his brakes faltered. He stomped on the pedal when he swerved to miss the rock. The soft brakes gave way and his foot went to the floor. Colt did a couple of quick stomps and got nothing in return. He had no brakes.
Second, an old pickup truck came out of nowhere, following too close behind him. He tried to signal to the driver he was having problems. A second passed for him to realize the other driver wouldn’t understand his hand signals, but he panicked and didn’t know what else to do.
Colt gripped the steering wheel, weaving through the curves as the car descended down a hill, picking up speed with each turn of the wheel. Colt kept his eyes trained on the road in front of him, praying no one pulled out from a side road because he couldn’t stop. He took a second and glanced in his rearview mirror, but the other driver stayed on him, not doing anything to acknowledge he had even seen Colt’s hand waving franticly out the window.
His car was picking up too much speed, he needed to slow down. He ignored the motherfucker on his ass and carefully lifted the emergency brake. He hadn't lifted the brake more than an inch, but the vehicle started to slow.
Relief hit his panicked heart. Colt slowly lifted the brake lever, slowing the car down when the truck slammed him from behind. What the hell? His eyes shot back up to the rearview mirror and then down the street. Not a quarter of a mile away was a sharp curve. Colt was going forty-five and the curve allowed for twenty-five. Colt ignored the truck and again pulled up on the emergency brake. The truck rammed him from behind and this time stayed on his bumper, pushing him forward. Colt turned the wheel to the right, the truck followed. He pumped the brakes, nothing.
The truck’s engine roared and they lurched forward, gaining speed. Fuck no! The truck had them both barreling down the small road at full throttle. Colt had no choice but to navigate the sharp turn at his current rate of speed.
What the fuck?
Colt tightened his grip on the steering wheel, preparing to take the curve at sixty miles an hour, and for the briefest of seconds, he looked back in the rearview mirror. The truck was pulling up along his side, attempting to pass him. From out of nowhere, the truck swerved to the right, hitting him full force on the left side of Jace’s little rental, driving him toward the edge of the road. When his tires hit the loose gravel on the side of the road, the car slid into a tailspin, and Colt fought for control. The force of gravity took the little Prius off the shoulder and down the steep embankment.
Colt didn’t register anything as his world turned upside down. The sickening sound of twisting metal and shattering glass filled his ears as the roof collapsed and the car smashed in around him. His legs were crushed as the car rolled over and over. Seconds felt like hours before the car finally came to a jolting stop. Pain rocketed through his brain as Colt screamed for help, fighting to keep conscious. He tried to move his arm and push himself from the smoking vehicle, but he couldn’t get his body to comply with his brain. He tried desperately to move his legs away from the heat, but he was wedged between the metal. He didn’t have the strength to do anything more. Excruciating pain shot though his body with every gasp of breath he took. The darkness he fought closed in around him. His last thoughts turned to Jace and how much he loved that man.