Bound by Shadows

Chapter 13

Jocelyn had been trailing the van from a distance, hoping to stay out of sight and not catch the attention of whoever was driving. However, her suspicions were roused when she noticed its erratic movements. First, she thought the driver had spotted her and was trying to get away. But then she realized something was wrong.

She drove cautiously and took her foot off the accelerator. A sinking feeling gnawed at her gut, telling her that something terrible was about to happen.

In an instant, her worst fears were realized. The van swerved violently, lifting its right tires off the road and almost tilting over. Then another surprise happened and the back doors flung open. A man dressed in black tumbled out of the moving van, crashing onto the road just as it completely lost control and flipped before colliding with a nearby tree along the highway. The sight was a horrifying blur of chaos and destruction.

Jocelyn’s heart pounded in her chest as she slammed on the brakes. Her truck skidded to a stop by the side of the road. Panic and concern overwhelmed her as she saw the man lying motionless at the edge of the road. The cars that had been behind her drove by, seemingly unaware of the tragedy that had unfolded or not willing to stop and offer assistance.

Her muscles flexed as she hesitated for a moment with indecision. She could turn her truck around and pretend she had never been there. Knowing where that van had originated, it was the sane thing to do. She didn’t need to get involved in whatever this was.

But then, with adrenaline coursing through her veins and against her better judgement, Jocelyn quickly jumped out of her truck and rushed over to the fallen man. Her mind raced with thoughts of how to help him and take him away from the others in the van consuming her.

Moving as fast as her feet could carry her, she reached him in record time. Jocelyn dropped to her knees and frantically checked the man for signs of life. She barely caught a glimpse of his face covered in bruises and blood before her focus shifted to his well-being. He had a pulse, and he groaned when she touched his head. A glimmer of hope swelled in Jocelyn’s chest. He was alive.

Then his eyelids fluttered and parted, and she found herself unable to avert her gaze from his piercing gray eyes. His gaze was so intense that it gave her pause. There was a fleeting moment of stillness as they stared at each other. But it was quickly disrupted when the blaring horn of a passing car rented the air.

Jocelyn blinked and looked around, remembering that they were still on the side of the road and exposed. Whatever the hell had just happened when their eyes met would have to wait until they were in a safer place, Jocelyn decided.

With a heightened sense of urgency and focus, Jocelyn swiftly transitioned into a crouching position. She advanced towards him, encircled him with her arm around his waist, and then supported him in getting up. His heavy mass pressed against her as they stumbled away from the wreckage.

“Are you okay? Can you hear me?” she asked, her voice filled with concern as they moved.

The man’s movements were sluggish, but he managed a nod. His eyes, clouded with pain, met hers for a second, and she saw a mix of relief and gratitude in his gaze.

“We need to get you to safety,” Jocelyn urged, her instincts pushing her to protect this stranger.

Several more cars passed by, their drivers barely glancing their way, as though there was nothing unusual about a bloodied man being led away from a crash by a woman. But Jocelyn was focused on the man she was helping, determined to ensure his safety.

“Can you tell me your name?” she asked, trying to keep him conscious and engaged.

His response was weak, barely audible. “Gabriel.”

“Gabriel. Okay. Just stay with me. I’m going to get you some help,” Jocelyn assured him, her voice unwavering.

“You… you need to call…” Gabriel’s weak voice trailed off.

“I need to call who?” Jocelyn asked. They were nearly at her truck, but Gabriel’s weight on her was multiplying with every step. The man was losing consciousness, she realized with dread.

Fresh panic assaulted her. If he collapsed now, there was no hope she would get him into her truck. Not on her own. Gabriel wasn’t a mountain of a man, but he still had at least sixty pounds on her. And he was taller.

Thankfully, whatever angel was on duty watching out for them made it possible for Gabriel’s strength to hold until Jocelyn opened her back door and pushed the man in. He landed on the back seat like a bag of bones, out cold.

“s**t!”

Jocelyn closed the back door and rushed back behind the wheel. She had to get them out of there right now. The highway was not super busy and somehow the cars that had driven by during the accident hadn’t stopped. That wasn’t going to last forever and if any of the men in the van were not dead, then both Gabriel and her would be.

She made a sharp U-turn and floored the gas, putting as much distance between them and the accident as possible.

To be honest, Jocelyn didn’t know what she was doing or why she had helped the man. She raked her free hand through her hair while anxiously checking her rear-view mirror, almost expecting to see the van racing up to them, guns blazing. “This is a bad idea,” she muttered under her breath.

A glance behind showed that the man was still unconscious. He could be dead. The thought tingled her spine like icy stiff fingers. She should find somewhere to drop him off. A police station or hospital.

Just then, a cough from the back seat snapped her out of her thoughts. Jocelyn turned her head before she remembered she was driving and couldn’t do that. Cussing under her breath, she quickly checked the traffic and drove her truck off the road to the side before finally turning and facing Gabriel.

“Gabriel? Can you hear me?”

Silence met her question. Jocelyn pursed her lips. Now that she was looking at the man properly, she realized he was pretty beaten up, as though someone had used him as a punching bag.

A mixture of fresh and old blood had caused his copper curls to become matted to his scalp. Whatever the man had been going through hadn’t started with the van accident.

His clothes, although ripped and dirty, didn’t look cheap. The cargo pants and black T-shirt made him look like someone who did dangerous things on a daily basis, even though there was a softness about his face that contradicted that assumption. Suddenly, helping the man away from the crash looked like the most stupid thing she could have done.

“I will drop you at the hospital,” she said, hoping he could hear her. That was the wisest thing she could do. Besides, the man looked like he needed a doctor fast.

“No,” Gabriel croaked out and coughed before his eyes fluttered open, despite the swelling around his face. “No hospital.” He paused, licked his split lip, his breathing erratic even as his eyes began to close again. “Call… Lorenzo.”

Jocelyn frowned. “Who is Lorenzo?” she asked, but Gabriel was already unconscious.

“Great! So you expect me to be a mind reader now? Or do you think I am going to call every guy called Lorenzo and ask if any of them are missing a…” Jocelyn waved her hand in Gabriel’s direction. “Seriously handsome guy covered in blood.”

Getting no response from the man bleeding in her back seat, Jocelyn felt a little foolish for speaking out loud. She turned back and stared at the road. The hospital was still the best decision to make, regardless of what the man said.

Jocelyn bit her lip and thought for a moment. The vision of piercing gray eyes flashed through her mind. Damn it! She came to a decision and shook her head as she started the truck again. “This is a very bad idea.”