Free The Deputies: 3 Novella Box Set by Olivia Jaymes Page A

hands on deck for the investigation. Hopefully the driver hadn’t also been speeding. In town the speed limit was thirty miles per hour and if adhered to it would limit the injuries.
    Not far from the area, he was pulling up to it in less than ten minutes. He hopped out of the car ready to keep bystanders back so the EMTs could do their work. His first job was to have a few cars moved so the ambulance could get closer to the accident.
    He pushed through the crowd to get a good look at the scene. There was a small car with a smashed in front end and another car with the driver’s side demolished that had been pushed at least twenty feet so it was almost out of the intersection with two tires up on the sidewalk.
    Hank blinked a few times as he stared at the vehicle, trying to get his sluggish brain to process the information. He could smell the odor of gasoline and the vague sounds of voices shouting but nothing seemed to make sense. A hand on his shoulder pushed him back and Hank looked directly into the gaze of Seth.
    “You don’t want to go there, man. Let me take care of this. The ambulance is on its way.”
    Something snapped inside of him and he knew in that moment the car belonged to Alyssa. Almost doubling over in pain at the thought of his wife in that tangled hunk of metal he tried to breathe, to think. He couldn’t fall apart right now.
    “Luke?” he croaked.
    Seth shook his head. “He wasn’t in the car. Maybe he’s with your mom? Alyssa is hurt and you can ride to the hospital with her, okay? Stay with me, man. She’s got some injuries and I need you not to panic.”
    Through his daze, Hank finally noticed that Seth had blood on his uniform and his hands.
    “Is she–” Words failed him. He couldn’t say it, let alone think it. This simply couldn’t be happening.
    “I crawled through the passenger side to get a look and she’s banged up and unconscious. She’s bleeding from a head wound but you know that they can bleed quite a bit and not be serious. Hank, are you hearing me?”
    People died from head wounds and blood loss.
    The words kept running through his mind and he had to squeeze his eyes shut for a moment to control his own thoughts. Sirens sounded in the distance as Hank shook off Seth’s grip. Stumbling toward the car, he could see the fire department was pulling off the driver’s door with a loud “pop”.
    Alyssa was lying unconscious, still in her seatbelt, a stream of crimson blood running down her face and onto her green blouse. Instead of the usual golden bloom on her cheeks, she was ghostly white, her lips pale, her bright red hair the only color to be seen.
    His knees almost buckled but he pushed forward, swallowing down the acid that balled in his throat. By the time he reached her side, his legs did give out and his shins hit the pavement. He grabbed her limp and lifeless hand in his larger one, bringing her fingers to his lips. Her skin felt cold and she didn’t so much as flicker an eyelash when he called her name several times.
    “Lis, baby. It’s Hank. I’m here. I love you, baby. I love you. Hang in there.”
    “Sir, we need you to move.”
    A deep voice made Hank turn angrily but the nasty words on his lips died. It was the EMTs. They were going to take her away but he wouldn’t let them without him as well. He stepped to the side to let the two men do their work.
    “I’m her husband. I’m going with her.”
    He’d meant the words to come out forcefully but instead they came out choked and barely audible. One of the men looked up from where he was kneeling next to Alyssa and gave him a sympathetic look.
    “You can go but give us some space, okay? Let us help her.”
    Hank took a few steps back and felt a hand on his shoulder. “I called Alice. Luke is fine and at your mother’s. I gave her the abbreviated version of what’s going on and she said not to worry and do what you need to do.”
    Gratitude and relief ran through Hank in a rush. In the midst of an