Free The Lawman’s Blackmailed Bride (Billionaire Brothers 3): BBW Romance by Jenn Roseton Page B

sounded so reassuring, so comforting. “But I don’t know about the SUV.”
    “ What … what about the other car?” she asked, hoping they’d avoided colliding with the idiot driver.
    “ It’s fine,” he replied, a hint of disgust in his voice. “Or at least we didn’t hit it. We ended up here instead.”
    “ Here” was the side of the road, at the edge of a cliff. She stared out of the windscreen, her stomach clenching. They were a long way up. If Cole hadn’t braked in time … She shuddered.
    “ Was it Victor?” She couldn’t help the edge of panic in her voice.
    He shook his head. “No. It was a kid.” He sounded disgusted.
    But after her bad dream last night, the possibility their near crash was due to Victor’s machinations preyed on her mind. “What if he paid someone to run us off the road?” She twisted around in the seat to face him, suddenly wincing as her ribs protested.
    “ I seriously doubt it. He doesn’t know we’ve swapped cars and since he doesn’t have a GPS tracker on us, I don’t see how he could organize something like that.”
    Phoebe nodded, allowing Cole’s sensible reassurance soothe her.
    “Let me check you’re okay.” Cole cupped her face, his eyes scrutinizing her expression.  “Where does it hurt?”
    Wishing it hadn’t taken a car accident for him to touch her like this, she replied, “I think I’m fine.” She bit her lip as her ribs suddenly ached. “Mostly.”
    “Where?” He lightly ran his hands over her, starting from her shoulders and ending at her knees.
    “ Here.” She placed a hand on the seat belt above her plump ribcage. “Just a little.”
    He touched her ribs underneath the safety belt, her nerves sparking at his touch. “I think they might be a little bruised.” At her inquiring look, he elaborated, “I took a first aid course when I was a cop.”
    “What about you? Are you hurt?” Although the fleeting contact of his hands had felt professional and not sexual, she still felt bereft when he took his hand away.
    “ I’m fine.” He smiled reassuringly at her.
    “ But you’ve got a bruise.” She reached up and gently stroked his forehead. “Right here.”
    He closed his eyes for a second, almost seeming to lean into her touch, before snapping his eyes open. “We better get going - if we can.” He turned the key in the ignition.
    Phoebe held her breath, hoping the engine would start and they could get away from the cliff top. The vehicle purred to life, relief rushing through her. Cole was right - the sooner they got off this curving highway the better.
    Cole reversed, then drove carefully, keeping well under the speed limit. “Is something wrong with the car?” she asked, glancing at his almost grim profile.
    He shook his head. “I don’t think so, but I don’t want to take any chances. As soon as we get to a town we’ll stop and get it checked over. I’ll also call my buddy on the force in Cheyenne and see if he can dig up anything on Blackwood’s past.”
    She nodded, thinking she’d be glad to stand on firm ground again. Although his expert driving had saved them from a head-on collision with the madman behind the wheel of the red car and flying off a cliff, she suddenly wished they didn’t have to drive all the way back to Cheyenne.
    They finally descended and drove along the flat, gray highway. Phoebe let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
    “ Hastings View should be coming up in a few minutes,” Cole said, glancing at the GPS. “We’ll find a repair shop and make sure everything’s all right.”
    They drove through the outskirts of Hastings View, Cole pulling up outside a small mechanic’s that looked neat and clean. She was surprised to find her hands trembled when she unfastened her seat belt. Her knees wobbled when her feet hit the ground.
    “I’ve got you.” Cole quickly caught her shoulders, helping her regain her balance.
    “ Thanks,” she breathed, wondering how he’d