would never do that to children of his own. If
he ever had them.
Ellie sat quietly next to him, staring out of the window. Her mass of curls hid her
face from him and he wondered what she was thinking. He hoped she’d snap out of it
soon — he was out of depth here with these sorts of emotions and didn’t want to make
a false move. This was exactly why he didn’t get too emotionally involved with people.
He hated the idea of being caught up in that sort of pain.
Perhaps he could find some other way to cheer her up once they got back to the house.
His mind filtered through some options; all of them X-rated and he shifted in his
seat as his erection pressed hard against his jeans. He really needed to stop thinking
about her like this. At least Penny and Will would be turning up some time soon. They
were bound to take her mind off whatever was upsetting her so much and he could back
off and get his shit together.
As they passed through one of the picturesque villages a couple of miles away from
the house, he had to slow down behind a truck that was having trouble getting past
cars parked on the narrow road. The exhaust was belting out dark, acrid fumes so he
kept well back from it to avoid drawing them into the car.
In his peripheral vision, he noticed a shape move from the pavement on his left, before
running out in front of them. It was a boy, probably about fifteen, with headphones
and a hoodie pulled up over his dark hair. He glanced over toward their car and put
his hand up as if to say “thanks for slowing down to let me cross.” He was still looking
at Gideon as he started to run into the other lane of the road.
It all happened so fast.
He was aware of Ellie leaning forward next to him, her hands outstretched as if trying
to reach for the boy. And his heart as it accelerated and banged against his chest.
And the feeling of absolute impotency as all he could do was watch the boy run in
front of the car that was traveling toward him in the other lane.
“No! No!” Ellie shouted as the boy kept moving, totally oblivious to the vehicle,
the driver unable to see him behind the bulk of the truck.
At the very last second, the boy looked round and clocked the car speeding in his
direction. He hesitated for a second, like a rabbit caught in the dazzle of headlights,
before springing forward, running for his life.
The driver of the oncoming car slammed on his brakes as soon as he saw the teen, but
couldn’t control the skid on the narrow road and the nose of the car swung to its
right.
A high-pitched shriek and a black cloud of hot rubber came from the tires as they
bit onto the road.
All Gideon could do was watch as the car slid toward them.
His hands gripped the steering wheel, blood pulsing through his veins as he braced
himself for the incoming impact.
Chapter Four
With a horrific bang, the back wheel of the oncoming car hit the pavement to its left,
swinging the nose around and bouncing the back end of the car along the road. A final
ghastly squeal of brakes rent the air as it shuddered to a halt millimeters away from
their bumper.
Ellie and Gideon sat in shock for a moment, still braced for the impact that didn’t
come.
The boy had managed, with a Superhero-like leap, to avoid being hit and stood there,
dazed on the opposite pavement. His hood had blown back and his headphones hung lopsidedly
around his neck.
Gideon pulled himself together first. “Ellie, are you okay?”
She didn’t answer for a minute and he had to lay a hand on her arm to snap her out
of her stunned trance.
“Ellie?”
“Yes,” her voice came out as a croak. “I’m fine. Are you?” Her eyes were wide and
her pupils dilated with shock.
He nodded, aware that his actions were jerky and overly fast. Damn adrenaline. “I’m
going to check on the guy in that car and the kid. Stay here, okay.”
She looked as though she was going to say something else,
he ever had them.
Ellie sat quietly next to him, staring out of the window. Her mass of curls hid her
face from him and he wondered what she was thinking. He hoped she’d snap out of it
soon — he was out of depth here with these sorts of emotions and didn’t want to make
a false move. This was exactly why he didn’t get too emotionally involved with people.
He hated the idea of being caught up in that sort of pain.
Perhaps he could find some other way to cheer her up once they got back to the house.
His mind filtered through some options; all of them X-rated and he shifted in his
seat as his erection pressed hard against his jeans. He really needed to stop thinking
about her like this. At least Penny and Will would be turning up some time soon. They
were bound to take her mind off whatever was upsetting her so much and he could back
off and get his shit together.
As they passed through one of the picturesque villages a couple of miles away from
the house, he had to slow down behind a truck that was having trouble getting past
cars parked on the narrow road. The exhaust was belting out dark, acrid fumes so he
kept well back from it to avoid drawing them into the car.
In his peripheral vision, he noticed a shape move from the pavement on his left, before
running out in front of them. It was a boy, probably about fifteen, with headphones
and a hoodie pulled up over his dark hair. He glanced over toward their car and put
his hand up as if to say “thanks for slowing down to let me cross.” He was still looking
at Gideon as he started to run into the other lane of the road.
It all happened so fast.
He was aware of Ellie leaning forward next to him, her hands outstretched as if trying
to reach for the boy. And his heart as it accelerated and banged against his chest.
And the feeling of absolute impotency as all he could do was watch the boy run in
front of the car that was traveling toward him in the other lane.
“No! No!” Ellie shouted as the boy kept moving, totally oblivious to the vehicle,
the driver unable to see him behind the bulk of the truck.
At the very last second, the boy looked round and clocked the car speeding in his
direction. He hesitated for a second, like a rabbit caught in the dazzle of headlights,
before springing forward, running for his life.
The driver of the oncoming car slammed on his brakes as soon as he saw the teen, but
couldn’t control the skid on the narrow road and the nose of the car swung to its
right.
A high-pitched shriek and a black cloud of hot rubber came from the tires as they
bit onto the road.
All Gideon could do was watch as the car slid toward them.
His hands gripped the steering wheel, blood pulsing through his veins as he braced
himself for the incoming impact.
Chapter Four
With a horrific bang, the back wheel of the oncoming car hit the pavement to its left,
swinging the nose around and bouncing the back end of the car along the road. A final
ghastly squeal of brakes rent the air as it shuddered to a halt millimeters away from
their bumper.
Ellie and Gideon sat in shock for a moment, still braced for the impact that didn’t
come.
The boy had managed, with a Superhero-like leap, to avoid being hit and stood there,
dazed on the opposite pavement. His hood had blown back and his headphones hung lopsidedly
around his neck.
Gideon pulled himself together first. “Ellie, are you okay?”
She didn’t answer for a minute and he had to lay a hand on her arm to snap her out
of her stunned trance.
“Ellie?”
“Yes,” her voice came out as a croak. “I’m fine. Are you?” Her eyes were wide and
her pupils dilated with shock.
He nodded, aware that his actions were jerky and overly fast. Damn adrenaline. “I’m
going to check on the guy in that car and the kid. Stay here, okay.”
She looked as though she was going to say something else,
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