Jerking the wheel hard to the right, Nova nearly hit the rising cliffs on his left. “I can’t hold it on the road. We have to bail.”
“Bail? Are you out of your—” Tazer squealed again.
Nova swerved to avoid driving off the edge of another cliff.
The road leveled out and started up a slight incline.
His hands on the wheel in a white-knuckled grip, Nova steered the car as close to the cliff as possible. “If I’m not mistaken, around the next curve starts a descent into the town on the curviest and steepest part of the road.”
“Curvier than this?”
“If we’re going to abandon ship, it’s now or never.”
“Crap, and these were my favorite shoes.” Tazer reached for the door handle.
A voice in Nova’s head urged, Jump!
“You go first. I’ll hold it steady,” Nova said, his jaw tight, his stomach knotted.
Jump!
“We don’t have time.” Tazer unfastened her seat belt. “On the count of three.
“One...” Nova released his belt.
“Two...” Tazer joined the count.
“Three!”
Nova flung his door open and threw himself out of the car, hit the ground hard, tucked and rolled to a stop.
The car continued forward until it reached the curve in the road and launched itself over the edge of the cliff.
Without wasting a breath, Nova staggered to his feet. “Tazer!”
No answer.
“Tazer!”
“Damn.”
“You all right?”
“No.”
“Keep talking until I find you.”
“I’m over here.”
“What’s wrong?”
“They’re broken. Damn.”
His heart in his throat, Nova yanked his cell phone out of his pocket. The screen was cracked, but it still worked. Or would work, if there was any reception at this point on the highway. “Any bleeding?” he asked, still angling toward her voice.
“Yes.”
“Apply pressure, I’m almost there.”
“Yeah, you are. Look out!”
He practically tripped over Tazer before he saw her pushing to her feet against a solid cliff wall. He shone his cell phone in her face. “Stay down until I can get some medical assistance.”
She held up a hand and grimaced. “I don’t need assistance.”
“I thought you said you broke something.”
Frowning, she shoved her hands out in front of her. “I broke every one of my freakin’ fingernails.” Her knees were scuffed, her elbows, too, and she had a scratch on her face.
“We almost died on this road, and all you’re worried about is your manicure?” Nova chuckled as he helped her to her feet. “One of these days I hope to understand women.”
“And one of these days, and I’m thinking very soon, I want to understand why your brakes didn’t work. And when I get my hands on whoever ruined my nails, I’ll kill him.”
Copyright © 2014 by Mary Jernigan
ISBN-13: 9781460329245
HER SECRET, HIS DUTY
Copyright © 2014 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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