More Than Meets The Eye

More Than Meets The Eye -27-

Luck had something in it for Tristan and Autumn.

She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the impact when none came except for a sudden pressure building in her chest.

A loud bang and clang rattled her ears followed by the impact of landing on something hard and solid . . . but she felt no pain.

Something was wrapped around her and that something was groaning in pain into her ear.

Autumn blinked her eyes open to find Tristan’s eyes squeezed shut in pain, his chin on her shoulder. She craned her neck around to find shock washing over her once more.

They were on top of a car – but not just any car. Gill’s car. She recognised the sleek black hunk of expensive metal that she had been driven in to get to the Lucas Manor.

“Tristan wake up,” she hissed, her voice trembling. There was a big obvious dent in the top of the car from the impact of their fall but apart from that, they were unscathed.

Or so she thought.

Autumn wrapped her arms around Tristan into a hug as he continued to embrace the pain and ground his teeth. “Tristan wake up you big idiot!”

Autumn jolted when a bullet narrowly missed the pair and ricocheted off Gill’s car. The poor car . . .

Tristan’s eyes shot open and it only took a second for him to realise that they were still in danger while their pursuers recovered. “Get in the car!” He was obviously in a lot of pain but the urgency of his voice told otherwise.

Autumn didn’t need telling twice and rolled off ungracefully to the ground. She was surprised to find the car door was unlocked but nevertheless didn’t bother questioning and got into the driver’s seat.

Tristan groaned, obviously needing help but after a few agonising moments, he managed to slump in the passenger seat, looking deathly pale. “The keys are in my pocket.”

She made an irritated sound and pushed her hand into one of his jeans pocket, pulling out the set of keys and plugged it into ignition.

“Follow the gravel path up ahead and we’ll get out to the nearest road,” he grunted, falling forwards onto the dashboard and hugged his elbows, knuckles white. “Hurry!”

Autumn started to panic and jammed the gear stick into drive. As her foot slammed down on the accelerator, the car lurched forward, speeding around the house until she finally caught a glimpse of the gravel path Tristan had mentioned. She fought back a shriek when numerous sharp clangs resounded off the exterior of the vehicle.

Tristan merely clenched his teeth, fighting the urge to scream as the burning sensation in his right shoulder and his back brought him agonising pain. “Drive faster!”

“This is as fast as your stupid brother’s car can go!” she yelped, screaming when another bullet damaged the dent in the roof of the car even further. “Make them stop!” What a stupid demand for the helpless situation they were in.

“Get the guns out of the glove compartment and I’ll shoot them,” he muttered, scrambling for the weapons and flinched at the slightest twitch of the excruciating muscles in his back. “Never mind; I’ve got it.”

With a bullet wound in his right shoulder, he licked his dry lips, embraced the pain and opened up the window just enough for his gun to peek out sneakily. He narrowed his eyes, the pain blinding him momentarily until he caught sight of one of the men sticking out from the side of a car.

Tristan only prayed his accuracy would kick in right about now and took a blind shot through the whir of trees.

“You’re hurt!” Autumn shrieked, horrified to see the crimson stain spreading across his dark flannel shirt. “We need to get you to a hospital! And what about your back – you landed on it!” She quickly racked her brains, wondering whether she heard any crunches of bones when they had landed on the car.