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With a choice between hitting the car in front or veering to the side, Jake wasinto the lane before the car was even fully out of the way Theythe car in front of the like a wo If Jake had been a lesser driver, they never would have er’s width between them and the car behind them But they did make it However, even as he slid fully into the lane, Jake warned, "Hang on," and continued steering to the side, sending the car off the highway altogether

Nicole held on She also closed her eyes and began to pray so never saw exactly what happened She felt it though The vehicle swerved back toward the highway as if Jake was trying to avoid soht by surprise, Nicole sla off of it just seconds before they crashed into soan to roll even as Nicole lost her hold on consciousness

Jake tore the eoing in"

"No," Tomasso boomed, and forced him back to the van floor with one hand on his shoulder "You’re not ready Two s of blood and fifteen o into the hospital"

"I want to see Nicole," Jake growled

"Dante is with her She’s fine You needWhen Jake opened hison Jake’s still extended fangs

Jake scowled at the largeat his mouth It had been seven hours since the accident and he had spent most of that ti lot, being fed blood and healing

Jake hadn’t coh he hadn’t known that right away He’d passed out when the front driver’s side had caved in around hi He’d only woken up as Dante and Toet him out of ould have been a ot Nicole out and had assured hi unconscious in the snohile they worked on getting hied to get him into their van before the police and ambulance had arrived and had to leave hiawkers who had stopped Apparently, they’d smeared some of Jake’s blood on Dante’s forehead and a little on his clothes and clai the car, but was fine other than a couple cuts and bruises Obviously, they’d perfor to ensure that tale was believed, because one look at the driver’s side of the car would have iht that story into question

The twins probably would have just wiped memories and sent everybody on their ere it not for the fact that this was obviously another attempt on Nicole’s life and they wanted to be sure the police knew about it She was mortal, and so was her ex-husband It was better in this instance for the al system to handle the situation than to step in and take care of it themselves

Once the police had been seen to, and Nicole was in an ambulance and on her way to the hospital, Dante and Tomasso had returned to their van and followed the ambulance to the hospital Dante had driven while To of blood from the van cooler

At the hospital, Dante had left Tomasso to tend to Jake and went in to answer more police questions and keep tabs on Nicole and how she was doing She’d hit her head on the side hen Jake had swerved to avoid a head-on collision with a tree However, his swerving to avoid the one tree had steered the driver’s side into another Jake was okay with that Better he take the brunt of it than Nicole But he’d been going so fast the SUV had cruht where the land suddenly sloped, and they’d begun to roll just before he passed out fro the latest e up "I want to check on Nicole"

"Dante texted less than tencomfortably," Tomasso pointed out, but didn’t force him back to the floor as he had the first ti

"But she hasn’t regained consciousness yet," Jake said worriedly "It’s been seven hours I want to see her,you can do for her," To When Jake h, and then bargained, "Oneand popped it on his fangs, waiting i, but felt like forever to hio like that," To fro the floor toward the back doors

Jake glanced down and gri of his jeans was sliced through and hanging froh with his blood His shirt was pretty bloody as well, although Jake suspected that was just transference The air bags had cocooned his upper body fro fro while we followed you around the ers in there you can borrow"

Jake accepted the bag with relief and quickly sorted through the contents until he found a jogging suit The tere built like linebackers and he had no doubt he would be swiht the worst of his healing was over, but as Jake stripped his jeans and pulled on the jogging pants, it beca had reknitted where it had been al scab no doubt , it hurt like the devil to move it Theinside the leg But JakeHe had to see Nicole She should have regained consciousness by now

The leg buckled under hiet out Fortunately, To hiot out behind him, and closed the van door He then walked hi hied Jake into it and wheeled him into the elevators and up to Nicole’s room

Dante was seated in a chair next to the hospital bed when Tomasso wheeled Jake in Since Dante’s chair was on the side closest to the door, Toet hi?" Jake asked worriedly, leaning forward to peer at Nicole’s pale face as Tomasso moved back around the bed to Dante’s side

Dante hesitated and then siht in her eyes, but she hasn’t stirred yet"

Jake frowned and brushed the hair off of Nicole’s forehead She had an ugly buht te of about a s he could have done differently to have avoided her getting hurt

"You did the best you could," Dante said quietly "She’ll come around"

Jake didn’t respond and after several o find the food court and see what’s available Do you tant anything?"