"Thanks Bill, we'll see you there." Carver hangs up the phone and tosses it into the center console separating the driver and passenger seats. "Bill is going to meet us at the hospital." Carver says, keeping his eyes on the road. "He's pulled together an armed escort for us once I get you to the hospital. On top of that, there is going to be a team monitoring the hospital and surrounding areas until Damien's found."
"Oh, thank god. I don't think I could handle another encounter with Damien at the hospital." I reach for Carver's arm and start stroking his shoulder unconsciously. He grabs my hand in his large, warm palm and kisses the top of my frozen fingers.
"It was lucky that we ran into him in the hospital though. If Clara and I hadn't gotten the immediate care that we did, I don't think that either of us would have survived our gunshot wounds." He trails off a bit, but when he sees my concerned look he adds, "But Clara is recovering, she was touch-and-go for a little while after surgery, but she's a fighter." He pauses before continuing, "You both are. I'm so thankful that you're okay, Molly." He glances back over at me and I squeeze his hand.
"I'm so sorry. If we weren't together, then you would have never been shot-" I start saying, but Carver puts his hand up to stop me. He slows the car down and pulls off onto the side of the road. Once parked he leads towards me, cupping my face in his hands, before kissing my lips with the most gentle urgency.
"Please don't say that. I don't want you to ever blame yourself for the acts of a psychopath. I want to be with you so badly, Molly. Hell and high water couldn't stop me from loving you." Carver kisses me again and my heart feels like it's about the burst out of my chest with happiness.
"You love me?" I ask, I can feel my cheeks heating. His eyes soften as a small grin forms on his handsome lips. He leans in and kisses my forehead.
"I've loved you from the first moment I saw you. Travis shoving me down those stairs and running into you was the best thing that's ever happened to me." My heart flutters at his words, but my voice is failing to let me reciprocate his feelings. I don't know if it's because Damien just shot Carver and his sister, or if it's the fact that he abducted me and kept me locked in an abandoned cabin's basement for three days, but something feels wrong about me having the feelings I do for Carver.
Carver notices my hesitation and continues speaking, "You don't need to say you love me back. A lot must being going on in your head right now, but I needed to let you know how I feel towards you before something crazy happens next." He chuckles to himself and I can't help but smile. He's always been so understanding and after everything we've been through he still wants to try and make things work.
I turn towards the window, watching the snow stick to the glass as I sink further into the heated passenger seat, allowing the two of us to fall into a comfortable silence. I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that the only reason Damien was in Montana was because of me, and every time I glance over at Carver's chest I feel an overwhelming urge to cry. If I never left New York, then Carver and I would never have gotten into the boating accident and Damien wouldn't have ever stepped foot in Montana; subsequently, Carver and Clara wouldn't have been shot by my psycho-ex, leading to them almost dying in the hospital, while trying to protect me. I know my quality of life and overall well being has significantly improved since meeting Carver, but has his? Will he wake up one day and blame me for his constant chest pain? Have I only brought stress and destruction to the people around me while I've been on my journey to healing the emotional scars left by Damien and my estranged family?
I take a deep breath and try to calm my racing mind. The trees have started to thin as Carver drives us closer and closer to Whitefish Hospital. I'm finally starting to regain feeling in my appendages after twenty minutes in the heated truck, but my toes are still pretty frozen and are going to need to be looked at when we get back to the hospital. Carver keeps glancing over at me, but doesn't say a word. I know he wants to talk about the abandoned cabin I narrowly escaped from and the craziness of Damien, but he holds his tongue and continues to drive.
We reach the first intersection just on the outskirts of town, the light turning green as we approach. Carver glances in my direction as we enter into the crossroads, his eyes growing wide and his hand reaching out towards me seconds before we're struck by an invisible force.
All I can hear is the sound of crunching metal as the passenger side door next to me takes the brunt of the blow from the oncoming truck. Carver grips hard onto my arm with one hand and clutches the steering wheel with the other. He pounds his foot onto the gas pedal, but his truck continues on its sideways course off the pavement and into the ditch lining the side of the highway. Everything feels lighter for a split second as the world outside the front windshield starts to turn upside down. We tumble into the forest, the roof of the car landing hard on the ground as a tree truck smashes into my door, forcing the truck to come to a sudden halt.
"Are you kidding me?" I exclaim, coughing up the dust that's threatening to fill up my already damaged lungs. When is this ever going to end?! I mentally shout to whatever higher power that controls all the bullshit that keeps happening to me.
"What the hell?" Carver un-clips himself from his seat and lands hard on the roof below. He kicks open his door before repositioning himself to help me try and unbuckle my seat belt. Blood drips down from the reopened gash on his forehead as he cuts the belt holding me hostage. I catch myself as I fall onto the roof, following Carver out the door and into the freezing snow. I stand and take a moment to mentally assess my body for any new injuries.
As Carver and I start making our way towards the road. the lights flick on from the truck that T-boned us. They're the same lights belonging to Travis's stolen pick-up truck. Damien steps out of the battered truck, pulling out his gun that's tucked in the back of his waistband.
"Molly, get your ass back over here." Damien hisses, directing the barrel of his gun in my direction. He's breathing hard, hot clouds of air forcing their way into the icy winter breeze, as he stalks towards the two of us.
"Damien, just let Molly go." Carver pleads, stepping in between Damien and me, "You've made your point, but this needs to stop before someone ends up dead." I grab onto Carver's sleeve trying to pull him back towards the forest, but he stands his ground. I see the reflection of a car slowly creeping up behind Damien's stolen vehicle, their lights are turned off just like Damien's were before he hit us. I faintly make out the Whitefish Police Department logo plastered on the hood of the approaching car. I look up and spot Carver smirking. He sees it too!
"Shut up, Carver! I've shot you once, I'll shoot you again. Don't think I won't." Damien steps closer to Carver and me, his eyes and gun both trailing Carver's every move. "She's my girl, not yours. So step away."
"Damien Lewis, this is the WFPD, put the gun down!" Officer Bill Wayne shouts from behind the open door of his police car. He has his rifle trained on Damien as he advances from behind the door and towards our assailant. I watch Damien's expression change from shock to rage. In an instant, Damien spins around his gun aimed towards Officer Wayne, but the officer is quicker to the trigger than my ex. The silent night is met with a thundering roar of a gunshot. Damien crumples to the ground in a pool of blood, his gun having flown from his hands by the force of the bullet embedding itself deep within his gut.
I collapse, my bare knees scraping against the frosty pavement, as tears freely flow down my cheeks and freeze instantly when they come in contact with the snow below. Damien's arm is outstretched towards me, his gaze pleading for me to come to him in his last moments. I stay where I am, watching his eyes start to fade to gray as he looks up towards the cloudy October night sky. He mumbles something to the heavens, but his curse is cut short from convulsions and gagging, his blood overflowing out his mouth and forming a puddle around his pale face. His dying body grows still, the cold air sucking all the remaining life out of him, as the snow sticks to the blood around his face and stomach.
Damien is gone. He's gone for good this time and I'm finally free.
YOU ARE READING
Finding Montana
RomanceWorld renowned writer, Molly Tulip, moves up to Northern Montana, hoping to escape the busy city life and a cheating ex. After years of stress and toxicity from her previous relationship, Molly needs to focus on healing herself through her writing...