“Are you okay?” Liam asked, reaching across the space between us to run his hands over my body.

“I’m fine,” I assured him, though my neck hurt. “I’m more worried about you.”

His last-minute maneuver meant the impact had centered on his side of the vehicle. I could already see that the door was damaged, the frame no longer fitting properly. I looked down at his legs to see if they’d been crushed or injured. There was a cut on his thigh, blood soaking his shorts. I grabbed a discarded towel from the back seat and pressed it to the wound.

“Fuck,” he muttered. “It’s just a scratch, but it hurts like a bitch.”

The door on my side was yanked open, and a bear of a man with wild brown hair and worried eyes loomed over us. It took a moment, but I eventually recognized him as Warren, the auto mechanic who’d fixed the paint on my car after it had been keyed.

“Anyone injured?” he asked in a low, rumbly voice.

“Not badly,” Liam replied. “But we’ll need to be checked over by a paramedic.”

“I’ve already called,” Warren said. “An ambulance is on its way. Police and fire too.” He unbuckled my seatbelt. “Let’s get you out of here.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and helped me out of the seat. He set me against the side of the Ute. “Wait here while I help Liam. He’s going to have to climb over. His door won’t open.”

I nodded, but he was already back at it. When he emerged a moment later, pulling Liam with him, I gave a sigh of relief. Except for his bloody thigh, Liam seemed unharmed.

Sirens wailed nearby, and lights illuminated the darkening street as an ambulance and a fire engine pulled to a stop a few yards away. Asher jumped out of the ambulance and hurried over, a bag clutched in his hands.

“Shit, man, you scared me,” he said to Liam. “What hurts?”

“My leg, mostly,” Liam replied.

“Excuse me, miss.” I turned to find a female paramedic waiting for my attention. “Were you in the accident?”

I nodded. “I’m okay. My neck hurts a bit, and my back and chest too, but Liam is the one who needs help.” I couldn’t believe he’d intentionally turned the vehicle so he’d take the brunt of the crash. He’d avoided hitting the wall head-on, which could have injured us equally, and pulled around to protect me from the impact.

“Asher is with Liam,” the paramedic said soothingly. “You’re my concern. Let’s give you a check-over just to be sure you’re as fine as you think you are. Okay?”