After lunch, Preacher walked her from one maternity shop to another until she had a whole new wardrobe. Even as she argued with him about having more than she needed and the fact she wouldn’t be needing them again so soon, he still refused to leave without the clothes. This took hours, a lot longer than she ever hoped to shop.

It was late by the time she finished, and they had a quick supper before heading toward his truck.

Preacher put their purchases in the back of the car as she looked into the bag she’d got for the baby. Inside were a pair of the cutest booties.

“Look,” she said. “Don’t you think they’re so cute?” She walked them across the car seat between them.

He chuckled. “Yes, they’re cute.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t spill the beans that you like babies’ booties. So small and so cute.” She put the boots back into the bag, sliding the seatbelt over her swollen stomach. “Wow, it is so dark.”

“Yeah. The roads are going to be a nightmare.”

He pulled out of the busy mall and was back on the road. It was dark, and the rain came down really fast.

“I’m going to take a longer route, but it’s off the beaten track. I’m hoping to avoid the traffic.”

“Sounds good.”

She wriggled in her chair. The jacket had made the seatbelt a little too tight. She tried adjusting the belt.

“I’ve got to take my jacket off.”

“Okay, be careful.”

She unhooked the belt and was sliding the jacket off when the car was jerked to the side.

She cried out, slamming against the front of the car.

“Shit, fuck!”

“What’s happening?”

“Get your seatbelt on. Someone’s tailing us.” He growled each word out as he pushed his foot hard on the accelerator. “Call Bear. I need backup.”

In the first jolt her phone was thrown to the floor. The second, she hit her head, and she couldn’t find her phone and there was no way she could reach it if she had her seatbelt on.

“Preacher, what do I do?”

He didn’t get to answer. They were hit hard, the car hitting a dirt patch and before either of them knew it, the car flipped over, and down the dirt embankment where the bushes and trees swallowed them up.

Their car kept on moving, and as it came to a step, Robin screamed as she was thrown through the windshield.

Pain rushed over her unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

They had been pushed off the road on purpose, but she didn’t have time to think about someone purposefully trying to kill them.

Pain in her abdomen was so acute, she saw black.

****

Dazed from the impact, Preacher came to, trying to clear his senses. His vision blurred, but he heard the whimper.