Building Her Throne Burying My Heart (Claire) novel Chapter 69

I barely made it through the night. By the time the sun came up, blood loss and exhaustion had drained every ounce of strength from me. My body felt cold all over. I couldn’t stay awake any longer, my eyes shut on their own, but at least I’d managed to tie myself to the tree before I passed out.

Not long after, hikers on the mountain came across the mess. Broken branches, tire marks, debris everywhere. It didn’t take them long to piece things together.

“Was there a car crash here last night? Look at this tree, the branches are wrecked.”

“Yeah, that’s what it looks like. Must’ve happened late. How did nobody notice?”

“Wait, hold on. Is that... is that a person over there?”

Panic set in. Someone grabbed their phone and called the police. The rescue team showed up fast. I could hear their voices, feel them moving around me, but I couldn’t open my eyes or say a word. Still, as more people gathered, a spark of hope lit up inside me. I was going to make it. Relief hit me so hard it sent me straight into unconsciousness.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital bed.

A nurse was checking my blood pressure. When she saw my eyes open, she leaned in with a gentle smile. “You’re awake. Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

I glanced at her badge. It was a different hospital than Darleen’s, thank God. At least I didn’t have to worry about word getting back to her.

“I’m alright. Just weak and kind of hungry,” I said.

“That’s normal after what you’ve been through. If you need anything, or if you start to feel worse, let us know. We want to make sure you’re okay.”

She turned to leave, but I stopped her. “Excuse me, can I ask something? Was it just the rescue team who brought me here?”

She looked uncertain, thinking it over. “Yeah, as far as I remember. Nobody else has come to see you since you were admitted. If you have family, you might want to let them know you’re here. I heard someone from the hotel might stop by later, though.”

“Sure, I’ve got an old one at home. It works, even if it only cost me twenty bucks. I’ll bring it with me.”

I ended the call and gave the phone back to the nurse.

When I pulled back the blanket, I saw my thigh wrapped tight in bandages. Moving was out of the question. My head was bandaged, too, and I could spot smaller cuts and bruises here and there.

I lay back and stared at the ceiling, letting last night replay in my mind. Why did the car spin out? Why did the brakes give out like that? The only explanation was sabotage. Everything was fine with the car when we drove up the mountain. No problems at all. No one had gone near it except for Garrison.

Garrison.

The memory snapped into focus. He was the only one who’d gotten inside the car. He said he needed to find something, so I left him to it and went to eat. I never watched him. When he came back, he was smiling, too friendly, almost smug. It felt off at the time, but I didn’t think much of it. Now it all made sense. That was his chance. He must have done something to the car.