I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 470

Xander's pupils dilated as his reflexes kicked into overdrive. Before Nora even registered the danger, he violently wrenched the steering wheel, pivoting the vehicle to absorb the impact at the least vulnerable angle.

The deafening crash echoed through the intersection like an explosion.

The airbags deployed instantly, and the cabin was immediately filled with the harsh, chemical smell of the deployment gas and the shrill screams of the terrified children.

Nora's head slammed hard against the side window. A sharp, blinding pain shot through her temple, and her vision went completely black for several seconds.

Ignoring her own injury, she frantically twisted around. Cassie and Bonnie were securely strapped into their car seats. Though they were terrified and sobbing uncontrollably, neither appeared to be physically hurt.

Without a moment to comfort them, Nora turned back to Xander. Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over her cheeks without warning.

"Xander! Are you okay?"

Xander slowly opened his eyes. His voice was weak, but he was completely lucid. "I'm fine. Stay in the car and lock the doors. I'm going to check outside."

Nora gripped his arm, her voice trembling violently. "Don't get out! That wasn't an accident! Look at The Cargo Van!"

Before she could even finish, she saw The Black Sedan that had been tailing them screech to a halt a short distance away.

The doors flew open, and The Hired Thugs stepped out. Dressed entirely in black, they gripped heavy steel pipes, advancing toward their car with menacing deliberation.

Finnegan planted himself firmly between the men and Xander's vehicle. "Get out of here!"

Xander roared, "Finnegan, are you out of your mind?!"

Taking a blow to the side, Finnegan yelled back over the chaos, "Get them out of here, Xander! Get to safety! If you don't care about yourself, think about Nora and the kids!"

Xander wasn't the type to back down from a fight, but right now, the stakes were too high. The police would be arriving any minute anyway.

He scrambled back into the driver's seat. Seeing him try to escape, the thugs lunged forward to intercept the car. But Finnegan tackled them recklessly, wrapping his arms around their legs and dragging them down, refusing to let go no matter how hard they beat him.