Read Online Kate Takes Care Of Business by Rachel Cartwright - Free Book Online Page B

certainty what she had to do. At any moment it could tip over and send them all to crashing to their deaths in the rocks and waves below.
    As far as she could tell, she and Sterling were unhurt. No one moved or spoke for a few more moments.
    Bridget began to cry.
    “Shut up!” Sterling snapped.
    “But Jeff’s bleeding!”
    “He’ll live. We’ve got bigger problems than that.”
    Kate glanced around a Jeff. He moaned and touched the bloody three-inch gash across his forehead. Kate swallowed trying to moisten her dry throat. Likely from the bottle. It could have been worse. She turned back. “He’s right. We have to get out of the—”
    The front end of the car tilted down a few more degrees.
    Bridget screamed again.
    The tilt stopped but now they were almost balanced parallel with the road.
    Kate looked at Sterling. “We have to do this together.”
    “What?” He stared at her through the uncomprehending eyes of a terrified child.
    “We have to climb in back with them to shift the weight.”
    “Are you crazy?”
    “Yeah, because I got into this stupid crotch rocket with you in the first place.” Her heart swelled with a sudden, inexplicable feeling to see Reid again. The mere thought of that possibility helped to calm her fear about the risk she was about to take.
    She glared at Sterling. “Ready?”
    He nodded.
    Gingerly, they unfastened their seatbelts.
    First, Kate wriggled out of her seat and crept into the back cramming herself on top of Jeff.
    Sterling went next and managed to scrunch himself on Bridget’s lap.
    The car creaked and the rear wheels tilted back toward the road.
    A few moments later, Sterling grabbed the door handle.
    “Wait!” But before Kate could open the other door Sterling jumped out landing feet first on the road.
    The three remaining passengers gaped at each other in shock.
    With the loss of the extra weight in the back, the car tipped forward little by little again . . . and this time it didn’t stop.
    In a flash, Kate opened the other door. “Jump!”
    Because of how they were jammed together, Kate had to push herself out first followed almost immediately by Jeff who fell on top of her. Bridget jumped out of the other door and toppled over on the road.
    Sterling just stood there transfixed, staring at his prized car as it tipped down inch by inch it until it slid off the guard rail post. It tumbled over the edge of the cliff and rolled, side over side, smashing into a pile of boulders about one-hundred feet below.
    Feeling bruised and betrayed, Kate picked herself up off the road and marched up to him. “How could you have been so selfish and stupid? You could have gotten us all killed!”
    “Hey, relax everything worked out the way you said didn’t it?”
    Bridget limped over to Jeff. “Kate’s right. You were supposed to open both doors at the same time, you asshole.” She grimaced. “Oww . . . I think I twisted my ankle.”
    “A sprained ankle and a cut on the forehead. That’s the worst of it?” Sterling spat over the cliff and stepped back from the edge. “Then stop whining like a bunch of babies and let’s agree on the best story for the police . . .” He looked directly at Kate. “And our lawyers.”
    Kate grabbed his arm. “We were speeding . . . and drinking. They’ll give us each a Breathalyzer and we won’t be able to deny it.”
    Sterling twisted his mouth into a sly grin. “Right again, Kate, as usual. None of us will have an excuse . . . except you.”
    Kate stared at him and gasped. Are you really going to try and make me do this just to protect yourself?
    “Why do you look so angry? It’s perfect.” Sterling stroked her face. “We pulled off in a secluded spot and partied too much, except you, good ol’ trustworthy, Kate, our designated driver who didn’t touch a drop.” He leaned in to kiss her. “Unfortunately, you were driving too fast and lost control but thanks to my quick thinking nobody got hurt. Our lawyers will love