For a fraction of a second, Daniel’s mind registered everything at once: the speed, the distance, the impossibility of outrunning it.
“Ethan, down!” he shouted.
He didn’t wait for a response. He dropped his grocery bag, wrapped both arms around his son, and twisted his body so his back faced the oncoming vehicle. He pushed Ethan to the ground beneath him and covered the boy completely, pressing him against the cold concrete. The world exploded into noise as the sedan slammed into a row of shopping carts, sending metal and shattered plastic flying through the air like shrapnel.
Something struck Daniel hard across the shoulder, knocking the breath from his lungs. Pain shot through his ribs, but he tightened his grip instinctively.
“Dad?” Ethan’s voice trembled beneath him.
“I’m here,” Daniel gasped. “Don’t move.”
The rain kept falling, mixing with the metallic scent of blood and gasoline. People screamed. Car alarms wailed. But Daniel’s entire world had narrowed to the small body shaking beneath his chest.
