After my pump clicked off, I reset the gas cap and went inside for my change and road trip goodies. Cruising the aisles with a basket, I gathered up beef jerky, chips, and peanuts.
I passed Gus again when I moved on to the drink section.
He nodded, but didn’t say anything. I’d never heard him utter a single word.
At the register, I added three energy drinks for good measure.
The clerk rang me up, bagged my items, and handed over my change.
Now I had smaller bills for next time. After setting the bag of snacks and drinks in the passenger seat, I headed back inside for one more thing. I should make sure I didn’t have to stop again for a while. In a few hours, Virginia would be permanently in my rearview mirror.
Freedom here I come.
Scarface glanced at me before returning his attention to fueling his car. He still hadn’t recognized me—another piece of good news.
Inside, I stopped at the register again. “Can I get the bathroom key, please?”
The clerk handed over the key attached to a piece of broom handle. Nobody was going to put this in their pocket and walk off with it.
Luckily, the restroom behind the building wasn’t half bad by gas station standards, but the light didn’t work. The little bit of illumination from the narrow window above the door was enough, so I locked the door.
When I finished, I washed up, grabbed the stick attached to the key, and made my way outside.
The bright sun was blinding compared to the darkness inside.
A grunt came from behind me.
Something hit me from behind, throwing me forward onto the gravel.
“Stuck-up bitch,” the man’s voice said.
The sudden pain in my knee was intense.
Then, the wind got knocked out of me, and was replaced by intense pain as a foot slammed into my ribs.
I clamped my eyes shut, covered my face with my hands, and curled up in a ball.
“Rich bitch,” the man added.
The next kick struck me in the head.
Chapter 12
Luke
On the way toward Brooklyn’s, I approached the interstate, and there it was, parked in the gas station. I hadn’t been looking for it, but it was hard to miss with the unpainted fender in the front.
It was Miss Distracted’s VW. The girl who’d almost cost me my van was going to get a talking-to about paying attention to the road instead of her stupid phone.
I made a U-turn back to the station, and as I turned in, I almost got hit by some guy peeling out in an old Mustang. Defensive driving had to be the motto for me this month.
Coming to a stop on the other side of the pump, I didn’t see anyone by the car. After sliding my card into the card-reader, I started filling up while I waited for Miss Distracted to return.
The hose wasn’t in her car, so she had to be inside buying smokes or some shit like that.
My pump clicked off when the tank filled. I unhooked the hose and tightened my gas cap, while still waiting for the demolition derby driver to show. Cleaning my windshield used another few minutes, but still no Miss Distracted, so I headed inside.
A quick check of the aisles came up empty—no girl.
“Can I help you find something?” the guy behind the register asked.
“The girl with the VW out there. Where’d she go?”
He rolled his eyes. “Took the bathroom key a while ago. It’s around back.” He started coming around the counter. “If she’s in there getting high, I’m calling the cops.”
Another car drove up to the pumps.
I held up a hand. “You’ve got a customer. I’ll go check for you.” Around back would be a better place than out front for the lecture I intended to give Miss Distracted anyway.
A state police cruiser drove by on the road. Why did the cops hand out speeding tickets like candy around here, and do nothing about the real menaces on the road like her? It was just another reason for me to hate anyone with a badge.
“Thanks,” the guy said as he returned to his stool behind the register. “Around back to the left,” he added as I reached the doors.
When I rounded the corner to the backside of the building, a girl with bright auburn hair was sprawled on the ground, moaning softly.
I ran up. “Can you hear me?” I knelt beside her.
Rage boiled in me. It was Debbie. She had blood in her hair and scratches on her face—most likely from hitting the gravel—a bloody knee, and who knew what else. She moaned again.
Remembering my training, I touched her hip and asked, “Can you move your feet?” Kicking the shit out of whoever had done this could wait.
She answered by rolling to her side and lashing out at me. At least she didn’t have a spinal injury.
I grabbed the arm that came at me. “Debbie, I’m not going to hurt you. Calm down. I’m one of the good guys.”
Debbie
I shivered from the cold, and everything hurt like hell.
“Debbie, I’m not going to hurt you,” he said. “Calm down.”
He knew my name. Everything was a blur as I blinked the one eye I could open. The other had dirt in it and hurt like the devil. I pulled in a breath so painful all I could manage was a moan in response.
I struggled for a second, but it just hurt too much. As the fog cleared, I remembered the voice that had called me a bitch. This wasn’t him. I took in a shallow breath.
“What happened?” I rubbed my good eye to clear my vision.
He let go of my hand. “You should tell me. Can you sit up?”
I pushed up a bit and groaned at the pain. Then I saw the tattoos and recognized the jacket and the face. “Luke?”
“Easy there.” He helped me the rest of the way to sitting.
But the pain was too much, and I laid back down.
“That’s not going to work, Princess. We’ve got to get you to the ER.”
“It hurts,” I complained.
“What’s wrong with your eye?” he asked.
I tried again to blink it open, but it hurt. “Something in it.” I brought my fist up to it.
He grabbed my hand away. “That’s the worst thing you can do, Princess. You don’t want to scratch your eyeball. I’m calling 9-1-1.”
“No,” I said as loudly as I could manage. The cold had me shivering still. “Please, no.”
Dom had a cousin on the force, and anything that went through the call center might make its way to him sooner or later. I couldn’t risk that.
“Okay, then. Come with me. We’re going to wash that out.” He leaned over and took my arms. “Up we go.” He lifted me to my feet. “Can you walk?”
I leaned on him and nodded. “I think so.” After the first steps, the searing pain in my hip and chest were almost too much, and I lurched.
He caught me, and I grabbed on to him, concentrating on one step at a time.
Together we hobbled the few steps to the corner of the building where I saw my purse.
I pointed at it.
“I got it,” he said, shouldering the bag.
We made our way around to the front.
I held on to him for support and appreciated the warmth as I shivered.
He guided me toward the pumps. “Where’s yours?”
I nodded to my little car as I clung to his arm.