“Not with her,” Holly said. “Dump that crazy bitch right here and right now. Or y’all best move on. It’s time to make a goddamn stand, TJ. You ain’t known that girl but a day.”

Ladarius revved the motor, rolling slow and easy beside them. Behind them, Holly facing south while the car faced north, she spotted a highway patrol car running fast and hard down the highway. The patrol car flashed its lights at them but kept on driving, heading on to something bigger and more important on down the road. Her heart had nearly stopped.

But it had been enough. TJ slid on back inside the car, looking straight ahead and telling Ladarius to go ahead and go. Stand on it. Chastity poked out her lower lip and gave a fake-ass crying face before Holly pulled her fist back and rushed forward to smack her good in her nose. That glass window went up real fast. Now it was just Holly and TJ.

“I thought you were my friend,” TJ said.

“You made your choice.”

“We ain’t coming back,” TJ said. “Not now. Not ever. Hope you got on your good shoes.”

“Y’all aren’t gonna make it,” Holly said. “You know that. Right? That crazy-ass girl is gonna get all y’all killed.”

“Go to hell.”

“That’s where y’all are headed,” Holly said, walking more, more determined now than she’d ever been. “But not me. I’m headed home even if I have to walk the whole damn way. Just don’t expect flowers and tears on y’all’s grave. I’m over it.”

NINETEEN

Raven Yancy stood on the running board of the Big Green Machine and leaned in the passenger window to get a better look at Halley. Halley had settled into Maggie’s lap as they’d waited for Raven to get a short break at the emergency room, eyes closed and sleeping as the cold wind whipped around the truck. The black woman, long and lithe with prominent cheekbones and large brown eyes, was dressed in her bright green scrubs and held her cap. She shivered and hugged her arms around her waist, saying she didn’t have much time.

“Still don’t know how this man got you pregnant,” Raven said. “When he left the hospital, he could barely walk.”

“Maggie inspired me,” Quinn said.

“Inspired something,” Raven said. “Y’all should’ve been more careful. You might’ve busted up a lung. Cracked another rib.”

“We were careful,” Maggie said. “Although we had to get creative.”

“Mm-hmm.” Raven held up the flat of her hand and shook her head. “I get it, Mags. Don’t need diagrams and in-depth explanations.”

Quinn leaned onto the center console, so Raven might hear him better. He asked if she’d heard about or seen any patients in the last week or so that might have stab wounds.

“White males,” Quinn said.

“Always causing trouble.”