The rain fell harder as she saw Chastity standing by the side doors to the truck stop, talking to some old man in a ball cap. The old man reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, crushing some bills into Chastity’s hand. TJ watched the girl lean over and kiss the man on the cheek before running through the lot, zipping around trucks in the rain, and back to their car. She slammed the door behind her, shaking the rain from her hair.

“Well,” she said. “We can eat. Or we can drive.”

“How much did you get?”

“Twenty dollars,” Chastity said. “I told him I was the leader of a youth choir group and we’d run out of gas.”

“Isn’t that sweet.”

“No man can resist a pretty little girl with a Jesus complex.”

“You and John Wesley go ahead,” TJ said. “I just want to close my eyes for a minute.”

“I could do it again,” Chastity said. “You know.”

TJ had her seat reclined, eyes closed, trying her best not to worry about Ladarius. At least she knew he was alive and okay, even if he had been caught. Maybe that was all for the best. She shouldn’t have gotten him or Holly mixed up with this mess. This was her fight, and she’d keep running and telling the truth until that son of a bitch was in jail.

“You okay?” Chastity asked.

“I’m fine.”

“You should’ve been with me inside,” she said. “They got TVs up all over the place and all I saw was you and Ladarius. You two are famous as hell. More famous than I’ll ever be. I only saw me one time and no one seemed to even notice. They said he’s in stable condition. Did you know some dogs got on him?”

“I know.”

“How’d you know?”

“I called the sheriff this morning,” she said. “The one back in my home county.”

“Rookie mistake, TJ Byrd,” she said. “I don’t think you need to call anyone until we’re watching a mariachi band and drinking tequila somewhere in Cancun.”

“Hell of a dream.”

“You got something better?” Chastity said, eyeing TJ and reaching out to brush the black bangs from her eyes. “The new hair is a good look. Glad I made the post last night before we had to leave Texarkana. Let your fans know about the new TJ Byrd.”

“Maybe some of the cops won’t recognize me now.”

“That’s not why we did it,” Chastity said, patting TJ’s leg before opening the passenger door. “We did it because it looks cool as hell.”

*   *   *