BooksBarbecue
Back The Runaway
Chapters (80)
  1. Cover
  2. TITLES BY NICK PETRIE
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  79. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  80. What’s next onyour reading list?

Peter just shut the door and locked it, then turned to Helene. She still held Pony’s pistol, heavy in her hand.

Peter held out a set of keys. “The gray truck is yours if you want it. The hatchback, too, but I’m sure the troopers are already looking for it. Even if you make it to another state, every cop you see will pull you over because of the damage to the windshield.”

She liked the hatchback. Faster on the highway, and better gas mileage. “Can’t I get the glass replaced?”

“Sure, but it won’t be cheap, and Roy must know he hit us. He’ll start calling body shops first thing in the morning. Plus maybe he’s got access to the remote tech on Hollywood’s car. Maybe all their vehicles have it, including the gray truck. And after I hand Pony Boy over to the cops, they’ll be looking for it, too.”

The wind sighed in the trees. She closed her eyes.

“The alternative,” Peter said, “is to ride with me and find the cops. They’re not all great, but most of them really want to help. They’ll also connect you to a social worker, who can get you medical and financial assistance. You can have your baby in a safe place. It’s up to you, but you should decide now. We need to go. If Roy has a vehicle we don’t know about, he could be here any minute.”

Helene frowned. She didn’t like her choices. Roy was worse than Bogaloosa. She didn’t know Peter at all. What if he was worse than both of them? And right now, she had zero faith in the police.

But Peter was right about the car and the truck, and also about leaving. She could feel the urgency like spiders in her veins.

She raised Pony’s pistol and pointed it at Peter. “Okay. Let’s go. You’re driving. But I’m in charge. And no cops.”

He shook his head, a wry smile forming. “Lady, you are something else.”

“Helene,” she said. “My damn name is Helene.”

41

PETER

Peter turned the truck around and headed toward the road. “Where are we going?”

He’d already wiped down the hatchback when he drove it into the evergreens. It wouldn’t help with the DNA traces they’d left behind, but Bobbie’s 911 call and an empty car, even one full of bullet holes, were probably not enough to generate a full investigation. Plus they’d have to find it first.

As they came to the highway, Helene licked her lips and looked right, then left, then right again, worry etched on her face. He reminded himself how young she was, and how desperately alone. She clearly had no plan. Nor maybe even a way to devise one.

They had to keep moving. He let out the clutch and turned right.