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?

The cruiser was airborne.

His stomach felt the lift of freefall.

49

HELENE

Locked in the back of the second police car, with the suffocating smell of blood from the dead officer in the driver’s seat, Helene watched through the rear window as the red taillights grew smaller and smaller.

A moment later, they vanished over the edge of the hill, as if they’d never been.

Roy raised both arms in the air as if his team had just scored a touchdown.

Peter was gone. She was on her own.

She’d always been on her own, she knew that now. Even her mother hadn’t been able to help, not really. She was no match for the ruthless, murderous world.

Helene’s neck ached from Roy’s fingers on her throat, and it hurt to swallow. Her wrist throbbed where he had grabbed her. She was beaten and broken. She’d run out of tears.

Roy was too strong for her. It would be so easy to give up. To give in.

Then she thought about what her mother might say. What Helene had embroidered on the hem of that dress, so she’d be sure to remember. We can do hard things. She wrapped her arms around the baby in her belly.

Maybe she couldn’t fight Roy, not now. But she would bide her time. She didn’t have long before Roy learned the truth of her pregnancy, but she would watch and wait. She would keep herself ready.

When the time came, he wouldn’t catch her again.

One way or another.

Roy led Frank and Hollywood toward her, talking to the other men over his shoulder. She could hear them clearly because Hollywood had left the front doors open after searching the car. She remembered how he’d stuck the officer’s pistol in his waistband after taking the cash from his wallet.

“We’ve bought ourselves a few hours,” Roy said. “We better make good use of them. First thing, we’ll get across the bridge and drop Hollywood and Pony at Pony’s truck.”

In front of her, Pony Boy leaned against the side of the first police car, eyes up to the night sky. Beyond him, an older truck stood silent. She’d never seen the truck before.

Roy reached the cruiser, opened the door to her cage, and held out his hand. She didn’t take it.

“Be nice, honey. I know I was harsh before, but it’s for your own good. You needed to learn how things were. Now, do you want to ride inside the truck? Or I can wrap you in a tarp and throw you in the bed. It’s up to you.”

She took his hand. Gently, he helped her from the cruiser. Frank walked ahead, averting his eyes. Hollywood passed them, headed for the older truck. The pistol was in front, with his shirttail raised up and tucked inside the grip.