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 on your reading list?

Then she imagined walking into a hotel again. She’d have her purse and her overnight bag, too. Her money, her daddy’s gun, her mom’s notebook. She remembered Frank’s advice, on the way to Klamath Falls. Don’t spend the night. Don’t meet us in the morning. Just find the bus station and take the first ride out of town.

She shrugged. “Okay.” Helene found herself putting a soft hand on Roy’s arm and a smile on her face. “I can’t wait to have a long hot shower. You know I love hotels.”

“Hon, I’m real sorry, but we don’t have time for that. Besides, I need you with me.”

“Roy, I don’t think I’m cut out for your kind of work.” He gave her a look. She swallowed and kept going. “I mean, I’m happy to keep you company on the road, I’m happy to drive all night if that’s what you need.” She dipped her chin and wet her lips and widened her eyes like the popular girls in school used to do. “You know I’ll do anything you want, baby. But please don’t make me go to work with you again.”

He ran his hand up the inside of her thigh. “Really, hon, you’re such a big help. The fact that you saw that cop right away? That was huge. You saved us. You’re part of the team now. You’ll sleep in the truck, with me. Just a few more days.”

So much for the hotel.

Roy found a place to pull over and Helene climbed behind the wheel. He sat beside her for a few miles to coach her on driving with the long trailer, then crawled into the back. Soon he was snoring.

Whenever Frank drove, Roy always slept through the gas stops. Well, she could stop for gas, too. Take his keys and open the trailer and find her things and walk away. Find a ride going anywhere. She’d look for a woman or a family, but she wasn’t going to be picky. She’d pay whatever price she had to pay. What were the odds that the next guy would be a killer?

Roy’s snores got louder. No way someone could fake that noise. When she came to a long, straight section of the road, she turned on the overhead and swung his keyring up into the light. There were fewer than before.

The three trailer keys were gone.

—

When she reached Colorado, Roy woke and took over the driving again. Low on gas, he stopped at a ratty little place that made the Gas and Grocery seem like a palace. It was after midnight. She asked him for her backpack but he was glued to his phone and shooed her away like a child. She didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, thinking she’d have another chance soon enough.