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?

She couldn’t get any air. The freezer was too full, there wasn’t room to fight. She was cold and getting colder. The dead woman’s frost was seeping into her bones. She pushed again, harder, as hard as she could. Then banged with her fists, bright bursts of pain. “Roy, please! Roy, I love you!”

Through the lid, she heard his voice, thin as a blade. “No, you don’t. You want to leave.”

She made herself take a long, shuddering breath and hold it a moment as she tried to think of what to say. Of what he might want to hear.

“I’m scared, Roy, I’m just scared. I don’t know how to be married. But I don’t want to be alone, either. I want to be with you, Roy. Please let me stay. I’ll be a good wife, I promise.”

No answer. She wondered if he’d left the trailer. If he’d locked the door and gone in the house. If she was going to die in here.

She closed her eyes and felt the frost on her lashes. She was shaking now. The cold had fully penetrated her body. The corpse was like ice beneath her.

“Roy!” she shouted. “I’m pregnant!” Then screamed it as loud as she could. “I’m pregnant, I’m pregnant! With your baby.”

After a long moment, the freezer lid opened. She blinked in the sudden light. He looked down at her. “It’s my baby?”

“Of course it’s your baby, Roy.” Her voice shivered. “I’ve never been with anyone else.”

He smiled, then, flooding her with warmth. “Honey, that’s wonderful news. I knew we were meant to be together.” She didn’t dare move. Icy tendrils floated past her into the air. “Hey, let’s get you out of there.”

He reached down, scooped her into his arms again, and lifted her from the freezer as if she weighed nothing at all. She felt the overwhelming strength and power of him, the hard muscles taut under the thin T-shirt. The power to do anything. The power of life and death.

Shivering uncontrollably, she clung to him with everything she had.

32

PETER

NOW

The little white car flew across the long bridge at a hundred and ten, a rocket masquerading as a hatchback. Obviously, someone had bought the high-performance package.

Peter hadn’t driven a ride like this in years. If he could stay on the blacktop, he’d have no problem keeping ahead of that jacked-up pickup. Too bad he was headed for dirt.