Page 6 of Wrecked for Love
A knock sounded on the door.
Already?
I slipped inside the bedroom, moving soundlessly to the nightstand. My fingers closed around the Ruger in the drawer, grip tightening as I braced myself to use it.
“Hey, Claire. It’s me!”
I let out a breath at the sound of the familiar voice—my coworker from the café.
“Hey, George,” I called, staying behind the door. “What’s up?”
“Just wanted to see if you’re up for breakfast tomorrow.”
“Ah, um, maybe another time.”
A pause. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Just in the middle of something.” I stayed perfectly still as if he could’ve been one of The Revenants. Ridiculous? Maybe. But not to me.
“All right. Goodnight!”
“Night.”
As soon as his footsteps faded, I resumed the exit routine. I cleaned the place meticulously, following the steps I’d perfected. Erasing every trace. Severing every tie.
I packed my bag, my motions quick and practiced. This wasn’t new. I knew exactly what came next. One last stop before I could leave this town behind, like so many others.
Then, like muscle memory, I was running again.
2
CLAIRE
Somewhere in Montana
The past few days had blurred into one long, sleepless stretch. Driving through backroads I didn’t recognize, barely stopping, barely thinking.
Now, in the dead of this pitch-black night, I didn’t even know where I was anymore. The radio signal had cut out miles ago, but the classics from New York’s own The Strokes still blasted from my CD player. I’d scored a second-hand Sony Discman in a little shop in Cleveland, and along my travels, I picked up a few vintage albums—that was back when I still dared to wander among urban civilization. With all sorts of adaptors, I’d managed to hook up the Discman with the car’s sound system. Streaming was off the table; anything that involved setting up an account was a no-go.
I wiped at my face, unsure how much longer I could keep going. Rick’s death still rested on my conscience. He wasn’t the kind of man to have enemies. I had brought the enemies to him. I was the threat, even if I hadn’t meant to be. There were times when I wished that knife had ended me. Maybe then I couldbe with Cody, back to causing harmless trouble—before The Revenants tore everything apart.
Exhaustion wrapped around me, pressing in from all sides. Dizziness clawed at my senses, making the world wobble and spin.
And as if the universe had one last cruel joke in store, the car sputtered before going silent.
Out of fuel.
I didn’t even have time to curse myself before a beam of light split the darkness. A flashlight. On instinct, my fingers reached for the gun at my side.
The figure in the distance came closer. The beam of light was harsh against the inky blackness, making it impossible to see anything else.
“Turn around! This is private property!” a commanding voice yells.
I staggered out of the car and gripped the door like a shield. My legs felt like jelly. How long had I been sitting? Too long. But I couldn’t let this guy get to me. Not when I had no idea what his intentions were.
“Not a step closer!” I warned, pulling my gun.
The headlights, still powered by the battery and a manual override, blazed on him.
