Page 110 of Truck Stop Titan

Hammer stopped in his tracks. Ordered Mim to stop. Then aimed. Not at Mim, but the boy who was struggling to get back to his feet.

“I’ll shoot your little boyfriend, you don’t come back right now,” Hammer shouted.

Mim continued onward, now at the steepest part of the hill, practically clawing at the dirt to gain ground.

I reached Hammer, out of breath, my legs rubber, and when I reached for his arm, hoping to knock the gun from his hand, he swung. Blinding pain stuck my face, knocking me off my feet. I reached for his leg, desperate to stop him from reaching the kids.

The toe of his boot met my gut, the force knocking the breath from my lungs. My body curled in on itself, but not before he landed another kick, harder than the first. I couldn’t draw a breath. My stomach cramped, the sky swirling into a nauseating vortex above me.

He aimed again at the scrambling boy. I screamed, “Hammer! Please. Don’t!”

A blur dashed past and headed for Rocky. A crazed laugh erupted from Hammer. I watched, helpless, while he squeezed the trigger.Pop. Pop.The figure dropped.

No. No, no, no. I tried to stand, to do something, anything. I couldn’t get upright, my stomach protesting any movement.

Pop. Pop.

The earth spun in a kaleidoscope of color before fading to black.

# # #

“C’mon gorgeous. Wake up for me. Wake up, baby.”

My surroundings came back into focus. Blue sky. White clouds. A bloody beard. Sad eyes. Wetness. A sickening metallic scent.

Dane held me in his arms. Rocking. Rocking. Whispering, “Wake up. Please. Please. Please.”

“Dane.” I raised a heavy arm to touch his bloody face, curling my fingers into his beard. “Mim. Where’s Mim?”

Dane’s chest vibrated. He let out a half-laugh, half-sob and kissed my cheek, pulling me closer to his hard, trembling body. “She’s fine. She’s right here.”

Sirens wailed in the distance, drawing closer. Angry voices rumbled all around me.

“Trailer. You good? We gotta ghost,” came from somewhere behind me.

Dane stiffened. “Get outta here.” Rock. Rock. “Make him fucking suffer.”

“You have our word,” someone growled.

More shouting. Engines rumbled.

“What’s happening?” I tried to sit up, Dane’s hold tightening.

“Don’t move, gorgeous. Hold still for me, okay? You’re bleeding. Just don’t move. The ambulance is almost here.”

I raised my head to examine the damage, bile rising in my throat. My clothes were stained from the chest down. Blood. So much blood. Tears erupted, and I searched Dane’s face for explanation, though I already knew the cause. “The baby?”

“You’re gonna be fine,” he promised. “Everything’s fine.”

Liar.

Rock. Rock. Rock. His hold was fierce and steady, but cold. So cold.

Not our baby.

“Get those assholes up here!” he shouted, voice hoarse. “What’s taking so fucking long?”

Sadness consumed me, erupting into selfish sobs.

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