Page 113 of Truck Stop Tempest

A laugh bubbled from my chest. I was about to die, and still, I was scared of the storm.

“What’s so fucking funny?” Erik dropped me to my feet. My legs gave out and I slumped to the floor.

Wiping hair off my face, I lifted my chin. “I’m not scared of you.”

“What?”

“You’re going to kill me, and I’m not scared.”

A smile evident in his voice, he snapped, “I’m not going to kill you, stupid kid.”

“No?”

The bully squatted out of striking distance. “Fuck, no. Our arranged marriage was bullshit. Jeremy promised to make me his successor when you and I tied the knot, but really, he only wanted to keep me around ‘cause I played his game better than anyone. I was his favorite fucking toy. Sick fucker thought he was using me? I was using him, keeping him busy with his perversions while I built my own empire behind his back. He’s dead now. Feds are crawling all over the place. Time to move out of Idaho. Besides, got more lucrative dealings in the works.”

“So why are you here, then? I don’t matter anymore.”

“Oh, this is the fun part. Found a buyer in Texas. Rich fucker. Likes his girls small and young. But when I told him you were Carver’s daughter, he paid top dollar. Said he’s known you since you were a baby, always had an eye on you. Didn’t even matter that you’re legal now. He said you still look young enough.”

“You sold me?”

“I sold you. Get up.” He nudged my shoulder. “Need to get on the road. It’s a long drive.”

So many emotions, so many thoughts tumbled through me, I couldn’t make sense of anything other than defiance. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Afraid you don’t have much of a choice.”

I mimicked his growl, “‘Afraid you’re gonna have to kill me.”

That earned me a slap.

He fisted my hair. Grunting, he rose to his feet and dragged me across the checkered tile floor, my thrashing nothing more than an annoyance.

When he pushed through the double doors, he froze, his fingers loosening. “What the fuck?”

I twisted and turned to look.

Despite the dire situation, the violent, morbid scene, I smiled.

She smiled. Fucking smiled. Despite the cuts, bruises, and blood, and even with her muddy, mangled hair, I’d never seen anyone, or anything, more beautiful.

“Tuuli. You okay?” The words left me on a choked groan.

Laughter bubbled from her throat. Yeah, she looked like a mad woman. Yeah, she was on her hands and knees, a dead man’s fingers twisted in her hair, holding her at his mercy, but she didn’t cower, she didn’t cry. She laughed.

Ignoring Tuuli, Erik asked, “Where’s Riley?”

I stretched my bloody knuckles, itching to rile the guy. “Which parts of him?”

“What’d you do?”

“I did what needed to be done.”

The sky lit up outside, throwing another blinding flash through the diner, distorting Erik’s features, exposing the demon inside.

Tuuli’s eyes widened and her lips moved, counting, one, two. Boom.

My bunny laughed harder. Girl was losing her shit. I had to get the situation under control.

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