Page 27 of Dirty Gambit

“I wasn’t—”

“Look, you’re hot and all, but let’s not try and bond, okay? The faster we get this done, the faster we can both continue on with our lives.”

“You do, though, you know. Have potential, I mean.”

Lena rolled her eyes. “Trust me, I don’t. Now, stop talking before I gag you.”

“You’re not a criminal.”

The absolute conviction in his voice had coils tightening around her gut, a serrated length of barbed wire twisting itself like Christmas lights around her ribcage. The jagged points left deep scars in the soft tissues of her soul, painful reminders of all her sins, things she could never be redeemed for. Thinking otherwise was only lying to herself, which was the final nail in the coffin where her decisions lay. It was the only push she needed to take the shortcut off the main road. She couldn’t stay with him in the car. She couldn’t risk running late. She couldn’t sit there and let him convince her she was a good person. It was too dangerous. With the amount of gas they had and no foreseeable delays, they could reach their third stop, swap vehicles, get fresh supplies, and get back on track before dawn. It was the only way she was going to save her sanity.

Mind made up, she took the next exit off the main road. The frame rattled with the sudden plunge off the pavement and onto pitted dirt. Something clunked, emanating a concerning crunch somewhere under their feet she was sure was going to come around and bite them in the ass if she’s wasn’t careful. Everything jostled and jumped the deeper they roamed between a weather-worn fence and miles of low wheat. The turbulence made her teeth chatter and her fingers tighten around the wheel. She wondered how long it went on for and if it would eventually smooth out, but doubted it; country roads were notorious for ruining cars.

No turning back now,she thought grimly. It was only a small relief that there was still enough daylight to not have to worry about wild animals leaping out into her path and dry enough that they might not get stuck in the mud. All minor blessings, in her opinion.

“I’m hungry.”

The confession turned her attention to the other adult in the car and his serious expression.

“Now?” she cried, unable to fathom how when they were being tossed around like a nut salad.

“Is there a better time?” he asked. “All I’ve had all day is drugged water and an apple.”

Lena ignored the jab. “Can it wait?”

“Potentially.”

“Then wait!”

A turn appeared in the road ahead, a rolling curve she would have missed if she hadn’t been paying attention. With it, the path seemingly narrowed even further, barely wide enough to keep her mirrors from hitting the sides. She was starting to wonder how that could possibly be considered an exit when the first bead of rain smacked into the windshield.

“What? No!”

Her gasp of horror was met with another droplet, then another. Soon, it was pinging off the hood and splattering against the glass. The steady patter increase to a thundering roar in mere seconds. What little light remaining in the day was enveloped in a wall of heavy clouds, obscuring the already questionable path.

Rather than risk their lives, Lena pulled to a rolling stop. Twin pricks of light illuminated a short two feet ahead, mostly veiled in rain, but not at all enough to go by.

“You probably shouldn’t have stopped,” Jaxon muttered from the backseat.

“Well, I can’t keep going,” she replied, tension making her voice tight. “I’ll crash us.”

“But now, I’m fairly certain, you’re stuck.”

Refusing to believe that, Lena tried the gas, just a light tap to prove him wrong.

The tires spun with a whining growl, but the car remained firmly wedged into place.

“What … how?” she cried, nudging a bit harder. “I only just stopped.”

“The ground is usually softer out here and mostly sludge when it rains.”

It irritated her to no end to ask, but she gritted her jaw and forced the words through her teeth. “What do I do?”

She couldn’t see his face in shadows, but she could almost hear his shrug when he answered.

“Call a tow truck.”

The useless assistance had her rolling her eyes. “That isn’t helping.”

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