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Nate made a dismissive sound, using the opportunity to let go of her hand before he got any dumb ideas. “Don’t be silly. You’re the toughest woman I know. Well, aside from Larissa. Oh, and Nina. And, well, now that I think about it, Shailene’s no slouch either.”

Shaking her head, her smile widened. “Shut up.”

“But if I’m not talking, what else am I supposed to do with my mouth?”

Her gaze met his, and for a brief, fleeting moment, he could have sworn he saw heat in her eyes. But then she blinked—once, twice—and it was gone.

“Finish your pizza.” She leaned back in her chair as though trying to add space between them. “We need to get back on the road. As it is, we’re running behind.”

AFTER FILLING THE TANKat the convenience store, Nate bought an energy drink for himself and an iced coffee for Dorcas. It was kind of late for a shot of caffeine, but they had a long drive ahead of them and he wanted to remain alert.

As he pulled onto the interstate and got up to speed, his phone sounded with Luther’s ringtone. Odds were the call was about Serena. Hoping for the best, Nate swiped the screen and put the phone to his ear. “Tell me good news.”

“I got her.” The bite in Luther’s voice sounded sharper than usual, and it put Nate’s nerves on edge.

“How is she?”

“Tore up. She said no hospital.” Luther paused while Serena spoke in the background, and even though it was too muffled for Nate to make out the words, he could tell the tone was angry. “Bitch, he can’t help unless he knows how you are. Now let me do my job.”

Nate muttered a curse. If the two of them managed not to kill each other, he’d consider it a victory. “Has she been shot?”

“No.”

“Stabbed?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Anything broken?”

“I don’t know. Hold up...hey, he wants to know if anything’s broken.” There was a second or two of silence. “She said no.”

Deep down, Nate knew it was wrong to kill her pimp, but damn, it sure was tempting. That worthless piece of shit had made Serena’s life hell for two years. Maybe he’d settle for breaking a few bones instead. “All right, bring her to Austin’s house. He’ll know what to do.”

More specifically, Austin would make Serena feel safe and tend to her injuries, whatever they were. She’d heal; she was young, strong, and tenacious. But she’d probably bear the emotional scars for years, if not forever.

“You got it, boss,” Luther said. “I’ll be there in about ten.”

“Good. I’ll let him know you’re coming. You think you’d be up for a drive to Okalatchee once Serena’s all cleaned up?” He’d called Ty while they’d been waiting for the pizza and had been disappointed to learn that he and Lola left for south Florida earlier that afternoon. That meant someone else had to drive Serena to Lola’s place.

The line went silent for a good ten seconds. “That’s a six-hour drive, man.”

“I’m well aware of that. You’ll be on the clock.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Dude, I don’t ask for much.” Though truth be told, Nate totally understood Luther’s hesitation. Being stuck in a car with someone for that long could get old under the best circumstances. He stole a glance at Dorcas. Well, that might not apply to everyone, but clearly, these two were butting heads, which would only add to the tension.

Normally, he’d make the drive himself, but that simply wasn’t an option and Luther was well-suited for the job. He knew the way, and he’d worked for Lola, which meant he could make the introductions and give Serena a good idea of what the job entailed. And, most important, Serena was comfortable around him.

Luther sighed on the other end of the line. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it. Let me know if anything changes.”

“Is everything okay?” Dorcas asked once he ended the call.

“Yeah. Serena—she’s the one I told you about earlier. Luther just picked her up. Her pimp knocked her around pretty bad, but she refuses to go to the hospital.”

“Will she be all right?”