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Shimmying down the wooden railing, I jump down, run down the porch steps, and onto the wet grass. I run like I’ve never run before. Long legs flying and leaping over fallen trees and branches, I can barely see; rain smacks my face, but I’m alive and running the race as if my life depends on it, because it does.
Arms pumping, feet sinking into mud now, I keep going down the road hoping I can reach town before that asshole figures out I ran and comes for me in his car.
Headlights cut through the rain, coming straight towards me.
“HELP! Please stop! HELP!” I yell waving my arms as I run in the middle of the road, the driver sees me and swerves wildly to the left.
“ROG?!” I cry, moving towards the truck.
“DEVON?!” He roars opening his door uncaring rain pummels inside his cab as he meets me in the road.
“H-he’s back there. That guy… he threatened to rape and kill me,” I pant out clutching my sides. I must’ve sprinted over a half a mile.
“HE’S DEAD!” Roger roars taking my trembling body in his arms and carrying me into his truck. He carefully places me inside on the passenger seat as if I’m made of glass, kisses the top of my head and slides the strap of the seatbelt gingerly across my chest to buckle me in. He turns his head, hot eyes meeting mine telling me what’s in his heart. His aqua eyes burn with the light of love and my hands cup the side of his jaw, “I thought I was going to die back there,” I whisper feeling the aftershock rip through me at how close I came to never seeing this beautiful man’s face again.
“But you didn’t baby. You’re strong—so strong Dev. I’m so proud of you for getting away.”
He pulls back, body getting soaked and shuts my door. I expect him to turn around, but his heavy boots press down on the gas throwing me back in the seat as the massive truck races back to the place I just escaped from.
He hands me his cell, “Call Federico and tell him what’s going on.”
With clumsy hands I do what he says through chattering teeth. He turns the heat on full blast and reaches behind him with one hand to grab his club cut and drape it over my thighs.
“Federico and Toad are on their way.”
His eyes never leave the road as we pull off to the side of the road outside the triple-decker apartment house that’s become home.
“Stay here. No matter what happens, no matter what you hear. If I’m not the man who comes back out—I need you to drive like hell. You hear me?”
“I-I won’t leave you.”
“Now is not the time, Dev. This is an order ya’ hear me? If I die—it’s so you can live.”
“Rog!” I scream seeing the assailant coming out of my apartment. Rog’s thick arm reaches across me to the glovebox where he takes out a large handgun. Bullets start hitting the truck before he can even put the clip in. He pushes my head down, “I love you.”
I almost didn’t hear his words over the spray of bullets and rain pelting the truck.
Before I can say the words back; he’s gone.
Flashes of fire erupt from the nozzle of his gun, but Gregory uses his own truck for cover and fires round after round.
Rog is gonna get hit. He refuses to use this truck as cover and I know it’s because I’m in it.
I won’t let him die for me. I want him to live for me. For us. For the chance of what could be. Without even thinking, I slide over to the driver’s seat, buckle up and move his seat. Head low over the steering wheel, my muddy foot presses the gas and I maneuver the truck hard to the right cutting off the two men.
“Goddamn it Devon!” He roars using the truck for cover now as he fires round after round. He opens the door, hauls me out and orders me to lay flat in the back of the truck bed.
Soaking wet, chilled to the bone the pops of gunfire mixes with thunder as the storm gets worse.
The two of them re-load. Both trucks are shot to shit.
“Thank God,” I whisper, huddled in a wet ball as I hear Federico and Toad arrive. The two of them shout to Rog. Gregory knows he’s outgunned.
POP.
POP. POP. POP. POP.
Silence.