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They had an array of gas station rolly food -- taquitos, tornados, and various sausages -- as well as hot sandwiches, salads, and cup desserts.

I snagged us a bunch of everything and some drinks while Tillie and Venus went to the restroom.

The guys would want to take five minutes in the parking lot to wolf something down, but Venus and Tillie might not want to inhale their food.

I unloaded my cache of goodies onto the counter to pay when Tiny came up behind me. “Do you even have money to pay for all that?”

“Nope. Knew you were on the way. Figured by the time the young lady finished ringin’ everything up, you’d be here to foot the bill.”

Tiny stared hard at me while we stood there as the girl totaled everything. “This is payback for me laughing at you earlier. Isn’t it?”

“Ain’t sayin’ it is, and ain’t sayin’ it isn’t. But I will say I feel a whole lot less bad about makin’ you pay.”

Tiny barked out a laugh even as he pulled out his wallet and handed the clerk some bills. She sacked everything up, and me and Tiny waited for the women. Piston stood at the door keeping an eye on the parking lot.

As we approached the older man, Tiny shifted his sacks to one hand. “What is it, Piston?”

“Not sure. Just a feelin’.”

“While you were taking care of Tillie,” Tiny said, “I captured one of the guards and tied him to the tree stand they were using to keep an eye on the road and the farmhouse. I made sure he understood Tillie was under our protection and they were to back off. Menendez’s men know better than to tangle with us because of our relationship with the Miles family. ”

Piston grunted. “Menendez has been getting cocky. Don’t count him out yet.”

“The cartel doesn’t care if people stay away from the place.” I shook my head. I wasn’t going to borrow trouble. “Menendez just doesn’t want anyone messing with that road. With Tillie gone, that’s a win for him.”

Piston took in a deep breath and held it before letting it out slowly. “Yeah. Maybe.”

Now I looked at the shadows in front of the parking areas with suspicion, seeing threats where there were none. “Maybe we shouldn’t linger.”

Tiny nodded. “Yeah.”

Venus and Tillie emerged from the bathroom. Venus quartered the area as they walked the length of the store toward us. Venus’s gaze landed on Piston’s, then mine. Her face hardened and her eyes grew even more focused than usual. Tillie seemed oblivious to the undercurrents surrounding her.

We all exited the store, headed to the truck and bikes. Then, the glass storefront of the truck stop exploded, raining shards across the sidewalk, and the sudden crack of gunfire shattered the night air.

“Down!” I shoved Tillie to the concrete, covering her body with mine as bullets peppered the ground around us.

The gas pump next to Tiny’s truck burst into a shower of sparks.

There must have been an emergency shut off tripped somewhere, or we were just lucky, because the place didn’t erupt in an explosion that would have leveled a whole fucking city block.

A black SUV with tinted windows roared past, muzzle flashes illuminating the dark interior as the shooters unloaded in our direction. Venus hit the pavement and rolled, coming up on one knee with a pistol already drawn. She squeezed off three shots at the retreating vehicle.

“Fuck!” Chains bellowed, blood streaming from his upper arm as he ducked behind a concrete barrier. “Menendez cartel!”

The SUV screeched around the perimeter of the truck stop and came back for another pass. Oktober and Griffin were already moving, weapons drawn, taking positions behind parked semis.

“Stay down!” I pressed Tillie harder against the ground as another volley of bullets ricocheted off the metal fuel pump above us. Her body trembled beneath mine, but she remained silent, her arms going up to cover her head instinctively.

“Xavier,” Tillie whispered, her voice barely audible over the chaos. “What’s happening?”

“Not sure, honey.” I kept my body covering hers, my eyes scanning for an opportunity to move. The SUV was coming around for another pass. “When I say go, we’re making a run for Tiny’s truck. You stay low and do exactly what I say, understand?”

She nodded against my chest, and I could feel her heart hammering wildly. The rhythmic thud of boots on pavement told me our backup was repositioning.

“Piston! Left flank!” Venus’s voice rang out, clear and commanding despite the mayhem.

The SUV’s engine roared as it accelerated toward us again. I moved Tillie to the wall at the corner of the building and pinned her between the hard brick and my body, covering her as completely as I could.

Several gunshots rang out in the night as all around us, people screamed and ran for cover.

Piston waited until the vehicle was clear of the pumps and any bystanders before he fired off a shot at the same time Venus did.

Each of them got one back tire and the SUV skidded as it made the turn out of the parking lot and onto the interstate ramp.

“They won’t get far,” Piston growled as he holstered his weapon.

“Come on, Tillie.” I snagged her hand and tugged her along with me. I heard Tiny giving Knuckles the rundown on the phone as I lifted Tillie into the truck and followed her. “Are you hurt, honey?” I tried to keep my voice calm to reassure her. The woman was going to be scarred for life after this.

“No. I didn’t get hurt. I promise.” Her eyes were wide, but she didn’t seem like she was on the verge of panic. “I thought I heard someone yell during the… commotion.”

“I think Chains got hit, but it looked more like the bullet grazed his arm.” Tiny said as he ended his call. “All in all, we got out unscathed.”

“What about all these people?” Now Tillie looked concerned. “Won’t they tell the police?”

“Likely. But don’t worry. Knuckles will take care of everything.” I smiled down at her. “Buckle up. Tiny’s gonna speed things up just a hair. I don’t want to take any unnecessary chances. OK?” She nodded and did as I told her.

Once we were peeled out of the parking lot, we came across the same SUV on the side of the road. “Fuck,” Tiny swore softly. “Wanted to take the state road because it’s less likely to be watched, but I ain’t takin’ chances with these fuckers still out there.”

“At this point I think speed over stealth is the better option.”

“Yep,” Tiny agreed. “I think you’re right.”