Chapter Seventeen

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

She opened her eyes and moaned. Her body hurt. Felt broken. She turned and looked behind her. The gas station was in flames, the hottest of fireballs. Lu’s truck was burning as merrily as everything else.

“Oh, Lu. What did I do?”

She crawled to him, lying bloody and unmoving on the pavement. His shoulder was soaked with blood, and he had cuts on his beautiful face, but she ran her hands over his arms and legs.

He seemed whole. He seemed unbroken.

“Baby? Baby, wake up.” His eyelids fluttered, and then he was on his knees, trying to stand up. Montessa put a hand on his arm. “Stay still, baby.”

“We need to get out of here.”

“I’ll get us a car. Sit tight.” She stood up and ran to the road nearby. “Help!” Montessa screamed, waving her hands above her head. “Help me, please!”

A small, white Honda stopped. A man leaned over, rolled the window down.

“There’s a fire!” Montessa said, and pointed at the blazing gas station. “I just made it out, and my friend is hurt. Ca