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At the sight of the truck’s interior, Emily tries to create space between us as she jerks atwith you"

Screw this I lean into Emily and she stumbles until her back s on, but you have the biggest illegal motorcycle club in Kentucky literally on your doorstep We don’t have tiue Get in the truck now!"

Her frantic hts thing she’s ed breath, her eyes shoot to the sed from and I can read her e of the door, blocking her path "Eli’s on his way and he will protect your parents, but I can’t protect you and them at the sa that’s happening By standing here fucking with er Not et help"

"They’re etting them help Get in the truck so I can make soer side of the truck I shut her door, race around, slide in and start the engine With my cell out and the number dialed, I place the phone toand Cyrus answers, "Eli’s coerous, son The text you sent better h "The Riot’s at herher hoas and pray I don’t see headlights

Emily

WE’VE DRIVEN IN silence and,if I’m in a dreah a o we ended up on blacktop so narrow I consider it more of a path than a road There was a crudely htening how the naently jostles back and forth and dips with the occasional pothole Frohts, I can tell that the sides of the road are thick with brush and trees Every now and then a low-hanging limb sht There’s only darkness

My teeth chatter and Oz turns his head to look at me "Are you cold?"

I don’t know Am I? Oz flicks a feitches, points the vents towardain and I runmy arms The coldit’s not in a place that a heater can reach It’s past my skin, past o back for my parents"

"Maybe we shouldn’t," he responds

"Are they okay?"

His phone has rung a couple of times Oz answers it, listens, then mumbles some sort of an "okay" and drops his cell back into the cup holder Surely, he’s heard so Forever But according to the clock, forty minutes