AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The engine's purr settled into a steady thrum, a sweet fuckin' lullaby after the night's violent crescendo.
"Shit." Ella said. "You just... you took them down. All of them. I can't believe you did that."
"Yep."
"Where to now?" Her question came out a whisper.
"Anywhere but here." My grip on the steering wheel was ironclad. Afraid to loosen, afraid to let go, just in case this was all a dream. "Gonna drive until sunrise, put every shitty mile between us and that hellhole."
"Sunrise..." She murmured, leaning back against the seat, her gaze fixed on the blur of the passing streetlights. "Haven't seen one of those in a while."
The darkness swallowed us whole, the city limits a fading memory in the rearview. Priscilla's empire, that den of vipers and violence, slipped away with each mile, as did the man I'd been before Ella Trevaine crashed into my life like a fucking tornado.
"Chris?"
"Uh-huh?"
"Thank you... for everything."
"Save the thanks for when we're really out of this shitstorm." I kept my eyes on the road.
"Okay, then." Ella paused, her silhouette soft against the leather. "For what it's worth, I'm glad it's you behind the wheel."
"Wouldn't want it any other way." Gruff affection bled through the edges of my words.
We drove on, silence our companion as the city's chaos faded to nothing but a bitter aftertaste. Ahead lay the unknown, a challenge I'd take on with fists ready and this fierce, fucking radiant woman by my side.
Fourteen: Ella
The highway stretched out endlessly before us. We'd been driving for a couple hours and were trying to find a spot to stay. Finally, in the distance, a motel. Its sign flickering intermittently as if debating whether it was worth the effort to stay alight. "Vacancy" blinked in a scattered pattern.
"Looks like shit," Chris muttered, his voice a low growl as we pulled into the gravel lot, loose stones crunching beneath the tires. He scanned the surroundings. Only one car parked in front of the rooms. Maybe they were on the run too.
"Cozy," I countered, forcing brightness into my tone. He turned and looked at me incredulously.
We approached the front desk, the bell dinging above us. The clerk barely looked up from his magazine, interest piqued only enough to take in our silhouettes standing at the counter. No names, no questions—just the way we needed it.
"Need a room for the week," Chris said, his words clipped, hand already shoving a wad of cash across the counter.
"Top floor, end of the hall," the clerk grunted, pocketing the money with greedy fingers before sliding over a key.
"Great." Chris's response was terse, the lines of his tattooed hands tensing as he grabbed the key.
We climbed up the stairs, the wood creaking under our weight. Honestly, I was surprised it didn't collapse.
The room was... disgusting to say the least. The walls were stained with the memories of previous occupants, the musty scent clung to the floral bedspread.
"Home sweet home," I said, my attempt at humor falling flat as I surveyed the space. The single window offered a view of nothing but a brick wall, another layer between us and the world outside.
Chris locked the door, slid the deadbolt into place, and turned to me, his expression unreadable. There was a rawness there, a wildness that both scared and attracted me.
I set my bag on the dresser, the surface scratched and worn. My fingers traced the grooves, as I got lost in my thoughts. What the hell happens now? Mindlessly, I began to unpack the small items I'd had with me. A toothbrush. Some wet wipes. Not much, really.
"Trying to get comfortable?" Chris's voice rumbled, pulling me from my thoughts.
"Something like that." I tried to smile.
"Good." He strode toward me, the air charged with his presence, commanding and yet vulnerable in a way that only I seemed to see.
