the car. What the hell is wrong with me? Hysteria bubbled below the surface.
She drove several blocks, lost. “ Where is the fucking highway? ” She had to get Will out of here before they got caught. Sobs erupted, despite her intentions to hold them in.
“Emma.”
She braked at another stop sign, searching for any signs for the interstate.
“ Emma .”
She turned to look at him, gasping at the sight of his battered body. She did that to him. She didn’t beat him up herself, but she might as well have. He had the shit beat out of him because people wanted her. And she repaid him by jumping the first guy that came along. Her sobs intensified.
“Emma. It’s okay. I’m okay. Shh... stop crying.”
***
Will lay in the seat, pain deluging his body with every movement. He was sure he had broken ribs from that goddamned metal pipe. He was lucky that was all that was broken, other than his ego.
He’d seen the way that man had talked to Emma. The way he said her name with such familiarity. The way he leaned close to her before she got into the car.
The way Emma didn’t push him away.
The fact that if Will had tried to get that close to her when they first met she would have slapped him wasn’t lost on him.
Emma was beside herself with agony, sobbing so uncontrollably that Will worried she would have an accident. He knew she was upset over him, but he suspected there was more, something else she wasn’t telling him. He groaned in frustration and a sharp pain shot through his chest.
When Emma heard his gasp, she cried harder.
Maybe he was reading too much into it. “Emma, it’s okay. Turn left up here.” The entrance ramp to the highway came into view.
“Which… way?” She fought for breath through her hiccups.
Which way? He couldn’t protect her in this condition. He didn’t even protect her just now, some other guy did. His gut burned in fury. He was lucky she wasn’t hurt or dead. He still had to find Jake and get answers about what all this fucking shit meant. He couldn’t do that while worrying about her. She needed protection. He couldn’t get the answers and protect her at the same time. He needed help.
“Go north.”
Her mouth dropped open in surprise. “North? But Jake was in Arizona and the Vinco Potentia is north.”
“My friend James lives in Minnesota,” he gasped for breath as pain stabbed his side. “He’ll help us.”
Her eyes widened. “Can we trust him?”
“He’s been my best friend since second grade.” He hung his head, holding his breath. “If I can’t trust James, I don’t know who I can trust.” He realized too late bitterness had slipped into his words. Emma shot him a look of shock, mixed with fear. What the fuck had happened?
“Will, I have to take you to a hospital.” She swiped the back of her hand across her cheeks, a look of determination in her face.
“No.” He laid his head back, wishing he had some type of narcotics. But he wouldn’t have taken them anyway. He needed to be alert in case they were attacked again.
“But Will…”
“No. You know we can’t. They’ll find us.”
She sucked in her breath, her eyes welling with tears again. Will felt pain in his arm, where his mark was.
Fear seized his chest. “Emma, are you hurt?”
“No, don’t talk, Will. Just rest and tell me what to do.” Her sobs became uncontrollable again. “Tell me…what to...do.”
His mark burned, the pain worse than his side.
***
Emma drove through the night. Will wanted her to stop, worried that she would get tired since she was always tired these days, but her guilt kept her awake. Every so often she noticed Will rub the mark on his arm.
He dozed off and on. The pain in his side bothered him more than he admitted. She could feel it inside her own body when it got intense. She offered to stop and buy him alcohol to help ease his discomfort, like he had when she was shot, but he refused. Raphael told her she could use the pendant to
She drove several blocks, lost. “ Where is the fucking highway? ” She had to get Will out of here before they got caught. Sobs erupted, despite her intentions to hold them in.
“Emma.”
She braked at another stop sign, searching for any signs for the interstate.
“ Emma .”
She turned to look at him, gasping at the sight of his battered body. She did that to him. She didn’t beat him up herself, but she might as well have. He had the shit beat out of him because people wanted her. And she repaid him by jumping the first guy that came along. Her sobs intensified.
“Emma. It’s okay. I’m okay. Shh... stop crying.”
***
Will lay in the seat, pain deluging his body with every movement. He was sure he had broken ribs from that goddamned metal pipe. He was lucky that was all that was broken, other than his ego.
He’d seen the way that man had talked to Emma. The way he said her name with such familiarity. The way he leaned close to her before she got into the car.
The way Emma didn’t push him away.
The fact that if Will had tried to get that close to her when they first met she would have slapped him wasn’t lost on him.
Emma was beside herself with agony, sobbing so uncontrollably that Will worried she would have an accident. He knew she was upset over him, but he suspected there was more, something else she wasn’t telling him. He groaned in frustration and a sharp pain shot through his chest.
When Emma heard his gasp, she cried harder.
Maybe he was reading too much into it. “Emma, it’s okay. Turn left up here.” The entrance ramp to the highway came into view.
“Which… way?” She fought for breath through her hiccups.
Which way? He couldn’t protect her in this condition. He didn’t even protect her just now, some other guy did. His gut burned in fury. He was lucky she wasn’t hurt or dead. He still had to find Jake and get answers about what all this fucking shit meant. He couldn’t do that while worrying about her. She needed protection. He couldn’t get the answers and protect her at the same time. He needed help.
“Go north.”
Her mouth dropped open in surprise. “North? But Jake was in Arizona and the Vinco Potentia is north.”
“My friend James lives in Minnesota,” he gasped for breath as pain stabbed his side. “He’ll help us.”
Her eyes widened. “Can we trust him?”
“He’s been my best friend since second grade.” He hung his head, holding his breath. “If I can’t trust James, I don’t know who I can trust.” He realized too late bitterness had slipped into his words. Emma shot him a look of shock, mixed with fear. What the fuck had happened?
“Will, I have to take you to a hospital.” She swiped the back of her hand across her cheeks, a look of determination in her face.
“No.” He laid his head back, wishing he had some type of narcotics. But he wouldn’t have taken them anyway. He needed to be alert in case they were attacked again.
“But Will…”
“No. You know we can’t. They’ll find us.”
She sucked in her breath, her eyes welling with tears again. Will felt pain in his arm, where his mark was.
Fear seized his chest. “Emma, are you hurt?”
“No, don’t talk, Will. Just rest and tell me what to do.” Her sobs became uncontrollable again. “Tell me…what to...do.”
His mark burned, the pain worse than his side.
***
Emma drove through the night. Will wanted her to stop, worried that she would get tired since she was always tired these days, but her guilt kept her awake. Every so often she noticed Will rub the mark on his arm.
He dozed off and on. The pain in his side bothered him more than he admitted. She could feel it inside her own body when it got intense. She offered to stop and buy him alcohol to help ease his discomfort, like he had when she was shot, but he refused. Raphael told her she could use the pendant to
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