Unknotted

She was dressed in her armor again, everything concealed but her eyes. She had one foot on the step rail, a hand on the opened passenger door. What was she doing here?

“Show me your hands,” I shouted, taking quick steps toward her. “Hands!”

She rolled her eyes and jumped in the cab instead.

“Rokan?” Chet shouted from somewhere on the other side of the truck. “What—”

“Tides,” I swore under my breath, holstering my weapon and running for the cab. “The target’s inside!”

She was so small she could barely peer over the dash. The engine fired up. She jerked the wheel sharply to the left and the truck lurched forward. I dashed ahead and snatched the passenger door handle. The door fell open. I gripped it with two hands as it swung out, hanging me over the ground. The engine roared louder, and the truck gathered speed.

Gritting my teeth, I used the momentum of the truck and the swing of my legs to catch my toes on the step rail. As the truck swerved around the SUV, a cloud of dust kicked up behind it. Through the cloud, I could barely make out Chet and Tydeus running after us. With us bumping down the road at top speed, they wouldn’t catch up on foot, but they would in the SUV. Thank goodness I left the keys in the ignition.

“You know, running into you is getting pretty old,” Topaz shouted. “Big bump, hold on.”

The truck leapt over the pothole. My grip slipped. I fumbled for the grab handle by the door and managed to catch it as she hit another bump that threw my feet off the step rail. Muscles straining, I pulled myself back onto the step rail and threw the passenger door open.

“Funny,” I ground out, “I was thinking the same thing.” I gripped the interior grab handle and pulled myself into the cab.

A boot met my side, throwing me against the door that hadn’t latched. The door flew wide. I tumbled toward the opening. I caught myself with a hand to the door frame and a toe hooked under the dash. The truck swerved as Topaz slammed her feet into me again. I braced myself though, taking the brunt of the hit that made my ribs creak.

Twisting, I caught hold of one of her boots and jerked the door closed to keep her from kicking me out and under the tires.

“You have been nothing but trouble since we met.” I dodged around a kick aimed for my face. Always the blasted face with this woman.

“I would have been no trouble if you had just left me alone the first night.” She glanced toward the road and steered the truck back onto it. She must have put the cruise control on because even with her feet off the pedals, we were trundling through the brush, kicking up dust and debris.

“I was only trying to return your book.” I snatched her other leg. I had her locked in an awkward position, her legs stretched across the seat, her hands gripping the wheel until her gloves pulled tight over her knuckles. “It’s not my fault the Core had other plans, which thankfully, fell through. I can’t imagine ever being knotted to a woman as psychotic as you. Do you have a death wish?”

“No.” Her legs thrashed against my grip. “But I don’t fear it so long as I can save a few lives in the process.”

“Who exactly are you saving right now?” I climbed up her legs and sat on her thighs “All you’re doing is risking the lives of everyone in the trailer with your terrible driving.”

She pulled back, the fabric of her mouth stretching as if she were gaping. “I am not a terrible driver.”

“From what I’ve seen, you’re the worst driver.” I grabbed the wheel and strained against her hold on it. “Hit two cars, and now you can’t stay on the road.”

Twisted as she was, her chest was pressed against my shoulder so I could feel how hard she was breathing. She shoved against me, and the wheel jerked one way, then overcorrected. Brush and grass crashed against the undercarriage as we sped off the road again.

“That’s your fault.” She pulled the wheel, and we bounced back onto the road. “You’re going to get us all killed.”

“No, you are.” I clicked off the cruise control and pulled my gun out, leveling it at her chest. The truck rumbled along but was slowing. “Turn off the engine.”

Topaz focused past the gun to glare at me. Her hands tightened on the wheel but made no move for the keys.

I clicked the gun’s safety off. “I won’t ask again.”

She glared at the windshield, then lunged.

I pulled the trigger.