For as long as Boyd can remember, he's been pushing pins into a map. Carson City, Las Vegas, Albuquerque -- all places he wants to see, for a dozen different reasons that wouldn't mean a thing to anyone else. When he finally gets a chance to purchase the '70 Plymouth Duster of his dreams, at a price that even he can manage, Boyd jumps at the opportunity.<br><br>Oliver seems like just another kid with a broken dream when their paths cross in Vegas. Against Boyd's better judgment, he offers to let Oliver hitch along for the ride when Oliver confides the need to get out and get gone.<br><br>But isn’t long before Boyd realizes Oliver's reasons for running are more complicated -- and more dangerous -- than Oliver let on. Boyd doesn't like people who play hardball, and he definitely doesn't like people messing with a man who's managed to light a fuse that Boyd forgot he had.

Road Trip

What felt like an hour later, but what was, in reality, probably no more than ten minutes later, Boyd managed to snap the locking pin with the corner of the buckle. He wiggled the buckle until the prong wedged underneath it and tugged. The lock lifted as easily as if he’d grabbed it with his fingertips. With a sigh of relief, Boyd opened the door and dropped into the passenger seat.


“Holy shit! You did it!” Oliver grabbed the door and tried to catch Boyd’s eyes.


Boyd denied him, turning in the seat and flumping on to his back. For a long minute he simply let the heat of the interior bake into his ass and his spine. He let the brilliance coming through the windshield paint ever-moving swirls of color under his closed eyelids. This is what she looked like, he told himself. This is what she’ll look like again


Chapter 24