Page 125 of Privilege

“You can’t go without me. You go, I go.”

“Listen to me—”

“You go, I go, Ren.”

He dragged in a breath.

Sharp, and painful.

It’d be worse without her, though.

He knew that.

Breathing was so much harder without her.

And fuck, he was selfish, too.

He should have made her stay.

“Together, then?” he asked.

Lucia smiled that smile—through her panic and her fear and all of it. She smiled, and her fists clenched his jacket tighter than ever. Like he needed the reminder she was right there, and not going anywhere.

“Ride or die, Ren.”

Yeah.

Him and her.

Until the end …

Ride or fuckin’ die.

TWENTY-ONE

“What’s he doing?” Renzo asked.

Lucia didn’t even have to ask who Renzo meant. He’d been asking that same question every half hour or so. Like he needed to keep checking on his little brother, even though she knew good and well Diego was still sleeping in the back seat, because the boy might up and disappear otherwise.

Glancing over her shoulder, Lucia found Diego in the same position he had been the last time Renzo asked. Facing the rear seat, his back turned to them, covered by his favorite blanket, and still hugging his stuffed dino close. He was out, and he wasn’t bothered at all by what was happening.

“Still sleeping,” Lucia said, righting herself in the seat.

Renzo nodded, and let out a small sigh. “Good.”

“Hey.”

For the first time since they got on the highway, Renzo glanced sideways at her. He’d been so focused on driving, and putting as many miles between them and the place they’d come from as he could. She didn’t fault him for that, or his lack of attention. She did wish she could make it a little better for him, though.

“It’s going to be okay,” she whispered.

A slow smiled curved the edges of Renzo’s lips. “That’s debatable.”

“Ren.”

“But it’s going to be a hell of a lot better with you, Lucia.”

She smiled widely.