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Something was definitely wrong.
The truck’s air conditioning struggled as they drove through the barren South Dakota badlands, but the heat was a small price to pay in Kevin’s opinion for such stunning views. Percy was not nearly as fascinated with the bison and prairie dogs they drove by, but Kevin thought it was all beautiful. The signs for Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore were tempting, but he ignored them and kept driving.
They had stopped for gas in Sundance, Wyoming, where Kevin had been thrilled to add a Sundance Kid magnet to his collection. Even though he was worried about Percy, he tried to focus on the positive. He knew they were headed in the right direction, and he knew his wings were closer than ever now.
They’d only been back on the road for about an hour when Kevin spotted the signs for Devil’s Tower, a well-known landmark for its role inClose Encounters of the Third Kind. He was about to ask Percy if he’d ever seen the film when smoke suddenly poured out from under the hood of the truck, the engine sputtered, and Kevin had to pull over on the side of the road.
The truck was completely dead.
He tried turning the key again, and the engine gurgled, groaned, and then did nothing.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Kevin shouted.
Percy stared at the smoke. “I admit my knowledge of cars and their functions are limited, but is it supposed to do that?”
“No. No, it’s fucking not.”
CHAPTERTWELVE
Kevin did his best not to panic about being stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing around them for probably miles, and he took a deep breath. He unbuckled his seat belt and offered Percy a strained smile. “I’m gonna check it out.”
“I’ll help supervise,” Percy said with a wink. “Come on, peaches. It can’t be that bad.”
Kevin slid out of the truck, pausing to pull the lever to unlock the hood. He closed his door and then walked around to the front of the truck. When he popped the hood, smoke came billowing out in a thick, black cloud. “Fuck me.”
“Maybe later. This doesn’t seem like the right time,” Percy teased as he joined Kevin. He eyed the engine. “So. That’s not good.”
“No, it’s fucking not,” Kevin grumbled again as the smoke cleared away enough for him to take a look. He leaned in to examine the engine, check the fluid levels, and so far, nothing seemed amiss, but…
Oh shit.
There was a hole in the damn radiator.
“Shit.” Kevin groaned. “Houston, we have a fucking problem.”
“How bad of a problem?” Percy asked. “Bad as in we should set the truck on fire and start over? Or just a minor bad where we can fix this with chewing gum or something and get back on the road?”
“You’re not setting my truck on fire,” Kevin said firmly, giving Percy a warning glare as he walked around to lean against the driver’s side door. He sighed in frustration. “Chewing gum ain’t gonna fix it either, MacGyver. There’s a hole in the radiator.”
“Would you like me to give it the ol’ demon try?” Percy sauntered over to stand in front of him. “I’m still very powerful, not to mention attractive and charming. I’m sure I can repair a hole in a radical.”
Kevin snorted, a smile tugging at his lips. “You’re very much all those things and more.”
“Obviously.”
“One quick thing.” Kevin leaned in to steal a quick kiss. “If you wanna fix it though, you should know it’s a radiator.”
“Details.”
“By all means, give it the ol’ demon try.” Kevin waved, and his heart broke a little thinking the truck might actually be toast. He knew Percy’s powers weren’t still fully recovered yet, but they couldn’t afford to be stranded like this.
“Stand back now.” Percy waited for Kevin to be clear of the truck before he raised his hand toward the hood. “This is going to—” He’d barely wiggled his fingers before he went flying into the dirt. He landed on his back, looking both surprised and extremely angry. “What in the fuck was that?”
“Percy!” Kevin ran to his side, dropping down beside him. He helped Percy sit up and pressed his hand over Percy’s chest. “Are you okay?”
“I’m just dandy.” Percy grunted, laying his hand over Kevin’s. He glared at the truck. “That damn heap of rust is fucking warded.”
“What do you mean?”
