Broken World by Kate L. Mary Read Free Book Online

steering wheel tightly and his lips purse. He and his
brother do the same thing when they’re thinking.
    He’s silent for a few minutes. His hands
relax. “She was a bitch. Hit me and screamed at me. But I still cried when she
died. Go figure.”
    “That’s ‘cause you’re a pussy.” Angus
chuckles to himself.
    “It’s because she was your mom,” I say.
    Axl looks over at me. “Would you cry, if
your dad died?”
    “Not now. I’m an adult. But if it had
happened when I was a kid, I probably would have.”
    He nods, but he frowns like Angus’s
words really bugged him. He doesn’t say anything else. Neither do I. I still
want to know how she died, but I’m not going to ask. He obviously has a lot of
issues with his mom.
    We drive in silence after that. I grab a
paperback book out of my purse and read for a while. It’s an erotic romance.
The more I read the more I’m aware of Axl sitting next to me. So close I can
feel his body heat. I squirm in my seat and finally slam the book shut. This
isn’t the time or place. After that I just stare out the window, letting the hours
pass while I imagine how I’ll feel when I see my daughter.
    A yellow sign catches my eye. “Next
check point sixty miles,” I say to Axl, reading the sign as we pass it.
    “We’re gonna stop here though.” He
points to a building in the distance. “We’re gonna need gas before too long.
Who knows when we’ll see the next open station.”
    I glance over my shoulder. Angus lounges
in the middle row, flipping through a Penthouse. Seems like the kind of reading
he would pick. Joshua is passed out in the third row. I can’t even see the top
of his head from up here.
    The car begins to slow, and I turn back
around. The building is a gas station/diner combo, and it’s old. Like
everything else on Route 66. Just before we turn into the parking lot, we pass
a large, handmade sign. It’s nothing more than a piece of plywood with words
painted in sloppy, white letters. Next Gas Station 80 Miles.
    The parking lot is packed. Cars line up
at the pumps. It’s incredible how many people are here, considering you can go
for an hour or more and not see another living soul on the road.
    A few cars have handwritten signs in the
windows that say things like Need Gas, Please Help . It reminds me of the
man from the diner. He was out of cash and nowhere near home. What happened to
him?
    “We’re gonna get gas first.” Axl pulls
up to the back of the line. “Who knows when these stations are gonna run out.
People’ll really be screwed then.”
    “Not us, brother.” Angus leans forward.
“Even if we don’t make it all the way to the coast we’re prepared.”
    Axl nods and his eyes meet mine. I can’t
get all that expensive camping gear off my mind. His eyebrows pull together,
but he doesn’t say anything. Neither do I. Truth is, I’m not sure I care how
they got their gear. Not as long as I make it to Emily.
    We wait for thirty minutes. Angus goes
back to reading his magazine while Axl and I sit in uncomfortable silence. He
glances at me from time to time. He almost looks nervous.
    Axl gets out when we finally make it to
the pump, and Angus clears his throat. The sound is thick and phlegmy.
    “You’re not gonna screw my brother. Ya
hear me?”
    I twist around to face him. His
expression is hard. I hold his gaze for a few seconds. His eyes are the same
color as his brother’s. How did I not notice that before? Only they’re
different. They are pure violence.
    “I have no intention of screwing your
brother. I already said that.”
    “Good, then we’re on the same page. We
been through a lot, and I ain’t gonna let some whore stripper come in here and
rip this thing apart. We’re blood. Ain’t nothin’ stronger than that.” He raises
his eyebrows like he’s challenging me.
    The speech would be sweet if it wasn’t
so threatening. But there’s nothing protective or loving in his words. I know
his kind inside and out. It’s all