Chapter 17: The Truth About Maya
They drove for six hours straight. Stopped at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. Desert on all sides. No other cars. No witnesses.
Phoenix filled the tank. Jayce and Maya went inside to buy food and water. The clerk didn't even look up from his phone.
Jayce grabbed sandwiches. Bottled water. Energy drinks. His hands were still shaking. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Victoria-Malik's face. The blood. The empty eyes.
"You okay?" Maya asked quietly.
"No."
"Yeah. Me neither." She grabbed first aid supplies. Bandages. Antiseptic. "Phoenix is going to need these. He's still bleeding."
They paid. Walked back to the car. Phoenix was leaning against the hood. His shirt was soaked with blood. The bullet wounds hadn't closed.
"You're supposed to hea
