The Criminal Soulmate

Chapter Seven

Leanna soon discovered that Dylan's idea of finding new transportation involved purchasing two train tickets to take them farther south. At the rate they were going, they would end up halfway across the world at the end of the month.

"Please explain to me how moving farther south every few days is going to help us?"

His green eyes shifted from the window to her. "They won't think to follow us down there. As far as I'm concerned, they have business to do up north. Where we came from."

"Well, I don't want to just leave it all behind and forget about my parents. How do I even know I can trust you?" Leanna crossed her arms over her chest, ignoring the curious stare of the child sitting in the seat across the aisle.

Dylan groaned, slouching farther down in his chair and staring back out the window. "You're still alive, aren't you? That should be enough evidence to prove you can trust me."

"I can't trust you when I'm still your prisoner. You locked me inside your car trunk. In the middle of a storm."

"And look at what that got me. My car is destroyed. We had to leave it behind."

"Your car was ancient. I told you it would break down at any time." If she were honest, she couldn't remember if she'd said those words, or just thought them.

A terrible screech filled the air, and the train came to a jarring halt. Leanna flew forward in her seat. With a cry, she threw her arms out to avoid colliding with the back of the seats in front of her.

Her head never made contact. Instead, two large hands wrapped around her shoulders and yanked her backwards. When she turned to thank him, a scowl was etched into Dylan's face.

"Consider yourself lucky you didn't smash your face. I don't want to deal with a broken nose. Not after the shit I've had to go through the past day. First, we run into Morgan and Tom. Then, my car gets destroyed. This has been the worst week of my life."

"Morgan? Tom?" said Leanna, blinking away the shock from earlier.

Dylan's scowl deepened. He whirled back to face her. "Huh?"

"It's just—you said the names of those two people back at the motel. But I never told you their names, and I don't remember them introducing themselves to you, either."

Dylan swore. Without saying another word, he pushed past her into the aisle. Leanna watched with barely concealed wonder as he disappeared into the small bathroom at the front of the train car.

The action made her think of another time when he'd run off without any explanation.

The first night she'd been taken from home. When she tried to escape, and Dylan had gotten uncomfortably close to her. She could still feel his nose trailing down her neck late at night, as if the memory hungered to replay through her mind. As much as she wanted to hate him, there was still a little part of her that couldn't help but wonder.

Leanna sighed, clambering into Dylan's seat to look out the window. They'd come to a halt in the middle of a large field. Cows grazed on the other side of a fence, wide eyes staring at the strange monster in their midst.

A lurch almost sent Leanna pitching headfirst again, but she gripped the arms of the seat so tight her knuckles popped white against the skin. Loud groans rattled the train, and it started chugging along the tracks once more.