Page 8 of Desert Heat

“You won’t know until you try one on.”

“That’s deep.”

“Yep. You deserve better, Savvy then this life. Then where your brother ended. I can’t risk Linc hurting you if he catches wind on what I have planned for him.”

“And what is that?”

“It’s best you don’t know. Go. Go girl and don’t look back. When things simmer down, we’ll discuss your return. Although by then you might not want to.”

“The desert heat is in my blood. I had plans to be the first female Prez.”

He cocked a brow. “You’re too good for this life, princess. I think you’ll like what you find in the back of the car I left. You better get a move on. Classes start in three days.”

“How did you even pull this off I never even applied to college?” I shook my head in disbelief that all these doors just opened.

“You deferred for a year to volunteer at an orphanage in Haiti according to your admission essay.”

“The fuck?”

“I paid twenty grand to get fudge your transcripts and SAT scores. Our Chapter in Boise has a lock on all this college pay for play shit. It’s a damn good business.”

“I was never a student.”

“Nope you weren’t, but you’re as smart as they come, Savvy.”

“Maybe my mouth?” I joked trying not to cry. He was home. Imperfect. Built like an Ox with bad manners, he was all I had ever known. My mom was a stripper in Albuquerque who left when I was about five. She left Dad for a drug lord in Mexico. He never talks about her. Hell, I don’t even know if she’s still alive.

“Come here.”

I walked into his open arms my hot tears falling on his shirt. “Ssh, don’t cry. It’s what’s best for my baby girl.”

Three hours later and I was sneaking out the window of the safe house under the watchful eye of moonlight and a thousand desert stars. The burner cell had an app with coordinates.

A mile down the dirt road from the safe house I found a Range Rover Sport. She was black with a beautiful light tan interior the color of my favorite foamy latte.

I popped the trunk finding literally at least five grand worth of new clothes. “What in the hell? Oh, hell no.” I lifted a pair of faux fur fuzzy boots with chunky heels. Everything had a label on it. I wondered if Dad bought all this shit or if it was part of the load of goods The Outlaws had taken from the Bastards.

“Well at least now I know where you went for three days. Doing all this shit.” I closed the trunk and turned on the engine. I had a full tank of gas, a new name and shit ton of faux fur trimmed clothes.

The car alerted me my destination was 37 hours away. “Fuck me,” I breathed. I’d never traveled much. Sometimes Dad would let me join the runs to California or Texas.

Never north.

I bit my lip wondering if I could squeeze in a pit stop to New York City. I mean I wasn’t wearing half that shit. A text on my burner had me pulling over.

UNKNOWN:Remember, you’re a new person now. Change your hair. Dress different. Blend in. Don’t draw attention to yourself. People will know I sent you into hiding. Don’t let them find you.

Me:KK

I put the phone down and put the Rover into reverse. I guess I’d have to trade in my snakeskin boots and turquoise rings for faux fur and Uggs. I’m not changing my hair though. F that. My long brown locks are my pride and joy. The one time I attempted to change them in junior high they turned orange instead of “sun-kissed” like the box advertised. \

Lost in my thought, I drove for eight hours straight before turning into an off-interstate dinner. I drank four cups of coffee black with sugar while passing on the pancakes I really wanted, choosing a breakfast sandwich instead. Carbs would make me sleepy, but protein might keep me awake. I opened the new Mac Pro that was also inside the car and hooked up to the free Wi-Fi so I could check out Bradbury. It looked sleek. Expensive. But I’d be lying if it was anything short of magical. The kind of magic you once believed as a kid when watching Christmas movies. Old stone buildings covered in snow with soft glowing lights were on every landing page. Students dressed in designer puffer coats sporting cheeks reddened from the wind. I never dreamed of stepping into a world like this. Nerves made my palms sweat just a bit. But I was the Outlaw Princess. I had survived so much shit living in the desert. Rattlers and scorpions the least of it. No, rich preppy as fuck private college was going to get the best of me. I left a twenty on the table and stood tall. “Ready or not motherfuckers, here I come.” My turquoise sterling silver rings still adorned my fingers. I wasn’t taking those babies off until I reached the border of Maine.

CHAPTER 3

“That’s her? The princess?”My voice dripped disdain despite my quickening pulse. She was stunning. With a stubborn chin. Don’t fuck with me deep brown eyes. Whoever said brown wasn’t a beautiful color was a moron. Her hair was dark as the desert night, long and full.

“She’s tall for a girl.”

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