A maroon dragon flapped its wings then swooped from the stormy sky in Hayden’s direction, teeth bared. She screamed and dodged as it breathed flames that licked her cheek, ribs, and feet. At least they also warmed her a bit. Why was she running across a glacier in her nightshirt anyway?

Another rumble, this one decidedly more mechanical than animal.

When she looked over her shoulder again a giant robotic Bobby Joe chased her, its eyes glowing like embers. A loud hiss followed. Was the dragon circling around? She’d be trapped between the two monsters.

Hayden tumbled to the side as the ground shook.

When her sore arm hit the freezing ground, she finally roused from the nightmares plaguing her to an even more grim reality.

It was still dark when she jolted awake. She cowered in the corner of a cold-as-fuck metal box, her gaze darting frantically around her. Hayden couldn’t make out much, but it was enough to know she was not in her bed.

The whoosh of an air brake made it clear what had inspired the dragon of her dreams.

Fuck! It came back to her in a rush.

She’d hidden in that gleaming livestock trailer attached to the mammoth semi from out of state. The one now rolling with her still in it, jostling her with every bump down the unpaved road leading off her neighbor’s ranch. By the time she fully realized what was happening, they’d hit the main street and picked up some speed. She could probably jump off, tuck and roll, flashing her ass to anyone around. Or pray that he got stopped by the town’s single traffic light before easing onto the highway.

But then where would she be? Homeless, broke, and in danger of crossing paths with Bobby Joe before she could come up with some other way out of this shithole town.

Fate could be trying to tell her something. Maybe she should listen. Take the free ride.

At the first real stop the truck made, she could bail, try to find a homeless shelter that might have some donated clothes, then beg for work or hitch to somewhere farther away. Somewhere she could begin again.

It was going to be uncomfortable. Staying would be unbearable.

So she clung to the metal bars, gritted her teeth against the wind already whipping through the open sides of the trailer, and prayed for the sun to come up as quickly as possible.

What felt like years but was probably only a few hours later, Hayden’s teeth chattered uncontrollably. She’d started eyeing the extra bale of hay a while back when her bladder began to protest. It was becoming an emergency situation.

Didn’t the guy driving this thing need some damn coffee like a normal human being? Maybe he had a fucking thermos. She would kill for a sip from it right now. Hell, she’d blow a stranger at the truck stop just to wrap her fingers around his hot drink for a minute or two.

Fine. Didn’t he need a post-coffee poop break after guzzling all that warm, delicious, caffeinated liquid? Something, come on!

Anything to get her out of this mobile jail cell. Her entire body ached, even the parts the sunshine piercing between the aluminum slatted walls of the trailer didn’t highlight as bruised or swollen. It was official. She despised Bobby Joe and what he’d become, and especially what he’d done to her.

When the truck decelerated and took an exit, Hayden crossed her fingers and her toes in addition to her legs, which were already squeezed tight to prevent an accident.

She psyched herself up for what she had to do. As they slowed further, she struggled to stand and attempted taking a few steps to work out the kinks in every muscle in her body. Her legs shook. Why hadn’t she worn sweats or even some leggings to bed the night before?

How was she going to explain being half-naked when they got wherever the hell they were going? She was about to find out.

The rig rolled to a stop. One final jerk and they were finally stationary. Holy hell.

Her ears rang without the rush of air, the whir of the tires on the pavement, or the surprisingly loud noise of passing cars. How did cattle manage to survive a ride like this? The experience might turn her into a vegetarian, though right then she would have been glad for a few cows to snuggle up to.

Hayden peeked between the rows of metal to see if the coast was clear. The truck’s driver, who seemed younger, tougher, and definitely hotter than she’d imagined, moseyed inside the station to pay for his fuel or maybe finally empty his gigantic bladder.

She’d never been so jealous of a person using a gas station bathroom in her whole life.

Though her oblivious savior had turned out to be a heck of a lot finer than she’d imagined in his well-worn jeans, fashionable cowboy hat with matching boots, and sleeveless orange-and-blue plaid work shirt, which put an array of fierce tattoos on display, he also seemed like the kind of man she didn’t care to mess with. One as dangerous—and very likely more capable—than Bobby Joe. One who might not appreciate her joy ride in his trailer. Time to go.

Steadying herself with one hand on the wall, she inched toward the side door.

Looking around furiously, she figured this would be about as good of a chance as she’d get. But right before she slipped out, another truck turned into the lot. They pulled directly on the other side of the pump from where she stood.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

It wasn’t like she could walk out of here and act like it was no big deal. A woman so inappropriately dressed was going to draw some attention. When someone cracked some snide joke about her trucker’s bare-assed lady friend, he was going to have some questions she didn’t particularly care to answer.

Had she broken any laws by stowing away in this rig? How understanding would he, his boss, or the cops be if she busted out of here covered in hay and not much else? Would he take matters into his own hands and use her situation to his advantage? More likely, the authorities would cart her off straight to a psych ward. At the very least, they’d probably arrest her. She didn’t have money for bail or anyone to call to come get her. She couldn’t afford trouble.

Gritting her teeth, she glanced longingly at the nice warm station and the cute diner attached, where she might be able to take on the shittiest duties to earn a hot meal, then back at the freezing corner of the trailer, where she’d hunkered down for a couple hundred miles.

She’d done it once. She could do it again…right?

No choice. Because here came handsome driver dude while the newcomer was still fueling up.

Hayden crawled back to her straw, gathered it up as best she could, then dove beneath it for camouflage.

Silent tears fell down her cheeks as she made herself as small and invisible as possible until the truck began to move once more. She bawled as she relieved herself on a few handfuls of straw like the animal Bobby Joe had turned her into. Then she threw it out the side of the trailer, reducing what little insulation she had from the elements.

Once she had the cover of darkness, or they pulled off the major highway onto a road with more cover where the driver would reduce his speed, she’d ditch her ride.

Until then, she simply held on.