The answer came from just outside her window. "Getting his ass kicked while deflecting this asshole from you. Any time you want to help me, Jess. Step right up."
Jess snorted at the acerbic shape-shifter as he cut his belt, then slammed down to the ceiling. "Whatever you do, keep him busy."
"No problemo. Using my face as his punching bag seems to be working. I'll just need you to help me find all my teeth later."
Abigail saw Sasha hit the ground near them. Oooh, that looked really painful. His face turned deadly before he pushed himself up and vanished out of her line of sight again.
Choo Co La Tah was strangely calm while the scent of gas grew stronger. And her breathing became more labored. It was hard to draw a breath while the nylon belt dug into her.
"Guys!" Sasha shouted. "You might want to think about getting out now. Flames are spreading all over the bottom of the truck."
She could hear the fire and feel the heat of it. I'm going to die.
And yet she had no fear. No idea why. It made no sense whatsoever. In fact, she was strangely calm, too. Like a part of her might even crave it.
Lying on his back, Jess kicked furiously at the windshield. "Damn. It. Break. Already. You. Sorry. Son. Of. A. Biscuit. Eating. Cat." He had the most colorful way of speaking as he punctuated every word with a solid kick.
Something let out a high-pitched whine. A second later, the windshield flew out onto the ground. Jess moved toward her.
She shook her head. "Get Choo Co La Tah first."
He hesitated.
"No," Choo Co La Tah snapped. "Free her. I'll be out in a second."
She saw the indecision in those lush dark eyes. "He's more important than I am."
Not to me he isn't. Jess barely bit those words back before he said them out loud. Every part of him cringed at the thought of her being hurt any worse. He couldn't stand to see her trapped and bleeding. It brought back memories he didn't understand.
Not memories of Matilda. These were something else. Faded images of a time and place he didn't understand.
But he saw her face so clearly.
Her face. Same black hair and that sassy smile that dared him as she crooked her finger for him to follow after her.
I will always come for you, Kianini. Nothing will keep me from it.
She laughed as she pulled him into her arms and stared up at him coyly from beneath her lashes. And I will never leave you, my heart. Forever yours.
Those words whispered in his ears.
"Get her free."
It took him a moment to register Choo Co La Tah's words, which had been spoken in a language he'd never heard before. Yet he completely understood them.
Blinking, he moved to comply as Choo Co La Tah crawled out through the missing windshield.
Abigail met Jess's determined gaze, and the horror in his eyes told her that the clock was ticking down for them. The sound of fire was now deafening. More than that, the pungent gas odor clung to them so thickly that she tasted it and it made it even harder to breathe.
Undaunted by the danger, Jess struggled to cut through the belt. The car thudded and popped.
Her time could be counted in heartbeats now. But it touched her that Jess was still helping her.
Moronic, but touching.
She put her hand over his to stop him from cutting the belt. "Go. There's no need in both of us dying."
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "I'm not leaving you. If we go, we go together."