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got to my feet, stretching to get the kinks out of my muscles. The swelling in my arm had gone down and I was able to move it without sharp pain. There was still some discomfort, but Michael was right, by the time the sun set tonight, it would be fine.
    The lock on the back was unclasped and, as the door rose, I backed up until there was nowhere else to go. The bright sunlight colored half the floor and I exhaled when the upward progression of the door stopped half way. Naomi peered inside.
    “I figured if I was hungry, you’d have to be , too,” she said to Michael and her gaze shifted to me while Michael stood and handed me the mural. He gave me a nod and I returned it before glancing back at Naomi.
    “You doing okay?” she asked as Michael climbed out of the vehicle.
    “Yeah,” I said. There was no reason to tell her how fucking cold it was in here because there was nothing she could do right now to warm me up. She gave a nod and closed the door. The lock clicked into place, leaving me drenched in darkness.
    No more than ten minutes went by and the lock unlatched again and the tail lifted part way. She stood with an armful of blankets, sliding them inside with a smile.
    “I thought these might help.”
    If I could have kissed her at that moment, I would chance the blisters, but both she and the blankets sat in the direct sun.
    “Thank you, babe,” I said and the door dropped again. The moment the lock engaged, I scrambled to the pile. She bought six heavy blankets with different Indiana sports teams on them. I didn’t even look at the logos, instead, I stretched out on the mattress, wrapping myself in the warm fleece, thankful she had given it some thought.
    Soon after, both doors to the cab slammed shut and I sighed, curling tighter into a ball to retain warmth and dragged the laptop closer to me. I stared at the email, reading Lucifer’s ultimate threat again. Each word shot pain through my entire form and I closed the cover, rolling onto my back and staring into the dark.
    I had to make damn sure he never got a hold of her otherwise I’d relish facing the sun.
    My arm ached and I held it to my chest, letting myself drift off. Sleep seemed to be the secret to the ultra-healing and with the lull of the engine, I drifted off into a plague of nightmares.
    Each one was in excruciating detail of every deviant act Lucifer promised. It was far more vivid than any other nightmare I could remember and I woke in a cold sweat, with my chest constricted to the point that drawing a breath was nearly impossible.
    The hum of the engine brought me around and my lungs opened. I sucked in a mouthful of cold air, thankful for the burn of it and I closed my eyes, pressing my palms to them until the images from my nightmares surfaced.
    My phone buzzed and I pulled it from my pocket and glanced at the text.
    “You okay back there?”
    Naomi’s question took me by surprise.
    “Yes, why?” I sent back.
    “I could have sworn I heard you yell.”
    “Sorry. Nightmare.” I texted back and glanced at the time. I still had a few more hours before I could be set free from this tin can.
    “How are things going up there?” I added.
    “Good. Michael’s driving and I got a nap in. He said you two had a nice talk.”
    I burst out laughing. I learned a great deal, but I’m not sure I would categorize it as nice. That simmering anger was still present and I wondered if it would ever go away. I dropped back on the mattress and took a closer look at my motivations.

Chapter Thirteen - Naomi
     
    “He just had a nightmare,” I said, trading a glance with Michael. “You know, I can take over driving if you’d like.”
    “I’m fine,” Michael said with his gaze locked on the road, but ever since I fished him out of the back , conversation had been scarce.
    “So what did you and Damian talk about all morning?”
    He slid his gaze to me and then back at the road. “You.”
    I glanced out the passenger window with a head full of