Chapter 2

The driver's door flew open before I could hit the lock again.

Two ranch hands grabbed the kid by his collar and hauled him out. He was maybe twenty-two — hired from the rental company for the day. Skinny arms, clip-on tie. He hit the ground on his side and the boots came down before he could cover up.

"Rolling up here in a truck like that. Think you're hot shit, huh?"

My best friend Nell was out of the back seat before I could stop her. Heels on gravel, already yelling.

"Get off him!" She shoved through, dropped over the kid, and shielded his head with her arms. Phone up in one hand. "I'm recording all of you. Touch him again and I'm calling the police."

Boone's cousin Cash shouldered out of the crowd. Tall, thick everywhere, unlit cigarette behind his ear. He looked Nell up and down. Took his time about it.

"The bridesmaid." He caught her wrist — the one with the phone — and twisted it down. "Ain't you a cute little thing."

Two more men closed in behind her. One grabbed her arm. The other found the hem of her dress and yanked.

Fabric tore. Shoulder to hip in one pull.

Nell drove her knee into the closest one's gut. He folded. But the others shoved her right back down. More hands. On her shoulders. On her back.

She picked that dress herself. Three weekends of looking. She said she wanted to look proper at my wedding — "proper," her word — because she'd never been invited to anything proper before.

And they were ripping it off her in the dirt.

My eyes stung. I kicked my door open. Got one foot on the ground before Boone's body filled the gap. His palm slammed flat against the frame and shoved me back in.

"Sit down."

"They're hurting her —"

He tilted his head. That smirk.

"She showed up dressed like that, Briar. Short. Tight. Legs out." He shrugged. "What'd she think was gonna happen? She's a big girl. She can handle a little attention."

I hit him before I decided to.

Open palm, full swing through the window gap. My nails caught the corner of his mouth and tore it open.

He stumbled back half a step. Fingers went to the blood. He stared at me — genuinely stunned. The idea that I'd actually hit him had never crossed his mind.

"You hit my boy?"

Verlene's boots came fast around the front of the truck. She had a five-gallon bucket in both hands. They'd been slaughtering a hog behind the barn for tonight's supper since dawn — the kill bucket was still full. Dark red going brown. Flies buzzing the rim.

She heaved the whole thing at the windshield.

Red covered the glass. I couldn't see out.

Roy showed up at the side window holding a pair of tin shears. "Come out and behave. Or I cut this dress off you right here. Your choice."

Outside, Nell hit the gravel hard. Both knees split open on the rock. Blood ran down her shins.

She got up anyway. Crawled to my door. Put her back flat against it and screamed through the glass.

"Lock the door, Briar! Don't come out! Don't you dare come out for me!"

Her knees were bleeding through her dress. Her hair was full of dirt.

And she was still trying to keep me safe.

Someone pounded the roof with a fist. The crowd pushed in from every side.

"Drag her out!"

"Smash the damn window!"

"Strip her down and run her through the chute bare. See how special she really is."

Laughter. From every direction.