Kenzi leaned down and inspected everything carefully.

"I don't see any labels. It all looks like...junk, really."

She lifted the lid on one of the large metal vats and peeked inside.

"Pheeewww, that smells awful; but it's empty."

The other two vats were empty as well.  Kenzi kicked some of the tubes out of the way, then walked over to the crates where Joey sat. They were heavy, and she couldn't even begin to pick them up. Lifting one of the lids, she found four glass jugs with some kind of clear liquid inside.

"Hey, there's something in here- big jugs...it just looks like water or something."

Joey paused for a moment thinking and then laughed outloud when he realized what it was.

"Kenzi that's moonshine haha it's a very strong alcohol that we will be taking with us once we leave these fine people here as corpses, I think we owe ourselves a little drunken night after all this what do you think"

Joey's ears perked up as he thought he heard something in the distance, "Kenzi do you hear that? is that their truck?"

Hearing the rumbling as well, Kenzi dropped to the floor and crawled to the wall facing the outside. She peeked through the wooden slats and looked.

"Yup, it's them. It's a plain blue box truck."

She squinted and checked the cab.

"Only two of them now. They must have left the guy I shot."

Turning to Joey, she whispered.

"Try to get the tall one first. He's the smart one.  The shorter guy seems a bit slower."

Crouching behind a stack of crates, Kenzi stayed as close to Joey as she could.

Joey smiles this was going to feel good m, waiting for them to get in he pulled out his revolver and BANG the short one dropped like a puppet who’s strings were cut before the other tall one could speak two shots were fired into his knees, Joeys signature shot for when he wanted someone to suffer.

”I know you said tall one first but smarter one is the best one to get info out of” Joey said with a wink as he slowly climbed down to the man writhing in agony. 

“Alright you piece of shit what the fuck did you want with us and I swear to god if you so much as even look at her the wrong way I will cut your fucking fingers off and make you eat them one by one you fucking understand me.” He slapped the guy with his gun to emphasize his point.

Kenzi jumped when the first shot fired off, but steadied herself and followed Joey down. She watched from a few feet away as he interrogated their lone, remaining captor. The man was mumbling and groaning in pain, but still had a sharp spite in his voice.

"Fucking Christ, you're crazy as shit! I was just doing my job- Sal Zoletti sent us to rough you up. He's pissed that you're moving in on Detroit...young fuck with some kind of motorcycle gang. We weren't after your broad there, she just got in the way..."

He was loosing blood quickly, and cringed as he rolled on the floor.

"Well come on, are you gonna fucking finish me off what?"

“Well they’re gonna get your boy over back in pieces as a little message as to what happens when you fuck with me or the Outlaws so I’m sure Sal whatever the fuck his name is will get the picture real quick. Now we have the little snag of you calling my girl “sugar tits” I believe it was you said right before you knocked me out and my “broad” see this girl is my love and my world. Joey punched the man in the face “and no one disrespects my world, she is my queen and you’re just about to be another victim.” 

Joey pulled out his revolver again and shot him in the elbow joints now, and then kicked the man on his back and shot him in the stomach leaving him with a stomach wound one of the most agonizing ways to die. “You’re already finished enjoy your last bit of time fucker” with that he picked up the dead man and tossed him in the truck and took the revolver off the tall man and took Kenzis hand to the truck.

Hearing the way Joey referred to her as his "love" and his "world" gave Kenzi the brightest smile, even as she stood there watching him beating the guy to a pulp. The smile was somewhat short-lived, though, as more bullets fired- one that tore an enormous hole in the tall man's stomach.  It was the most blood Kenzi had ever seen come out of one person. A wave of nausea washed over her and she closed her eyes, turning her head away. She took a few deep breaths, trying to ignore the smell of gunpowder and forget the image she'd just seen. 

"Come on, Kenzi, you have to toughen up. You can handle this. Be stronger than you used to be."

Kenzi repeated that to herself a few times, only stopping when Joey took her hand. That touch was all she needed to relax. She followed him to the truck and climbed inside, then watched him as he climbed in the driver's seat.

"Are you sure you're ok to drive?"

Joey wanted to be tough but Kenzi was the one person he didn't always have to be tough in front of so he paused, shook his head and move towards the passenger side. "You drive love, you okay? I know you normally don't see that side of me or that much violence....I just kind of lost it with the idea of you in danger or being disrespected."

Joey closed his eyes in the passenger seat after hauling some of the moonshine into the truck for them while Kenzi drove, he slowly started to fall asleep again.

With what was left of the daylight hours, Kenzi carefully drove down the well worn dirt road. She kept one hand on Joey's, squeezing it softly now and then. 

Once she reached the main road, there was a sign that pointed in several directions. Kenzi sounded out the city names on the sign slowly. The very last one said "Detroit." Turning the wheel, Kenzi started in that direction.

One hour passed, then two. Detroit wasn't as near as she'd hoped,and with every passing mile, she grew more and more sleepy. The sun sank behind the trees just as they reached a small town. Kenzi reached over and gently shook Joey. 

"Baby, I'm exhausted and kind of hungry. Do you think we can stop for a little while?" 

Joey woke up at the stop looking around, he wasn’t too familiar with the surrounding towns outside of Detroit but this place looked okay. He scanned around and pointed her to a motel with a diner.

”Of course my love, let’s go check this place out” He sounded much stronger and back to his normal self as the sleep rested him quite well.

he took Kenzis hand and helped her out of the truck and gave her a quick kiss and they walked towards the motel. Joey got the “nicest room” they had and they headed towards the quaint room before they would go eat.

Being off the road was a relief, and the prospect of rest and food gave Kenzi a second wind. Joey seemed to be feeling better, s which was even more of a relief to her. 

Once inside their room, Kenzi flopped onto the bed and pulled Joey down beside her, cuddling close to him and putting his arm around her.  

"We've been on such an adventure, I nearly forgot this all started with a s simple trip to the circus."

She yawned, then kissed his hand. 

After everything that had transpired, no matter how beaten or hurt Joey was or the anger that was coursing through his veins earlier all that mattered was that he was where he belonged and was happiest next to Kenzi. This day was like a strange metaphor for everything involving them and showed how dangerous it was for them to be together but at the end of the day; however they were together no matter how sore, hurt or confused by what led them there.

Joey rolled over to Kenzi as she blinked staring at him and said to himself to tell with it, “Kenzi I love you and I want to end up here with you always at the end of every night and beginning over every morning. Nothing has made it more clear to me than today, I love you Kenzi.”

His words were like a calming fragrance to her mind and heart. Like that sweet, gentle, refreshing smell of grass after a spring shower. Her eyes glistened as she looked into his. Even to this day, months after getting away from Angelo, Kenzi had these moments where she was amazed at where life had taken her. She reached up and cradled his handsome face in her hand. 

"I love you, Joey. I love you so much."

Leaning up, she kissed him long and sweetly, her heart pounding with happiness. 

THE NEXT MORNING

After a warm meal, a stop at Woolworth's for a few comfort items, and a long shower, both Joey and Kenzi had fallen asleep quickly. Their ordeal since the circus had been physically taxing, but the little motel had a comfortable bed and they both found comfort in each other's arms. Joey had made a phone call to Detroit to let his parents know they were alright, and Kenzi also called Philadelphia to check in with Bella.  They were slated to arrive back in Detroit by the next evening. 

When the sun came up, both Joey and Kenzi were still sleeping soundly; until a frighteningly loud slam at the door of their room startled them out of their slumber. Sunlight flooded the room as the wooden door was broken off the hinges. Kenzi screamed and rolled off the bed, ducking to the floor as bullets were loosed around the room from a pair of guns. A bald man with thick eyebrows and a cigar in his mouth trained both his guns on Joey.

"Housekeeping! Looks like we got some trash in here needs taking out."

Another massively framed figure entered from behind, stopping to prop the door back against the frame then stand in front of it, arms crossed with one hand on a pistol. 

A bullet grazed some of the meat of Joey's arm as he rolled over and flipped the bed onto it's side as well to give them better cover. He looked to make sure Kenzi was okay and safe before even acknowledging his new wound.

"Mother fucker, I swear on everything I am going to use these bastards intestines as a fucking skipping rope."

Pull out his gun and using the window in front of him to see their reflections he came up with a pseudo plan. "Kenzi I'm going to shoot the glass and pop one of these fucking idiots while their distracted I need you to run out get the truck here so we can get the fuck out of here okay?" Without waiting for an answer he took one quick look at the glass to see their positions before shooting it and raising his hand over the bed and shooting. Hearing a thud sounding like a man collapsing he assumed he hit, knowing his arm was fucked Joey had to hope Kenzi would take her cue.

Kenzi nodded, though in her heart she hated the idea of leaving him again. She took the truck keys and held them tightly in her hands. Joey took aim, and before the sound of his shot had finished echoing, Kenzi darted toward the door. Zoletti had ducked as the shot shattered the window, and barely had time to react as Kenzi slipped by him. 

Once outside, she sprinted for the box truck, still only clad in a nightgown and bare feet. As soon as she reached the truck, she yanked the door open and jumped inside; praying to any gods that might be listening that Joey would make it out alive. 

Joey continued shooting to distract Zoletti from realizing Kenzi had run out, hoping she would get here with the truck soon as he was running out of bullets and the wound in his arm was starting to hurt. He went to shoot again and heard the "click click" of an empty gun, knowing if he ran out now to Kenzi when she arrive they'd be sitting ducks and it would place her in even more danger.

Joey sat there for an eternity thinking what to do, still under cover of the bullet filled mattress.

"Give up kid, just come with us now and we'll let your little chick walk away"

Joey seeing an out for Kenzi to be okay raised his hands and stood up, Zoletti came up behind Joey after punching him in the gut once and then handcuffing his hands behind his back. Joey couldn't believe these idiots would still get so close to an enemy and thanking whatever gods were looking out for him stomped his foot as hard as he could onto Zoletti's foot before smashing his head back into his face. He turned around and kicked the man in the jewels before making a run and jumping into the truck with Kenzi in it cuffs and all.

Just as Kenzi rounded the corner, she saw Joey emerge from the room, his hands tightly behind his back. 

"Shit..."

She whispered under her breath as she jerked the wheel to turn the truck. The vehicle didn't even actually stop as Joey got in, and the sheer force of Kenzi's foot slamming the gas shut the door behind him. Tires screeched loud enough to wake the dead as they peeled out. 

BANG, BANG, BANG

Three bullets fired after them, hitting the back of the box truck as they sped away. Kenzi didn't let up on the gas.

"Jesus Christ, are you OK babe?" 

Bullets flew past as the tires screeched while they flew out of there. Joey looked over to smile at Kenzi before looking at his rhm soaked in blood as things started to get fuzzy, the blood seeped through his shirt as it got hazier and hazier. A shot had it him in the shoulder during the escape and it was starting to show.

"Babe I thought I was supposed to keep that red stuff inside me haha...." Joey started to nod out while tipping over.

Kenzi's focus on the road had been razor sharp, up until she glanced over and saw the blood stain on his shirt growing bigger and darker at an alarming rate. She instinctively hit the gas harder, looking for any place they could stop without being seen. A tricky prospect, as they were still in a big, blue box truck.

"Oh no...no no no..."

Her eyes were frantic with worry as she steered the truck out of the city limits.

"Hang on, Joey...just...try to stay awake."

They tore out of town, north toward Detroit. As soon as they came to a wide spot in the road, Kenzi pulled the box truck over and parked it. She slid across the bench seat to Joey and yanked her bag from across her shoulder. 

​​​​​​"We have to find a hospital, or doctor...something. But I've got to stop this bleeding."

She glanced at her bag. The old, ratty, patchwork bag had been with her since she was 12 and started running for Angelo. It was the only thing she ever owned. Now, it had a much more important part to play. With a surprising strength, Kenzi tore the strap from the bag and tied it tightly just above where the gunshot wound was. 

​​​​​"I know it hurts, baby, but it'll slow the bleeding. Just stay with me. Talk to me...anything."

With that, she got back to the wheel and squealed back onto the road.