Jimmy gasped with pain, his hand releasing Eve’s arm.

“Get your mother out of here,” John said. “I’ll be right with you.”

Eve grabbed Sandra’s arm and hustled her out of the room and down the hall.

“Should we leave him?” Sandra asked. “I don’t want Jimmy to—”

“I don’t think you have to worry about John Gallo.” Eve punched the elevator button. But she didn’t like the idea of leaving him, either. The situation was her responsibility. When the elevator door opened, she pushed Sandra inside and hit the lobby button. “Go outside and get in the tan Chevy at the far end of the driveway.”

“But I want you to come with—” The door closed on her protest.

Eve was running back down the hall to the hotel room.

The door was still open. The big man in the tan sport coat was lying on the floor unconscious.

She hoped he was unconscious. Jimmy was lying very still. As she drew closer, she saw his face. His jaw and left eye were already starting to swell, his nose was smashed, and his lips were cut and bloody.

John turned to face her. He didn’t have a mark on him, she realized in astonishment. “I told you to take off.”

“He’s not dead?”

“He’ll be okay.” He shrugged. “I bloodied him up a little. I don’t like guys beating up women. I thought he should see how it feels.” He took her arm and led her out the door. “It’s been a frustrating night. I thought I deserved to enjoy myself.”

“And doing that to him made you enjoy yourself?”

He glanced sidewise at her. “Are you surprised?” His smile was chilling. “Oh, yes, I enjoyed the hell out of what I did to him.”

CHAPTER

4

SANDRA WASN’T GOING TO BE able to climb the four flights of stairs at the development, Eve realized, after her mother almost fell twice on the first few steps. She moved to stand on the step beside her and put Sandra’s arm around her shoulders. “Hold on to the banister and lean on me. We can make it.”

“Sure we can,” Sandra said. “I just feel a little wobbly…”

“I’ll do it.” John was suddenly beside them, pushing Eve aside. “It will take you half the night to get up those stairs. What floor?”

“Four.”

“Go on upstairs and unlock the door.” He was picking Sandra up in his arms and starting up the stairs. “Come on, Ms. Duncan. This will be much easier for you.”

“Call me Sandra.” Sandra smiled. “Like I said, nice and polite, Eve. A real Sir Galahad, like I saw in that movie.”

“Wrong.” John smiled down at her. “But I make a good packhorse.” He was moving quickly up the stairs. “We’ll get you into your place in no time.”

Eve had the door unlocked and thrown wide by the time he reached the fourth floor. “Take her to her bedroom. It’s the door on the right.”

She went to the bathroom and got a damp washcloth and some salve.

John was looking down at Sandra lying on the bed. “I think she’s fading fast. Do you want me to help you undress her?”

“No, it won’t be the first time she’s slept in her clothes.” She turned on the lamp by the bed. “When I was younger, there was no way I could manage to help her.” She carefully bathed the cuts and bruises on Sandra’s face. “Bastard. Why would he want to hurt her like this? All he’d have to do is treat her nice, and she’d do anything he wanted.”

“He’ll think twice about doing it again.”

Yes, the beating John had given him had been brutal and merciless. She had been a little shocked at how merciless at first. She wasn’t shocked after getting a closer look at Sandra’s face. “Do you think he’ll call the police?”

“No chance. Not if he had heroin in his pocket. He’ll just cut his losses and get out of Dodge.”

“Good.” She was gently rubbing salve on Sandra’s cut lip. “I just hope he doesn’t try to look up Sandra again.”

“I’ll be around for a while. Let me know if there’s a problem.”

“I’ll handle it. She’s my mother.”

“Hurts, Eve…” Sandra was opening her eyes. “What are you doing, honey?”

“Just putting some salve on your lip. Go to sleep, Sandra.”

“I was bleeding … and there were bruises.”

“Yes, but they’ll go away.”

“I’ll be just as pretty as ever?”

Eve nodded. “In a week or so.”

“That’s good.” She was gazing drowsily up at Eve. “You have a bruise, too.” She reached up and touched the purple mark on Eve’s cheek. “Did Jimmy do that to you?”

“No, someone else. A couple days ago. I’m okay.”

“Poor Eve.” She gently patted Eve’s face. “Poor little girl. Like mother, like daughter.” Her eyes closed. “Like mother, like daughter…”

Eve stiffened as if Sandra had struck her.

She threw the salve on the nightstand and got to her feet. Her voice was shaking when she said, “She’ll be okay for the night.” She turned and strode out of the room. “Turn out her lamp.”

An instant later, the light went out, and John came out of the bedroom.

“Thank you for helping with her.” She was standing at the window with her back to him, looking down at the street. “Though I didn’t give you much choice, did I?”

“I had a choice.” He paused. “And you’re not like your mother, Eve. She’s not a bad woman, but she’s weak. There’s nothing about you that’s weak.”

“I know that,” she said. “But when I see her like that, I have to keep reminding myself. And how can I be sure that she wasn’t stronger when she was my age? Was she like me? Can life beat me down and turn me into what she’s become?”

“Not if you don’t let it.”

She drew a deep breath. “That’s right. I’m not thinking straight right now.” She turned around to face him. “Sometimes I get scared, but it doesn’t last long. Do you ever get scared, John?”

“Now and then. Usually it’s about being trapped somewhere and not able to get out.”

“And that’s why you’re going to join the Army and see the world. You’re going to avoid all the traps,” she said. “I don’t have to see the world. I’m going to make my own world.”

He smiled. “And what a world it will be. I’d like to stay around and see it.”

And she would like him to be there to see what she could accomplish, she realized. He would give life an edge, an excitement.

What was she thinking? That edge and excitement were what was most dangerous to her. She needed steadiness and focus to reach her goals.

He was looking around the room. “Very clean, very neat. It looks like you.”

“It’s the only way I can stand it. I taught myself to keep house, but I’m still a lousy cook. Strictly TV dinners.”

“I like to cook. It relaxes me.”

“Another thing your uncle taught you?”

He nodded. “He never got married. He had to do for himself. I’d like you to meet him someday.” His gaze was on the wall beside the window. “That’s a nice sketch on the wall. It’s Manuel, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I did it when I sat with him while Rosa went to the store. I’m going to give it to her when she starts her GED study. It’s sort of a bribe.”

“It’s good. Is that what you’re going to study?”

“Art? No way. I’ve heard too much about starving artists. And people who starve end up in places like this. I’m going to study engineering. That’s solid.”

“You have something there.” His gaze was still wandering. “One bedroom. Where do you sleep?”

“On the couch. It’s pretty comfortable.”

His gaze went to the paisley-covered couch across the room. “Cushy. Yeah, I can see you lying on it.” His eyes shifted back to her. “I’m glad I’ll be able to picture you there.”

Heat again. Out of nowhere. Just a few words, and that tingling tension was back.

“You’d better leave.”

“I’m going. I knew I said the wrong thing. I was making headway. We’ve gotten to know more about each other. You’re not thinking of me as a threat to you any longer. I should have let it go at that, but I couldn’t do it.” He added, “But I didn’t want to let you forget what’s going to be important to us.” He turned toward the door. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow night.”