Jane.

"It's nasty. I think we should call someone."

"I'll take care of it."

"No offense, ma'am, but it could mean the little girl is--"

"I'll take care of it, Herb." Her hand tightened on the doll. "Thank you for your concern."

"I think you should reconsider--"

"Go away." She stopped and tempered the sharpness of her tone. "I'm sorry. I'm upset. I need to be alone to think about this. I don't want you to call anyone, not even Mr. Logan. Do you understand?"

"I understand."

But he didn't say he wouldn't do it. Why should he? Logan paid his salary.

"Not even Mr. Logan," she repeated, and then gave him an out. "At least, not until tomorrow. Okay?"

He shrugged. "I guess so. Juan and I will both patrol the grounds tonight. You don't have to worry."

"Thank you."

Not worry? Dom had been close enough to toss this savaged doll practically on her front doorstep.

Booker still didn't move.

"Good-bye, Herb." She went into the living room and a moment later heard the front door close behind him.

She sat down on the couch, took out her digital phone, and laid it on the coffee table in front of her.

And waited for him to call her.

It was almost midnight when the phone rang.

"Just a reminder," Dom said.

"What's wrong? Did you get tired of sending me bones?"

There was a surprised silence. "You're angry."

"You bet I am."

"What an interesting development."

"Did you expect me to sit shivering in the dark, you son of a bitch?"

"I didn't really think about it. As I said, I only meant it to remind you of what was important in your life. I believe you may be forgetting."

"Important? You?"

"Yes. Right now there's no one more important to you than I am."

"Screw you." She hung up.

The phone rang again five minutes later.

She ignored it.

It rang four times more in the next hour.

She didn't answer.

IT WAS AFTER two in the morning when Joe came home.

She was still sitting on the couch, holding the doll, when he walked into the living room.

He took one look at the doll and then at her expression. "Shit. What the hell happened?"

"Dom tossed it onto the driveway. Herb didn't tell you?"

He shook his head. "I was wondering why they were both at the gate when I drove in. Did he call?"

"Yes."

He fell to his knees before her. "Bad?"

"The bastard's always bad. It's what he does." Her voice was shaking. "He thought I wasn't paying enough attention to him. He wanted to remind me that he was still around."

Joe gently stroked her hair back from her face. "You could hardly forget."

"That isn't enough for him. He wants to dominate my life. He wants to be my life." She looked down at the doll. "He tossed this ugliness at me so I'd remember Bonnie and Jane and all those other--"

"Shh."

"Don't shush me. I won't have it." She jumped to her feet. "You're treating me like the victim he wants me to be. I won't be a victim. I won't let him run my life."

"Easy." He rose to his feet. "I'm not the enemy here, Eve."

"I know." She took a step closer and buried her head in his shoulder. "Hold me."

He carefully slid his arms around her.

"No, dammit." She pressed against him. "Hold me."

He went still. "Are we talking about what I think we are?"

"I won't think of him. I won't think of death. That's what he wants me to do. I want to live."

"And you're equating sex with life?"

"Aren't they the same thing? If not, I don't know what the hell all the shouting is about."

"Sex can be a big part of life."

"I won't let him do this to me. I'm not going to sit around and wait for him to come knocking on the door or dictate to me. I'll do what I damn well please."

"Your declaration of tenderness is amazing."

"Do you think I don't know it's not fair to you? But you want it. You told me you wanted it. Have you changed your mind?"

"Hell, no." His lips firmed. "But this isn't what I had in mind."

"It's not what I had in mind either. But I won't have him--" Christ, what was she doing? This was Joe. Where were all her good intentions? Tears were suddenly running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. Forget it. I don't know what I was thinking. Hell, I wasn't thinking. I was only feeling. Try to forgive me. I must have gone a little crazy. He made me so damn--"