Dancers in the Dark by Charlaine Harris Page A

back. All she managed was a vicious pinch, but that was enough to double him over. When he heard a woman shouting from across the street, he staggered away from Rue.
    â€œLeave that girl alone!” a female voice yelled. “I’m calling the police!”
    Rue sank to her knees, too battered to stand any longer, but she stayed facing him, her hands ready to defend herself. She would not give up what she’d worked so hard to maintain. Carver began to hurry down the alley as swiftly as his injury would permit—she was proud to see he was walking funny—and though Rue remained upright, but still on her knees, he vanished from her sight as he passed out of the alley and onto the next street.
    â€œI won’t fall,” she said.
    â€œAre you okay?”
    Rue wouldn’t even take her eyes from the alley entrance to examine the woman beside her. This woman had saved her life, but Rue wasn’t going to be taken by surprise again, if Carver decided to return.
    â€œRue! Rue!” To her immense relief, she heard Sean’s voice. Now Carver couldn’t hurt her anymore; no matter how angry Sean was at her, he wouldn’t let Carver strike her. She knew that. With profound relief, she understood she didn’t need to stay vigilant any longer, and she sat back on the pavement. Then she was lying on the sidewalk. And then she didn’t know anything else.
    When she began to relate to her surroundings again, Rue knew she was in a strange place. Hospital? Nope, didn’t smell like a hospital, a smell with which she was all too familiar. It was a quiet place, a comfortable place. She was lying on clean white sheets, and there was someone next to her. She tried to move, to sit up, and she found out she was sore in several places. Before she could gain control of herself, she groaned.
    â€œYou okay? You need a drink of water?” The voice was familiar and came from a few feet away. Rue pried her swollen eyes open. She could see—a little. “Is that Megan?” she asked, her voice a dry thread.
    â€œYep, it’s me. Julie and I been taking turns.”
    â€œWho else is here? Where is here?”
    â€œOh, we’re at Sean’s place, in his safe room. That’s him in the bed with you, babe. It’s daytime, so he had to sack out. He wasn’t going to leave you without someone to help you, though. He made us swear on a stack of Bibles that we wouldn’t leave. So you won’t think we’re these wonderful people, I gotta tell you that he promised to help us out with the money we’re getting docked for missing work. I mean, I want to help you, and I would’ve come, anyway. But I just couldn’t, ah, skip telling you. Okay?”
    Rue nodded. It was an effort, but somehow Megan caught the motion. “Water would be good,” Rue managed to say.
    In just a moment, Megan was sliding her arm under Rue’s back and helping her sit up a little. There was a glass of cool water at her lips, and Rue sipped gratefully.
    â€œYou need to get up and go to the bathroom?”
    â€œYes, please.”
    Megan helped Rue rise. To her relief, Rue discovered she was in the T-shirt and shorts she’d worn the night before. She shuffled to the bathroom. When she was through, she washed her face in the sink and brushed her teeth with a toothbrush she found still encased in a cellophane wrapper. That made her feel a great deal better, and she made her way back to the bed with a little more confidence.
    â€œMegan, I’ll be okay now, if you need to get to work.”
    â€œYou sure, girlfriend? I can stay. I don’t want Sean to be mad at me.”
    â€œI’m good. Really.”
    â€œOkay then. It’s four o’clock. Sean ought to be up in about two hours. Maybe you can get some more sleep.”
    â€œI’ll try. Thank you so much.”
    â€œDon’t mention it. See you later.”
    Rue had left the light in the bathroom on,