Swerve by Michelle McGriff Page A

her clearly weakened state, while moving her over to her sofa. Shashoni looked frightful and although Keliegh didn’t believe for a moment it was aliens, he did know something horrible had happened. Besides, where had she been since the shooting last night? Where was she during all that madness?
    â€œThey kidnapped me and, well…” She shook her head vehemently as if trying to forget. “It was awful.”
    Keliegh held her tight now, as she cried pitiably in his arms. His mind spun while trying to get ahead of her side of this conversation. He had nothing to say that would help, so he planned to just listen. After a moment or two, she kissed him, urging him to return the affection. Moving his hands inside her robe, he found her naked underneath. Sex for pity…pity for sex was what she wanted now. Keliegh knew the signs. No talking, just sex: that was Shashoni. “Shash, where were you?” He pushed himself back, closing her robe quickly.
    â€œI don’t know,” she answered in a whiny voice. “This man grabbed me when I ran out of the bar. They threw me in a big car.”
    â€œHe or they?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYou said ‘he grabbed you’ and then you said ‘they threw you in the car,’ which one was it?”
    â€œHe,” she answered, sitting up now, showing irritation with Keliegh’s lack of concern for her near-death experience. “He grabbed me and threw me in this big black car and they …there was a they in the car…they drove me to this awful place and wouldn’t let me leave until just a few hours ago. Then they brought me home.”
    â€œSo nothing happened. Well, I mean, something happened, but nothing. Can you ID them?”
    Shashoni sat back on the sofa, fully cooling the space between them. “You don’t even care that they could have killed me.”
    â€œDid you hear any names? Could you identify them if you saw a picture or heard them again? Did you call the police?”
    â€œNo.” Shashoni stood and adjusted her robe, making sure she was fully covered and out of Keliegh’s reach in case he changed his mind. “They said they were the police.”
    â€œAnd you believed them?”
    She smacked her lips. “Well, I’m not believing you! What a foul attitude you have. I think we need to break up,” she said, sounding impulsive.
    Rolling his eyes, he stood. “Do you even know what happened last night?”
    â€œYes. I was kidnapped and my man was too busy with his ex-partner to notice I was even gone until over twenty-four hours later.”
    â€œIt hasn’t been twenty-four hours, but—”
    â€œGet outta here!” Shashoni rushed to the door and opened it. Keliegh stood his ground.
    â€œI really want to know who threw you in the car. I just wish you could tell me something. Romia needs all the help—”
    â€œRomia? Ugh,” Shashoni gasped. “That’s all those men were talking about too. Romia this and Romia that. They were saying she was a communist or something.”
    Shashoni ran out and was detained out of the way until conveniently everything was over. Why? Who knew what was about to happen? And why were they talking about Romia? Standing in the foyer in front of the door, Keliegh tried to put some thoughts together. “They were talking about Romia? The men who nabbed you were talking about her. Did they have accents?”
    â€œUgh,” Shashoni gasped again, this time shoving him out the door. Suddenly Shashoni’s door flew open. “Keliegh, come back. You need to hear this!”
    â€œShash, I—”
    â€œThe TV. Keliegh! It’s about your ex-partner!”
    Keliegh dashed back into the small apartment in time to hear the end of the newsflash.
    â€œAgain, she is believed to be armed and dangerous. Anyone seeing this woman is urged to call the San Francisco Police Department immediately. Do not try to