killed her.”
“I don't know, Eve,” he said wearily. “I just don't know.”
“And he might still have her. That little girl could be my Bonnie. It wasn't enough that he killed her; he's keeping her like some kind of trophy.”
“He's keeping her as bait.”
“I hate the idea of that monster with her. I hate it.”
“Shh. Don't think about it.”
“And how am I supposed to stop?”
“Hell, how do I know? Just do it.” He paused. “This is what he wants from you. Control. Wouldn't he love the idea of you lying here suffering because of something he'd done? Go to sleep and cheat the son of a bitch.”
He was right, she was doing exactly what Dom wanted her to do. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall apart. I must be tired.”
“Now, I wonder why?”
“I'm confused. It's difficult not to—I wanted to bring her home but not like—”
“Face it after you've slept for a while.”
“You have to call Spiro.”
“It will wait. I'll stay here until you go to sleep.”
“You haven't slept either.”
“How do you know? I doubt you were aware I was on the planet while you were working on that boy.”
“That's not true.”
“Isn't it?”
“I always know you're there. It's like—” It was hard to explain. “It's like having an old oak tree in your garden. Even if you don't pay attention to it, you never really forget it's there.”
“I believe I've been insulted. A tree? Are you trying to call me a knothead?”
No, if he was like a tree, it was because he gave shelter and strength and endurance. “Smart man. I should have known I couldn't fool you.”
“And I'm not
that
old.”
“Old enough.” She was smiling, she realized. A moment before she had been in pain, but she felt better now. Joe always made it better. “I'm okay. You don't have to stay with me.”
“I'll stick around. You've got to be hysterical if you're calling me an oak tree. The only way you'll get rid of me is by going to sleep.”
She was already getting drowsy. It was safe to let everything go for now. Joe was there, holding back the darkness. “This reminds me of when we were on Cumberland Island after Fraser was executed. Remember? You held my hands like this and made me talk and talk. . . .”
“Now I'm trying to shut you up. Go to sleep.”
She was silent a moment. “He's beginning to scare me, Joe.”
“There's nothing to be scared about. I won't let anything happen to you.”
“I didn't think I'd be afraid. I was only angry at first, but he's smart, and killing me isn't his main priority. He has to make me feel . . . he has to hurt me. He needs it.”
“Yes.”
A sudden thought exploded through her. “Mom.”
“She's under guard. I made sure he can't touch her.”
Relief surged through her. “You did?”
“It was the logical move. Not bad for a knothead.”
“Not too bad.” If Mom was safe, a prime weapon was taken away from Dom. He couldn't hurt Eve through someone she loved.
The hell he couldn't. He still had Bonnie.
But Bonnie was dead. Eve might be sick with horror at the thought of him having Bonnie, but he could no longer hurt her daughter. Eve was the only one who could be hurt, and she would hide that hurt from him.
“It's okay. I told you, your mom's safe,” Joe said. “There's no reason to be uneasy.”
She was uneasy. Trust Joe to sense it. Not about her mother. If Joe said she was safe, she was safe. She was just . . .
Forget about it. Go to sleep and when she woke they would find a way to catch the bastard and bring Bonnie home. He wasn't invincible. He had made a mistake when he contacted Eve. There wasn't any way he could really hurt her.
She had no reason to be uneasy.
HER NAME WAS Jane MacGuire and she was ten years old.
Dom had seen her a few days before when he was cruising the public housing developments on the south side. He had first been attracted by her red hair and then by her air of independence and defiance. She walked down the
“I don't know, Eve,” he said wearily. “I just don't know.”
“And he might still have her. That little girl could be my Bonnie. It wasn't enough that he killed her; he's keeping her like some kind of trophy.”
“He's keeping her as bait.”
“I hate the idea of that monster with her. I hate it.”
“Shh. Don't think about it.”
“And how am I supposed to stop?”
“Hell, how do I know? Just do it.” He paused. “This is what he wants from you. Control. Wouldn't he love the idea of you lying here suffering because of something he'd done? Go to sleep and cheat the son of a bitch.”
He was right, she was doing exactly what Dom wanted her to do. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall apart. I must be tired.”
“Now, I wonder why?”
“I'm confused. It's difficult not to—I wanted to bring her home but not like—”
“Face it after you've slept for a while.”
“You have to call Spiro.”
“It will wait. I'll stay here until you go to sleep.”
“You haven't slept either.”
“How do you know? I doubt you were aware I was on the planet while you were working on that boy.”
“That's not true.”
“Isn't it?”
“I always know you're there. It's like—” It was hard to explain. “It's like having an old oak tree in your garden. Even if you don't pay attention to it, you never really forget it's there.”
“I believe I've been insulted. A tree? Are you trying to call me a knothead?”
No, if he was like a tree, it was because he gave shelter and strength and endurance. “Smart man. I should have known I couldn't fool you.”
“And I'm not
that
old.”
“Old enough.” She was smiling, she realized. A moment before she had been in pain, but she felt better now. Joe always made it better. “I'm okay. You don't have to stay with me.”
“I'll stick around. You've got to be hysterical if you're calling me an oak tree. The only way you'll get rid of me is by going to sleep.”
She was already getting drowsy. It was safe to let everything go for now. Joe was there, holding back the darkness. “This reminds me of when we were on Cumberland Island after Fraser was executed. Remember? You held my hands like this and made me talk and talk. . . .”
“Now I'm trying to shut you up. Go to sleep.”
She was silent a moment. “He's beginning to scare me, Joe.”
“There's nothing to be scared about. I won't let anything happen to you.”
“I didn't think I'd be afraid. I was only angry at first, but he's smart, and killing me isn't his main priority. He has to make me feel . . . he has to hurt me. He needs it.”
“Yes.”
A sudden thought exploded through her. “Mom.”
“She's under guard. I made sure he can't touch her.”
Relief surged through her. “You did?”
“It was the logical move. Not bad for a knothead.”
“Not too bad.” If Mom was safe, a prime weapon was taken away from Dom. He couldn't hurt Eve through someone she loved.
The hell he couldn't. He still had Bonnie.
But Bonnie was dead. Eve might be sick with horror at the thought of him having Bonnie, but he could no longer hurt her daughter. Eve was the only one who could be hurt, and she would hide that hurt from him.
“It's okay. I told you, your mom's safe,” Joe said. “There's no reason to be uneasy.”
She was uneasy. Trust Joe to sense it. Not about her mother. If Joe said she was safe, she was safe. She was just . . .
Forget about it. Go to sleep and when she woke they would find a way to catch the bastard and bring Bonnie home. He wasn't invincible. He had made a mistake when he contacted Eve. There wasn't any way he could really hurt her.
She had no reason to be uneasy.
HER NAME WAS Jane MacGuire and she was ten years old.
Dom had seen her a few days before when he was cruising the public housing developments on the south side. He had first been attracted by her red hair and then by her air of independence and defiance. She walked down the
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