"Maybe. How much I need for a good night's sleep?"

He'd pulled out half a dozen little snack-size baggies and was sorting through them.

"A one-milligram tab oughta do it."

"And what if I want some heavy forgetting?"

Danny grinned again and nudged him with an elbow. "Looking to get into someone's panties?"

Jeremy gave him an offended look that was only part put-on. He didn't need a date-rape drug.

"You think 1 can't get there on my own?"

"No-no. 1 think that young thing you've got hanging on you—"

"Name's Dawn."

"Right. Dawn. I think she proves you've got mucho mojo."

"The forgettin dose?" Getting info out of this asshole was like pulling teeth. "The fer-sure dose is five migs with booze, a few more without. Goes to work in fifteen-twenty minutes."

"Gimme a dozen."

"You got it."

14

Back in the car, after giving Dawn an edited version of the buy—no mention of the roofies—Jeremy pulled out his phone.

She glanced at him. "What are you doing?"

"I've decided you're right. I'm gonna call the cops on this guy."

She smiled. "Finally you're listening to reason."

He made a show of dialing, then shook it and tried again.

"Shoot. Must've done something to it when I hit the ground. Mind if I borrow yours?"

"Go ahead."

When he dug it out of her handbag, he punched in Moonglow's number. He figured if she saw Dawn's name come up on caller ID she'd pick up sure. But she didn't. She could be in the shower or something, but this was a sign that she might not be home.

He cut the connection.

"What's the matter?" Dawn said with a laugh. "Cops not home?"

"Bad connection." He turned to her, all sincere and vulnerable. "I don't know if this is such a good idea."

"Try again. Just hit redial."

"Okay."

And he did. Still no answer at Moonglow's. He cut the connection again.

"Nope. Can't do it. Just realized that my friend doesn't want to press charges 'cause he feels like such a jerk. So what's the point?"

Dawn sighed. "Yeah. Maybe you're right."

She sounded disappointed. So what? Jeremy had something more important on his mind: Moonglow wasn't home.

Interesting. Tonight could be the night. The sooner the better.

15

"Say, darlin," Jerry said from where he was stretched out on the couch. "What've we got to drink?"

Oh, no, Dawn thought, giving him a disapproving look. No way.

"You are so not going to mix beer and Vicodin—not while I'm around."

He smiled. "Yes, dear."

She couldn't believe what a totally different person he'd become since he got the crap kicked out of him. Almost like he'd had the mean beat out of him too. She'd been a little scared of him before—a lot scared after he'd threatened her—but when she'd seen him go down some fierce protective instinct had surged to life. If that guy had stayed around he'd have found Dawn clinging to his back, clawing at his eyes.

Yeah, Jerry had threatened to kill her, but that was just talk. Hyperbole. He'd never hurt her. He'd said he'd die for her and she believed him. He'd just been shocked she'd been thinking of aborting his baby. That was all—the shock talking, not Jerry.

"Darlin, how about a glass of that diet junk you drink?"

Her Pepsi? Was he kidding?

"But you hate that."

"Hey, I'm desperate and I'm not in the mood for water. Let me try some of that. If I can't finish it, you can."

"Okay."

She went to the kitchen and poured him a glass from the big three-liter bottle in the fridge. Poured herself a short one and gulped it down.

God, she totally loved this stuff. She checked the level: Getting low.

Okay, face it, girl: You're addicted. You've got a major Pepsi jones. Another thing she could blame on Mom. Better remember to pick up more tomorrow. Running out would be like tragic.

When she brought the glass back to Jerry she found him closing up her cell phone.

"Calling the cops again?"

He smiled. "Forgot to check my voice mail earlier."

She handed him the glass and watched as he took a sip. He grimaced.

"Maybe it'd be better if it had some ice in it. Could you get me a couple of cubes?"

She sighed and reached for the glass. "Sure."

He held it back. "Just the cubes. I'll keep this here, okay?"

"Yeah. Okay."

Kinda weird, but…

She got him the cubes. When she returned she lound him swirling the glass. Didn't he know that would make it go flat? She dropped the cubes in and he swirled them around before taking a baby sip.

He shook his head. "Nope. Can't do it. Tastes like medicine." He held out the glass to her. "You finish it."

Some people…

She took it back and chugged half of it.

"Best stuff in the world."

He smiled. "I knew you wouldn't let it go to waste."

"Better believe it."

She felt his eyes on her as she finished it off.

Then he yawned. "I'm beat." He laughed. "In more ways than one. I think I'll turn in. Want to come snuggle with me?"

"Are you sure you're up to—?"

Another laugh. "Not tonight, darlin. When I said 'snuggle,' I meant snuggle."'

She wasn't tired, but there wouldn't be much else to do with Jerry conked out. Why not?

"Okay. Let's snuggle."

16

Jack was halfway across the Queensboro Bridge when his phone rang. He checked the ID and hit TALK when he recognized the number: Christy. What a relief.

"Where've you been, lady? I've been calling all day."

"I know. I just got your message. Sorry. I've been out on the beach at Montauk."

What had she been doing way out on the eastern tip of Long Island?

"Not exactly swimming weather."

"No, but this time of year it's a good place to be alone and do some thinking. And as you well know, I've got a lot to think about."

Jack chewed a lip and thought, Not nearly as much as you'll have after you hear the latest.

"So you turned off your phone?"

"Of course not. What if Dawn needed to reach me? No, the battery ran out. I forgot to charge it. I'm so scattered lately. I guess I didn't hear the warning beeps over the surf. I sat on the beach and stared at the ocean, walked up and down the waterline, found a fish place and had fried clams for lunch. When I checked it and found it dead it took me a while to get back to the car. Got it plugged into the charger now."

"Come to any decisions?"

"Well, the big question was, What do I do next? What should I do next? Should I do anything? Dawn's eighteen, which means she's an adult in the eyes of the law. She can make her own decisions and I have no legal right to interfere. So should I just back off and wait till this whole tawdry affair falls to pieces—as it must—and she comes back home?"

Fall to pieces? Jack knew Bolton wasn't about to let that happen—at least not until his baby was born.

"T can't see you going for that."

"Damn right. 1 couldn't. Dawn may be eighteen, but she's only eighteen. She may be legal, but she's still just a kid inside." Her voice rose. "I can't stand it! And I can't stand by and watch her ruin her life! I've got to keep trying, I've got to find some way to make this right!"

Jack clenched his teeth. He was just a quarter mile from Gia's place—warm smiles and hugs from his two ladies. If he was smart he'd wait till tomorrow to break the news. But he heard the pain in her voice, the naked need to save her daughter.

What he had to tell her might very well break up Dawn and Bolton for good, but it would be a live grenade dropped into the heart of her life.

Christy, the man who raped you every day for weeks and weeks is the same man who has made your daughter—yours and his—pregnant.