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The others were their hapless hangers-on, e innocents in the line of fire, but they’d made their choice, and now I had to o back to their cabins," I said to the steward "Confine the, deliver it Don’t let the around Let them whine all they want, but do not let thelad to have a clearly defined order, and he signaled to a couple of discreetly suited security s They were both ie, muscular, with the kind of no-bullshit expressions that only ured the bulges in their coats hadat the all-you-can-eat buffet

The steward stationed outside aiting for us e eed, and he handedcircled on it "Your cabin, ht-faced "It’s the least we can do in exchange for your help" I remembered my earlier snarky request "It’s not - "

"Oh, yes, it is A special thank-you from the captain And if you can’t locate any stray Godiva chocolates or Do sohtaway"

I shook his hand, held up the led both in front of Cherise Her mouth dropped open

"You didn’t "

"Botox Diva’s cabin" I checked the details "Two bedrooms Want one?"

"Maybe And s - you ever think of that?" The steward cleared his throat very respectfully "The captain’s ordered us to close off all non-essential decks We only have enough first-class cabins for about half of your party

The other half will get our best accoh "Okay, fine I’ll suffer with your guest room You’d better not snore"

We were about halfway to the cabin, according to the es of my awareness, like a psychic breeze It felt cool as a hed in sudden relief

David was back

I turnedour way He gliht - silky auburn hair, worn long enough to curl at the ends, perfect bronze skin that wouldaddict weep in envy Behind round John Lennon glasses, his eyes sparked brilliant orange, like ave hi more than human

He was dressed in orn, faded jeans, a white Miaht shirt that fluttered in the air-conditioned breeze, and a ball cap advertising a local crab shack He’d forgone his long vintage h about the unlikelihood of anyone except terrorists and flashers wearing coats in the Miah the idea of David as a flasher - a private-perforered in aze was fixed on h he didn’t appear to be in a hurry Even so, it still seeentle stroke from my shoulders down my bare arms, to my wrists, then back up to cup my face My whole body hue, David’s eyes were both less and more human - less human in color and ood reason to be

"How are you holding up?" he asked me His voice was low and intimate, like the warmth of his body nearI can’t handle"

His gaze heldI was di the aard dance of exclusion from an intimate moment With no key card of her own, she’d have to wait

"I proe, you’re the first to know," I told him, and put my hands on him, because I couldn’t not put ainst his chest, and his ar me close I felt his lips brush my hair, a butterfly touch that made my heart skip

"Let me check the mark," he said I shook my head "Jo Let me see it"

"It’s fine"

"Jo"

I sighed and backed up a step, then turned so ers touchedback the fabric andon my shoulder blade

It looked like a black torch tattoo I knew that, because I’d spent enough ti at it in pocket ift of anine - or as left of him, anyway He’d once been one of the otten it illegally, the way some athletes abuse steroids

His particular poison was a Deestating Deiven him all the power he needed

Until it was done with hi around in his skin had inal Bad Bob

Bad Bob had also given otten rid of it I never wanted to feel Bad Bob’s sticky, foul fingers pulling ht of itfor a shower and a steel scrub brush

David’s gentle touch slid over the black torch ers disappeared as they passed across the dead space of it I couldn’t feel the pressure at all

Then his touch was back, real and warm, on the other side of the numbed spot

"It’s still contained," he said His voice was very quiet,- "

I already had felt so for destruction as I’d watched the storm I kneas bleed-over from the black tattoo but I couldn’t make myself tell him, either

"Yeah, I know, yell for help" I hated being helpless Hated it But somehow, Bad Bob had found a way to strip awayNot on my own