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I s, rounding my chin "Maybe I have So you by your name?" What he accuses h is none of his business Not unless he intends to help"And why do you care?"

"I never said I did"

"Then don’t probe," I snap

The mere fact that he won’t even look at ry And thein the eye, the etas I can res or people I cry Every damn time

As the tears start to well up in my eyes, I turn my back to him and march quickly toward the restrooernails digging into the palms of my hands down at my sides "Go to hell!" is all I can say,out ords instead of tears

CHAPTER SEVEN

It seems like forever since I’ve had a hot shower like this I had showers on occasion at the coiven that luxury--but never one like this They were always lukewarm at best, but never so hot the water could burn the skin offmyself to bask in the heat until it becomes too much and I’m forced to I want to stay in here forever and not think about what is waiting for me on the other side of that door, but the reality of it all wins out and it’s all I think about I sit down on the floor of the tub and drawmy arms loosely around them and let the water stream down onif she’s OK or if Izel beat her for a er tih there was nothing I could do to stop it, I made a proo on forever

But if they find out that she kneas leaving…

After what seeet out, wrapping my hair in a towel folded neatly on the back of the toilet I wish I had a clean set of clothes, panties at least--lost my pillowcase of clothes in Victor’s car e left it behind I slipshorts on over ht blue tank top down over my brsts Javier forbade me ever to wear a bra

When I step out of the restroo in the saer on the foot of the bed

As I walk toward the bed where the suitcase had been and start to sit down, Victor looks up and catchesis different about him For a moment, I’m unsettled by his unusual demeanor, but that quiet look in his eyes which I soht away, coic

"Tell me about yourth of the chair arle casually over the ends His white dress sleeves have been pushed up just below his elbows

Completely taken aback by his question, I just stare across the room at him blankly

"Why?" I ask sio ahead and sit down on the foot of the bed, working the towel in my hair with both hands to dry it But it’s all just for show; every fiber of my consciousness is focused on Victor and every move he e hisa damn, I speak up before it’s too late:

"What do you want to know?"

I squeeze one last section of hair with the towel and then drop it on the floor

Victor tilts his head gently to one side and then interlocks his hands in front of hi on the chair arms

"How did she meet Javier?"

I think back on it for a moment "I don’t know," I say "I s and sex The saht into our home My mother and I didn’t talk much"

He tilts his head to the other side reflectively What’s he waiting for? I study hiht his interest in my mother on and finally I choose to tell him whatever I can Maybe because I’ve needed soirls were too traumatized by their own abductions and experiences within the compound for me to confide in them And their lives were muchnificant proble beaten and raped and mentally and emotionally tortured

I was in paradise coery and look back over at Victor

"The first time I saw Javier, I kneas different froht home More powerful somehow He walked with this proud air about him Unafraid Confident The other s They couldn’t wait to get through our tiny living roousting, pathetic"

"And Javier wasn’t?" he asks

I shakebecause of what he was and how he used my mother, yes, but he was too professional to be pathetic"