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"Instead of the philosophical speech, why don’t you get to the point?"
"All right" She stared up at him "A man came to see me He said he knew you were a rapist and he wanted the details"
Fucking reporters "I bet your dad loved that"
"Dad died two years ago It’s just me now"
Damn it He wouldn’t tell her he was sorry Her dad had uy was But he see a rapist Even after I told hi, that" She sed hard "That I’d lied He kept insisting So after he left I looked you up For years I’ve tried not to think about you, about what I’d done"
"Ditto" He’d blocked Lea and the accusations the best he could--but they’d never really been far froe of rapist?
She buain "It’s not much, but I can tell you about hiht hi I’d shore it up for him He wasn’t pleased when I refused When he finally left, I watched hiot the make of his car and his license plate number And I can describe him to you"
Excite off some of the bleak acceptance Maybe he could still work this out
Maybe he could get Merissa back
He checked his watch, realized he’dwork and decided he’d just meet up with her at her house "Got time for a ride?"
"To where?"
"There’s a lady I need to check on--and since she’s been threatened by supposed reporters looking for the nitty-gritty on ood neith her"
She studied his face and agreed "All right I owe you at least thather, I prorateful tears turned Lea’s eyes liquid But she blinked, ser side of his truck "You alere one of the good guys"
MERISSA DROVE SLOWLY through the old neighborhood Each day it see would soon turn to su forward to et to spend the sunant?
Lost in thought, it seehts suddenly flashed on behind her
Close Far, far too close
With the memory of the last car that had trailed her, she blindly reached for her phone She’d call her brother and--
The car raave a short scream The phone fell fro the wheel, she frantically struggled to stay on the road When she got raht fender, her car jerked to the left, smashed into the curb and when she tried to correct it, she overshot to the other side of the road She was still trying to correct her steering when the car shot around her, cut her off and stopped Instinctively she sla Rubber burned and she ca into the other car
Too fast for her to catch her breath, a man approached and jerked open her car door She tried to screa her jaw ache
He leaned in close until his hot breath washed over her face In clear warning, he whispered, "Don’t"
Ohinto hers, the rough voice and the cruel attitude
This was the man from the bank robbery
Sheer terror narrowed her view until all she could see was his anticipatory s out at hi