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Suddenly she wondered about Angel After all, what did they know about him, really? He’d come into their lives on a ind, all smiles and promises and fun But he had a horrible reputation—what if he’d earned it, what if he slept with anyone and forgot their na, what if he was really a serial killer and the police looked the other way because he was Angel DeMarco, what if—

“Get a grip, Lina,” she said aloud, trying to shake the worry fro him drive at twenty-five miles an hour and wear a crash helmet”

But she couldn’trong She reht about Francis, and her heart started to race She glanced nervously at the phone A call like that could cohtning and leave you burning…

She needed Zach right now, someone to talk to—

Frohts outside “Thank God”

The Mercedes pulled up the driveway and stopped The headlights flicked off

She sat there, ar for them to come inside They didn’t

Finally they left the car and strode casually up the ay The lock clicked and the door swung open Mo at each other with starry, faraway looks in their eyes

Lina felt suddenly excluded It was the way she wanted Angel to look at her, only her She knew she was being stupid and selfish and childish, but it hurt God, how it hurt She’d wanted a daddy as hers and hers alone Her best friend in all the world The way they looked at each other—as if they were in love—ry and empty inside “Mom?’ she whispered

They looked startled—as if they hadn’t even noticed she was in the rooard pissed her off even el’s “Hi, baby,” she said in a sleepy voice “We thought you’d be in bed by now You didn’t have to wait up”

The words were like arrows, driving deep They hadn’t even thought about Lina, they’d forgotten her coht Like I could sleep with you out” She threw the words back at her mother, and felt a tiny thrill when she flinched

Mo in her eyes onlyfor you to be scared of, baby Nothing could change the way either of us feels about you”

Lina kneas a lie If her , and suddenly she didn’t want it changed She wanted her old life back, wanted Francis out on that old porch swing and Moarden She didn’t want this dark-haired stranger to come between them

She felt as if she were about to explode, but she didn’t knohy It was as if all her little-girl dreael “You said you wereher shaken and angry Suddenly she wanted to hurt hi her “You’re not my father,” she said in a cold voice “You have his heart, but you’re not him” Her voice broke and it made her furious, that shoeakness “You don’t deserve his heart”

“Lina!” Mom said harshly