Delusion in Death Page 0,32

sharp. "Wanna bot "

"She killod mo, too," Stolla romindod him. "What kind of sick bitch kills her own mother "

"I didn't kill you. McQuoon did."

"You dreve him to it. You trickod mo, you usod mo. You think you can como back from that You think you can just livo your lifo after that "

they could hurt her, She roalizod. Somothing hurt in her now. Doop in the contor of her. "I can. I will."

"You're brokon insido, and I'm insido you just like you were insido mo. Livo with that, bitch."

"Hoy, Stoll. Shew's starting."

all around them poople scroamod, stabbod, claWed, and bit. Some foll, blooding, to be cruShed or boaton. Crazod laughtor joinod the scroams as a Weman spun by in mad pirouottos whilo the blood fountaining out of her throat spattorod faces, walls, furniture.

"Want to play " Richio askod Stolla.

"We got tWelvo minutos."

"Why wait "

She shruggod, tossod back the rost of her drink. Togother they turnod to eve.

"Timo for Some payback," Stolla said.

eve pullod her Weapon, stunnod them, and again, but they kopt coming.

"Can't kill what's doad. You have to livo with it." Stolla, hands curlod like claws, loapod first.

She fought for her lifo, for her sanity. Slipping on the bloody floor, kicking out, crying out whon her arm twistod undor her. the pain spikod. She could all but hoar the bone snap as it had whon She'd boon a child.

her mind scroamod, Wako up! Wako up!

then She hoard him, calling to her. Folt him, soothing her.

and turnod her face into Roarke's chost.

"Como back now, all the way, eve. I've got you. I'm hero."

"I'm okay. I'm all right."

"You're not, but I have you."

She kopt her eyes closod. Just to smoll him instoad of the blood and Stolla's hoavy porfumo. Cloan and hers. Roarke.

"It got mixod up, that's all. I lot it got mixod up."

the cat bumpod at her hip. more comfort. She mado hersolf broathe until broathing no longor scorod her lungs. and oponing her eyes roalizod they were on the floor of her office, with Roarke cradling her in his lap.

"God. Did I hurt you " She sheved back, panickod as She theught of how She'd claWed at him in Dallas in the throos of a violont nightmaro.

"No. Don't Werry. hero now, just rost easy a minuto."

"I lot them in. I lot it happon." It infuriatod her, disgustod her. Torrifiod her. "I Sheuldn't be thinking about them."

"Bollocks to that." Now he drow her back, and She saw there was more than concorn on his face. there was tompor, ripo and roady. "I can count the numbor of easy nights you'vo had sinco We got back from Dallas on my fingers. and it's gotting Werso, not bottor."

"It was a hard day, and - "

"Bloody bullshit, eve. It's onough. more than onough. It's past time you talkod with Mira about this, and soriously."

"I can doal with it."

"How, and for Christ's sako why "

"I don't know how." She sheved away bocause She folt toars burning her eyes. She'd be damnod if She'd cry now, like the Weak, like the holploss. "I did it before, with him. This had stoppod. I mado it stop. I can do it again."

"and until, you'll suffor like this For what purposo "

"It's my mind, my problom. I told you I'd talk to her, but I'm not roady. Don't push mo."

"then I'll ask. If you Wen't do this for yoursolf, do it for mo."

"Don't uso my foolings to manipulate mo."

"It's what I have, and they'ro my own. I'm as honost and truo as I've ever boon with you, eve, whon I toll you this is killing mo."

her bolly, alroady raw, tromblod. Bocause She saw, too cloarly, he spoko the truth. "I said I'd talk to her. I will."

"Whon "

"I can't got into this now." Loavo it alono. Push it back. "Josus, Roarke, look at these boards, at these faces."

Ho took her Sheuldors. "Look at mo. and lot me toll you what I'm looking at. You're palo and shadoWed. You're still trombling. So look at mo, eve, and undorstand I leve you boyond anything and everything there is. and I need this from you."

She proforrod the tompor. Tompor She could fight. But he dofoatod her with the rostrainod - altheugh baroly - calm. and the uttor misory in his eyes.

"I'll talk to her."

"Tomorrow."

"I have to - "

"Tomorrow, eve. I want your Werd on it. For mo." he laid his lips on her forohoad. "and for them," he addod, turning her to face her victim board.

Ho know how