the Devil himself had touched me intimately and almost . . . I shuddered and knew my legs wouldn't support me if I tried to stand. My center still quivered and, if I'd dared touch myself, I knew I'd go off. I hated that, hated that I'd responded to that creep. I trembled, disgusted and nauseated.
I pushed my wet hair out of my eyes when I heard the bathroom door open.
"Glory, not finished already, are you, sweetheart?" Jerry pulled aside the shower curtain. "Why didn't you wait for me?"
I started sobbing and couldn't stop.
"Glory? What in God's name is wrong with you?" Jerry tried to pull me into his arms but I shook my head and pointed at the fogged up mirror.
Written in the steam was a smiley face and one letter - "L." I couldn't speak.
"Lucifer? By God, are you telling me Lucifer was in here?" Jerry crawled into the tub with me and wrapped his arms around me. "Did he . . . ?"
I shook my head. "He, he came up behind me." I felt Jerry's arms tighten around me. "But somehow I, I knew." I turned to look at him. "He didn't smell right." I leaned my face into Jerry's neck and breathed in his essence. "I've been with you so long. He could have made himself look like you, I guess. But your smell." I kissed the side of his neck, my shaking finally gone. "I stopped him before . . ."
"How?" Jerry brushed my wet hair back from my face. "This is the king of hell we're talking about. He's so powerful."
"Surprised him." I reached for that bottle of gel that lay next to the drain and capped it, carefully setting it on the rim of the tub. "He thought he had me. Stayed behind me so, so I couldn't see." I buried my face in Jerry's neck. "Take me out of here. Please?"
"What was I thinking?" Jerry stood, grabbed a towel to wrap me in, then carried me to the bed. There he piled blankets on top of me. "Better?"
"A little. Don't, don't leave me." I felt raw, vulnerable. No matter what Lucifer said, he could come back, decide to finish what he'd started. I didn't say it, tried to be brave about it. But Jerry sat on the side of the bed and kept one hand on mine.
"I won't." He pulled out his phone and I heard him tell Penny to come upstairs. Then she was there, staring at me from the doorway. He issued orders like the commander he'd once been, telling her to clear out the rest of the rat paraphernalia and drive his car to San Antonio. That the destination was already programmed into his GPS.
"But what's wrong with Glory?" Penny hadn't moved out of the doorway yet. I was aware of her, but didn't look at her directly. I couldn't seem to quit doing an instant replay of the shower scene. Why hadn't I known immediately that it wasn't Jerry behind me? I'd let it go too far. I should have . . . It was an endless tape of what ifs and if onlys that made me crazy.
"She slipped and fell in the bathtub. She'll be all right but I don't want to leave her alone right now. Just go. I'll take care of her." Jerry's voice was calm, but I knew him well enough to sense the rage he was barely holding inside. Apparently the idea that Lucifer had tried to rape me, and that's what I was calling it, made him as crazy as it was making me.
Moments passed as I counted spots on the ceiling and tried to make my mind blank. Didn't work of course. By the time I heard the hall door close and Jerry was back beside me, I had tears running down my cheeks again.
"Gloriana, love." He pulled me into his arms and held me close. His warmth soothed me and I knew I was safe. But for how long?
I opened my mind to him and let him see exactly what had happened. No secrets. He stiffened and bit back a curse, then laid me carefully on the bed.
"I'll be right back." He stood and pulled out his cell phone.
"Jerry, what are you going to do?"
"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill anyone." He took my hand while he used his thumb to page through his numbers, then hit speed dial for someone. "Get over here. Gloriana needs you." He was