"You're welcome to stay with me," she said. "Martina's going to be gone-I'm sure she won't mind if you use her room."

"Thanks, El-you're the best. Oh, and one more thing. I have a friend-another friend. He wants to be an artist. He's really talented..."

Ellie's heart sank a little. "Did you meet this friend in prison?"

"Yeah, he got busted for some pyramid scheme. But he's completely reformed-he's a real smart guy. He's taken every mailorder course there is. If you ever need an undertaker, a minister or a lawyer, he's your man."

"Uh, exactly how long has he been in prison?"

"Not that long. The thing is, he's decided he really wants to be an artist. You think you could take a look at his stuff?"

"Sure," she said listlessly. "Have him bring by some samples of his work tomorrow."

"Thanks, El. I owe you one. Say, could you give me the key to your apartment?"

She handed over the key, and he gave her a casual hug. "Thanks again, El. Oh, and listen. If you need any help, if you want me to punch your boyfriend's lights out or something, you let me know."

"I will," she told him, touched in spite of herself.

Once he was gone, she sank slowly back into her chair, imagining a confrontation between the two men-Garek getting beat up and Robbie being hauled back to jail.

She hoped she never saw Garek again. But even more, she hoped he and Robbie never met.

Ellie was sitting on her couch that evening, across from Robbie and his friend Caspar, when the phone rang. Trying to ignore it, she pretended to study Caspar's painting.

Caspar hadn't been able to wait until tomorrow to show Ellie his work, so Robbie had invited him to come over. Caspar seemed nice enough-he was a tall, thin young man with lank brown hair and a skittish gaze-but Ellie hadn't been too thrilled to find him in her apartment when she arrived home. His paintings held even less to thrill her. His bland landscapes did little to distract her from the shrill ringing of the telephone. Was it her imagination or did the phone actually sound angry? angry?

"Ellie? Ellie? Are you there?" The harsh voice coming from the answering machine definitely sounded angry. "Pick up the phone, Ellie, or I'm coming over..."

Becoming angry herself, Ellie stalked over to the phone on the kitchen wall and s.n.a.t.c.hed up the receiver. "I can't talk right now," she snapped. "What do you want?"

"What do you think I want?" he snarled. "I want an explanation of that message you left on my phone."

"I don't care what you want-" Seeing Robbie and Caspar eavesdropping with blatant interest, she hunched her shoulders and turned her back to them. "I don't want to go out with you anymore, you snake," she hissed, adding a few improvements to the calm, cool message she'd left earlier. "I don't ever want to see you again, you miserable excuse for a human being. Which part don't you understand?"

"Oh, I understand you're upset about something. I just don't understand what."

"I had a little visit from your sister today. Let's just say that she opened my eyes as to your true character."

There was a long silence. Then, his voice grim, he said, "I'm coming up."

"Coming up? What do you mean?" She ran over to the window and saw him getting out of his car, cell phone in hand. "No! You can't-"

The line went dead. She saw him put the phone in his pocket and start up the stairs.

Panic a.s.sailed her. She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to talk to him. She wanted to hide. She'd get Robbie to tell him to go away...

Robbie!

Oh, dear heaven. There was no predicting how Robbie would behave.

The doorbell rang.

She wondered if there was any chance Garek would just leave if she ignored it.

The bell rang again-a long, extended ring, as if someone was holding his finger on the b.u.t.ton.

"Robbie," Ellie said. "Could you and Caspar please go into Martina's room for a few minutes?"

Robbie frowned. "Who's at the door? That guy you're in love with?"

"I'm not in love with him! "she snapped, her patience fraying badly. "I just need to talk to him-privately."

Robbie didn't move, his frown deepening. "You're sure acting strangely, Ellie. Crying over this guy one minute and snapping at me the next-"

"She's probably pregnant, man," Caspar said. "That's how my sister was when her old man knocked her up."

"Pregnant!" A murderous rage lighting his brown eyes, Robbie took an impulsive step toward the front door.

Ellie caught his arm. "Robbie, I'm not not pregnant!" pregnant!"

"My sister denied it too," Caspar said. "But five months later she had little Willard. Cute kid. Except his head was kind of pointy-"

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Ellie couldn't take any more. "Robbie and Caspar, in the bedroom-now!"

Robbie looked as though he was going to refuse, but she gave him a stern look, and reluctantly he allowed her to push him toward the bedroom. "If you need any help," he said, cracking his knuckles, "just call out and I'll be glad to-"

Ellie slammed the door closed.

Taking a deep breath, she wiped her damp palms on her skirt, smoothed her hair, then marched over to the door and opened it.

Garek immediately shoved his way past her. "We need to talk."

"About what? "she said as coolly as shecould. "About the art foundation you started for your sister? Doreen told me how much she appreciates your efforts on her behalf."

He gave her an unreadable look. "So?"

"So! So!" She stared at him in disbelief. "May I ask you one question? And please be honest. Did you know your sister would hate Vogel's?"

He hesitated, then answered bluntly. "Yes."

Pain lanced through Ellie's heart. She wanted to creep into the bedroom and hide. But she couldn't let herself hide from the truth any longer. She needed to know it all. "Did you deliberately choose Vogel's to annoy her?"

He met her gaze, his own level. "Yes."

The pain grew worse. "And did you go out with me for the same reason?"

"Yes."

That was it, then. Her throat was so tight, she could barely speak. "Then there's nothing more to say." Afraid she was going to start crying, she turned away.

He caught her arm, and she blinked back her tears. She couldn't cry-she wouldn't wouldn't. Not in front of him. She yanked free of his grasp and folded her arms across her chest, glaring. "Will you please leave? You accomplished everything you set out to do."

Garek stepped back. He shoved his hands in his pockets, making no effort to defend himself. How could he? Everything she'd said was true. But somehow, at the same time it wasn't wasn't true. He'd certainly started out the way she said. But nothing had turned out as he'd expected. He'd wanted to spite his sister-but it had been a long time since he'd even thought of that. He disliked contemporary art-but he enjoyed listening to Ellie's enthusiasm for it. He'd gone out with her to teach Doreen a lesson-but somehow, when he was with Ellie, he forgot about his sister. He looked at her flushed cheeks and pursed lips. His gaze flickered down to her rounded b.r.e.a.s.t.s pushed up by her folded arms, then back up to meet her angry eyes headon. He wanted her with an intensity he'd never experienced before. He wanted her-and he wasn't willing to give her up. true. He'd certainly started out the way she said. But nothing had turned out as he'd expected. He'd wanted to spite his sister-but it had been a long time since he'd even thought of that. He disliked contemporary art-but he enjoyed listening to Ellie's enthusiasm for it. He'd gone out with her to teach Doreen a lesson-but somehow, when he was with Ellie, he forgot about his sister. He looked at her flushed cheeks and pursed lips. His gaze flickered down to her rounded b.r.e.a.s.t.s pushed up by her folded arms, then back up to meet her angry eyes headon. He wanted her with an intensity he'd never experienced before. He wanted her-and he wasn't willing to give her up.

"Whatever I intended at the start of our relationship doesn't really matter anymore. Everything has changed. I didn't expect it to. I didn't want it to. But there's something between us, Ellie, something I can't deny and neither can you. Come on," he said, his voice low and seductive."Admit.i.t. You want me as much as I want you."

"You're crazy." Ellie glared at him, hating the arrogant certainty in his tone. "How could I want you? Everything I thought I liked about you was a lie. You don't like your family, you don't like art or music. You don't even like me. me."

"You're wrong, Ellie." His hard gaze turned dark and sensual. "I do like you."

Before she could move, he took her in his arms and kissed her. For a second, everything inside her went limp. He was right. She did want him. She did want to find out what was between them...

But she wasn't completely stupid.

With every ounce of willpower she could summon, she pulled away from him. "No, Garek. I-"

"Hey, El," a voice interrupted her. "You need some help getting rid of this jerk?"

As one, Garek and Ellie turned toward the bedroom.

Garek's eyes narrowed when he saw the stranger standing in the doorway. Pierced and tattooed, the young man had the wiry build and mean eyes of a street kid, and he smelled of too much cologne. Who the h.e.l.l was he and what was he doing in Ellie's apartment?

Ellie didn't appear too pleased at the stranger's appearance either. "Robbie, I told you I can handle this myself."

"Robbie?" Garek looked sharply at her. "Your cousin, I take it?"

She didn't answer his question, all her attention focused on Robbie. "Please go back into Martina's room."

"In a minute, prima prima." The mean eyes met Garek's. "First I want to find out what this perro's perro's intentions are." intentions are."

"And you wonder why I prefer to keep some distance between myself and family members?" Garek drawled.

Ellie didn't look amused. "Garek, please be quiet-"

"Don't worry, El, I'll shut him up." Robbie rushed at Garek.

Garek waited until the other man was almost on him, then quickly sidestepped.

Robbie went barreling past, crashing into the coffee table and shattering the lump of mud sculpture into a thousand pieces.

"Robbie! Garek! Stop this at once!"

Robbie didn't appear to hear Ellie. A snarl on his face, he got up and hurtled back toward Garek. Garek met him with a punch to the gut, causing Robbie to double over. Garek grabbed him by the shoulders and followed with an uppercut to the jaw. Robbie collapsed to the floor.

With a shriek, Ellie rushed to her cousin's side. "Robbie! Robbie! Are you all right?"

Wincing, Robbie sat up. "I think so," he said thickly, rubbing his jaw. He glared at Garek. "Think you're pretty tough, huh? This isn't over. Not by a long shot. You're not getting away with what you did to Ellie. You're going to have to do right by her-"

"Caspar!" Ellie called out hastily, cutting her cousin off. "Come help me with Robbie!"

Garek, leaning against the door to catch his breath, watched as another man came out of Martina's room and helped Ellie support Robbie into the bedroom. Pieces of the lump-of-mud sculpture made crunching noises as the trio stepped on them, pulverizing them into dust. "Don't worry, man," Garek heard Caspar mumble to Robbie. "We'll figure something out-"

Ellie shut the door and came back into the living room.

"Charming cousin you have," Garek said.

She glared at him. "Did you have to hit him?" she asked indignantly.

Garek folded his arms across his chest. "He at tacked me."

"Well, you didn't need to be so...so violent."

Garek, recognizing a woman's illogic when he saw it, forbore to respond. Instead, he asked, "What was he talking about? What have I done to you?"

Her gaze slid away and she hunched her shoulders irritably. "Nothing. Would you please leave now? I think you've caused enough trouble for one night."

"I'm not leaving until we get this mess straightened out between us-"

The bedroom door flew open again.

Ellie turned. "What is it now-" She stopped.

Once again, Robbie stood in the doorway. Only this time, he held a gun.

Chapter Nine.

"Robbie!" Ellie cried. "What are you doing? Put that gun away!"

Garek looked at the gun, then at Robbie. "Don't be a fool, Hernandez," he said coldly.

Ellie moved in front of Garek. "Robbie," she pleaded. "Remember what happened last time you shot someone."

"Rafe was an a.s.s, Ellie. He deserved to be shot in the rear end."

Garek, tense and watchful, frowned at the name. Rafe...Ellie's ex-boyfriend?

He tried to pull her behind him, but she yanked away. "Get out of the way," he growled at her, "before your idiot cousin shoots you."