With his head tilted down to look at me, his hand slid around to the back of my neck and up into my hair and I just barely controlled a delicious shiver (but I did it).

"I gotta get home. Get some sleep," he told me.

I felt a wave of disappointment hit me. I'd spent all but about five hours in the last twenty-seven with him (yes, I'd counted). It would be weird for him just to go.

I didn't tell him that. Instead, I nodded.

He dropped his hand but caught mine and took me with him as he walked to the door.

Once there, he stopped, turned to me, his fingers wrapped around my cast and he looked down at it.

"Who's takin' you to get this removed?"

"Bex."

His gaze lifted to mine. "She can't do it, you call me."

It wasn't really a request but I still said, "Okay."

He dropped my cast, tugged on my other hand, I leaned forward, his head came down and he kissed me, slow and sweet.

He lifted his head an inch and murmured, "I wanna hear the locks."

I wasn't breathing really well so I decided not to try to talk and simply just nodded again.

He left, I went to the door, turned the locks and put my ear to it so I could hear his boots walking away.

When I couldn't hear them anymore, I said to the door, "Blooming heck."

I walked up the stairs, into my room and went to my nightwear drawer.

I used to wear nothing but silky, lacy nighties to bed. On Day Nine at Ralphie and Buddy's house, after they moved my stuff in, I took every last one of them and threw them in the kitchen garbage.

I don't know why, I just did.

From that point, I wore t-shirts and yoga pants to bed.

On about Day Seventeen at Ralphie and Buddy's, Ralphie and I came home from the gallery and there were two big pink and white striped Victoria's Secret bags on my bed. In them were two pairs of silky, lacy pajama bottoms with matching camisoles, two pairs of soft cotton and lacy pajama bottoms and matching camisoles, two pairs of soft knit pajama bottoms and matching camisoles and two pairs of silk, tailored women's pajamas.

Buddy'd had the day off and he'd obviously gone shopping.

They must have seen my nighties in the garbage.

I didn't say anything. Neither did they. But I mentally added a percent to Ralphie's merit increase at his next performance evaluation.

I pulled off my clothes, pulled on my jade green pajama bottoms and matching camisole with smoky gray lace at the bodice and hem of the camisole and at the hem of the pajama pants (they were very pretty, Buddy had good taste in women's nightwear), went to the bathroom off my bedroom, brushed my teeth and washed my face.

Then I went to bed. I tried to settle in but I couldn't.

I tossed and turned thinking of Harvey in jail and Ricky still "at large". Thinking Ricky was likely pretty angry at me while he was still "at large". Thinking that Hector had taken me to his Mom's house on our first date and how weird and scary that was. Thinking that Daisy was again my friend, Ally intrigued me, Indy and Jet were sweet and Shirleen gave good hugs.

I tried to clear my mind and tossed and turned some more. But I couldn't settle.

It was all going to get worse, I knew it. If either Harvey or Ricky fought it, I'd have to testify. I'd have to tell a room full of people what happened to me and I'd have to see both of them again and I didn't want to do that.

Not ever again.

And I didn't know what was happening with Hector. I was getting in deep and it seemed I couldn't stop myself, not that he was giving me the chance.

If I was honest with myself I liked to be around him, he made me feel things, things I hadn't felt since Mom left. It was more than safe, it was comfy, snug and content like I didn't have to be looking over my shoulder all the time, wondering what his true intentions were, guarding myself from the sharks circling. He was real, he wasn't hiding anything, he wasn't out for anything.

He was just Hector.

And in the very, very back of my mind where I let my true feelings lie, I had to admit that it was more than just liking being with him, I liked him kissing me, touching me. I liked it loads. So much, when it was happening it didn't even occur to me to push him away.

I should be pushing him away.

I couldn't get used to this, I knew. I knew better than to let anyone in.

I was going to have to get rid of him and to do it I was going to have to bring back the Ice Princess.

It was on that thought, my cell rang.

I threw my covers back, jumped out of bed and ran to the fluffy, chintz armchair in my bedroom, snatching my cell off the top of my purse before it woke Ralphie and Buddy.

Before I could think twice, I flipped it open and put it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Sadie, you stupid cunt!"

My back went straight at the c-word but the vicious voice kept talking in my ear.

"You shoulda let me deal with Ricky and Harvey. Shit, you stupid cunt."

He said it again!

"Who is this?" I asked.

"You dumb bitch. Settin' Chavez and Nightingale on us, what the fuck?"

I knew this voice. I wasn't sure which but it was either Donny or Marty Balducci.

Blooming heck.

Those crazy Balducci Brothers!

Why?

Why, why, why, why, why?

Someone please tell me, what did I do?

He kept talking. "You're gonna pay, you bitch, you're gonna fuckin' pay."

Disconnect.

I stood there in the dark, cell to my ear and I could feel my heart beating in my throat.

Then I flipped my phone shut and ran out of my room, across the hall and right to Ralphie and Buddy's closed door.

I lifted my hand to knock and stopped.

It had to be after midnight. I couldn't wake them. They both had to work the next day. They had jobs, lives, they'd already seen me through a rape and an attempted kidnapping, what kind of friend would lay a middle-of-the-night threatening phone call on their door even if the call did include the c-word (twice!)?

If I kept dragging them into my mess, I was going to use them up. I couldn't use them up.

I already owed them...

I closed my eyes and shook my head.

I owed them too much to ever repay, I couldn't use more.

I stepped away from the door and kept backing up until I hit the opposite wall. I slid down, my knees coming up until my bottom hit the floor. Then I wrapped my arms around my legs, pressed my cheek against my knees and took in deep breaths.

I could do this. I could get through this all by myself. I'd just calm down and go to sleep. I'd be okay. I was always okay.

Well, if not okay-okay than at least okay...ish.

My phone rang in my hand, I jerked back and my phone went sailing in the air.

I scrambled to catch it but it dropped to my side. My hands went to the floor and searched blindly in the dark until my fingers hit the phone.

I snatched it up, flipped it open and put it to my ear. "Leave me alone!" I hissed.

"Sadie."

It was Hector.

I closed my eyes tight and swallowed my heart which was lodged in my throat.

"Hang tight, mamita," he told me. "I'll be there in ten."

I blinked into the darkness. "What?"

But he'd already disconnected.

I stared at my illuminated phone for what could have been seconds or hours. Then I flipped it shut.

My eyes moved to Buddy and Ralphie's door and I willed it to stay closed.

Then I thought about how my life was such a fucking mess and it was all down to my fucking father and the fucking Balduccis.

Then I wondered why Hector was coming over. I mean, I get a nasty phone call in the middle of the night and five minutes later he calls and says he's coming over?

How bizarre was that?

All of this must have taken ten minutes because I heard a knock at the door.

I ran down the stairs and with my ear to the door I called, "Who is it?"

"Me," Hector said.

I unlocked and opened the door.

He put a hand to my belly, shoved me back, stepped in, closed the door behind him, twisted and locked it. After locking it, he turned to me, my mouth opened to say something and he pulled me roughly into his arms and held me tight.

The panic crawling through my system slid away instantly and I sagged into him.

I took a shaky breath then tilted my head back to look at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Brody, our computer guy, patched into your cell. We monitor your calls and we can listen to them. Jack heard Marty Balducci, he called me, I came."

Oh my.

Simple as that. He called me, I came.

I dropped my head and rested my forehead against his chest. Hector's tight arms got tighter.

"He's not gonna hurt you."

I wanted to laugh. I did not.

"They've already hurt me. One of them raped me, another one attacked me in an alley and tried to kidnap me in order that he could rape me!" I whispered on a hiss directly to his chest.

"Mamita, look at me." His tone was gentle.

I shook my head.

"Sadie, look at me." This time, his tone was firm.

I sighed and then looked at him.

"He's not gonna hurt you."

I shook my head again.

"I'm tellin' you, mi corazn, he's not gonna hurt you."