And so, sweet darling; If you’re inclined to be kind… Dallas felt the padded edge of the bar against her back. “If she knew what you are, she wouldn’t .”

We’ll get together for that old bump and grind.

Neal sneered and stepped closer. “It was that puny little prosecutor who turned you around, wasn’t it? You used to like me. I know you did. But he told you I was guilty, and you believed that runt instead of me: ‘

“You raped Celia, didn’t you?”

Bump, bump, bump and grind.

“Such an ugly word, rape.” His voice reminded her of oil dripping. “What happened between Celia and me wasn’t like that at all. She liked it. She told me so.”

“Because you threatened to kill her if she didn’t say what you wanted?” Praying that the shadows hid her movements, she slipped one hand behind her, groping until her fingers closed around the neck of a bottle.

“Ah, Dallas, we say lots of things in the throes of passion, don’t we? I’m sure you’ve said violent things to that stud of yours-what’s his name? Gabe?”

She’d have to smash the bottle against the counter hard enough to break it. Then, with luck, she’d have a weapon. “Never mind what his name is.”

“Is he waiting outside the building? I found a radio on his bearded hi end

Dallas had a moment of hope. If the radio was still in the bathroom, she might be able to reach it.

“I had to smash the radio; he said, as if reading her thoughts. “Although I doubt your hero could get in here, anyway. The bolted doors would be impossible, and the back door locks horn the inside unless you have a key. I don’t suppose he has one?”

Come on, baby, its time to lose our minds.

She clenched her teeth together. Gabe had no key. The managers had jealously guarded the possession of keys after several cases of liquor had been stolen one night. “I gave him a key; she said.

“I don’t think so. Beth explained to me about the key situation when I mentioned it might be fun to sneak in here and have sex in the middle of the dance floor. She liked the fantasy. We couldn’t decide whether to do it in neon light or the revolving ball. I think I prefer the neon, don’t you?” He glanced once toward the purple slash on the opposite wall.

She q’abbed the brief moment to whip the bottle out and crack it against the counter. Bourbon splashed over her. The sudden stench of alcohol made her gag, but the bottle neck held together. She pointed the jagged glass at him.

“Oh, my.” He reached down, keeping his gaze on her, and pulled something horn his boot. When he crouched lower and began circling toward her, the violet light flickered across a long blade. “Ever had experience in krufe fighting, sweet thing?”

A new song came on the sound system. Hysterical laughter bubbled in Dallas’s throat as she imitated Neal’s stance. And I’m going crazy, no matter how cool Iseem, crooned the familiar song. She’d never been in a knife fight in her life. But if she expected to disable him, she had to get close enough to cut him with the bottle. “Causeshe is the answer to this cowboy’s dream.

She watched his knife hand weave a pattern in the air, and she gripped the neck of the bottle as he closed in.

She would aim for the stomach in one long motion, follow through like send inga cue stick into the white ball. One lunge and back out, away horn that weaving krufe. The music created an eerie tempo as he maneuvered closer, almost stepping in time.

“Care to dance?” he whispered.

With a yell she leaped forward. He caught her wrist when it was only halfway to its target. His fingers bit into her flesh. His face came within inches of hers. He raised the knife.

GAse sCArrtqrED the damp parking lot again. The rain had stopped, leaving the asphalt slick and shining in the overhead mercury lights. Nearby creosote bushes gave off the acrid scent of the desert after a rain. Nothing moved. He was almost sure Parnell wasn’t out there. He flicked on the radio and spoke softly to Jasper. “No sign of him?”

“Nothiri, Gabe. Either the guy left early or-“

“I don’t like it. I’m signaling Diego.”

“Just a minute, Gabe. I know you’re antsy, but I’m not sure everybody else is outta there. If some manager’s still around and a radio goes off… Diego would have a tough time explaining why he was hiding in the men’s rest room.”

Gabe had to trust his gut. “Then we’ll go in and help him explain. I’m calling him.” He punched in the code and waited. When nothing happened, he felt as if somebody had threaded an ice pick up his spine. He punched the number again. Then he punched in Jasper’s code. “lEie s not answering.”

“Maybe he s-“

“We’re going in.”

“How are we going in? I may be strong, Gabe, but I can’t break through any of those doors, and neither can you. “

“Stay there. I’m getting the truck.” He cut Jasper off in the middle of his startled oath of surprise and sprinted down a back alley, slipping twice in mud but regairung his balance each time. Along the way he tossed the radio in the bushes. The damn thing was no good. No good!

Wrenching open the door he leaped into the truck, the key already positioned for the ignition. He cranked once and the engine stayed silent, as if knowing the sacrifice he was about to ask. Cold sweat bathed his armpits. He cranked again, and the engine started. Throwing the truck into gear he roared down the Street He thought of all the times he’d pushed open the oak doors that led into Rowdy Ranch.

Thick suckers. Driving one-handed, he fastened his seat belt.

“DROP THE BOTTLE, sweet thing: ‘

Dallas watched in horrified fascination as the knife blade descended slowly toward her throat.

“Drop it.” He squeezed harder, cutting off the circulation to her fingers.

She felt the bottle slipping from her grasp, tried to keep her grip and failed. “Cause she is the answer to this cowboy’s dream.

The bottle shattered on the floor.

“Good girl. I doxi t want to cut you. You’ll be so much more fun alive than dead: ‘

The reminder of his ultimate intention snapped her from her hypnotized state. Puttingall her weight into it, she whacked her knee into his crotch.

An ugly expletive wheezed out of him as he released her and doubled over. Her shop was closer than the door to the outside. She could lock herself in. And there were scissors, and solutions to throw in his face. She ran across the polished dance floor as the finale to

“A

Cowboy’s Dream crescendoed around her. She’d nearly reached the other side of the floor when he tack led her from behind. She went down and felt a sharp pain ram from her wrist up the length of her arm.

“That wasn’t nice, he panted, rolling her over as she struggled to regain her wind. His hat was gone, his eyes wild, his hair disheveled and backlit in purple.

This was the Neal that Celia Martinez had seen, she thought. If the jury had seen the transformation in Neal’s baby face, even for a brief moment, they would never have acquitted him.

“Now it’ll only go worse for you; he rasped. ,

The music changed again. This time, she recognized the song she d waltzed to with Gabe. Neal must have watched them constantly, and the memory of that song had been burned into his fevered brain.

She fought him, despite the excruciating pain in her wrist. She scored one scratch to his cheek as he struggled to get her blouse open. He no longer had the knife, but he was strong, far stronger than she. His breath reeked of beer and he stank of sick desire. The more she struggled, the brighter grew the light in his eyes.

“Is this what you need to get excited?” she taunted , trying to kick him as he pinned her legs with one thigh. “I’ll bet you don’t even know what normal sex is .”

The waltz soared through the empty hall as if seeking out dancers.

“Shut up.” He held her wrists so tight she bit her lip to keep from crying out at the pain. He wanted her cries, and she wouldn’t give them.

“I’ll bet you can’t even do it with Beth, can you?” she choked out. “you’re impotent with her, aren’t you?”

“Shut up, bitch!” He tightened his hold on her.

Mute with the pain from her bad wrist, she stared at him through swimming eyes.

“That’s more like it. Now I’ll kiss you and make everything better:

‘


When his revolting lips descended toward hers, she spat in his face.

He looked up, her spit running down one cheek. She had never seen anyone look like that. His pupils seemed to be twin black holes leading to a bottomless pit, or the depths of hell. He circled her throat with one hand, his thumb pressing against her windpipe. Slowly, his jaw clenching with the effort, he squeezed. She tried to free herself, but she was weakening. The room began to spin and grow darker. The waltz faded slowly away. A rumbling noise sounded in the distance, or was it her own blood churning through her veins?

There was an explosion. Perhaps death came like that, a rending and tearing from this physical world. She would have imagined death would be quieter. Then she blacked out.

THE nvIP ACr ]AtqnqED the engine block back, but not far enough to crush Gabe’s legs. The seat belt held, but his arms felt as if he’d been operatinga jackhammer. Through a fog of steam coming from his ruptured radiator , the doors to Rowdy Ranch looked like bomb damage he d seen in the Middle East. But there was an opening big enough to fit through. And although it didn’t make sense, he could hear music.

He fumbled for the door latch, which seemed to be missing. Finally he put his shoulder to the door and shoved until it gave. When he leaped out, Jasper was standing there like a stone monument to perpehxal amazement, his mouth open, his eyes wide.