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The driver wanted to ask more but they were already gone, heading back to the mess inside. He pulled away from the curb. Only when they were safely caught in traffic did he look in the backseat. She slumped against the door, tears running down her face. Her hair was a mess. She held one hand to her mouth, chewing on her flawless nails. He wanted to say something to her but couldn’t think of anything. They drove to her apartment building in silence. He put the Rolls in park in front of the building. “Hey, you okay?” No answer. “We’re here, at your place. You’re home.” Nothing. She wasn’t going to do anything but sit there unless he made her move. The driver killed the engine. He went around to the passenger door. She fell forward when he opened it, into his arms. “C’mon now.” He took her elbow and guided her to her feet. “Can’t sit in the car all night, right?” They made it up the path, her stumbling a little in those crazy heels. When they reached the door he realized he had no idea which apartment she lived in. “What number?” “Two-oh-four.” The words ended in a ragged sob. The elevator dinged. He pushed her inside, gently, and followed. She was crying hard, soundless, not even trying to wipe the tears away. “Look.” He said awkwardly. The elevator was thick with the orangey smell of her perfume. “It’s always hard the first time you see- you know. I threw up the first time. You’re handling it really good. Like a pro.” They went down the hall the same way, his hand on her arm. She was so short that he could look down at the part of her unnaturally auburn hair. She fumbled for her keys when he asked for them and didn’t resist when he took them from her. The fingernails she’d chewed were bleeding a little. He opened the door to her apartment and felt for the light switch. He caught a glimpse of an overflowing ashtray, a stocking thrown carelessly over the back of a chair. “Here you are.” He patted her arm. Silk slipped under his hand. “Get some sleep tonight. Ray will call you later, I bet.” She blinked at him. Her eyes widened as she realized where they were. “Please don’t leave me.” Her voice sounded very small. “I- I’m scared.” “I gotta go, they’ll need me…” A big tear rolled down one of her cheeks. Without thinking he reached out and brushed it away. “Hey, it’s okay.” “It’s not okay!” She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. “I j-just saw a guy die tonight! It’s not o-okay!” He had to get her inside and go back to Kelso’s. They needed him there, to help clean up. Ray would wonder why he wasn’t back yet. He just had to push her in and close the door. So why was he putting his arms around her shoulders? She pressed herself against him and cried. He breathed in her scent, citrus perfume, smoke, shampoo. He touched her hair, stroking it away from her face. Soft as the silk she wore. She felt like a bird in his arms. Had Ray ever noticed how small and frail she was? He didn’t know how much time passed before he remembered Lenny the Rat, Kelso’s, Ray. He stepped back and she wiped her eyes, sniffling. “You okay now?” He couldn’t resist touching her cheek again, pretending to wipe away another tear. She nodded, not looking at him. It was tough, closing the door behind and waiting until he heard the lock click. Getting into the car that still smelled of her perfume and driving back to Kelso’s. She never thanked him for taking her home that night. The driver tensed. He waited. “He won’t let me, but I have a plan.” She patted her purse, lying on the seat beside her. “I bought a gun.” Was she serious? He peered into the rearview. There was a suspicious bulge in the purse, near the zipper. His own piece was holstered under his shoulder, snug against his chest. Its weight and shape were a comfort to him. “That’s crazy.” He said to the mirror. “You shoot Ray, his bodyguards gun you down. They don’t kill you and you go to jail. You don’t want that.” She shook her head. “I die, I go to jail. Either way I’m free of him. As long as he’s alive he’ll hunt me to the ends of the Earth. You know he will. Nobody leaves Ray.” He knew. “But you could leave, run away, hide somewhere he can’t find you…”
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