Public Secrets Part 222

mistakes.

"Emma. Dammit, Emma, pay attention."

She jerked when he tugged hard on her hair. "I'm sorry." Her fingers

gripped together, twisting, wringing.

"You're such a d.a.m.n fool. G.o.d knows where you'd be without me."

"I was ... thinking about Luke."

"Well, save the long face until you're gone. It makes me sick. Johnno's

going to be here any minute to get you." He leaned close so that his

face was all she could see. "What are you going to tell him if he asks

how things are?"

"That they're fine. They're wonderful. You're sorry you can't come,

but you felt since you didn't know Luke, you'd be intruding." She

recited the instructions he gave her like a parrot. "I've got to come

back straight from the service because you've got a touch of the flu and

I want to take care of you."

"Just like a devoted wife."

"Yes. A devoted wife."

"Good." It was disgusting really, how cowed she was. She hadn't even

uttered a peep when he'd knocked her around the night before. He'd

wanted her to leave with his dominance fresh in her mind. Of course,

he'd been careful not to hit her in the face, or anywhere it might show.

He intended to give her a proper beating when she got back. Just to

remind her that a woman's place was in the home.

His mother's place had been in the home, Drew thought viciously. But

she'd left soon enough, like the wh.o.r.e she was, leaving him with his

wreck of a father. If the stupid old man had given her a few licks now

and again, she wouldn't have taken off.

He smiled at Emma. No, like Emma his mother would have sat with her

hands folded in her lap and done just what she was told. All a woman

needed was a man to set the rules, and enforce them.

"Maybe it's not such a good idea for you to go."

He enjoyed seeing her eyes widen. It was a great game to dangle the

funeral in front of her nose like a carrot on a stick.

Her hands sprang wet with sweat, but she fought to keep them steady in

her lap. "I won't go if you don't want me to, Drew."

He stroked her face then, gently, so that she could almost remember what

it had been like in the beginning. It made it worse somehow, to

remember. "No, you go ahead, Emma. You look so good in black. You're

sure that b.i.t.c.h Marianne isn't going?"

"No. Johnno said she couldn't make it."

Another lie, and one she prayed Johnno wouldn't reveal. Drew had done

all he could to separate her from Marianne. And done it well enough,

Emma thought wearily, that her old friend no longer called or bothered

to drop by.

"That's fine, then. If I found out she was going, you'd have to skip

this little jaunt. She's a bad influence on you, Emma. She's a s.l.u.t.

Only pretended to be your friend so that she could get closer to your

father. And then to me. I told you that she came on to me. Remember?"

"Yes."

"Ah, that's Johnno. Come on now, put on that sad sweet smile we all