LITMIR.BIZ

      The Lord holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

      —Proverbs 2:7-8

      This book is dedicated to computer gurus and dear

       friends, Judy and Larry Vierstra, and to others in their family who also advised me regarding the Internet.

      Left to my own devices, I’d still be writing with a

       pencil and using two tin cans with a string stretched between them to communicate!

      CONTENTS

      CHAPTER ONE

      CHAPTER TWO

      CHAPTER THREE

      CHAPTER FOUR

      CHAPTER FIVE

      CHAPTER SIX

      CHAPTER SEVEN

      CHAPTER EIGHT

      CHAPTER NINE

      CHAPTER TEN

      CHAPTER ELEVEN

      CHAPTER TWELVE

      CHAPTER THIRTEEN

      CHAPTER FOURTEEN

      CHAPTER FIFTEEN

      CHAPTER SIXTEEN

      EPILOGUE

      QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

      ONE

      It took a lot to frighten Marie Parnell—unless the perceived danger affected her five-year-old daughter, Patty. That changed everything.

      Trembling, she peered out the front window of her Baton Rouge apartment to see who was pounding on the door and shouting her name. It hadn’t been her imagination. Roy Jenkins was back. Her nightmares had come to life.

      Marie froze, her brown eyes wide. She could hardly breathe. The tone of Roy’s voice had risen until he’d started to sound more afraid than irate. That was puzzling. It wasn’t like him to show weakness. Not at all.

      She chanced another quick peek out the window, hoping and praying he was alone. The last thing she wanted was to expose Patty to the low-life types who had always been Roy’s cohorts.

      Keeping her voice as calm as she could, she answered him through the closed door. “Go away.”

      His fist slammed against the wood so hard it made her jump. “Not this time, Marie. If you don’t let me in I’ll break this door down. Don’t make me do it.”

      Don’t make me do it. The familiar phrase sent chills zinging up her spine and turned her stomach. That was what Roy always used to say before he hit her. As if it were her fault and she deserved being punished. It had taken her a long time to realize that the problem was Roy’s temper, not her behavior, and she thanked God daily that she had not been fool enough to marry him, even though she had not been a Christian during the time they were together.

      “Hush. You’ll wake the neighbors,” she warned. In her mind she added, and you’ll wake Patty. That mustn’t happen. The little girl had finally gotten to the place where she’d stopped asking for him, and Marie didn’t want to have to start that healing process all over again.

      Outside, Roy pleaded more softly, “Marie, darlin’. You have to listen to me. If you won’t let me in, at least talk to me face-to-face.”

      She knew better than to open the door. Experience had taught her well. Yet, there was something in Roy’s tone that tugged at her heart, made her remember the few good times they’d had before he’d turned to crime and begun to physically abuse her when she’d objected.

      Twisting the dead bolt, she eased the door open a crack. Roy hit it with his shoulder and shoved her out of the way as he burst in, followed by a gust of humid air.

      Marie staggered back, her hands raised in self-defense.

      Roy gave a cynical snort. “Simmer down. I got no beef with you. I got worse problems. And so do you. That’s why I’m here.”

      “I don’t believe you.” She sent a concerned glance toward the hallway leading to the bedroom, then realized immediately that she’d given away Patty’s location.

      “I came to warn you,” Roy insisted. He began trying to edge past her toward the room where his daughter slept.

      “Leave her alone,” Marie said, standing firmly in his way. “You haven’t bothered to even write her or send any support for over two years.”

      “She’s my kid. I got a right to see her.”

      “You have no rights. We were never legally married, and I have a restraining order against you.”

      “Yeah, yeah. That piece of paper is only good if I pay attention to it. Tonight, I have other things on my mind.” He paused, shaking his head. “If you weren’t so stubborn you’d listen to me.”

      “I stopped listening to you years ago,” Marie said.

      “I know.” Roy began to pace. “Look, Marie, I’m in trouble. I’m going to have to leave town. And after I’m gone, there are some old buddies of mine who’re going to be royally teed off.”

      “What does that have to do with me?”

      “Plenty. They’re bound to come looking for me. You and the kid are my only ties to this area. If you were them, what would you do?”

      She folded her arms and faced him as he continued to walk back and forth. “You don’t want to know what I’d like to do,” she said candidly. “And I refuse to lie for you, so don’t tell me where you’re

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