“Lerlene!” agruff voice called from some other room in the house.
I rolled myeyes. Of course her name was Lerlene. How perfectly backwoods, and Deliverancewas the name Lerlene Harker.
Jesus. I was inhell.
Lerlene turnedto her son. “Watch her while I deal with Barry.”
“Yes, Mama.”
“Did youremember to get more gloves?”
“Yes, Mama.They’re right outside the door. Right next to Barry’s bucket.
“Good,” Mamasaid and stormed off.
Denny stared atme with dead eyes. His face frozen in a creepy half-grin.
“You reallywanna see something, you should she Mama feed Barry,” he said.
What kind ofhouse of horrors was this?
Lerlene had beengone for no more than a minute before Denny said, “I gotta drain my main vein.”
Lovely.
“Now, if youpromise to be a good little girl and not to do anything stupid, I can go in thebathroom,” he said, undoing his belt buckle. “Or I can whip it out right nowand piss all over your pretty face.”
“I promise,” Isaid, fighting the urge to gag.
“Promise what?”he asked, beginning to unzip his fly.
“I promise I’llbe a good girl,” I rasped.
“You’d better,’cause this ain’t the only gun I got for you, bitch.” He grabbed his crotchbefore turning to Carrie. “You keep an eye on her, you hear? You holler if sheso much as blinks funny,” Denny said to Carrie. “You, hear me girl?”
Carrie nodded andDenny went into the bathroom.
“I’m real sorryabout my brother, Melody,” Carrie said. “He don’t know how to act when we gotfancy company over. He thinks he knows everything about show business ’cause heworks maintenance at the arena, but I think he’s lying about half of the musicstars he says he met.”
“Honey, you needto help me get out of here,” I whispered.
“Oh, I couldn’tdo that.”
“Why not?”
“Because thenMama will get mad. Plus, then she won’t help me marry Gill.”
I squeezed myeyes shut and took a deep breath. Once I felt I couldnotsay somethingI’d regret, I smiled up at her. “I think you can do better than Gill, Carrie.”
“Really? Likewho?”
“Anyone, honey.Literally.”
“Bam Nelson?”
“What? No. Bamis way too old for you as well,” I breathed out. “Why don’t you date someoneyour own age? Isn’t there someone in your class you like?”
“They all looklike Denny.”
