Lyn Stone - Live-In Lover стр 3.

No, Im not. Im just responding to your

How soon can you come? You can, cant you? I mean, Im at my wits end here, and I thought since you were a good friend of Fords and hes not in country, and Mr. Duvek couldnt

Calm down, Mrs. Jensen. Youre speaking too rapidly for me to understand you. Are you in trouble?

Its Ms. not Mrs. No, its Molly to you, but thats not important. I really need your helpand right away if you can come.

Please! Its a matter of life and death.

Whose death? he demanded, his words curt.

Mine, she said, swallowing hard to stifle a moan. And maybe Sydneys, too.

Sydney?

My baby. Remember? Please, will you come? I honestly dont have anyone else I can turn to. Its too much to ask, I know, but I can pay you for this. Whatever you charge, I can pay you. Maybe not all at once, but we can work something out.

Wait. Before you go any further, tell me exactly what it is that you want me to do.

Help me make him stop. I cant stand this anymore. Hes called three times today and

Do you know who it is? he interrupted.

Yes! she exclaimed, shuddering. My ex-husband.

Molly, listen to me, the voice ordered. Calm down. I want you to make certain all of your doors and windows are locked, and after that

They are locked!

Fine. Now, have you informed the police? Youll need an Order of Protection.

I have one, and Ive called until Im blue in the face, and even went down to the station and talked to them. They wont do anything because I cant prove its him. They cant unless he does something and I can prove it. That could be too late. Are you coming or not?

A long silence followed before he said, Yes. Ill be there tomorrow.

Thank God, she whispered, clutching the phone to her chest with both hands. Oh, thank you. Soon now. Soon it would be over and she and Syd would be safe.

A small measure of her terror had lifted just hearing Damien Perrys voice. That deep, velvety I-will-handle-it tone soothed something within Molly, made her able to close her eyes and breathe more deeply. It renewed her hope, a severely eroded commodity these past three weeks.

Not that she liked the idea of calling on a man to solve her problems, but she had exhausted all her own resources.

The police must think she was crazy, calling them about threats that, when repeated, seemed totally harmless. The best they could do was enforce a restraining order, which in itself was as useful as a boat full of holes. Even if the police hauled him in, Jack could be out on bond the same day.

She fastened her attention on Sydney, who still slept in the playpen in the corner by the television. Her precious baby, her Syd, the person she loved most in the world. The threat encompassed her, too, just because she was Mollys weak spot.

How could she ever make people believe a man would threaten his own daughter? They had barely believed him capable of hurting his wife, and most people blamed her for that. Everyone but the judge.

The female judge who heard the case was the only one who had bought the truth about him. Thank God she had. But Molly was still the only one in the world who knew exactly what Jack Jensen was capable of.

Molly remembered how hed approached her last month, the Sunday after theyd released him from jail. He had publicly begged her forgiveness and pleaded for a reconciliation. Right outside in the churchyard after services. Jack couldnt have picked a place with a larger audience of people who knew them, and she knew that the choice was deliberate on his part.

She hadnt been nice in refusing him. He wanted her back, all right, and she knew why. To make her life a living hell. Again.

He had called the next day, more insistent, his tone more threatening than the actual words he used. A woman shouldnt live alone, Molly, hed said. You know, all kinds of things might happen. Just you and your baby, all by yourselves in that great big house. Its scary to think about, isnt it? But I want you to think about it. Think hard.

She shuddered, recalling the way Jack had laughed that grate-on-the-nerves chuckle that made her skin crawl.

Now when he called he never said anything, probably because he knew the court protection order was supposed to bar any communication. But he had found a way.

Jack was a master of intimidation. He had used fear to hold her once before, but Molly was determined not to cave in again.

Some days he parked outside, just sitting in his car, as though daring her to go out. When she did, he followed her until he caught her in a situation where he could apologize again, in front of her mother and several of their friends.

Jack had acted like a heartbroken husband who couldnt bear to live without her. But Molly knew what he really wanted.

She could read his intentions in his dark, narrowed eyes, hear it in the promises that must sound tempting to anyone who didnt know him as she did. Jack wanted revenge.

At first, he might have planned to take it privately, but she hadnt been stupid enough to go back to him, thank God. Now that shed made it clear she wouldnt do that, hed