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into that car was entirely different from climbing out. Devyn placed her hand in his, swallowing some pride.
    Troy wrapped strong, warm fingers around her hand and steadied her ascent from his car.
    Finally on her feet, Devyn thanked him and drew her hand back, resisting the urge to rub his warm strength from her tingling palm. "We appreciate the ride home, Troy." The least she could do was thank the man. "Maybe we'll see you again sometime." She gave a little wave and pried a protesting Karly from the Good Samaritan ' s arm and led her toward the building. Karly was definitely having too much fun trying the man.
    Just short of the stairwell doors, a slender form staggered out from the shadows on the unlit side of the entryway. Ratty hair that might have been blonde straggled over bony shoulders. An odd angle of the security light gave the illusion of grinning death approaching them.
    Running footsteps drew Devyn ' s attention behind her. Troy. Jogging up, he stopped beside them. Somehow, his presence made her feel just a little safer.
    The skeletal crystal meth face teetered before them, thin lips marred by sores pulled back to show teeth gone dark and barely hanging in place. "Hey, d'ere , Karly ." The raspy voice and slurred speech grated on Devyn's nerves . " Ya ole man sent ya a message."
    Devyn didn ' t miss the flinch in Karly ' s frame before she pulled on the bravado act. "Yeah, bitch? What he say?" She sidled up to the smaller woman, crowding into her face.
    "He say tell ya ' you ain't goin ' nowhere, bitch, ' cepta hell." With a hacking sound that might have been laughter, or coughing, the skeletal whore limped away.
    Devyn grabbed Karly's arm and pulled her around. "Karly, what the hell was that? How did he find out?" She resisted the panic riding her spine.
    "What was that? Is everything okay?" Troy watched the meth whore round the corner of the building.
    "Is it, Karly?" Devyn waited, impatient.
    "I'm sorry, Devyn, I had to call him. I couldn't just walk away like that. I love him. "
    Devyn let go of Karly's arm. The chill spread from her spine to her internal organs. "Shit, Karly!" She turned her back, putting one knuckle to her teeth to keep from knocking the piss out of her best friend. What the fuck were they going to do? A deep breath gave her enough distance to think. She turned to Troy. "Can you give us a ride?"
    " Absolutely. " He seemed relieved. " Where do you need to go?"
    "A motel, I guess. We'll be right back down. I need to grab a couple things." Snatching Karly's arm again, she pulled her toward the door.
    "I'm going up with you." Troy came after them, right on her heels.
    Devyn started to argue, but thought better of it. When it came to that Jake fucker, there was no place for pride. Only survival. By whomever or whatever, it didn ' t matter and Preacher Boy would have to do. Devyn nodded and let him through the so-called security door into the stairwell. Damn, she wished she had a gun.
    Heading up the last level before their apartment, Devyn had to admit, Troy must be fit. He wasn't even breathing hard, and they'd moved pretty fast. 
    He waited, silent, while she unlocked their door. Shit, she didn't want him to see the little rat-hole she lived in, or their meager, ragged possessions. A guy like him, he'd be used to far better. Oh well, nothing she could do about that. She gave the door a hard shove with her shoulder to get it unstuck from the frame. T he screaming of hinges accompanying the door's slow swing open set Devyn's teeth on edge .
    She froze, fighting the urge to run. Karly gasped a curse and Devyn swallowed more panic. Holy fuck! The threadbare little couch was overturned, its upholstery shredded. The afghan Devyn had crocheted from thrift store yarn to hide the worst stains lay in strips with huge clumps of knotted yarn.
    Devyn l ook ed over her shoulder when Troy tug ged on her arm . "Let's go back downstairs and call the cops."
    Fear made her damn near nauseous, but she had to