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body quivering as she battled the demons of her addiction.
    "Troy, can you come in here, please?" She hated calling him in there, but she needed help to get Karly moving. He wanted to minister to whores, here was his big chance . T he shit was going down.
    He came in, and assessed the situation with one glance. Without asking questions, he went straight to Karly and scooped her up, leaving the rig on the floor. " Come on, let ' s get out of here. "
    The casual boldness of his chivalry left Devyn stunned. The men in her world simply didn't do things like that unless there was something in it for them.
    Troy stood with Karly cradled in his arms, her head collapsed on his broad shoulder . The look in his eyes said hurry.
    Devyn grabbed her book bag, leftover from when her life had been headed in the right direction, and tossed in the few pieces of clothing that had escaped being ruined. Not that they had much anyway. She found a spare pair of jeans for each of them that weren't too badly damaged. A couple of shirts, s pare underwear, and the little cosmetic bag full of cheap makeup finished filling the bag.
    She led the way down, slow ing long enough to push through the exit door, wary for anything out of the ordinary. Devyn didn't breathe again until she sank into the front passenger seat a fter helping Troy get Karly in to the back. Relief set in when the door locks engaged and Troy put the car in gear.
    " Is there anywhere in particular you want me to take you?" He pulled into the empty street.
    "Just a cheap motel. I'll have to find something else tomorrow, but for now, there's not much choice." She swung around in the seat to check on Karly.
    Curled into a nearly fetal position, Karly leaned sideways against the back seat. The distant look in her eyes scared the hell out of Devyn.
    Lost in worry , Devyn failed to note the passage of distance or time. When they entered a residential area, she finally realized they were far from a cheap motel in the bad part of town. "Where the hell are we?" She tried to keep fear and anger out of her voice, and give Troy the benefit of the doubt.
    Troy turned onto a narrow street lined with smallish houses. "We're half a block from my house."
    "What? Turn the fuck around now!" Devyn's heart nearly jumped through her ribs.
    "Hear me out, and then if you still want me to, I'll take you to a motel."
    Devyn took a deep breath, fighting the instinct to find something and bash the Good Samaritan in his head.
    "I live alone, in a house with a basement apartment, already furnished. You need to get away from your regular neighborhood, in case that guy is looking for you. And it won't hurt to save a couple of bucks, too. You can stay at my house a few days while you get your feet under you. It's the only thing that makes sense." He pulled into a driveway next to a neat little house with a pretty front porch and clean yard.
    Shit. Devyn hated that she didn ' t have more dirty evidence on this dude . S he hated not being able to put her finger on the cost that surely came with all this gallant ry . And she also hated how right it all felt at the same damn time. "You realize the next few days are going to be hell for anyone near Karly? " Devyn kept her voice to a low mutter. " She's only got six months clean, and with all the stress, I'm afraid finding that old rig will put her over the edge. You don't want that kind of shit falling on you."
    Troy matched her volume. "I know it won't be easy. And some people might think I'm stupid, but this is my calling. It's what God wants me to do. I won't turn my back when it isn't as pretty or sweet as a rose."
    She studied the handsome features, molded in sincerity. She ' d been around enough scumbags to know evil intentions slithered like a snake beneath the cleanest facades. Nodding absently, she reminded herself of her intention to keep Karly safe. From the likes of Jake and any other goddamn person who got in her way, no matter how temptingly chivalrous they