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out you've disrupted the class,
there'll be hell to pay."
    Robbie sat on a stool at the spare easel and
winked at the model. She smiled back. Blake, keeping his gaze
firmly ahead, left the conservatory.
    Robbie was good. I didn't want to give him
too much instruction on his first lesson. I needed to see what he
could do, and I was a little worried how he would take to being a
student.
    As the class came to an end, I found myself
thinking about Blake out in my summer house. The day was warm and
the work wouldn't be easy. I should see that he drank enough
liquids. The conservatory looked out upon the back yard. The lawn
stretched down to the river with the copse of trees off to the left
hiding the summer house. I was lost in a daydream when the clomp of
heavy boots on the back porch to my right made me jump.
    Two figures dressed in jackets with the hoods
pulled low stood there, clubs in hand. One of my students screamed
and everyone leapt off their stools. The model covered herself.
    The taller of the two newcomers pointed his
club at Robbie through the window. "Get out here. Now! Or I'll
smash every piece of glass as well as a few heads."

CHAPTER 4
     
     
    I recognized the voice as belonging to Skull,
Robbie's brother. He smacked his club into the palm of his hand.
His mouth twisted into a sneer. I couldn't see his eyes but I
didn't want to.
    "Jesus, Skull!" Robbie shouted. "What are you
doing here?"
    "Coming to get you, you little shit. Get out
here now."
    Robbie swore under his breath. "Sorry,
Cassie. I'll go talk to him."
    I eyed Skull and his friend, still thumping
their clubs into their palms like they wanted to do some damage. "I
don't think he'll listen."
    "Probably not."
    "Let me talk to him." I went to open the
glass door that led out to the porch, but Becky grabbed my arm.
    "You can't go out there!" she cried,
tightening her hold. "He'll hurt you."
    "We don't know that."
    "She's right," Robbie said, grimly. "You have
to stay in here. He won't listen to you."
    He opened the door and went out, but I pulled
free of Becky and followed him.
    "Cassie!" she shouted.
    "Go back inside," Robbie hissed at me.
    "He doesn't want to go with you," I said to
Skull.
    Skull laughed, brittle and harsh. "I don't
care what he wants."
    "He's your brother! How can you not
care?"
    "He belongs with us. We're his people, not
you and the pussies in there. Come on, Rob, or there'll be hell to
pay."
    I stretched my arm in front of Robbie,
blocking him. "It'll be a mistake to give in," I told him. "He's a
bully and you have to take a stand with bullies."
    "He means it, Cassie," he whispered so that
his brother couldn't hear. "He'll smash all your windows and maybe
hurt you. He's never hurt a woman before, but he might start
now."
    "How can he do this to you? His own
brother?"
    "It's not about brotherhood. It's about
power. Skull can't be seen to let one of us leave. It'll look bad
for him if he shows any sign of weakness."
    "You can't give in, Robbie." To Skull, I
snapped, "Get off my property or I'll call the police." I half
suspected Becky or one of the others had already called them. God I
hoped so.
    Skull's friend stepped forward. His wide
mouth stretched, revealing crooked yellow teeth like old fence
posts. "Aren't you a pretty thing. I'd hate to smash up that face
of yours." He stroked his forefinger down my cheek to my chin. The
sharp sting of his nail bit into my skin and sent a shiver through
me. "Now, are you going to do as Skull says and let him go or am I
going to have to do something nasty to get you to obey?"
    Robbie pushed me away and went to Skull's
side. "Don't touch her."
    I opened my mouth to order him to stop, but
Skull's friend gripped my jaw hard. I tried to pull free, but it
only made his grip tighten. I winced as pain ripped across the
lower half of my face and brought tears to my eyes.
    In the corner of my blurred vision, something
moved so fast I could hardly make out the shape. It wasn't until my
attacker was dragged