going to be able to save either of your sorry rears, wasn't it, Billy? God called Robert to find you. It is sort of amazing that he called Robert, but there you have it." Duncan pressed harder on Billy's shoulder, his face came closer, and his hooded eyes swung toward the ceiling as if he saw God hovering over the bed. "Yep, Billy, God is watching you now. He will reach out His hand the way I have reached out mine. He will press down hard – even harder than I am pressing now – and he will touch all your wounds and it's going to hurt. I'm telling you this to prepare you. It will hurt bad, inside and out. But when he sees you are worthy, when you prove you've got something worth saving, He will heal you and your friend. There will be no hurt."
"We don't do religion," Billy muttered.
"Of course you do, Billy. Everyone does religion. They do it alone, in the dark, and when they're desperate." Duncan sat back. "I bet you prayed some when you thought you were going to die in that truck. Come on. Admit it. Don't lie now. Tell me you didn't beg for God to save you and heal you. You probably offered everything if he would just save Hannah. 'Oh, God, take me instead,' or 'I'll give you anything you want if you let her live." Duncan chuckled, amused by his mocking. "Tell me you didn't call on every prayer your mother taught you."
"You don't know anything about my mother."
Billy turned his eyes to the ceiling. He didn't want to explain about his mother, and he didn't want this man to see that he was right about praying. Billy had bargained for Hannah's life. If it was God who heard him then it was God. That wasn't religion. That was a low percentage shot.
"Oh, I think all mothers are the same," Duncan went on. "They teach you when you're small, and then leave you when you're big. One way or the other they leave you. If that weren't the case you wouldn't be here. Truth be told, I wouldn't be here either."
Duncan started to open the buttons on Billy's shirt as he talked, but Billy clamped his good hand over Duncan's wrist. His eyes blazed, but his hand shook and his grasp was weak.
"Take your hand away, Billy," Duncan said this as if his limitless patience was being sorely tested. "Take your hand away, now."
They stared at one another. Billy and the man with the half-mast eyes whose calm was frightening and cold, who was stronger than Billy, who spoke as if there was no question but that what he wanted was right. Still, Billy resisted. Duncan raised his brows and pursed his lips.
"You can't help Hannah if you're weak, can you? And you must think highly of her because you didn't think of yourself first. That's a Godly thing to do. So, since we are both Godly men and want the best for those we care about, let go of me. Or," Duncan went on, "is it that you are weak, and Hannah is the Godly one. Could that be it? Could that be why you need her so much? Is Hannah the one God has blessed with strength?"
Billy's hand trembled, his grip loosened.
"That's right. That's good. " Duncan slipped the next button open and the next. "You close your eyes. You rest. You are in good, good hands. The best, really." His eyes flicked over Billy's smooth chest. Duncan unbuttoned the last two buttons and pulled the shirt wide. "Now, I will get you cleaned up. I'll do it myself. I'll even wash your feet, Billy, because that's what I have been called to do. Is that acceptable?"
Billy stayed still, and Duncan paused.
"You should say, 'Yes, Duncan'. That's only polite. To acknowledge me. Isn't it?"
"Yes," Billy answered.
"Duncan." He leaned closer to Billy. "Duncan." And closer still "Say yes, Duncan."
"Yes . . . dude."
CHAPTER 6
"She's awake."
"Let go of her arm, Melody," Teresa directed.
"What?"
"Her arm." Teresa nodded toward it.
"Oh my God. Oh, my God, Teresa." Melody saw the crosshatch of scars on the girl's dark skin and dropped Hannah's arm as if it were a hot poker. "She's for me, isn't she Teresa? She's for me to prove myself. I
"We don't do religion," Billy muttered.
"Of course you do, Billy. Everyone does religion. They do it alone, in the dark, and when they're desperate." Duncan sat back. "I bet you prayed some when you thought you were going to die in that truck. Come on. Admit it. Don't lie now. Tell me you didn't beg for God to save you and heal you. You probably offered everything if he would just save Hannah. 'Oh, God, take me instead,' or 'I'll give you anything you want if you let her live." Duncan chuckled, amused by his mocking. "Tell me you didn't call on every prayer your mother taught you."
"You don't know anything about my mother."
Billy turned his eyes to the ceiling. He didn't want to explain about his mother, and he didn't want this man to see that he was right about praying. Billy had bargained for Hannah's life. If it was God who heard him then it was God. That wasn't religion. That was a low percentage shot.
"Oh, I think all mothers are the same," Duncan went on. "They teach you when you're small, and then leave you when you're big. One way or the other they leave you. If that weren't the case you wouldn't be here. Truth be told, I wouldn't be here either."
Duncan started to open the buttons on Billy's shirt as he talked, but Billy clamped his good hand over Duncan's wrist. His eyes blazed, but his hand shook and his grasp was weak.
"Take your hand away, Billy," Duncan said this as if his limitless patience was being sorely tested. "Take your hand away, now."
They stared at one another. Billy and the man with the half-mast eyes whose calm was frightening and cold, who was stronger than Billy, who spoke as if there was no question but that what he wanted was right. Still, Billy resisted. Duncan raised his brows and pursed his lips.
"You can't help Hannah if you're weak, can you? And you must think highly of her because you didn't think of yourself first. That's a Godly thing to do. So, since we are both Godly men and want the best for those we care about, let go of me. Or," Duncan went on, "is it that you are weak, and Hannah is the Godly one. Could that be it? Could that be why you need her so much? Is Hannah the one God has blessed with strength?"
Billy's hand trembled, his grip loosened.
"That's right. That's good. " Duncan slipped the next button open and the next. "You close your eyes. You rest. You are in good, good hands. The best, really." His eyes flicked over Billy's smooth chest. Duncan unbuttoned the last two buttons and pulled the shirt wide. "Now, I will get you cleaned up. I'll do it myself. I'll even wash your feet, Billy, because that's what I have been called to do. Is that acceptable?"
Billy stayed still, and Duncan paused.
"You should say, 'Yes, Duncan'. That's only polite. To acknowledge me. Isn't it?"
"Yes," Billy answered.
"Duncan." He leaned closer to Billy. "Duncan." And closer still "Say yes, Duncan."
"Yes . . . dude."
CHAPTER 6
"She's awake."
"Let go of her arm, Melody," Teresa directed.
"What?"
"Her arm." Teresa nodded toward it.
"Oh my God. Oh, my God, Teresa." Melody saw the crosshatch of scars on the girl's dark skin and dropped Hannah's arm as if it were a hot poker. "She's for me, isn't she Teresa? She's for me to prove myself. I
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