I was pissed. I panted a few times trying to get a hold of myself.I realized that I wasn't cold anymore. I'd been curled over trying to protect myself...from the wind. Now I relaxed and straightened up, working the cramp out of my lower back. It was damned strange, but I wasn't going to ask any questions that had answers I didn't want to hear.It was late in the day when I was rolled into a big room. I'd missed lunch and supper. Two more strikes against the day. I had copped an attitude just after. He leaned over her and gave her a soft kiss, smoothing the hair back from her forehead. ‘I want you to get some rest.’ ‘Thorne, I’ve rested all day.’ ‘Then keep resting.’ ‘Will you join me later?’ ‘Sammi … ‘ ‘You made a promise to me, Thorne. It’s my choice.’ He’d hoped that she’d forgotten about it but he should have known that he wouldn’t be so lucky. ‘Sammi … ‘ ‘If I wake up without you right here,’ She patted the empty space next to her in the big bed. ‘I will never talk to you again.’. “It was an old ... friend’s,” she replied cagily.A slim brunette woman in tight coveralls, probably in her late 20’s, got out of the car.“Thanks, Elle!” Demie pecked the woman on the cheek and dropped a roll of cash into her hand.“No problem, Demie ... glad to get to work on one of these!” She winked at me. “Hey there.”“Hey,” I replied. Elle had a smudge of grease on her chin, which somehow made her even cuter. She looked at me, waiting. “Oh, I’m Tom. Sorry, was just distracted.”She turned to. Over recent years, Liz and Angie had taken turns staying over at each other's house and they'd always had a lot of fun together. Liz had two younger sisters who she was always glad to get away from temporarily whenever she'd sleep over at Angie's but Angie was an only child. That might have been part of the reason why the two girls had grown so close in their relationship.During the sophomore year of high school, Liz had gone over to Angie's house again one Friday night and the two girls had.