Page 40 of Jep

After giving her shirt another tug, she said, “If we’re going to do this, we’d better go now before I change my mind.”

“Great. Let’s go.”

She waited a beat to let him get out of the car before her, but he let her cross the street first.

Em hurried up to the girl, trying not to think about how she and Jep approaching her would look.

She glanced back to make sure Jep was with her. He gave her an encouraging smile. Then she turned back. “Excuse me,”she said when she reached the gutter. The homeless man at the building stood but remained in the door.

“What’dyouwant?” the girl said, giving Em a thorough looking over before she turned her attention to Jep and smiled innocently. “I think I know whatyouwant.”

Em looked back at Jep, who had his eyes firmly on her and continued to smile that same warm smile.

She lowered her voice before she spoke to the girl again. “I was, uh, wondering. I was wondering if you wanted—uh—help.”

“With what?” the girl said. “You want to share makeup tips? I could show you a thing or two. You look like you could use some loosening up. Spice up things with your boyfriend here. I think he’d like it.”

“He’s not—I thought that maybe with your—you know.” She nodded toward the girl’s stomach. Up close, it was impossible to tell her age. She could have been anywhere between fifteen and twenty-five.

The girl’s face hardened. “With my what?”

“Your baby. I was wondering if you wanted help. We might be able to help you keep it.”

The girl took a step back. “How do you know about that?”

Em licked her lips. “Do you want to keep it?”

“That’s my business, not yours. So unless your boyfriend is looking for a good time, you can get lost.”

The homeless man stumbled forward. “What’s going on?” he slurred. The smell of booze on him was strong. When he tried to move closer to Em, Jep stepped in his way.

“We don’t want any trouble,” Jep said. “We’re just trying to see if the lady would like some help.”

“From you?” He spit at Jep’s feet. “You probably wanna cut her up into little pieces for your own amusement. Everyone always wants a piece of Starla. Well, you can get lost.”

“We’ll go when Starla asks us to go.”

“Then I’m asking you to,” Starla said. “I don’t want your kind of help.”

“You heard her,” the man said. “Get outta here before I make you.”

“Okay,” Jep said. “If she’s sure.”

“She’s sure.” The man stumbled closer. “I’m sure.”

Em looked at the girl, and her heart broke. She’d lived a life that taught her not to trust people. “Please. You need help, and we can do that. You could keep your baby.”

“She said no!” the man howled and pulled a knife with surprising speed, thrusting it past Jep and catching Em on the arm.

Jep had him unarmed and in a headlock a fraction of a second later.

“Are you okay?” he said to Em, his eyes wide with fear, or something like it. He didn’t notice Starla screaming hysterically and beating on his back. Or the man, who was thrashing and bellowing.

“Let him go!” Starla screeched. “He didn’t do anything to you!”

“I’m fine,” Em yelled over the noise. She was clutching her arm against her stomach. “Please, let’s go. Please.”

“We should call the police,” he said.

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