Page 30 of His Virgin Vessel

"This place has been abandoned for years," Asa explained. "It's condemned as unsafe, but the town never seems to have the budget to destroy it. It's a useful one to know about."

We ran through empty, dusty rooms, our footsteps echoing loudly.

"Problem is," Asa continued, "that because it's a useful place to know about, I'm betting your dad does know about it. The man's no fool. Cutting through here won't buy us long, and hiding here, we'd just be waiting to be caught."

"Then what's the plan?" I asked, as we emerged on the other side of the building.

"I need a car."

I watched as Asa snatched up a half brick from the ground and used it to smash the window of a parked car. He got in and set to work hotwiring it.

"Can you make it home from here all right?"

"What?" I asked, not quite understanding.

"He'll keep chasing me. That should give you a chance to make yourself scarce. Get yourself home, and he'll be none the wiser."

"What?"

Asa stopped what he was doing to look at me. "Are you really not understanding what I'm saying?"

"You think I'm going to leave you now?" I asked. After what had passed between us tonight, he surely couldn't imagine that.

"I know you are."

I shook my head. "The hell I am."

The car's engine coughed into life, and Asa looked back at me. "I don't have time to argue with you on this, Corinne."

"Good."

"Now, get yourself hidden. I need your dad to find me, and then he can follow me while you get away."

"No."

I saw his expression change as worry entered it. He stopped issuing commands and spoke to me more earnestly. "Cor, if you come with me now, then that's it. I don't want to drag you into this life. I won't do it. You can't expect me to."

"And you can't expect me to leave you to my dad. He's out for your blood, and you know it. He'd like nothing more than to get you into a high-speed chase, ending in a shoot-out. You're giving him the excuse he needs, and damn it, Asa, I don't want to see either of you hurt!"

Asa slammed the car door but, before he could leave, I jumped in beside him.

"Get out!"

"No!"

Suddenly headlights cut in on our argument. Dad had found us.

"Get down!" Asa hissed, gunning the engine.

But I didn't. I knew what I had to do now, however much I didn't want to do it. It was in my power to protect Asa from my dad, and, indeed, to protect Dad from him (who knew how the chase might end). All I had to do was let Dad see that I was with him.

For a split second as the two cars passed each other, I caught sight of Dad, and one look at his face told me that he had seen me too. There was anguish in his features. It was the face of a man who knew that he had lost his daughter. It was a horrible sight and a gut-wrenching one for me to witness. It was what I had been hoping to avoid throughout this chase. I hadn't wanted to break Dad's heart.

But I also couldn't bear to see Asa in jail, or worse. With legal means exhausted, knowing what he knew about Asa and me, I wasn't sure where Dad would draw the line. He was a man who had lived his life by the letter of the law, and that law had let him down. He had done everything right and had wound up with a daughter who had sex with thugs. When a man who has lived all his life in a box is suddenly released from that restriction, then who knows what he may do? A lifetime of repression and obedience was breaking free, as his anger at Asa peaked. All because of me.

I didn't want to hurt either of them. I wanted to protect them both. But circumstances and bad luck had combined with my own careless stupidity to conspire against that. Only by hurting Dad could I save Asa, and the only consolation I had was that I might also be saving Dad from himself.

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