THIEF: Part 1 Read Online Free Page B

away—pushes it deeper, pulls the glass up to his ear.  The way Silas’s blood blooms across his neck, deep red and thick, like rose petals unfolding for the sun.
     
     
     

Chapter Five
     
                  “Stop crying, Erin.”  Silas barely flinches as the needle pierces his skin again, the last stitch complete.  “It doesn’t hurt anymore.  How’s your head?”
                  “It’s fine.”  In actuality, it feels like my head went through a windshield.  When the staff finally pulled the woman off Silas, I scrambled out of the booth to help—only to faint the second his blood touched my hand.  I woke to a paramedic practically shouting my name into my face.
                  “There you go, Mr. Marlowe.”  The nurse pats down the last bit of medical tape.  “Stitches should dissolve on their own in a week or so.  Keep the bandage dry, and clean the wound once a day.  Mild soap.”  The nurse looks at me.  “You need anything?”
                  I shake my head and pull my sweater around me even tighter, more than ready to leave.  The scene in the restaurant clings to me like snow.
                  A police officer is waiting for us when Silas opens the curtain of his room.  “Evening,” he says to me, then looks at Silas.  “We have a few questions for our report, Mr. Marlowe.”
                  Silas pushes the forms away and starts towards the Emergency Room exit.  “I’m not pressing charges.”
                  “What?”  I don’t mean to yell, but I can’t possibly have heard him correctly.
                  The officer seems equally confused.  “Uh…Mr. Marlowe, we’ve apprehended Abigail for assault—”
                  He stops, sighs, and turns back to the officer.  “I’m not pressing charges,” he says again, biting the words.  “Just let her go, put her in the drunk tank for a night, whatever you have to do.”
                  “Would you like to request a restraining order?”
                  “I’ll consider it,” he answers, cutting a glance to me.  “Thank you, sir.”
                  Hesitating, the officer gives a curt nod, turns on his heel, and leaves.
                  I wait until we’re in the parking lot to explode.  “Why the hell don’t you want to press charges?”  My voice is just below a scream, caught inside the steam creeping along the asphalt.  “That crazy bitch cut your face, Silas.  She attacked you.”
                  He opens my car door for me.  “Just get in, Erin,” he says, wilting.  “I’m exhausted.”
                  I do, if only because my head is killing me, and I’m exhausted, too.
                  “Guess this wins first place for worst date ever, huh?”  He forces a laugh and then, when I don’t respond, sighs.  “Okay, look…I know you think I’m nuts, not pressing charges.  But that crazy bitch isn’t a bad person.  She’s just got some real bad problems.”  Silas pauses.  “To be honest, I feel sorry for her.”
                  “Oh, yeah, she seemed pretty helpless back there.”  The combination of a throbbing skull and complete confusion puts venom in my voice, but it makes him wince more than the stitches did, and guilt takes over.
                  I put my hand over his on the gearshift.  “Silas…who is she?”
                  He stares straight ahead at the empty highway.  “My ex-wife.”
                  I feel like my stomach’s been punched.  My hand pulls away on its own.  “You were married?”
                  “Yeah,” he breathes, scratching the back of his head.  “I was.”
                  “Oh.”  I kick off my heels, hoping I sound cavalier.  “So what