Blood From a Stone (12 page)

“What
can
I
g
et
y
ou?”
t
he
ba
rt
ender
as
k
ed,
l
ea
n
i
ng
f
o
r
w
a
r
d o
v
er
t
he
m
a
r
b
l
e
-
t
opped bar
t
o
w
a
r
ds
W
ill
o
w
.

“
I
’l
l
ha
v
e a
m
a
r
g
a
rit
a p
l
ease.”

T
he ba
rt
ender
nodded. “
A
nd
y
ou
,
m
i
ss?”

“
H
mmm
….
j
ust
g
i
v
e 
m
e  one 
t
oo.” 
S
asha  plun
k
ed do
w
n a $20 b
ill
.

“Wha
t
?
A
r
e
y
ou bu
y
i
ng
f
or
us bo
t
h?”

“Y
ep.
Y
ou
tri
ed
t
o
p
r
o
t
ect
m
e
fr
om 
t
he
c
r
ea
t
u
r
e
fr
om
he
l
l
out
t
he
r
e
i
n
t
he a
ll
e
y
, so I
fi
g
u
r
e I
o
w
e
y
ou one.”

W
ill
ow
l
au
g
hed.
“O
h,
so
m
y
be
i
ng
w
illi
ng
t
o
co
v
er
y
ou
w
it
h
m
y bod
y
,
g
et
m
a
i
m
ed
and
d
i
s
fi
g
u
r
ed…and
g
et
r
a
b
i
es
t
o p
r
o
t
ect
you
i
s
on
l
y
w
o
rt
h a
m
a
r
g
a
rit
a?”

S
asha
handed
her
one
of
t
he
m
a
r
g
a
rit
as
and
j
o
k
ed
bac
k
,
“Y
ou
’r
e
ri
g
h
t
.
I
’l
l
buy
y
ou
t
w
o.
Y
ou
‘r
e such a
li
g
h
t
w
e
i
g
h
t
….a
ft
er
fi
n
i
sh
i
ng  bo
t
h
of
t
hem
y
ou
w
on
‘
t
e
v
en
r
e
m
e
m
ber
any
of
it
, and
I
’
l
l
ha
v
e done
y
ou a
f
a
v
o
r
.”
S
asha
t
o
l
d
t
he
ba
rt
ender
t
o
k
eep
t
he
chan
g
e,
and
th
e

t
w
o
w
a
l
k
ed
t
o
w
a
r
ds
t
he
s
t
a
g
e
w
he
r
e
T
he
B
u
r
n
i
ng 
w
as
fi
n
i
sh
i
ng
up
t
he
i
r
se
t
.
B
ut
t
he
i
r
m
i
nds
w
e
r
e
not
on
t
he
band.

             
“My God,”
sa
i
d
S
asha,
g
u
l
p
i
ng
do
w
n
a
l
a
r
g
e
s
i
p
of
t
he
t
an
g
y
g
r
een
li
qu
i
d
i
n
her
g
l
ass.
“I
s
til
l
can
’
t
be
li
e
v
e
w
hat
j
ust
ha
p
p
ened out
t
he
r
e.
T
hat
g
uy
co
m
es
out
of
no
w
he
r
e,
t
he
dog
p
r
ac
ti
ca
ll
y
ri
ps
h
i
s a
r
m
o
ff
,
and
t
hen
sudden
l
y s
t
a
rt
s
ac
ti
ng
li
k
e
it’
s
a
pupp
y
.
H
o
w
?”

W
ill
ow
nodded.
“I
g
uess
it’
s
one
of
t
hose
t
h
i
n
g
s
w
e
’l
l
j
ust
ne
v
er
k
no
w
.”

B
ut
she
w
i
shed  she
cou
l
d  ha
v
e
k
no
w
n  a 
l
ot
m
o
r
e about
t
he
handso
m
e
s
tr
an
g
er
she
’
d ne
v
er
see
a
g
a
i
n.
B
ut
t
hat
w
as
j
ust
her
l
uc
k
.
A
l
l
t
he
g
ood
ones
w
e
r
e
t
a
k
en…or
g
a
y
.
O
r
g
ot
b
i
t
by sna
rli
ng do
g
s
and
t
hen
t
o
l
d her
t
o
g
o e
n
j
oy
her
n
i
g
ht and
l
ea
v
e
t
hem
a
l
one.

S
asha
fi
na
ll
y s
t
a
rt
ed
bobb
i
ng
t
o
t
he
m
us
i
c.
S
he
l
e
a
ned
t
o
w
a
r
d
W
ill
o
w
,
nodd
i
ng
t
o
w
a
r
d
t
he s
t
a
g
e. “
N
ot
t
o c
h
an
g
e
t
he sub
j
ect
,
bu
t
y
ou  sa
i
d
y
ou
don
’
t
li
k
e
t
hese
g
u
y
s
…f
or
w
hat
r
eason?”