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None of us said a word. He took the exit and headed for the motel. I gazed back at Crystal.

Now what? I wanted to ask, but that would have to wait until later.

Gordon acquired two rooms for us, but when we pulled up to the doors, he turned to us and said, "I know what you girls are like, so here's the deal: one of you stays the night with me."

"What?" Raven asked, a cold look of terror on her face. "Stay in a room with you?"

"Don't get me wrong. I just want one of you where I can see you. I know the rest of you won't run off on me that way. You girls stick together, right? All right," he continued looking at the three of them and then at me, "who's it gonna be?"

Crystal looked absolutely terrified, even more so than Butterfly. I was afraid for us all, afraid of what he might make us do.

"I should probably take the little one in with me," he said. I could almost hear Butterfly's terrified scream.

"I'll stay with you," I said quickly.

He smiled.

"Fine. Let's get a go

od night's rest, eh girls? We have a lot to do tomorrow, a lot to do." He got out and we followed.

He opened one room for Raven, Crystal and Butterfly and the other for himself and me.

"Can I stay with them for a while?" I asked him.

"No," he said. "I don't feel like having to worry about it. Just get in there and get to bed. The rest of you do the same and no monkey business, hear? Move!" he ordered and everyone jumped.

Raven took my hand.

"I could change places with you, Brooke. I can handle him better," she said, glaring at him.

"It's all right," I said. "I'll be fine, Raven. Thanks. Take care of Butterfly," I told her and then I went into the room.

Gordon took something out of the back of the wagon and followed right after me.

"Go on, use the washroom first," he

commanded when he entered.

I went to the bathroom and when I came out, he had the television going and was lying on his bed. He was also sipping whiskey from a pint bottle.

"Didn't you bring your nightie along?" he asked when I pulled the blanket back on my bed.

"I don't sleep in a nightie," I said.

He smiled, his eyes fixed on me in a way that made me very nervous. I tried not to show it. With Gordon, it was always best to appear brave and undaunted. He was the sort who pounced on weakness and took advantage of kindness and innocence.

"Who's idea was this running off, huh? That Crystal come up with the plan?" he asked finally "No," I said. "It was my idea."

"No kidding? Where the hell did you think you would all go anyway? Who's waiting for you with open arms, huh? Who?" he demanded.

I turned sharply to face him.

"No one's waiting for us, Gordon. We just wanted to get away from you and Louise and that whole scene back there. You complain how it hasn't been a picnic for you. Well, it hasn't been one for us either. We know you and Louise are not going to make it easy for anyone to adopt us. That's a dead-end for us, so we decided it was better to leave."

"And steal my car!" he screamed, making his face even uglier than it was. "Why my car?" He pounded his chest so hard, I heard the thump and actually thought I felt it myself. He's a time bomb, I thought. "I got people depending on me back there, people who are very angry at me because of you. Why didn't you all just get on a bus? No one would have cared then, believe me."

I lay down again, shivering. If I said the wrong word, did the wrong thing, there was no telling what he would do in response. Anyway, I thought, he was right. It was a mistake to take his car. He wouldn't have cared otherwise and we might have gone all the way. Then again, it would have been easier to catch us on public transportation.