A Taste of Love and Evil Read Online Free PDF Page A

“That’s great. Thanks.” It couldn’t possibly be that simple, but she’d take what she could get. She settled into the passenger seat of the van, a tacky yellow piece of junk she’d normally never be seen dead in. Never mind that Stevie lived in Bayou Gavotte now; he wouldn’t expect her to be there, and anything was better than being dragged back home to the boonies. She took the tissue Rose held out and cleaned the blood off her wrist.
    “You’re going to leave Stevie lying on the ground?” Rose said.
    “Why not?” The guy sounded slow now, as if he were drunk or on drugs.
    “Jack, lie down on the bench seat.” Rose stuffed the reddish gold embroidered cloak and the fabulous costume with the snake on the sleeve inside a big canvas bag to make room for him. “You need to rest, and you’re probably dehydrated.” She gave him a bottle of apple juice and a pillow, slammed the side door shut again, and came around to the driver’s door.
    “Does he have the flu or something?” Juma asked.
    “Or something.” Rose backed the van out and took off through the parking lot just as an elderly couple trundled out the side door with their suitcases, headed for the whiteLincoln. Her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror as she wheeled the van hard right toward the exit. “Shit.”
    Immediately, Jack sat up. “What?”
    “Lie down,” Rose said again. “You’ll be useless if you don’t rest. I can take care of things.”
    “I need to know what things you’re taking care of,” Jack said.
    Rose huffed. “The white car a few spaces from the SUV is parked nose out. When the people who own it go around the back to open the trunk, they’ll see Stevie. People notice bright yellow vans. If they saw me driving away, they might connect us with him.” She blew out a breath. “I hope they get him medical care.”
    Juma couldn’t believe it. “Even though he tried to rape you?”
    Rose hunched a shoulder. “He didn’t succeed.”
    “That doesn’t make it right,” Juma said. “Plus, he handcuffed me to the steering wheel.”
    “That burns me up a lot more than him messing with me.” Rose accelerated along the on-ramp and hit the interstate. “It’s too cold to leave someone lying unconscious on the ground.”
    “He deserves it,” Jack said, and lay back down with the pillow over his head.
    “I agree,” Juma said. “You’re way too softhearted.” And therefore easier to suck up to. “But thank you so much for rescuing me. I really mean it.”
    “Sure.” After a pause, Rose said brightly, “Tell me about hairdressing hell.”
    Me and my big mouth. But Rose seemed safe enough, and nice, apart from her grooming. Juma could forgive her unpolished nails, but as for the way she’d yanked her ponytail back into place…Ugh. Split ends, too, and her clothes were classic Wal-Mart. Still, something about Rose felt reassuring.
    “It’s boring.” Juma grimaced. “Tell me about that amazing costume in the back.”
    Rose started, frowning. “What about it?”
    “It’s gorgeous, like out of Shakespeare in Love. The snake on the sleeve is awesome!”
    Rose had an absolutely lovely smile. “It’s a replica of one worn by Elizabeth the First.”
    “The Rainbow Portrait,” Jack said.
    Rose glanced at him over her shoulder, a tiny crease between her eyebrows, then faced the road again. “That’s right.”
    “Elizabeth as Astraea, the celestial virgin, aka Lady Justice,” Jack said. “The serpent represents wisdom.”
    Rose said nothing.
    “Are you going to make the headdress, too?” he went on. “And the wings?”
    “Yes,” Rose said, her tone clipped.
    Juma gaped. “You made it? Whoa!”
    “I make period costumes for a living,” Rose said. “I’m delivering it to a customer in Bayou Gavotte.”
    “How fabulous,” Juma said. “I love history.” My big mouth again. But Rose was cool, eyes on the road, and in spite of the hair and clothing, she didn’t look like she thought education was