"I thought, since you were working so hard, you might want a lemonade or… or something."

Her voice trailed off to a whisper. Arlette could hardly believe the hunger she felt. It was like a small, wild animal gnawing away at her insides. She wanted Jack to grab her, hold her the way she had seen him hold her mother. She wanted him to overwhelm her, smother her with his body while ropes… oh, it was too much for her to think about right now.

"That's okay, kid. Arlette, ain't it? That's your name, I mean," Jack said, brushing off his hands on his Levi's and standing up.

He was so tall, nearly blocking out the sky in front of her! He seemed easy, relaxed as he smiled at her.

"Y-yes."

Jack rubbed his nose, that same dirty smirk on his face she had seen several nights before. Had she started something she couldn't finish?

"That's good… knowin' your name, I mean. Don't like to start these things without knowin' a broad's name."

Arlette felt the ground moving under her. She closed her eyes, her heart stopping. No, it was starting again. She clenched and unclenched her fingers. She could run, rush out into the streets and wait until her mother returned. But instead, she stayed as Jack brushed off his pants, then approached her.

"I…"

"You don't have to say nothin', kid. You want it… like your old lady does. All in the Goddamned family," he muttered, circling one hand around her small neck. Arlette pushed back against the feeling. She was shameless, as shameless as her mother!

"Please, I don't want to…"

It was a lie.