Dewey’s cell phone rang, ruining his aim. The alien mutants took advantage of his distraction and blew him out of the sky, chunks of him and his craft raining down on the surface of Mars.

“Your ass is ringing, mister,” one of the kids glaring at him pointed out.

“Right. I’m done anyway.” Dewey stepped back, and a ring of boys crowded into his spot. Dewey pulled out his phone, wondering if his pay would stretch to pay for the game system. Maybe if he cut back on roses and stuff for Bryn. She never thanked him for his offerings anyway. She always thanked Phagan, but he wasn’t paying for the stuff. Life was so not fair.

“Hyatt?” Luke’s voice cut across his musings. “You and Amelia all right?”

“Yeah, sure…” Dewey trailed off, as he looked around and realized Amelia was nowhere in sight. That might not have been too troubling, she’d been wandering off without him since entering Wal-Mart, but she’d never abandoned her cart the other times. He eyed the cart, with its carefully selected little pile of woman stuff, feeling rising anxiety. It was possible that Luke would kill him well before Bryn got a chance— “Shit!”

He looked at his watch. He was late meeting Bryn.

“What’s wrong?” Luke asked.

“Everything,” Dewey said. They say confession is good for the soul. He hoped “they” were right, whoever “they” were. “Look, I’m late for an appointment with Bryn. Got something important to tell her—”

“You’re finally going to tell her?”

“Tell her—you knew?”

“Let’s just say I suspected. If I’d known, I’d have had to do something about it.” Luke sounded amused, but his voice was serious when he added, “Why don’t you take Amelia to a hotel?”

Dewey took a deep breath. “She ditched me. Sorry about that.”

And he hung up. He didn’t need to hear him swear. Bryn filled that function for him. He dialed Bryn’s cell.

“Bailey.”

“It’s me.” Silence. “I’m really sorry. Luke asked me to—”

“Luke?” A hint of curious took the edge off annoyance in her voice. “Is he back from the mountains?”

“Oh yeah.” He’d promised not to mention Amelia to the brothers Kirby, but Luke hadn’t said anything about Bryn. Not that he knew a whole lot about Amelia, but what he did know, he’d throw out there in hopes of saving his ass—at least until he’d had a last meal. “Very interesting, very mysterious. Tell you when I get there?”

A sigh. “I’ll give you twenty minutes.”

God bless curiosity. It may just save his life. Then he’d have to hope Bryn’s lust for access to Green would do the rest.