He took a step to Alison, his love leading him to the only place its ever known. ‘I’ve prayed to God all night to allow me one kiss. May I see if ...he heard?’ ‘There is no God. Not tonight anyway.’ ‘Then I won’t be damned for doing this.’ Stephen leaned in and paused an inch from her lips. He had never been this close to Alison before. After twenty years he savored what he could of the moment. It was Alison’s chance to back out, when she didn’t, Stephen graced her lips with a lifetime worth of. “Go for it.”I pulled down the microphone for our marine band radio and keyed it. “West-bound tow at the Mermentau, this is Dorable, east-bound.”“Dorable, this is the Henry Goss. Go ahead, Cap’n.”“Thank you, Cap’n,” I said. “We’re gonna swing close to the bank, red to red, if you don’t mind. You can keep the channel.”“Thank you, Cap’n,” came the reply. “We’ll be careful.”“Roj,” I said. I glanced at Josh. He was smiling, like watching a kid’s first ride on a bicycle.“Do it, then,” he told me.. Sometimes there was a brief pause between customers. Vic made her wait for her next customer on a stool near his counter where the men could paw her freely.I have to believe that the men knew what was coming next. It looked like they all wanted to fuck her but didn't want to pay for the privilege. They must have known he was going to send her into the back and make her take on all comers. After the fifth paying customer that's exactly what he did.He turned to Paula and asked her if she knew. That was good. They had to move, get to populated areas. Sheathing her knife, wishing she dared clean it on her shirt, Mel entered the alley.Ken stopped about midway up the passage. It was as good a place as any, and if they were going to be trapped there might as well be no obvious closer exit. Keep them guessing, that was his motto. So was rescuing attractive women. Well, that was more of a habit and hobby than a motto. The exact definition of words was not something he concerned himself.