It was her only hope.Donna breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the lit gas station sign in the distance. It was just beginning to get dark.Donna co...asted her coughing car toward the station and prayed that this time things would work out.There was no other car at the pump, and Donna pulled her purse up onto her lap as the attendant approached. Extra protec- tion, she thought, and anyway, she would have to pay him.The attendant was a greasy-looking kid in his mid-teens, and he was grinning. “Why, what happened.”“Well, it seems that our little Maria has a few secrets we were not aware of.” I was intrigued but just nodded as she continued. “First, it seems that though she is an illegal, she also knows English just fine. She has been playing you so that you would not learn her other secret…and that is that she is a thief.”“I cannot believe that…she seems so sweet and innocent,” I exclaimed, trying to wrap my head around the idea.“Honey, I am pretty sure that you were meant to see. Mujhe blankit ke andar sans lene main takleef ho rahi thi ki mera muh khul gya. tab unka dik mere lips par tha jaise hi muh khula to unhone thora dhaka mara or mere muh main chala gya thora sa. main apni zib se use taste kiya namak jaisa swad tha uska. pehle ajeeb laga lakin baad main thik. unhone thori der baad mere muh main pani gira diya kuch mere andar nikal gya or kuch maine bahar gira diya.Yeh silsila roz chalta raha. mama ji bhi darte the kuch jiyada karne ko kion ki main tab choti. It’s all or nothing. You told me that once, Jen.” The blonde unconsciously raised a knuckled hand to her mouth, eyes almost impossibly wide as he opened the small ring cases in his hands with a deft motion not unlike juggling. Slipping index and middle finger over the diamonds, he captured the gems with both hands, allowing the cases to fall to the floor with matching thuds, palming the rings. Kneeling before them, he spoke to one, then the other. “Jennifer, you have one of the most open and.