Free Vicious Carousel by Tymber Dalton Page A

done any property management?”
    “Not really. Our office handled residential sales. Why?”
    “One of the women in our office is moving in a few weeks. We’re going to post the position sometime this week. We handle commercial and retail property management. Several business plazas, a mall, things like that. It’s an administrative position. Starts at forty thousand a year, but you’ll have to apply for it. I can’t just give you the job because you’re my son’s friend.”
    Hope started to catch fire inside her. “Thank you! Yes, I’d love the chance to apply.” It was a little more than she’d made at her last job, and she’d been living okay with that salary. Not high off the hog, but she’d had a tidy little apartment and a car that ran well and was paid off, with a few extra dollars to go to Venture or a movie every weekend, or to buy herself a nice dinner, if she wanted to.
    “Okay. Then get me your resume as soon as you can. The sooner you can apply, the sooner we can get you in to interview. It’ll be about two weeks or so before we start interviews.”
    “Thank you. I appreciate it.” That would give her time to heal up reasonably well.
    “I’ll help you with your resume tomorrow,” Tilly said. “I’ll be over here before the guys leave for work and we’ll do that.”
    “Thanks.” She stared down at her plate while fighting the urge to cry. The kindness everyone had shown her…It was the polar opposite of the hell she’d just escaped from not even twenty-four hours ago.
    This time yesterday, she’d been beaten and bloody and curled up on the couch, nearly unconscious, after a day of struggling to get the chain off her foot.
    Michelle reached over and touched her shoulder. “Are you all right?”
    “No, but I’m finally thinking maybe I’ll reach that point sooner than I thought I would.”

    * * * *

    Betsy said good-night to everyone and headed to bed right after dessert was served and Tilly had quickly examined her to make sure she was okay. She’d taken a couple of ibuprofen and needed to lie down. Her headache was back, along with all the other aches and pains, and she didn’t want to admit to anyone how bad she was feeling.
    With Michelle and Tilly there, she might just end up back in the hospital with no say in the matter. Especially if Tilly the nurse thought she wasn’t doing well.
    Then Betsy spotted the plastic shopping bags from the store on her bed. When she opened them, she stifled a sob.
    Dammit , would she ever get control of her emotions again?
    Yes, she remembered Kenny saying something about pajamas. And yes, they were in her sizes.
    And they were adorable. One of them was covered with Hello Kitty, something she’d loved.
    Jack never would have bought her anything he didn’t see a real use for. Why’d she need PJs when she should sleep naked for him, anyway?
    She was lucky he’d had a vasectomy years ago, but then a nagging thought struck her.
    Maybe I need to get myself tested.
    She didn’t think he was cheating on her. He was usually far too strict about his time and hers to have any that wasn’t really accounted for.
    Well, except for his afternoons and nights as a bouncer at the bar.
    But, add to the fact that he’d had a difficult time getting it up a lot of the time. So…probably not.
    Just in case…
    She added a trip to the county health department to her list of things to do at some point. She’d need a full STD/HIV panel done. And then again in six months.
    Dammit .
    She pulled the tags off the Hello Kitty PJs and carefully undressed, then pulled the PJs on.
    Yes, perfect fit. Loose enough to be comfy.
    Wincing, she slowly got into bed and pulled the sheet over herself, leaving the bedside lamp on again. But the PJs…
    It was like falling asleep cloaked in kindness.

    * * * *

    Once Betsy’s bedroom door softly closed behind her, Kenny watched as his mom’s expression turned dark.
    “I hope that guy gets serious jail time,” she