Twenty-Five
Sunday, December 19
Bailey's Key
As Eva unwrapped the nut-covered ice cream cone that Charlie offered her, her stomach rolled with guilt. It seemed utterly wrong to eat dessert while her mother was trapped on the Tesoro with a madman. But Eva wouldn’t be of any help to anyone if she was passed out from hunger. For Eva, hunger triggered anger, and if she was to keep her wits about her and deal with Julian, she had to stay calm.
In short order, Eva devoured the cone, then another, then a third. Only when her stomach began to churn did she remember her lactose intolerance. She placed her hands on her bloated stomach.
Charlie raised his eyebrows. “You’re going to throw up again?”
Eva shook her head. Her next explosion would be from the other end. But the thought of using the
