20. Predator
“Ronnie, define ‘whore.’”
“A person who engages in promiscuous s****l i*********e,” Ronnie helpfully pipes up without embarrassment or hesitation, “usually for money or other personal gain. Synonyms include p********e, harlot, strumpet-”
“Stop.”
She just as obligingly shuts up.
Back in my hiding spot in the oleander bushes, I’m craving a familiar voice as badly as a dose of Swan B and a double cheeseburger, and I struggle to formulate another question to keep her talking.
It seems that human brains have a rather harsh expiration date.
My stash is still cold enough; it doesn’t smell rancid or anything, but I’ve been sitting here chewing my way through three hemispheres waiting to feel better, and I still don’t.
“Tell me about the one I named you for,” I ask Ronnie.
“Ve
