The Heavenly Fugitive Read Free Page B

like this.”
    Rosa’s eyes filled with tears, and she whispered, “I’m sorry, Daddy.” She had a tender heart, despite being so spoiled, andnow the tears ran down her cheeks. “Dom hurt him so bad. I never saw him act like that before.”
    Tony had hired Dom for his destructive ability, but Tony had always kept his business out of his home. Rosa had no idea how violent a man her father was, nor how violent were the men with whom he surrounded himself. She had grown up sheltered from all of this. Now Tony met Maria’s eyes and winced at the accusing glare in them. “He’ll be all right, sweetheart. The doc will fix him up.”
    The three waited for what seemed like a long time, and finally Dr. Clarkson came striding into the drawing room. Instantly the three converged on him.
    Rosa was the first to ask, “Is he all right, Dr. Clarkson?”
    “No, he’s not all right, Rosa.” James Clarkson was a tall, rangy man with light blue eyes and reddish hair, whose speech carried the echoes of his boyhood home in the North Carolina hills. He had been Rosa’s doctor since she was born, but Clarkson now ignored her and glared at Tony. “You’re in trouble here, Tony,” the doctor snapped.
    “Why, what’s wrong with him?”
    “He’s got a broken nose, and those cuts around his eyes are going to leave scars. Besides that, he’s got several broken ribs. What was he trying to do—rob the house?”
    “Well, no, he was just delivering a horse.”
    “Why did Dom beat him up so badly?”
    Rosa spoke up timidly. “He . . . he thought the man was bothering me.”
    “Was he bothering you?” Clarkson demanded.
    Rosa dropped her head. “No, sir, he wasn’t. I was being awful to him. He was trying to stop me from letting the horse out of the trailer.”
    “Well, that’s not good, Tony. He may go straight to the police—maybe even sue you for this. If there’s a trial, I’ll have to be a witness against you. I won’t have any choice.”
    “We’ll take care of it, Doc,” Tony assured him. “He’ll be okay.”
    The doctor eyed Tony pointedly. “But he may not be, Tony. He could die—you understand? He needs to be in a hospital for observation. And you ought to get rid of Dom. He’s a dangerous man.”
    Tony did not comment but instead asked the doctor, “Is he awake?”
    “Yes, but I’ve sedated him, so he’s groggy. I tell you again, he needs to go to the hospital.”
    “I’ll take care of that, Doc, and all the expenses. Don’t you worry.”
    Clarkson stalked out of the room, indignation in every line of his body. As soon as he was out the front door, Tony said, “I’ll go see him.”
    “I want to go with you, Daddy.”
    “Better if you didn’t, sweetheart.”
    “But I want to. It was my fault.”
    Big Tony shrugged, and the two of them, along with Maria, made their way down the hall and into the bedroom where the young man rested.
    As Tony walked in the door he was shocked to see the damage Dominic had done. The man’s face was puffy beyond recognition and badly discolored under both eyes. A bloody bandage covered his forehead where the doctor had stitched up the most serious wounds over the eyebrows. His lips were swollen, and his eyes stared steadily at Tony through narrow slits.
    “I’m sorry about all this,” Tony said gruffly. “What’s your name?”
    “Win . . . slow. Phil Winslow.” He could barely pronounce his own name.
    “Well, it was all a misunderstanding, Phil,” Tony said quickly. “Now, listen, we’re going to put you in the hospital—and I’m going to take care of all the doctor bills—”
    “No,” Phil said, his tone firm this time.
    Tony halted and looked at him, surprised. “Look, young man, you need to go to the hospital.”
    “Gotta . . . take . . . truck back.”
    “I’ll take care of all that. I’ll have one of my men drive it back. I’m going to have another one take you to the hospital.”
    Phil found it difficult to move, but he struggled to his