Knuckles plowed his eyes and his jaw and angry fingers dragged him to the ground so boots could kick him, over and over again.“Don’t kill them!” he heard the husky voice of the lamia cry. “Apep likes his meat fresh!”Then something stabbed Eddie in his arm, really hard, and he lost consciousness.* * *Eddie’s hands were empty. He wanted a knife, or a roll of tape, or anything. A gun, especially. Not that it would have done him any good.Sharon and the kids were on the ground in front of him. Not the ground, the floor. They lay on a red carpet, tied and helpless. Sharon was dressed in a suit like she’d wear to work, and seeing her made Eddie wonder for the thousandth time what on earth Sharon, a gorgeous girl with a college degree and then an aggressive and successful investment advisor, had ever seen in a guy like him. Marriage was the most important investment of her life, and she’d screwed it up. I screwed it up for her, Eddie thought. The girls were dressed for school, in modest plaid skirts, knee-high socks and maroon sweaters.
