Chapter 5

Julia looked up as the door of the hotel room opened and then gave a sigh of relief as she recognized who was in the doorway and put down her gun: "you scared me," she said simply.

"Sorry," Del shrugged. "I had hoped you'd be asleep by now."

"Sleep. What's that?" she asked bitterly, then at his look shrugged. "I don't sleep anymore, Del. When I do I dream, and well, dreams never do come true do they?"

"I guess not," he admitted as pulled the door shut behind him and crossed to the bed and sat down next to her. "I called Anita, she doesn't know anything more about Slater."

Julia exhaled sharply as she pushed to her feet: "he was only trying to help, and now he might be dying."

"He made his choice, Julia."

"Did he? Or was I just a balm for his guilty conscience?" she asked as she turned and faced Del. "I don't know which way is up anymore. I only knew when Noah. . ."

Del nodded as he looked down at his hands: "I should've been there. . ."

"And you'd be dead too," Julia replied as she shook her head. "You at least did what he wanted and got me out."

"Yeah. And look where it got us," Del answered as he rose. "We're on the run, Julia, with no protection, and I have to tell you. . . the way things went down. . . we're not just running from the Dragon."

"Yeah, well, Kendall probably ratted us out again," she shot back as she shoved her hands into her back pockets.

"Not at the expense of her husband."

"Del, their marriage is a joke. And since when does she think about anything or anyone but herself?"

"She loves him."

"Some kind of love."

Del glared at her: "some could say the same about you and Noah, Jules."

"What?"

"He made you give up everything."

"I decided to. . ."

"For him. And considering the reason for her pregnancy you really think she doesn't think about any one else?"

"She probably thought it would get Ryan back."

"Right," Del said with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh, come on. . ."

"I'm not fighting you about Kendall."

"You still love her, don't you? What the hell kind of hold does she have on men?" she wondered throwing up her hands in disgust.

"It wasn't lack of love that broke us up," Del admitted as he crossed to Julia. "I've got a lot of things to make up for. I wish I hadn't have gotten involved in the things I have. Helping you is helping me to fix it. I just hope that my being involved doesn't have the opposite effect."

Julia nodded sadly as she crossed to him and hugged him, staring at a space on the wall over his shoulder she answered in a calm voice: "I know that your being here--- your knowledge of the Dragon--- will help me get justice for Noah." she continued as she stepped back and forced a smile as she looked up at him she added: "Believe me, I know exactly how much I can trust you. . ."