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Page 178
the doors clamored. She pictured Kara at the other end, trying to keep them shut, Tom in front of her, shoving at them.
She found a faucet. She turned it on all the way. Water rushed from the faucet, pounded the bottom of the tub, splashed her. Cool, but getting warmer.
She hoped the Foxworth's kept their water heater turned up highhot enough to scald.
Fingering the top of the spout, she found the shower knob and lifted it.
Water stopped thudding into the tub. The nozzle throbbed in her hand. She aimed it upward where Tom's face should be. Heard a few sputters, a shhhhhhh as the hot water shot out. Then hard drumming. The spray was hitting the shower door, not Tom. Hitting it and flying back at her and it was hot. Not scalding, maybe. But damn hot.
Whimpering with pain, she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face away and shoved herself up to get her bare skin away from the spray.
The shower doors skidded. Kara yelped. Tom squealed. Something clattered against the floor of the tub, slid against Denise's shoes. The poker?
'You bitch!' Tom cried out.
She aimed at the sound of his voice.
Heard him splash into the tub. Heard breathless, whiny noises from him. Her hand was knocked aside. A fist struck her just below the left breast. Hooking an arm around Tom, she squeezed him hard against her. With her other hand, she clubbed his head with the plastic nozzle.

 
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