Mind Game

by Iris Johansen

  Lisa smiled. “You won’t be sorry, MacDuff. I learn fast.”

  “I believe you. Don’t disappoint me.” He followed Jock down the bank.

  Lisa immediately turned back to Jane. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes shining. “I’ve got it.”

  Jane nodded. “Cold, damp, invisible work in the mist. Lucky you.”

  “But it’s different and interesting.…” Her eyes were on the mist. “And Cira.”

  “Then you’ll have to thank Cara when she gets here,” Jane said. “I think Jock’s temporary desertion was the straw that broke MacDuff’s will.”

  “I would have gotten him anyway. It just would have taken longer,” Lisa said. “And I don’t think I should thank her. If she knew Jock had hired someone to keep an eye on her, it might annoy her. It would me.”

  “Cara is the furthest thing from you in the universe,” Jane said drily. “But it probably would annoy her in this case. For a youngster, she’s very independent.”

  “Youngster? How old is she?”

  “Fourteen.”

  “The same age I was when Seth left me.” She shook off the memory. “Then she’s old enough to get through anything. It’s rough for a while. But I got along fine, and so will she.”

  “She doesn’t doubt that,” Eve said quietly. “And Cara has had it rough all her life and survived it. When I found her, she’d been on the run from a murderer from one of the Mexican cartels since she was three years old. Her older sister and her best friend had already been murdered by that time.”

  Lisa gave a low whistle. “If she went through all of that, I definitely don’t think that she needs Jock to take care of her.”

  “You won’t be able to convince him of that,” Jane said. “You heard him.”

  “I heard him.” She was frowning, puzzled. “But I didn’t understand it. What is she to him?”

  Jane and Eve exchanged a glance. How to explain that bond that linked Jock and Cara? “Best friend? Sister? Soul mate?” Eve shrugged. “When I brought Cara here two years ago and she met Jock, it was as if they made an immediate connection. I’d never seen anything like it. They’d both had backgrounds that were tortured and left them feeling terribly alone. They seemed to … fulfill each other. They became very close. He was the perfect big brother. She adored him. She still does.”

  “He said he almost got her killed.”

  “The hit men who were after Cara almost took out MacDuff, and Jock went after them. She followed him and walked right into their hands.”

  “But she got away from them?”

  “Eventually. But it was a total nightmare. Jock went after her and saved her life.” Eve added, “So you can see why he’s a bit protective of her. He’s not going to let that happen again.”

  Lisa nodded slowly. “You have to take care of the people you love. You shouldn’t let them be alone.”

  Jane didn’t like the direction this was heading. “But you can also be a handicap if you’re not capable of contributing and they have to end up helping you.”

  Lisa smiled. “And of course you’re not talking about me? You’re talking about Cara, who was only a twelve-year-old child at the time?”

  Jane smiled back at her. “Of course.”

  “I thought so.” She turned away. “But I’m getting very close to not being a handicap any longer. A few days of gentle exercise working with MacDuff in the mist might just put me over the finish line. I can probably afford those days. Seth hasn’t told me anything that would hint at something different.”

  But Caleb had told Jane about Said Ben Kemal, and that was the first break he’d had. He might be trying to keep the knowledge from Lisa, but she was his sister and possessed that link with him. Jane didn’t know if Lisa might somehow sense he was keeping something from her. “Well, at least you’ll get those few days in the mist after all your hard work paving the way.” She turned away. “Now, I think I’ll take Michael for a walk along the bank and then get one of those tents ready for Cara.”

  * * *

  Cara Delaney saw Jock as soon as she arrived at customs.

  Lord, she had been hoping he would be here to meet her. And there he was, standing outside the barrier and wearing a white shirt and black jeans, and he was as wonderful-looking as always. But then he never changes, Cara thought as the joy and excitement poured through her. The first time she had met him, she had thought he looked like the prince in a fairy tale. But then she had learned there was so much more to him inside than out that she hardly noticed it anymore except at moments like this.

  “I’ll be right there, Jock,” Cara called to him. “No checked luggage. Just my carry-on and my violin.”

  He nodded. “I’m surprised you brought a carry-on. After all, the violin is the only thing that’s important to you.” He smiled. “Take your time. I’ll wait.”

  “You’d better.” She nodded and turned back to the crowded desk. Ten minutes later, she was grabbing the duffel and her violin and almost running behind the barrier. She dropped both and flew into his arms. “Jock,” she whispered as she hugged him as tightly as she could. She wanted to stay there, but she let him go and stepped back. “I was afraid they’d send someone else,” she said unsteadily. “I know how busy you are.”

  “True.” He smiled down at her. “And why would I want to drive all this way to pick up a brat like you?” He brushed his lips on her forehead. “But I happened to have a few spare hours, so I thought that I’d save anyone else the bother.” He looked down at the duffel and violin she’d dropped. He clucked his tongue. “Careless. Very careless. I imagine that’s the first time that violin was dropped so rudely since it was crafted in the eighteenth century.”

  “It’s very well padded.” She picked up the case. “Too bad your skull isn’t. Because I’m going to crack it if you don’t tell me you’re glad to see me.”

  “It’s possible.” He grabbed her duffel. “No, probable.” He was guiding her toward the door. “But I would have preferred that you hadn’t traveled by yourself. I’m not fond of impulsive moves on your part. I believe we discussed that when I saw you in New York.”

  “You mean lectured.” She smiled at him. “Probable. Why is it so difficult for you to say? I’ll say it again. I miss you all the time and I’m glad to see you. You’re my best friend and I don’t see enough of you. Now you say it.”

  He was silent. “Cara, you’re just a kid,” he said gruffly. “You have a good home with Eve and Joe now. You have your music and friends at school; it’s time to step away from me. How many times do I have to tell you? I get in your way.”

  “You keep telling me that. Stop it.” She shook her head. “I’ll never step away from you. You’re my best friend. You saved my life. You know me, the way no one else does.” She looked at him. “And I’m not going to let you spoil these couple weeks by pushing me away. You’re always doing that anyway. I came here early because I wanted to be here for Eve and Michael, but you’re a plus and I’m going to enjoy it.” She grinned. “So you say it, Jock. I’m listening.”

  He was silent, gazing down at her. “The older you get, the more stubborn.”

  “You once told me I owned my soul and my choices. It meant a lot to me and I’ve been trying to live by it. Say it.”

  He gave her that radiant smile that lit his whole face with warmth. “I’ve missed you and I’m glad to see you.” He reached out and touched her hair. “And you are my best friend.”

  “Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “But you could have been more generous about it.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to be.” He opened the car door for her. “You have a chance to have a good life after the hell you’ve been through. I just have to see that you take advantage of it.” He shut the door and ran around to the driver’s seat. “Now tell me about that new music teacher at your school that you e-mailed me about. Is he really that good?”

  “Taldoff?” She nodded. “He was with the Sydney Symphony, and he’s wonderful. I’m lu
cky to have him as a teacher.”

  “He’s lucky to have you. Someday he’ll brag that he taught Cara Delaney.”

  “No he won’t. With him, it’s all about the music.”

  “Like you.”

  She nodded. “In the end, there’s nothing else. And there doesn’t have to be.”

  “Not for anyone who listens to you, either. You give gifts.” He was gazing straight ahead as he pulled out of the parking lot. “You should be a little chary with those gifts. Have you heard from your grandfather lately?”

  She had known this was coming. “No. But I probably will soon. He’s been very patient.”

  “The hell he has. You don’t owe him anything. Koskov is head of one of the most notorious Mafia groups in Moscow. He can just keep the hell away from you. You don’t have any business being anywhere near him.”

  “But I do,” she said quietly. “I asked him to help save Eve’s life when she was pregnant with Michael, and he did it. But I realized at the time that he didn’t believe anything was free. We both knew that I’d have to pay.”

  “No, you won’t. It just means that I make a visit to Moscow.” He smiled recklessly. “Or you just tell him no. Make a choice.”

  “It’s not as if he’s asking so much. He just wants me to spend one month a year with him, and I choose the place.”

  “And you think he’d keep his word? He’s a criminal who’s made murder a way of life since the time he was a young man. You spent only a few weeks with him and yet you believe you know him?”

  She shook her head. “Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don’t. I don’t know why he wants to spend that time with me. I think it has something to do with the music.” Her lips curved in the ghost of a smile. “And in spite of what you think, he was patient. He gave me time to settle in with Eve and Joe, and then these last months to get used to being at Juilliard.”

  “It probably pleased his vanity that you’d been accepted there,” he said bitterly. “Just being in his circle is a danger to you. If he doesn’t get bored and decide you’re expendable, one of the heads of a rival crime syndicate might decide to punish him by killing you.”

  “You told me that in New York. I won’t live in a cage, Jock. I spent my life running, but a cage is just as bad. I’ll be careful, because I want to live, but I can’t be afraid all the time.”

  “A little more fear would be in order. Tell your grandfather you’ve changed your mind about this damn deal.”

  “Eve would have died and so would Michael if he hadn’t helped,” she said. “How could I change my mind?” She forced herself to smile. “Don’t talk about it anymore, Jock. I haven’t heard from him yet. Who knows? Maybe I won’t.”

  “And maybe you will. Will you tell me if you do?”

  She didn’t want to promise him that. It was bad enough that he still thought himself the assassin who had been created when he was a boy not much older than she was now. If he believed he was protecting her, he could become very close to reverting back to that time. “No.”

  He was silent a moment and she could see a subtle hardening in his face, a coldness that was frightening her. She had seen that expression before and it terrified her. “I’ll find out anyway,” he said softly. “I’ve been trained in all the paths that lead to a kill. I’m good at it. That’s why you should take that step away from me. If you tell me, we can at least talk about it. You can try to persuade me.”

  And that was the only way to stop him. That hardness was knife-sharp, and he’d almost reached the point where she couldn’t reach him. But she had to reach him. “I’ll tell you.” She looked him in the eye. “And I will persuade you. You won’t do it.”

  “And why not?”

  “Because it would break my heart,” she said simply.

  His expression flickered, changed. “Oh shit. How am I supposed to fight that?”

  “You can’t. So let’s not talk about it any longer. You’ve already spoiled a perfectly beautiful drive,” she said jerkily. “Tell me, did you come to pick me up because you were as eager to see me as I was you? Or did you just want to make certain no one was going to shoot me?”

  He was silent for a moment. “Well, I wouldn’t be honest with you if I didn’t tell you that I told them all that I had to go because it was my job to keep you from getting killed.”

  She wished she hadn’t asked that question. “And that was why you came?”

  “Absolutely.” He was silent for a moment. “What I didn’t tell them was that I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone but me being there to watch over you. Do want to know why?”

  “Yes.” He was smiling, and she knew it was going to be okay. That terrible keen edge was gone and there was no way he was going to say anything that would hurt her. He was the Jock she knew now. “But it better be something good. I deserve it after all that stuff you just put me through.”

  “It had to be me, because who wouldn’t want to be the one to watch over their very best friend in the world?” His voice lowered to honey gentleness. “And it had to be me because I didn’t know how I’d survive without her. That will always be the reason, Cara.”

  She cleared her throat. “That was pretty good. And you wanted to see me as much as I wanted to see you. Right?” she prompted.

  “Without question.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, then that’s over. Sometimes it’s like pulling teeth with you.” She leaned back in the seat. “Now, tell me all about the new lights you’ve been putting in the mist and what Jane’s been doing. And how does Michael like the lake? And all about that Lisa Ridondo that Joe was telling about.…”

  CHAPTER

  13

  “Eve!”

  Eve turned and saw Cara running down the slope toward her. She barely had time to hold out her arms before the girl reached her. She was enveloped in a huge embrace, which she returned with equal enthusiasm. Then she pushed Cara away and smiled down at her. “You could have waited for Joe. It’s not as if I was having an emergency. It’s just a wedding, Cara.”

  “You might need me. I don’t know anything about weddings, but I thought I should be here.”

  Cara always thought she should take care of her, Eve thought with rueful affection. From the moment she had come into their lives, she had wanted to repay Eve and Joe for taking her under their wings and protecting her from the cartel enforcer who had killed her sister. That devotion could be both touching and exasperating. “I always need you.” She kissed her on the cheek. “But that’s because I love you. No service required. Where’s Jock?”

  “Coming. He told me he’d bring down the luggage. I think he wanted to give me time to say hello.” She smiled as she looked out at the lake. “It’s just as I remembered it. I don’t wonder you wanted to have the wedding here. Not everything that happened at Gaelkar was good, but I think you and Joe were happy here.” She gazed at the mist. “And it wasn’t because of the place. There’s music here, Eve.”

  “Is there?” And who would know better than Cara, who was filled with music herself? “I believe you. I don’t hear it, but sometimes I think I can feel it.”

  “It’s there. Sometimes sad, sometimes joyous, always strong.”

  “Like life?”

  She nodded and pulled her gaze away from the mist. “Where are Jane and Michael?”

  “I think she needed a break from having Michael watch her painting that portrait of him. He’s fascinated, but he wanted to do it himself. She decided that she’d take him for a walk along the bank to meet Lisa and MacDuff when they came back for supper.”

  “Maybe I’d better go after them and help her with—”

  “No.” Jock was suddenly beside them. “You go to your tent and change and catch a few minutes of rest.” He set her violin case and duffel down. “Trust me. I’ll go make sure that they don’t disappear into the mist.”

  “I didn’t think that Jane would—”

  But Cara was talking to air as Jock strode away from them down the bank. S
he made a face. “Bossy. I just wanted to help.”

  “You always do.” Eve’s lips were twitching as she picked up Cara’s duffel. That moment she had witnessed between them was so very familiar. Jock, the strong, charismatic young man; Cara, no longer a child but not yet a woman. But the strength of the bond almost visible between them. “I’ll help you get settled. You started traveling early this morning. You’ve got to be tired.”

  “A little.” Cara started up the hill toward the tent area. “But the trip here from the airport wore me out more than the jet across the ocean.” She was frowning as she looked back at Jock. “He’s always so … difficult these days. Why can’t he just be happy?”

  “Because he’s Jock,” Eve said. “Because of the life he’s led. Because he never expected that anyone like you would come into his life, someone for whom he’d suddenly feel responsible.” She paused. “Of course, if you don’t want to deal with that difficulty, you could just let him go.”

  “No.” Cara’s eyes widened with alarm. “I couldn’t do that,” she whispered. “Never. I just want him to be happier. He should be happy. He has that wonderful shining inside.” She stopped at the tent. “I have you. I have my music. I’m happier than I’ve ever been. Except for Jock.”

  Eve nodded. “And that’s probably not going to go away anytime soon. It’s a long-range problem that you’ll probably have to deal with yourself.”

  “And I’ll do it.” She gave Eve a hug. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to complain. Slap me if I do that again.”

  “I’ll take that under consideration. At the moment, I’m too glad to see you to inflict violence.” She set Cara’s bag down inside the tent. “So just do what that ‘bossy’ Jock told you to do and get a little rest. I’ll call you when it’s time for supper.” She stopped as she was going to leave. “What kind of delay was Joe having that you didn’t opt to wait for him to bring you?”

  “Margaret Douglas,” Cara said. “He couldn’t find her and he knew she would want to be here.”