“But would you be watching while you were playing? I’ve seen your face, and you’re not aware of anything but the music.”
“You’re right.” Cara stared into the darkness. “I guess I was stupid. I’m sorry to worry you. I won’t do it again.”
“Not without telling me. But you didn’t worry me. I told you that I knew Jock was with you.” She paused. “You couldn’t sleep? Dreams?”
“No, I just needed to play. Sometimes everything gets all tight inside, and I have to let it out.”
“And did you? You played for a long time.”
“Yes, I was going to come back sooner, but Jock wanted the Tchaikovsky again.” She smiled. “Or maybe he didn’t. He knew I wasn’t ready and wanted to give me the extra time. He … understood.”
“I’m sure he did,” Eve said quietly. “Jock is nothing if not empathetic. And I could tell he likes you very much.”
“I like him, too.”
“That’s pretty obvious,” Eve said dryly. “You were very definite about what a great guy he is when Caleb was mildly critical.”
“Because it’s true. Or you wouldn’t trust him.”
Eve hesitated. “That doesn’t mean he was always trustworthy, Cara. When he was just a little older than you, he fell into the hands of Thomas Reilly, a terrible man who was chemically and psychologically experimenting with mind control. Reilly was involved in all kinds of criminal and terrorist projects. Jock became his prime subject. While he was with Reilly, he did … things.”
“I know that. He told me.”
“He did?”
“Oh, not about that mind-control stuff, he just told me that he’d been very bad. He said that I shouldn’t think that he was anything good.” She was silent a moment. “But he is good. That wasn’t his fault, and it was a long time ago. He’s changed now, hasn’t he?”
“Yes, it took a long time and Jane and MacDuff working with him, but he’s changed.”
“Jane helped him?”
Eve nodded. “She wouldn’t stop until he was on his way back.”
“That was good.” She was silent again. “But he’s not all the way back, or he wouldn’t think he’s so bad.”
“Sometimes you can’t return to what you were, you just have to go on,” Eve said gently. “Jock is doing fine, Cara.”
“He’s wonderful,” she said with sudden fierceness. “No one should have hurt him. No one should have made him think he was—” She broke off. “You’re laughing at me.”
“Yes, I was just thinking that you may have your first crush. You’re getting toward that age.”
“No, you have crushes on movie stars and rockers. Heather had them all the time. That’s not like this.”
“What is it like?”
She frowned. “I don’t like the idea of the bad guys always winning. Elena … Jenny…” She paused, trying to work it out. “Jock. He still doesn’t believe he’s one of the good guys. He doesn’t know about the shine.”
“Shine?”
“Never mind. But he’s still hurting, Eve.”
“He’ll work it out. It may take time.” She added, “You can’t do it for him, Cara.”
She was silent.
What more could she say? Eve wondered. Cara had been surrounded by pain and loss since she was very young. Instead of growing callous, she had grown more sensitive to it. She had not been able to save the two people she loved most in the world, and now she couldn’t bear to face Jock’s being hurt. He had managed to reach out and touch her in a special way. Eve had known that when she had seen them together in the courtyard. “He won’t appreciate your interfering in his life.”
“I could try,” Cara said stubbornly.
“Cara.”
“Jane helped him before, but she’s too busy now.”
“Cara, he’s a grown man, you’re eleven years old. It should work the other way around. There’s something wrong with this picture.”
“That doesn’t matter.” She turned on her side and burrowed under the cover. “Jenny didn’t think it was strange to tell me that I should take care of you.”
“And one more doesn’t make a difference?” Eve asked ruefully. “You’re setting yourself up to take care of Jock Gavin?”
“Yes,” she said drowsily as she rubbed her cheek on the pillow. “I’m going to take care of Jock…”
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
Salazar was walking toward the exit at the airport when he received a call from Franco.
“I’m in London,” Franco said. “I’ve been scouting around Jane MacGuire’s apartment and gallery, and she’s definitely not here. She didn’t leave any information with her agent about where she was going. Her landlord said he saw her leave in her car about the time that would coincide with an arrival at that airport in Scotland.”
“Now you’ve told me about where she’s not. Can you tell me where she is?”
“Not yet. But I think I’ve verified that she was the woman who picked up Duncan and the kid. I’m doing a complete background check on Jane MacGuire and her known contacts in London and Scotland now. I should have something for you soon.”
“See that you do. My patience is gone. It’s time we cleared this mess up.” He hung up.
It wasn’t only his patience that was gone. He hadn’t heard from Natalie since he’d texted her the message about Duncan’s arrival in Scotland. But he knew that he would soon.
That was fine with him. His adrenaline was pumping, and he felt more alive than he had in years. He was on the hunt. He could smell the blood.
He stepped outside the terminal and headed for the taxi line.
A sleek black Mercedes slid to the curb in front of him and a chauffeur jumped out and opened the passenger door. “Mr. Salazar.”
Salazar stepped closer to the car and he was immediately enveloped in the familiar scent of vanilla and Russian perfume wafting from the backseat.
Natalie.
He hadn’t expected to see her this soon.
It seemed she was smelling the blood, too.
He stepped forward and got into the car.
2:24 A.M.
GAELKAR CASTLE
Jane closed the ledger after she’d finished cataloging the afternoon’s finds and leaned back in the chair. She should really go to bed. She had deliberately stayed up and worked in the research tent so that she’d be tired enough to sleep. She wasn’t sure if it had done any good. She had trouble sleeping anyway, and the news that Eve had told them after she had talked to Joe was too disturbing. Working in this castle surrounded by the hills and winds and silences that whispered of the past had taken Jane away from the thought of the ugliness and violence of monsters who killed.
As they had killed Trevor.
As they might kill Eve and Cara.
“You’re working late.”
She looked over her shoulder to see Caleb standing in the doorway of the tent. He was dressed in black jeans and white shirt, with the sleeves rolled to the elbow. The night breeze was lifting his dark hair away from his face, which was, as usual, slightly mocking.
Darkness, flames, pure sensuality.
Her hand tightened on the ledger.
More disturbance that she didn’t need.
“I’m done now.” She forced herself to release the ledger and push it aside. “Or as done as I can be. What are you doing here? You startled me.” Her lips twisted. “Which completely belies your claim that we can always sense each other.”
He smiled. “I said I can sense you. You might possibly miss a tick occasionally with me. Though I don’t see how considering how wary you are.” He moved into the tent. “Why the burning of midnight oil? Are you getting close to something?”
“We’ve hardly scratched the surface. Though MacDuff has discovered a possible opening beneath the dungeons that might lead somewhere. Or not. It’s all too vague to even guess.” She got to her feet. “A wild-goose chase. If there’s a treasure, I don’t believe it’s here.”
“Wh
y?”
“It’s not the first time that the family has searched these ruins. The first expedition was in 1927, and there was another in 1969. Surely someone would have found a clue, something…”
“MacDuff’s not stupid. Why is he here?”
She shrugged. “Because he’s MacDuff and he thinks that he has a destiny. Hell, he was almost more involved with tracking down the Cira story than I was all those years ago. That’s probably why he wanted me along. He’s got this idea I’m part of his destiny, too. It’s bullshit.”
“No sudden psychic flashes from Cira?”
“I never had psychic flashes. Stop making fun of me, Caleb.”
“I wouldn’t think of it. But I’ve been watching you since we’ve been here. You’re feeling something.” He suddenly chuckled. “But then so am I. It’s the Highlands, after all. In the courtyard, you told Cara that you could feel the music. Did you hear her playing tonight?”
“Yes, I went and stood outside the tent for a minute. I was worried. But then I saw Jock with her, and I knew it was okay.”
“Because, in spite of Jock’s wicked past, he has an honorable soul?” His tone was mocking. “Like Trevor.”
“No, not like Trevor. Trevor didn’t have an easy life, but he didn’t go through the hell that Jock did.” She met his eyes. “And Trevor did have an honorable soul. Even you could see that.”
“Crystal clear. I even liked him except when he was getting in my way.” He added deliberately, “But I don’t have to worry about that now. I thought when Trevor died that he might pose an even greater threat than when he was alive. But I’m working my way through it.” His gaze narrowed on her face. “And so are you. Every time we come together, I can see it happening.”
She could feel her heart start to pound just looking at his face, that sensual mouth. No, she wouldn’t let him do this to her. She forced herself to look away. “I’m going to my tent. I have to get up and start working in a few hours.” She turned off the lanterns and started for the door. “You might not understand that, since you’re not sweating and digging in the dirt like the rest of us.”
“I understand, but I see no reason why I should join you in your misery. That’s not why I came on this hunt. My job is to watch and listen and, if necessary, to act.” He stepped aside to let her pass. “You’ll find me much more valuable in that capacity.”
“And is that why you dropped in on me at this hour tonight? Are you watching, listening?”
“All the time. And the hour didn’t matter, I function better at night. But that’s not why I came by when I saw the light streaming out of the tent. I’ve been debating all day if I should talk to you. Very unusual for me.” He was strolling beside her toward her tent at the end of the row. “As you know, I seldom hesitate about anything. But this may be something sensitive that I should stay out of.” He shrugged. “But since when am I sensitive? So I decided to go for it.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything else,” she said dryly. They had reached her tent, and she stopped and turned to face him. Bright moonlight. She could see him almost as well as in the tent, and it was having just as powerful an effect on her.
Don’t let him see it.
Get it over with and go into the tent.
“What is it, Caleb?” she asked impatiently. “It’s been an upsetting day. I want to put a period to it.”
“I know. You’re upset about what Eve told you about Salazar closing in and finding out she’s in Scotland.”
“Dammit, of course I am. Aren’t you?”
“Not as much as you. I knew it was going to happen. It was only a matter of time. I’ll just make adjustments.”
“I’m not that philosophical. I love Eve.”
“Do you think I don’t know that? But that love can be complicated, that’s why I hesitated.”
She stiffened. “It’s more dangerous than she told us?”
“Not as far as I know. But she might want to save you worry. You’ll have to make up your mind about that.”
“I’m going into this tent in ten seconds.”
“That’s enough time.” He smiled down at her. “Eve was upset when Joe told her about Salazar and Natalie Castino. Very upset. Particularly when she told me that Natalie might have killed her own children.”
“Of course, she was. Anyone would be upset.”
“That’s what Eve said, particularly anyone who’d had children, a mother who would never understand how anyone could do that to her own daughters. She was near tears, very passionate about it.”
“What’s your point, Caleb?”
“That Eve was so upset when she said those words that she reached down…” His hand moved to Jane’s belly and put his hand on it. “Like this. Just for a second.” His hand dropped away from her. “I’m sure that she didn’t even realize she’d done it. Pure instinct.”
Jane went rigid. “What are you saying?”
“It made me curious. It could have been nothing. Or it could have been something very important.”
“It was nothing.”
He shook his head. “As I said, I was curious. So when I took her back to the car I stood there and took both her hands while I talked to her. Like this.” His hands grasped Jane’s, his thumbs on her wrists. “Blood is powerful, it controls so many things. You can feel it pound through your body, can’t you?”
“Yes.” Her breathing was shallow. She felt his thumbs on her wrists, her pulse leaping more every second. Her skin hot, burning where he was holding her. “Let … me … go, Caleb.”
“Soon. Only a demonstration. I made sure that Eve didn’t feel any discomfort at all. But it’s not really discomfort, is it, Jane?”
“Let me go.”
“Reluctantly.” He dropped her wrists. “I just wanted to remind you that I can do a few things with blood that other people can’t.” He grimaced. “Not entirely true. I wanted to touch you. I used it as an excuse.”
She drew a deep, quivering breath. “What a surprise.” She moistened her lips. “And why did you reach out and hold Eve’s hands?”
“I believe you’ve already guessed. The blood flow in all of us is very powerful, it can tell so much.” He reached out again and ran his index finger across the vein of her left wrist. “But at certain times, it becomes even stronger and more definitive. It’s incredible during that time.”
Her pulse was leaping beneath that finger. Her mind was leaping even more frantically. “During what time?”
He lifted her wrist and pressed his lips to the pulse point. “Eve’s pregnant, Jane.”
“No!” She jerked her wrist away from him. “That’s not true.”
He sighed. “I was afraid that you’d be shocked.”
“You can’t be sure. You just touched her.”
“I just touched you. Blood responds. In different ways, of course, depending on the demand. I was analyzing with Eve. If I’d had a little more time, I could have determined how far along she is, but that wasn’t important. You can ask her.”
“Yes, I can ask her,” she repeated numbly. She shook her head to clear it. “If I decide I believe you. Which I’m not at all sure I do.”
“Entirely your choice. I thought I’d give you the option. You’ve taken Eve under your wing, I thought you should know you’re responsible for more than you counted on.”
“She would have told me.”
“Would she?”
No, she might not, Jane thought. She and Eve were so much alike. Jane would not have wanted to lay an additional burden on her, and neither would Eve. “It might not be true. For God’s sake, you’re not a doctor.”
Caleb was silent.
But he had saved Jane’s life in that hospital only a few weeks ago when all the doctors had given up on her.
“How certain are you?”
“Very. Some of her blood is being directed to a different place. It’s very interesting.”
“Interesting?” She rubbed her temple. “Yes, I’d say that it’s intere
sting. However, I’m not in any shape to examine or comment on it. I think … I’m scared, Caleb.”
“You? Our brave, bold Jane? Nonsense.”
“Screw you. This is Eve. It’s important. I don’t know what she’s feeling. She’s got to be … I don’t know.”
“Which is why I told you. I could have kept it to myself and let Eve play her own game as she wanted. But that would have cheated you.” His lips tightened. “She wouldn’t have meant to do it, but in the end, you would have been cheated. I won’t allow that, even from Eve.”
“It’s not your call. You have nothing to do with this.”
“But I appear to be very much involved, don’t I? It comes from that habit of inserting myself whether I’m wanted or not.” He reached up and stroked her cheek. “I find I can’t do anything else with you. Now, go to bed and try to sleep. Though I’ve probably robbed you of that option.”
“Almost certainly,” she said unsteadily.
“I just want you to remember while you’re tossing and turning that there’s nothing to be afraid of. I told Eve that I’ll be there, and I meant it.” He made a face. “That sounds sickeningly noble. Forget I said it. Just remember that I hate to lose. I won’t lose this either.” He turned and strode away from her.
Leaving Jane staring after him with clenched hands and a chaotic collection of feelings. Trust Caleb to destroy any possibility of serenity this trip might hold.
She wasn’t being fair. She wouldn’t have wanted him to hold that information back. His presentation had been quintessential Caleb, a combination of sex and charged emotion, but he had given her what he thought she needed to hear. But it didn’t alter the fact that he had thrown her a curve that had taken her breath away.
She went into her tent and dropped to her bedroll. She would get ready for bed later, now she had to sit and let that stunning news sink in. There were all kinds of ramifications of Eve’s being with child. She wanted to solve them, help her, but how could she when she didn’t even know how Eve felt about it?
Or how she felt about it.
This wasn’t Eve taking in a lost child as she had with Cara. This was Eve with a baby that might dominate her life as her Bonnie had done.
Hide Away: An Eve Duncan Novel Page 16