He smiled. “I’m going to let him help me rob the Bank of Scotland.”
Luca’s eyes widened in shock. “What?”
“Well, not actually letting him rob it. A little sleight of hand makes the world go ’round. I’ll let him think I have a plan to go after you that would not only let him keep you from robbing the bank of his treasure, but also give him the infinite satisfaction of killing you. I assure you, that combination will bring him running.”
“That’s crazy,” Luca said. “It would never work.”
“On the contrary, I’d never try it if I wasn’t sure I could pull it off.” Caleb smiled mockingly. “You think you’ve researched MacDuff? It’s nothing to what I’ve done over the years, and you’ll admit that I have qualifications you don’t possess. I know exactly what I have to do to make him jump when I snap my fingers. As for arranging the rest, all it takes is blending the elements carefully and making them come together. I can handle breaking into the bank and taking care of the guards on duty myself. If I have advance info, I’ll be able to convince them to do anything I want them to do. The problem was always going to be getting access to the vaults and the passwords and codes for the Cira treasure. But MacDuff owns the treasure; if anyone knows the passwords and codes at that bank, it would be him. Once I get him in the vault area and take him down, I’ll have our key to getting everything we want.”
“You’d kill him?”
“Probably. And blame it on the guards. But I’ll have to think about it. There might be an even better way to frame it out.”
Luca’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “And why would Jane be necessary?”
He shrugged. “You haven’t been listening. She’s the goad to make sure MacDuff’s motivated to go after you. I show him poor Jane whom you’ve obviously mistreated and I was forced to rescue. That’s why the bruises are necessary. But remember that too much could be counterproductive. He mustn’t get too angry and decide to tell me to take a hike. He knows I’m valuable, but he might still get so furious he could call a team of his old marine buddies and try to go after you on his own.” He paused. “And I also have to get him down to those vaults, and I can use Jane to do it. MacDuff knows how stubborn Jane can be. It would be natural for him to believe she’d want to go with me to the vaults to make sure you were caught and punished for everything you’ve done to her. Since he’s never fully trusted me, I really doubt if MacDuff would be able to resist going along to protect her.” He added, “Besides, I have a personal reason why I want her down there in those vaults. Jane’s studied the history of the treasure over the years and could recognize the Judas coins if MacDuff gets stubborn about giving them to me. I might be able to manipulate him, but he’s one of those subjects who could prove exceptionally difficult if I tried persuasion. It would save time if she was with me in that vault.” He smiled into Luca’s eyes and added softly, “Because I won’t leave those vaults with the treasure you think will make you the great patron you deserve to be until I get my share of the booty.”
Luca was silent, but Jane could see that his cheeks were flushed and the excitement was beginning to flicker in his expression. “It might…be possible.” He was breathing hard. “You might be able to pull it off. I always knew that persuasion talent could make the difference from the moment I heard you possessed it. But it’s totally wasted on you. I could rule the world if I had it.”
“Sad that your destiny didn’t accommodate you in that way,” Caleb said caustically. “But then I don’t believe the Medicis had it, either, so you’re still playing in their ballpark. Though I’ve heard they had many deadly talents you might have admired. Do you believe they would have tried to steal my Judas coins?”
“Why not?” His lips curled. “When you’re probably a Judas yourself. But I can deal with betrayal. One must just make allowances and adjustments and monitor the situation to prevent losing control.”
He was actually becoming convinced, Jane realized dazedly. Caleb had played on everything from Luca’s ego to the obsessive belief in destiny that had guided his life since childhood. Then he had blended it with that powerful persuasion and made Luca believe his plans for the robbery could work. He had even skillfully woven in that thread about her presence in the bank being necessary to make the plan come together. She had never fully realized how powerful his persuasion could be. Hell, she almost believed it. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t thrown into complete confusion about what to do about it. Tomas. She hadn’t the slightest doubt he’d be one of the “adjustments” Luca would make. That meant she had to just follow her instincts about how to handle the situation and try to protect him. As well as reinforce Caleb’s play in her own way by forcing Luca to react as he always did when she defied him.
“You’ve forgotten one thing, Caleb.” Jane leaned forward to stare at him in the monitor. “You’re right about MacDuff being my very close friend. You and Luca may think nothing of betrayal, but I do. I won’t betray him, and I won’t let you kill him. The world doesn’t revolve around you. Other people are important. MacDuff is important. There’s no way I’d let you use me like that.” She shook her head. “I won’t do it.”
“I was afraid of that.” Caleb sighed and looked at Luca. “As I said, she’s very stubborn. But perhaps you have a way to overcome it? As I’ve told you, no excessive force, of course. But it’s a pity to scratch the plan. If you decide to go forward with it, call me back.”
He cut the connection.
“Bitch!”
Luca’s hand lashed out, struck the side of Jane’s head with a blow that knocked her off her chair to the floor. He grabbed her hair and lifted her head to glare down into her face. His features were twisted, his eyes blazing. “You’ll do whatever I tell you to do!” He slapped her again. “Do you hear me? I won’t let you do this to me. Do you think you have any say in this? I won’t let you stand in the way of me getting what I’ve wanted all my life.” He bent closer and hissed: “You do anything Caleb tells you to do or I’ll let Alberto do whatever he wants to Tomas. That wouldn’t be pretty. He’s very frustrated, and your pampering of the boy has been stoking the flames.”
She’d known that threat would be made, but it still terrified her. Ignore it and try to get as much as she could from him. “But if I do it, you won’t let him be hurt? Let him go now. I’ll do anything you say as long as you’ll let Tomas and his mother leave here.”
“You’re bargaining? No bargains. Do you think I don’t know how stupidly soft you are about children? As long as I have that boy, all you’ll be thinking about is how to keep me from nailing him to a cross. Tomas stays here at Tower House until I get that treasure. Then I might take you back here and let you ‘bargain’ over whether I kill him or we take him with us when I turn the cult over to Alberto. I can’t tell you how much I’m beginning to enjoy this.” He dragged her to her feet. “Now get out of here and let me call Caleb back and tell him that you won’t be a problem to him.” He said fiercely, “Say it.”
“I won’t be a problem.” She pulled her wrist away. “But whatever happens, don’t blame Tomas.”
“You believe that Caleb might cheat me? I told you, I won’t let that happen. Do you think I’d let you go if I wasn’t sure I’d get you back? It will be me who decides if and when I dispose of you. I’ll be in complete control of this entire operation.” He shook his head. “Just as I’m in control of you. And Caleb may get a few shocks before this is over if he tries to get the best of me.” He was dialing the phone. “I’ll tell him you’ll be leaving here tomorrow morning. I’ll arrange to have you dropped off at Caleb’s old family estate of Fiero. You did say he had no liking for it? I think forcing it down his throat will set the mood for our future relationship.”
He was very pleased with himself, Jane thought as she left the study and walked unsteadily down the hall. Pleased and excited and certain that everything would be going his way. It was what she had intended him to feel. The violence he’d just visited on her was only an ex
pression of the exhilaration he was feeling that he was growing closer and closer to a major goal in life. She’d known letting that brutality and power loose within him would seal the deal Caleb had offered him. But she hoped Caleb had a plan to rob Luca of that damn confidence. Luca had been right: All she could think of at this moment was Tomas on that crucifix. Well, there was nothing she could do right now but trust Caleb, go along with Luca, and still try to keep Tomas safe.
She stopped and drew a deep breath before she started brusquely toward her bedroom. She had to put a cold compress below her right ear where Luca’s fist had struck, straighten her clothes, and put her tousled hair in order before she could go back to Tomas. He’d been frightened when Luca had rushed her out of his sickroom, and he didn’t need to see her like this.
It was going to be difficult enough to explain why she was going to desert him tomorrow and leave him once more to the monsters.
* * *
“I’ll come back, Tomas,” Jane said urgently. “I promise you. I just can’t stay right now.”
“It’s all right if you can’t come back.” Tomas’s eyes were glittering with tears. “I knew Master Luca would take you away. He takes everything away. Except my father, he always leaves my father here with me.”
And that was the most terrifying power that Luca possessed over Tomas. “I will come back,” she said fiercely. “Believe me. But you’ve got to help, you’ve got to eat and heal and get stronger. You have to be ready. Will you do that for me?”
He nodded unsteadily. “Whatever you say. I’ll be ready if you come back.”
If. He was still uncertain—and how could she expect him to trust her, trust anyone? She didn’t even know when she’d be able to return or if it would be safer to find a way to send someone else to take him from this hellhole. Tomas was so alone. He wouldn’t understand…
He was there and I wasn’t alone anymore.
But that had only been a dream, and Tomas had not mentioned it again after the one time. Yet it had been Michael she had first thought of in that moment.
Michael’s eyes glittering with tears in the woods that night. “We’ll do it together, Jane.”
Maybe it had only been a dream, but what if it wasn’t?
“I can do stuff other people can’t do?”
What if Michael had reached out somehow to Tomas? They needed a miracle right now, and she’d take one any way she could get it. It was time she did a little reaching out of her own.
She leaned forward and said softly, “It’s good that you’ll try to trust me, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll be alone when I’m gone.” She paused. “Have you had any more dreams since the one you told me about, Tomas?”
He hesitated and then slowly nodded. “Many times. But I’m not supposed to talk about it to anyone. He said that it was very hard for him and he might not be able to come back if I did. But you’re different, aren’t you? You have to be part of the dream, because I can feel you’re with him whenever he comes to me.”
“I am?” She hesitated, and then she went for it. “Then maybe I am different. Who are you dreaming about, Tomas? You didn’t know when I talked to you before. Do you know now? What’s his name?”
He frowned, puzzled. “Why do you ask? You know his name is Michael.”
She was silent and then drew a deep breath. “Yes, I guess I did know,” she said. “And Michael helps you and makes the pain go away. What else?”
He nodded. “He talks to me and asks me questions. Like you do. He says he’s my friend. But I’ve never had a friend, and he’s probably just a dream.”
“Sometimes a dream can be wonderful. Listen to him. There are bad monsters in the world, but there are also boys like Michael who can be your friend and other people who will help you. Will you remember that, Tomas?” She bent closer, brushed a kiss on his forehead, and whispered, “Listen to him and be strong. If you do, then all the loneliness will go away…”
* * *
Fiero Castle
Next Day
The castle looked even bigger and more impressive than it had when she’d first seen it from the helicopter, Jane thought as she gazed out the window of the Mercedes that Davron was driving.
But she didn’t see any sign of Caleb, and that was making her nervous. There was no telling if Luca might have decided to switch the meeting site at the last minute. Or, worse, had plotted a way to trap Caleb. She hadn’t thought he would because he’d obviously been getting such malicious pleasure out of sending her to Fiero when she’d left this morning. It wasn’t likely that he’d give up the vindictiveness he’d felt when Caleb had been firing out all those orders at him. She glanced at Davron. “Where’s Caleb?”
“He’s supposed to be here. Luca told me I wasn’t to leave you until he showed.” Davron looked at her, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. He added harshly, “And when he does come, make him help you run away. It’s the only way you’re going to live through this.”
She stared at him in shock. It was the first thing he’d said since he’d started the long drive from Tower House. She’d spent the first hour blindfolded before Davron had taken the cloth from her eyes, but he’d still not spoken to her until this moment. “I think you know I can’t do that. You saw what he did to that child.”
He nodded. “I saw it all. I couldn’t turn my eyes away or Luca would have been angry. But it made me sick.”
“Then call the police and tell them what’s happening there.” She added urgently, “Save Tomas.”
He shook his head. “I can’t do it. He’d have them hunt me down and kill me. I’d be the one on that crucifix. But you can run. Forget the kid.”
“I told you that I can’t—”
“There’s Caleb coming out of the house.” He screeched to a stop at the start of the curving driveway. “Get out. Now!”
She opened the door and grabbed her duffel. “Davron, come in and we’ll talk about—”
He almost pushed her out of the car. “No! Shut the door! Luca told me not to get near Caleb. I have to get out of here.”
She slammed the door and watched as he stomped on the accelerator and took off down the driveway.
“Jane.”
She turned to see Caleb coming toward her.
“It was Davron. I thought I might be able to—” She broke off as she saw his face. Her eyes widened. “Caleb?”
“Be quiet.” His hands were cupping her face and he was looking down at her. His index finger was touching her lips with the most exquisite gentleness and then moving to brush over her cheek. “Just be quiet. I don’t care about Davron,” he said hoarsely. “All I want to know is that you’re here and safe. I’ll worry about everything else later.” Then his fingers were tangling in her hair and he was kissing her.
He felt so good. So strong and alive. Her arms slipped around him. Why had she ever doubted that he was everything she wanted? Because he would also cause her endless problems and complications? Because he would never be easy? Screw the problems. She could handle anything as long as she had him, as long as she had this.
But then he was pushing her away and looking down at her face again, this time searchingly. “Are you okay? What were you saying about Davron? Did he hurt you?”
He was the hunter again. She took a deep breath and stepped back. “No, I think he was trying to help me.” She ran her shaking hand through her hair. “But he did it at the last minute and didn’t give me any solutions. Then you came out of the castle and he only wanted to get away from here.” She grimaced. “Luca had evidently given him a warning to stay away from you.”
“It’s just as well. Davron was one of the ones who took you. I might have struck first and asked questions later.” He reached out and touched the swelling below her ear. “This is new.” His lips tightened. “Yesterday…My fault.”
“You told him not to do it.”
“But I knew very well he might.” He looked away from the bruise and took her duffel. “Come on. Let’s ge
t out of here. My car is parked on the side lawn. We can be in Mantua in a few hours.”
“No, we can’t,” she said quietly. “We have to stay here tonight. Luca gave me orders.”
“What?” Caleb froze. His gaze flew to her face. “Orders?”
“I made the mistake of telling him how you hated this place. That’s why he arranged for you to pick me up here. He didn’t like it that you were taking the control out of his hands and wanted to assert his authority.” She shrugged. “He evidently decided to start with Fiero. The last thing he told me when he put me in Davron’s car this morning was that we were to stay here until tomorrow and then go on to Edinburgh.”
“Too bad. Screw him.” He was smiling recklessly. “I have you now and I’m getting you out of here. Let him come and try to enforce those orders. I’ll be glad to see him.”
She could see that he would. She couldn’t remember a time she had seen him like this. He was on fire. “We have to stay. I’m not going anywhere.” She turned and headed toward the front door. “It’s necessary. We’ll leave tomorrow.”
“Now.” He didn’t move. “I want you away from here. Don’t fight me.” He paused. “I could take you.”
“Yes, you probably could,” she said. “But then I might not ever forgive you.” She gazed at him steadily. “And I know that would make a difference to you. I realize you want to keep me safe, but I’m not the only one who’s important.”
“You are to me,” he said fiercely. “That little boy Lisa told me about? I’ll go back and get him. After I have you safe. I’ll take care of everything else later.”
“And it might be too late. Do you think Luca isn’t having this place watched? You’d take me away from here and then somewhere along the way, I’d get a phone call from Luca.” She met his eyes. “And it would break my heart.” She held out her hand to him. “So come with me into this monstrosity of a castle and we’ll play the bastard’s game. We’ll let him think he’s succeeded in making you suffer, and Tomas will be safe for at least another night.” She smiled. “And if we work at it, maybe we’ll manage to turn all that viciousness against Luca.”
The Persuasion Page 33