“No, you won’t.” Her eyes were blazing. “Because then they won’t pay you. Who’s stupid, Santara?”
He hit her again.
Darkness.
Lisa was vaguely aware of him pushing her into the room and slamming the door behind her as she fought to remain on her feet.
For an instant she couldn’t breathe. Her heart was beating hard.
Stop it. She couldn’t let them make her afraid. That would be a victory for them. She was strong and she would only show them strength. So stoke the fierceness and the rage that will keep any fear at bay. Remember every moment of how they have tried to subdue and weaken you since you’ve been here.
She looked down at her wrists, which were raw and bleeding from the ropes with which Santara had bound her to drag her back up the cliff.
And the healing rage returned in full force.
She would kill them all!
No, she couldn’t do it. She’d been forbidden to do it. It was against the rules.
What did she care? He wasn’t here. She was alone. She was always alone. He’d made her promise, and then he’d left her. Didn’t she have the right to do what she had to do to stay alive?
It would be so easy.…
Why should he care if she broke the rule? They wanted to kill him, too. This was all about him. It had always been about him.
But he’d forbidden it. She’d given him her word.
So she couldn’t kill them … yet, she thought grudgingly. She had to find another way, and that meant trying to reach out again to that Jane MacGuire and make her understand what was important. It was frustrating and she didn’t always know what she was doing. The frustration alone made her impatient and angrier.
You listen to me, Jane MacGuire. Hear me!
Or I’ll have to break my promise.
* * *
Done.
Jane drew a deep, shaky breath and dropped her pencil on the drink tray next to her airline seat. She sat there gazing straight ahead. She didn’t want to look at the sketch she’d just drawn for a moment. As usual, she needed to catch her breath.
And she was afraid of what she’d see.
When she’d awakened from that short nap, it had been like being caught up in a tornado.
Hear me!
The compulsion had been far stronger, more violent, more demanding than the other times.
Oh, I heard you, Lisa.
And now I have to see what I’ve heard.
She slowly looked down at the sketch.
She flinched.
Darkness.
Anger.
Fierceness.
And the background was no longer a sunlit garden. She was inside a room that was also dark, with only meager light coming from a window across the room. Wooden shelves. Books. It appeared to be a library. Some kind of ebony artifact on the wall. A distressed rough wooden table in the very forefront of the sketch.
She looked back at Lisa’s face.
Passion. Fire. Darkness.
And pain.
She had been so shocked by the force and fever of the woman’s expression that she had not noticed that there were ugly bruises on her left cheek. First the cut lip, now the bruises.
“What have you gotten yourself into, Lisa?” she murmured.
And then her gaze moved down and she saw the words written in blood in small block letters on the wooden table in front of Lisa.
He must not come.
Only you.
Fine, nothing like responsibility. Where was she supposed to go? And who the hell was he?
Well, she probably wasn’t going to be told anything more by Lisa until the next contact. It appeared that Lisa wasn’t able to reach her unless she was sleeping, and it wasn’t as if Jane could drop off by sheer will alone.
But at least Lisa was trying to be more forthcoming, if that message was any sign. However, she was not being overly diplomatic about it, demanding and angry, not asking, but commanding.
What was she thinking? She was being too hard on a girl who was obviously being abused. And how would she have behaved if she’d been faced with a situation fraught with violence, like Lisa’s? She’d always had trouble asking for help, even from the people she loved. What if she’d had to beg a stranger to believe her, perhaps even save her?
Not easy. She might not have been quite so rude, but she could identify with the frustration. Eve had always said don’t judge until you walk in someone’s shoes.
And maybe this Lisa had never had an Eve or anyone like her. What would Jane have been like if Eve had never come into her life?
She instinctively reached for her phone and started punching in a number. Two minutes later, Joe Quinn picked up the call. “You can’t be in Scotland yet, Jane.”
“No, about forty minutes out of Edinburgh. I just wondered if you’d been able to access that database yet.”
“Give me a break. It takes time. I’m working on it.” He paused. “But I keep looking at that sketch and I see what you mean. I feel as if I know her.”
“I thought you might. You deal with facial recognition all the time in your job. It’s part of your training. But you didn’t recognize Lisa?”
“No, and she has a very memorable face. It’s beginning to bother me.”
“I’m going to e-mail you another photo. It has a different background with a strange-looking wall decoration. Could you maybe add that to your file?”
“Send it,” he said, then added, “This is really worrying you, isn’t it? Kind of a surprise. I know you’d want to help regardless, but in that sketch, she doesn’t come across as being full of sweetness and light. Certainly not someone to touch the heart. But evidently she’s managed to touch yours. You have to remember we can only do so much, Jane.”
“I know that.” She was silent for a moment. “But I was thinking about her and I realized if I hadn’t had you and Eve, I might have been as defiant and angry as Lisa is. I was already on my way down that road by the time you took me in.”
“No, you weren’t. You were always tough, but not belligerent. You survived the streets and would have come out on top regardless of who you had in your corner.”
“Bullshit. I was incredibly lucky. Now it seems I have to give back.” She added lightly, “Eve thinks I was chosen. So help me find this girl so I can do what I need to do. Okay?”
He chuckled. “It shall be done. Send me the new sketch. Bye, Jane.” He hung up.
She took a photo of the sketch and e-mailed it to Joe. Then she sat there looking down at that face. Definitely not sweet or gentle, as Joe had commented. But the more she gazed at it, the more she found herself drawn. All that fire and passion and defiance. Warrior … Lisa looked like a warrior who had been attacked, taken down, but never surrendered.
Only you.
Her finger traced the words on the sketch.
Okay, it’s a deal. I’ll help you out. But you’d better work on an attitude adjustment. Understand?
EDINBURGH AIRPORT
Jock Gavin was waiting when Jane walked out of customs. His smile lit his face as he gave her a hug. “The laird asked me to come and pick you up. I think he was afraid that you’d go running back to your gallery in London instead of coming back to Gaelkar. MacDuff is sure that he’s found the right lights this time. It’s some new space-age technology.”
MacDuff had been trying for years, without success, to find a lighting system that would pierce the heavy mist on the north side of the lake, and permit them to explore and hunt for the treasure in that area. “And what do you think?”
He shrugged. “I hope it’s true. You know MacDuff needs the money. It takes a fortune every year to keep MacDuff’s Run a private residence and not have to turn it over to the National Trust.” He picked up her two suitcases and headed for the exit. “We’ll set up the lights tomorrow and check them out. But he wants you there in case we can move forward along the north bank.”
“I might not be of any use,” Jane said. “I’ve alwa
ys told him that, Jock.”
“Aye, but he thinks you’re his lucky rabbit’s foot.” Jock’s face was full of mischief as he turned to her when they reached his car. “Though I’ve always thought that concept a little unpleasant and certainly unfair to the poor rabbit. Ever since the two of you discovered each other when you were both doing research on Cira, the founder of MacDuff’s clan, he’s been sure you’re kin to one of his ancestors.”
“I’m no such thing,” she said flatly. “I’m very happy with who I am. And that’s not Scottish aristocracy.”
“Be who you wish to be,” Jock said as he stored her suitcases in the trunk. “As long as it’s my friend.” He slammed the trunk shut. “I won’t give that up, Jane.” He opened the car door for her. “Now get in and I’ll see if I can find a good place to have tea on the way to Gaelkar. Airplane food is generally ho-hum at best.”
He was smiling again, and she found herself smiling back. It was almost impossible not to smile at Jock. He was possibly the most beautiful human being she had ever seen. She had thought that when she had first met him as a young boy, and he was even more riveting now. He was a tall, lithe young man with fair hair and silvery blue eyes and there was a strength to his symmetrical features that doubled their high impact. “I’d like that, if you don’t think that MacDuff will be too impatient about showing off his space-age lights.”
“He needs to be kept under control,” Jock said lightly. “Everyone kowtows to the laird, and I consider it my duty to make him realize that even an earl has his limits.” He started the car. “There’s a small tearoom on the grounds of a castle on the way.…”
Jock was joking. No one loved MacDuff more than Jock Gavin. They had been friends for years. Jock had been the son of the housekeeper at MacDuff’s Run and he had grown up running in and out of the castle. And though MacDuff had been older, they had become like brothers. They still were, and there was nothing Jock wouldn’t do for MacDuff. “Did you go to Australia with him?”
He shook his head. “I wasn’t needed. I decided to go to MacDuff’s Run and check it out while MacDuff was gone.” He added grimly, “And then I went on to New York to make sure that the investments MacDuff and I have funded there were being handled properly. The broker was being careless and I had to make certain he wasn’t also being criminal. I wasn’t about to let MacDuff lose money.” He shrugged. “But it only took one meeting to straighten him out. There won’t be any more problems.”
“I’m sure there won’t,” Jane said drily. He had probably terrified the man. These days, Jock could be everything that was warm and charismatic on the surface. It was only when he was angry or upset that he became the Jock that she had first met all those years ago at MacDuff’s Run. He had run away from home to see the world when he was fifteen and the world he’d seen had been a horror story. He’d become the subject of mind-control experiments conducted by Thomas Reilly, a terrorist who was trying to develop the perfect assassin. In Jock he had reached his prime goal, and the body count had been horrifying. By the time MacDuff had found Jock, he was in a sanitarium after trying to commit suicide, and could barely function mentally. It had taken years for him to come back to something close to normalcy, and Jane was aware that buried deadliness might be unearthed at any moment. “And did your broker turn out to be a crook?”
“Marginally.” Jock smiled. “But after our discussion, he made restitution to MacDuff and me and seven other clients out of his own accounts.”
“Did you fire him?”
“No, he’s brilliant. He’s going to make us a pot of money. The reason I set up the portfolio was just in case MacDuff doesn’t find Cira’s treasure. It was insurance. I can’t let him lose MacDuff’s Run.”
“And you’d rather deal with someone who came close to cheating you?”
“Close is the key word. It won’t happen again.” He met her gaze and his silver eyes were ice-cold. “He understood the consequences. I explained that I’m very protective of my friends.”
“Did MacDuff know what you were doing?”
“It wasn’t necessary. Why bother him with something that I could handle myself? It would only have worried him.”
She nodded. “Because MacDuff is protective, too.”
His lips twisted. “And he likes to keep me away from temptation. He’s never sure if I’m going to break the chains he’s hammered to keep me in check.”
“He cares about you,” she said gently. “You’re worth caring about, Jock.”
“Am I? I suppose I do have a few valuable qualities.” His smile was suddenly brilliant. “Or you wouldn’t waste your time being my friend. I’m glad you’re back, Jane. It’s time we wound up this search for Cira’s gold. MacDuff needs to get on with his life.”
“And what about you?”
“I keep myself busy. I have a few degrees behind my name these days. That makes MacDuff happy. He knows where my real talent lies and he’s always hoping that it will be submerged by higher learning.” He shook his head. “Now stop frowning. We both know that I’m right. I accept it. I am what I am.”
“You don’t know who you are, yet.” She paused. “When you were in New York, did you visit Cara at Juilliard?”
“Of course.” He shot her a glance. “I knew you’d tongue-lash me if I didn’t. I took her out to lunch and then we went to Central Park and spent the afternoon.”
“Good.”
“Not so good. I found out when I took her back to school that she’d skipped a full day of classes and was going to be put on detention. She didn’t mention any of that when I picked her up in front of the school.”
“Oops.” She made a face. “But I’m sure she thought it was worth it.”
“Maybe. But I shouldn’t have done it. I told you that I should let Cara drift away from me now that she has Eve and Joe and a new life.”
“And I told you that couldn’t happen.” The bond of friendship between that eleven-year-old girl and Jock Gavin had been unique. Jane had never seen anything like the closeness that had been born during those few months when Eve had brought Cara to Scotland two years ago. Jock had saved Cara’s life, and she was totally devoted to him. “She wouldn’t have understood. And she wouldn’t have let you go,” she added. “All her life she’s been on the run and never been able to count on anyone. If you want her to have a normal life, you can’t reject her.”
“I won’t reject her. I just think it’s healthier for her not to have me for a friend. I’ve been trying to distance myself.”
“Too late. You should have thought of that before you became so important to her. You’re her best friend, you saved her life, and anyone can see that she’s not going to let you walk away from her. Now you’re stuck with it.” She studied his expression. “And you couldn’t stand it anyway. You have to know she’s well and happy. I bet you’ve been keeping a close eye on her from that distance you spoke about.”
He was silent.
She nodded. “I thought so.” She waved her hand as he started to speak. “You’ll have to work it out for yourself. But don’t hurt Cara because you think that you should fade into the background. She’s lost enough. Her entire family murdered, her whole life spent trying to escape the same murderer. She can’t lose her best friend, too.”
“She won’t lose me.” He was parking in the lot of a quaint tearoom with mullioned windows. “Though I’d think that you’d realize I’m right about this. She needs a normal life now. There’s nothing normal about me.”
“Bullshit. Normal is overrated anyway.”
He suddenly chuckled. “Now you sound like Seth Caleb. That’s something he’d say.”
“Caleb?” The sudden mention caused a ripple of shock to go through her. Her glance slid away from him. “Consider the source. No one can call Caleb normal. He doesn’t want to be like anyone else. He was born with that weird talent of being able to control the blood flow of the people around him and heaven knows what else. He’s arrogant as hell and thinks he rules the w
orld. Compared to him, you’re practically angelic.”
He gave a low whistle. “That was a surprise. You’re usually more noncommittal about Caleb. It must have been building up.” He got out of the car and ran around to open her door. “And Caleb would laugh if he heard you describe me as an angel, unless it was Lucifer.” He helped her out of the car and slammed the door. “He’s probably all you say, but I’d rather have him in my corner than anyone else I can name. The other doesn’t bother me at all.”
“It bothers me.” She paused. “But he hasn’t been around much at Gaelkar in the last months, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”
“He’s been out of the country. But MacDuff may have called him and asked him to come to the lake when we set up the lights. He’s never liked strangers on the property, and he trusts Caleb.” A smile tugged at his lips. “We all respond to our own needs when it comes to Caleb. He appears to supply whatever makes him invaluable in any given situation.”
“Then maybe he’s the one who’s cloning Lucifer.” She grimaced. “Listen to me. I’m overreacting. Caleb has that effect on me.”
“I’ve noticed,” he murmured. “Do you want me to talk to MacDuff and ask him not to ask Caleb to come?”
“No.” That would have been a defeat in itself and it would probably amuse Caleb when he heard about it. “I don’t care.” She strode toward the door of the tearoom. “Now let’s get a bite to eat and I’ll tell you all about Michael. Eve said you hadn’t been by to see them since Cara left for school. He’s perfectly adorable. I spent half the time I was at the lake house sketching him. I’ll show you the last one I did before I left today.”
LOCH GAELKAR
“It’s going to work, Jane.” John MacDuff strode up the incline to meet them as she and Jock walked from the road where they’d parked the car. His arresting face was alight with excitement. “Carlisle showed me a demonstration of those lights that knocked me on my ass. He’s got contracts with three of the major airlines for his light system, but I persuaded him to let me have the first shipment.” He grimaced. “Though it didn’t take too much urging after I told him the possibility that I might be able to find Cira’s legendary treasure on that north bank. Providing I could pierce that mist that no one has ever been able to do in all of Scottish history. I think he’s regarding it as a challenge.”