SOUTH GLASGOW UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
“I wasn’t going to stay when Jane called me.” Jock turned away from looking out the window when Eve walked into the waiting room. His tone was brimming with leashed violence. “I need to get out of here, Eve.”
“But you did stay. So you must have had a reason.” She went over to the beverage machine and got a cup of tea. “And that reason was probably that you thought that it was the sensible thing to do.” She took a sip of tea. “Or that you thought I might have information to give you. I’m opting for the latter. You haven’t been behaving with any great degree of sense, you’re pure instinct, right now.”
“Instinct isn’t always bad.”
“I agree, but without control, it can become dangerous.” She turned to look at him. His face was totally without expression. She took another sip of tea to buy herself more time. “You’ve been down that road before, Jock.” Her gaze traveled from his head to his feet. “You look like hell. You need a shower and some rest.” It was a lie. It was impossible for Jock to look bad. Jane had been right, he was one of the handsomest men Eve had ever seen, with his shock of fair hair and silver-gray eyes and that face that Cara had said was more beautiful than a concerto. But if there was a shining about him today, it was like the sharpness of a stiletto. “Couldn’t you at least get a nap?”
“Couldn’t you?” Jock said. “When was the last time you slept, Eve?”
She couldn’t remember. It had been a horrendous nerve-shredding time after Salazar had gotten hold of Cara. “Touché,” she said wearily. “And I probably look as bad as you do.”
“What the hell difference does that make?” His voice was suddenly savage, and he was across the room, his hands grasping her shoulders. “Why are you talking about showers and naps? Why did you come? What do you want to tell me?”
His grip was hurting her, and she opened her mouth to tell him to let her go. Then, as she met his eyes, she closed it again. His jaw was locked and his eyes glittering. He was scared, she realized, terrified. She said gently, “It’s okay, Jock.”
“No, it’s not. Nothing is okay right now. Is she alive?”
“As far as we know.” His hands tightened again, and she said, “We think so. And, if you’ll stop trying to break my shoulders, I’ll tell you what I do know.”
“Tell me.” His hands fell away from her, and he stepped back. “So that I can get the hell out of here and find out for myself.”
“Joe followed Natalie Castino to Liverpool, and he saw her leaving in a Russian jet. He’s checking, but he thinks it was sent by her father, Sergai Kaskov, and that she’s probably on her way to Moscow now.”
“And Cara?”
“Joe didn’t see her, but he assumed she was in the plane.”
“Assumed?”
“He got there too late for anything else. They were going down the runway. What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t have stopped them.”
“I would have stopped them.”
And it was possible that with the depth of lethal skills Jock possessed, he might actually have been able to do it, Eve thought wearily. “And then you might have killed Cara along with everyone else on that plane. Is that what you want?”
“I should have been there.”
She was tired of it. “But you weren’t. Joe was there, and he used his best judgment. And it was damn good judgment. So don’t give me should-have-been, Jock. Just get a cup of tea and sit down and let me talk to you about how we’re going to deal with this.”
He stood looking at her for a moment, then turned and crossed to the beverage machine. “You don’t know anything more?”
“Why? So that you can feel free to walk out of here?” She dropped down in a chair. “That’s not going to happen. I know you’re hurting, but so are the rest of us.”
“None of the rest of you caused Cara to be on that hill where Salazar’s man took her.” He sat down across from her. “Aye, I’m hurting and angry, but I also have to make it right. So I’d say I have slightly more invested in getting her back.”
“No, you don’t. I don’t consider guilt weighs in any heavier than love.” She leaned back in her chair. “But I’m not going to argue with you about it. I’m just going to tell you that Joe has called Burbank at Scotland Yard and asked him to touch base with any contacts in Moscow and verify that Cara actually arrived there safely. Burbank turned it over to a Dima Palik, who he claims is very knowledgeable. We should know what the situation is soon.”
“And then?”
“We determine what the safest way would be to get Cara away from Moscow … and Natalie Castino.”
“I’ll determine that.”
“No, you won’t. I know you’re accustomed to going solo, Jock. That’s not going to happen there.” She took a sip of tea. “Sergai Kaskov is the head of one of the largest Mafia families in Moscow, and he’s supposed to love his daughter.”
“So?”
“So if you go in and grab Cara away from her mother, he’s going to take it as a personal insult and will go after you with mega manpower and guns blazing.”
He just looked at her.
“And you may not be worried about yourself, but Cara could be caught in the cross fire. I won’t have that, Jock.”
There was a flicker of expression. “Do you think I would?”
“No, but it could happen if you’re not careful.”
He shook his head. “I’ve been taught in a hard school to be careful. I don’t make mistakes.”
“I don’t want Cara to be your first one.” She paused. “Neither do you.”
He didn’t speak for a moment. “God, no.” He drew a deep breath. “What do you want from me?”
“What I’ve wanted since Cara was taken by Natalie Castino. Do I want your help? Of course, I do. I just want for us all to work together to get her away from Natalie. I don’t want to take a chance on anyone’s being overpowered and causing us to lose her.”
“It’s never happened to me. I won’t lose her.”
“Jock.”
He got to his feet and strode over to the window and stood looking down at the street. “I can’t sit still and wait for something to happen,” he said jerkily. “I’m going to Moscow as soon as you tell me where they’re holding her.”
It sounded like a partial victory. “And then what?”
“I do what I always did. Analyze the situation, then take care of it. I know Moscow. I’ve worked there before.”
“You did?”
“You’re surprised?” His lips twisted. “I wouldn’t have been considered adequate for the duties for which I was trained if I was confined to a single area or city. I know how to operate in most cities in Europe and the U.S. Would you like to know the easiest and safest way to make a kill in Venice? Or maybe how to avoid the police in—”
“No, I don’t want to hear any of that.” She hadn’t meant to broach any of those memories when she was trying to move him away from thinking about that life. Besides, the thought of what he must have gone through hurt her. “I just asked a question.”
“But you really didn’t want to know the answer. If you do, ask Jane. She managed to sit through most of it one night when I was on the verge of going crazy. She even asked for more. A catharsis, she called it.” He shrugged. “I called it salvation.”
“I won’t ask Jane,” Eve said quietly. “But if you need someone to talk to when this is over, I’ll be there for you,”
“Will you?” He tilted his head. “But I’m not hunting for salvation anymore, Eve. I don’t lay my sins on people who care about me. I’ve been burden enough to them. At some point, you just have to face it alone.”
“Cara wouldn’t like that. She didn’t want you to be alone.”
He flinched. “That was one of the last things she texted me. She ran after me because she didn’t want me to be out there alone searching for the men who had tried to kill MacDuff.”
“She alw
ays wanted to take care of you. I thought it was strange. She was just a kid.”
“Yeah, just a kid.” His eyes were glittering with moisture. “Which just goes to show what a poor specimen I am if she thought she could take better care of me than I did of her.”
“She made a mistake, too. She should never have run after you. But, if you want to take a lesson from any of this, it should be that she thought it was wrong for you to be alone.” She paused. “Don’t make that mistake again, Jock.”
He was silent. She could see the conflict struggling in his expression.
“Jock?”
“I’ll wait,” he said harshly. “I’ll analyze her situation, and if she’s not in any immediate danger, I won’t move. But not long, Eve. If you don’t show me that you have a plan that will be safer for her, I’m going to get her away from that bitch.”
She drew a deep breath of relief. It wasn’t total commitment, but it would have to do. “We’re not going to be dragging our feet. I’m just as worried as you about Natalie Castino.”
“I’m not worried,” he said grimly. “I just want to kill her. When I caught up with those bastards, I saw them give Cara chloroform a couple times to keep her under. I almost stepped in and took her away from them then. If you don’t know what you’re doing with chloroform, you can kill someone. But Salazar’s goon, Franco, was being careful. Natalie Castino wasn’t worried at all, she was laughing and joking.” He looked back at Eve. “You told me to wait then. I shouldn’t have listened. If I’d taken the risk, Natalie Castino wouldn’t have managed to get away with Cara. I’m giving you one more chance. But if I see anything like that again, all bets are off.”
“I can understand that.” She finished her tea and rose to her feet. She just hoped there wouldn’t be anything in Moscow to trigger Jock. It must have been agony for him to watch that being done to Cara. “But, as you say, it would have been a risk. And I can’t see Natalie keeping her drugged at her father’s place. It would be hard to explain.” She threw her cup in the waste disposal. “Will you call me and tell me what you learn when you get to Moscow?”
He nodded slowly. “I’ll do everything right. Until it’s not right any longer.” He turned toward the door. “But I’m leaving right away. I’ll go say good-bye to MacDuff.”
“I need to see him, too. Will you wait until I finish talking to him before you go in to see him?”
“Why not?” He suddenly smiled. “Are you going to read him the riot act, too? Remember, the Laird is a sick man.”
“I believe he can defend himself.” She smiled back at him. “Or he can call on you.”
“Aye, he can always do that.” He still stood staring at her. “Did I truly hurt you? I didn’t mean to do that.”
She had almost forgotten that she’d accused him of almost breaking her shoulders. “Yes, you hurt me. And I know you didn’t mean to do it. We’re all going through a bad time. It’s going to get better.” She met his eyes. “I promise, Jock.”
“Then I’ll believe you.” His smile brightened, lighting his face with that warmth and radiance that Cara called the shining. “And if it does, you might be able to convince me that night is day and day is night. I’ll look forward to that, too.”
“I don’t have to convince you. It’s a fact.” She headed for the door. “You just have to look at the right side of the world.”
“Eve.”
She looked over her shoulder.
He was no longer smiling. “I’m sorry I gave you a hard time. Not that I probably won’t do it again. Take care of yourself. I’ve never seen you look this tired.”
“I always take care of myself. It’s just been a nightmare day.” She gave him a wave and walked down the hall toward MacDuff’s room. Jock was right, she was totally exhausted and had to focus to think what she had to say to MacDuff. She should probably have gone back to Gaelkar to rest and done this tomorrow.
She was here now. Who knew what tomorrow would bring?
She opened MacDuff’s door and poked her head in and saw him lying in bed across the room. She could hardly see him for the dozens of bouquets heaped all around the room. “Hi, MacDuff, I hear you’re better. Is it all right if I come in and talk?”
He scowled. “Did you bring flowers?”
“Nary a one.”
“Thank God. Come in. And when you leave, take some of these flowers with you and dump them outside.”
She came toward him. “That’s unkind. It’s clear that everyone loves and respects you and would prefer that you don’t leave them to go to the heavenly gates.”
“All these flowers remind me of a funeral home,” he said grimly. “Aye, they should love and respect me. I’m completely extraordinary. But they should spend their money on something more productive.”
“Balloons? Teddy bears?”
“What’s wrong with you? From what Jock told me, this isn’t the time for levity.”
“I agree.” She made a face. “I think I’m a little light-headed.”
“Are you?” MacDuff gazed at her searchingly. “Jock said that you almost succeeded in getting Cara back before Natalie Castino managed to escape with her. It must have been quite a brouhaha. I would have liked to have been there. But you look as if it drained you.”
“Almost is the key word.” She shook her head. “And may I remind you that we were wondering if you’d even survive, MacDuff. How are you?”
“Tired of this hospital and flowers and wanting to get back in control of my life.” His eyes were still narrowed on her. “How are you? Any news of Cara?”
“Not yet. We think she’s on her way to Moscow.” She paused. “But I will hear from Natalie. She as much as told me that she wanted to strike a bargain for Cira’s gold.”
“Really? A little premature, isn’t she? We haven’t found it yet.”
“She believes we will. She thinks it’s her destiny to have it.”
“She’s wrong. It’s my destiny, Eve.” He smiled. “My ancestor. My family. My gold.”
“I know that, MacDuff. That’s why I’m here,” she said wearily. “I need your help. I’m not asking you to do anything that would jeopardize your opportunity to find and keep that chest of coins. I just want you to play the game for a little while.”
“And that involves?”
“Continuing to search for Cira’s gold, perhaps pretending to find it.” She hesitated. “If you do find it, be willing to offer to trade it for Cara. Offer, not actually go through with it.”
He was silent. “If Natalie is as clever as you think, that might be a risk. I could lose what I’ve been searching for since I was a boy.”
“You won’t lose it. Joe and I won’t let you. That would be more dangerous for Cara.”
He nodded. “I can see that.” He suddenly smiled. “But perhaps Jock and I could improvise a little. It would be far more satisfactory to let her have it, then take it back. It would soothe my broken bones and damaged pride.”
“You may not have Jock. That’s another thing I wanted to discuss. He’s leaving for Moscow, and I’m trying to keep him from getting himself and Cara killed before we put plans in motion. He’s promised to give me a little time, but I don’t know how long that will turn out to be.”
“I don’t either,” MacDuff said soberly. “The child means something to him. Jock has a great heart, but he’s very guarded these days. Cara managed to slip under his defenses.”
She had slipped under all their defenses, Eve thought. Full of wistfulness and warmth and music, Cara had quietly moved in and become part of them. At first, she and Joe had thought they were only being kind and helping her. She wasn’t sure at what point she had realized that kindness had become love.
“You, too?” MacDuff said, his gaze on her face. “Then we’d better do something about it, hadn’t we?” He straightened in the bed. “And I can’t do anything in this damn hospital. Is Jock still here?”
“Yes, not for long.”
“It will be long enough. Sen
d him in, and I’ll tell him to get me out of here.”
“The hospital staff may not listen to him. You’re an influential man, and they won’t want to take chances.”
“Jock will take care of it.” He added wryly, “In case you haven’t noticed, Jock is a combination of sheer charisma and lethal determination. If one doesn’t work, the other will. I’ll be out of here in a few hours.”
“And then what?”
“I keep Jock with me for as long as possible. It won’t be very long. I’ll tell him I need him to take me back to Gaelkar before he takes off.”
“Gaelkar?”
“Where else would I go? I have a treasure to find.” He smiled. “But you’ll have to give me Jane to help me.”
“You know Jane will make up her own mind.”
“Oh, well, I’ll handle it.” He made a shooing motion. “I’m beginning to feel as if I can handle anything. Ah, control, it’s a magical thing. Go get Jock.”
She turned to leave.
“I’ll make sure Jock checks in with me occasionally, Eve,” he said quietly. “And sometimes he listens to me.”
“I know he does. Thank you, MacDuff.”
“You’re welcome, Eve. Now go get some rest so you’ll be ready when you hear the game is about to start.”
Arrogant, mocking, controlling. He was all of those things. But no one was a stronger, more intelligent ally than MacDuff.
If she wasn’t so tired, she’d be feeling both grateful and hopeful.
But she was that tired, almost numb, and she could only nod and leave the hospital room.
Jock was out in the hall, and she was glad she didn’t have to go down to the waiting room to get him.
“He wants to see you.”
He frowned. “Is he okay?”
“Fine. Quintessential MacDuff.” She walked away from him and down the hall. She was having trouble putting one foot in front of the other.