Your Next Breath (34 page)

“So I had to be involved,” Jane said. “And preferably dead.”

Eve shuddered. “Don’t say that. This whole day has been a nightmare.”

“You did a great job pretending that nightmare was real,” Joe said. “Tears, near hysteria.”

“That wasn’t all pretense,” Eve said curtly. “After Caleb zeroed in on Chalce as Dorgal’s likely accomplice, I was terrified. I was scared to death that maybe Caleb hadn’t managed to switch that poison he found in Chalce’s apartment. That maybe we’d killed her.”

Caleb shook his head. “I would never have left her alone with him if I hadn’t been sure she was safe.”

Eve shrugged. “I was running every bad-case scenario on the planet.” She said to Catherine, “Anyway, Jane is safe. When Santos tells you that she’s dead, it’s a lie. We’ll keep Dorgal from doing any more damage. Go play your game with him and blow the bastard out of the water.”

“I’ll do my best.” She paused. “You’ve all been wonderful. When I called and gave you that hideous job to do, I wasn’t certain that—” She stopped. “But I should have known better. You’ve never failed me.” She smiled. “I’ll call you when I know something. Or after I give Santos his gift from you. Take care.” She hung up.

“What gift?” Jane asked, puzzled.

“Just a little remembrance.” Eve turned to Dorgal. “I’m sure he knows what she was talking about. Perhaps we should give one to you, Dorgal.”

“Maybe later,” Caleb said. “He has a few things to do first.”

“What things?” Dorgal said warily.

“First, you’re going to e-mail those photos of Jane to Santos.” He looked down at Dorgal’s cuffs. “Or I’ll do it for you. You appear to be incapacitated.” He took Dorgal’s phone out of his jacket, dialed up Santos, and texted, “Just a brief message. Chalce’s mission verified. Know you’ll be pleased.” He pressed the send on the photos. “Death does please Santos, doesn’t it? Sometimes it pleases me, too.”

Darkness. Violence. Ferocity. All were in Caleb’s face as he was looking at him. For the first time, Dorgal was afraid. “What are you going to do to me?” he asked hoarsely.

“I’m thinking about it. Nothing at the moment. I’ve got to go with Eve and see that Jane is safely settled in that isolation room.” He turned to Joe. “Will you take Dorgal to my car and wait with him until I get through? Please don’t kill him. I have a use for him.”

“I’ll try to restrain myself,” Joe said coolly. “It won’t be easy.”

“Where are you taking me?” Dorgal asked. “We should deal. I have money.”

“Blood money. I’m going to take you for a ride up the interstate to Louisville. I’m sure you have men there who are on watch at Catherine’s home. You’re going to identify every one and tell me what you have in mind for them if Santos decides to attack that house. You won’t miss even one because I’ll know.”

“How?”

“Why, I’m a hunter. Violent. Ruthless. Deadly. Not at all a nice guy. Ask Jane.” He turned and headed for the door. “I’ll go get that bed we stashed in the other office and wheel it in here.”

“Caleb.”

He looked back at Jane. “What?”

“You
are
a hunter. You proved that tonight. We might not have survived if you hadn’t.” She paused. “But that’s not all you are.”

“But you’re not sure what else I am.” He shrugged. “Maybe someday you’ll figure it out. Or maybe not.” He opened the door. “Why should I care? Enigmas are so much more interesting.”

*   *   *

“They did it.” Catherine turned to Cameron, her eyes shining with excitement. “I can’t believe it. They not only set up Santos, but they removed Dorgal as a threat. I only asked Eve to protect Jane and try to make it logical that I’d go along with Santos’s suggestion to put myself on the chopping block.”

“And they did much more.” Cameron smiled. “Why are you so surprised? You’ve surrounded yourself with extraordinary people. It’s natural they would behave in an extraordinary manner and go the extra distance.” His smile faded. “But there’s still a threat to Luke and the others. Dorgal might be forced to reveal Santos’s plans to kill them, but all he has to do is leave out one element, and they’re dead if Santos gives the word.”

“He won’t give the word.” But his words had quenched her exuberance. Yes, everything had gone well, but they wouldn’t be home free until Santos was dead. “Eve and the others have done their part. Now it’s time for me to do mine.” She moved over to the window overlooking the harbor. “I should be hearing from Santos soon. Shouldn’t you be getting out of here? You told me that Dario and his men had arrived at the airport.”

“I have some time. Dario is capable of equipping his team and arranging for transport to the island.”

“But you don’t like to rely on anyone but yourself.” She smiled crookedly. “You’re sure that no one can handle anything better than you do. It’s that control thing.”

“You mean arrogance.”

“I used to believe that was at the bottom of it. Sometimes, I still do. But I’m leaning toward thinking that you have a king-size sense of responsibility that won’t let you give up authority.”

“Except to you.”

“Which you still managed to skirt.” She glanced over her shoulder. “And I’m thinking that responsibility is kicking in right now, and you’re reluctant to leave me to my own devices. Get out of here, Cameron. You know I can take care of myself.”

“Of course you can.” He moved across the room toward her. “But I find I’m having a problem with letting you go right now.” He stopped before her, and his hand reached out and touched her throat. “We could change the plan. Instead of Dario and I taking out Santos’s men on the island. You could go with us, and we could—”

“No.” She stared at him in exasperation. “You know that it’s better and less risky for me to zero in on Santos. Divide and conquer, dammit.”

“Conquer?” His hand tightened on her throat before it loosened and fell away. “Why am I having trouble embracing that concept? All I can think about is Santos cutting your throat after he finishes torturing you.” He leaned forward, and his lips brushed her throat with infinite sensuality. “And not being able to do this ever again. So shortsighted of me.”

My God, the feel of him. That face, those light eyes that told so much and yet nothing at all, that strength that she wanted to draw inside her until all the madness was over.

Then he was stepping away from her and moving toward the door. “So I’ll just have to make sure that Santos doesn’t have a chance to cheat me. Go ahead and play your game with Santos as Eve told you. I’ll step in and referee if it gets too rough. Call me when Santos contacts you. It’s the least that—”

Her cell phone rang.

“Or maybe you won’t have to call me,” Cameron said grimly. “Santos?”

She nodded, drew a deep breath, and punched the access. “You bastard. What kind of monster are you? Jane was helpless.”

“You sound upset,” Santos said mockingly. “But I tried to tell you that you couldn’t stop me. How was your friend, Eve, when she told you about her dear, Jane?”

“How do you expect her to be? She’s broken. She was so sure that Jane would live, then you did this … monstrous thing.”

“Which was all your fault. I gave you the opportunity to persuade me to let her live.” His voice dripped malice. “You could have said yes, and I would have told Dorgal to scrub the assignment. Though he would have been disappointed because he knows how much I wanted her dead. However, I gave him the pleasure of taking her photo after she was killed. I’m sending you a copy. So beautiful, so peaceful.”

“I don’t want to see it. The idea of Dorgal’s gloating over—”

“You’re getting rather throaty.” His voice hardened. “You don’t want to see her photo? Would you rather see a picture of your son? Only he wouldn’t look peaceful or beautiful after I killed him. I have other more violent plans for him. There might not be enough pieces to put together to stage a photo shoot.”

“Shut up!”

“Frightened? It’s coming. I have it all planned. I wanted to pick them off separately, but I made contingency plans. He has a day, two at most, and he’ll be dead.”

“No!”

“Yes. Nothing and no one can stop it.” He paused. “Except you, Catherine.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“Jane MacGuire is dead. I warned you. Was that a bluff?”

Silence. “No.”

“Then why should I bluff about your fine son?” He paused. “I’m sending you another photo, and I’d advise you to look at this one.”

She felt a chill. “Why?”

“You’ll know.”

She heard a ping from her phone, and she accessed the photo.

Luke. Smiling.

But his head was in the sights of a rifle.

She inhaled sharply, and she didn’t have to pretend the panic she was feeling. She had thought he was safe. How had he become a target?

Just take one chance, and I’ll have them.

Luke must have taken that one chance.

“You’re not speaking,” Santos said mockingly. “I believe I’ve made my point.”

She swallowed. “What do you want from me?”

“Justice. Revenge. Pleasure. Step into my parlor, and I’ll have all of those things.”

“And where is your parlor, Santos?”

“I believe you’re getting close. Dorgal’s men tracked you and Richard Cameron to Port of Spain after Pablo delivered Montez to me. Of course, it would take you years to find me. By that time, you will have lost all of the people you love and also your life. So sad.”

She forced herself to look away from that photo. “I love my son. But you can’t expect me to just let you kill me. I’d have to know that I’ll have the chance to save myself and him.”

“By killing me?”

“Are you afraid, Santos?”

“Of a stupid bitch like you?”

“I wasn’t too stupid to kill your Delores. She wouldn’t be afraid to give me my chance.”

He was silent. “No, she wouldn’t. And I should have expected you to try to bargain with me.”

“All I want is a chance.”

“And maybe you’ll have it. Or maybe not. Go to the docks and walk down to the warehouse area near Beetham Road. Don’t bring Richard Cameron, or I’ll give the word for the boy to die. Only you, Catherine.”

“I’m going to bring a weapon.”

“No weapon. I want you defenseless.”

“Delores wasn’t defenseless.”

“No weapon.” He hung up.

“You heard him, Cameron.” She looked back down at the photo. “Dear God, Luke was within a heartbeat of having his head blown off. My home is surrounded by guards. Hu Chang wasn’t even afraid to let him go with him to check on the sentries. How did they get a bead on him?”

“I don’t know.” Cameron shook his head. “My men said it was safe, too. The two blocks around your home were checked out, then sentries were constantly on guard. No one could have gotten this close to Luke.”

“But they did. I’ve always known that the young think they’re immortal, but this terrifies me. I may never let him out of my sight.”

“And you’ll lose him.”

“But he’d be alive.” She shook her head to clear it. “Okay, I know he was probably unprotected only for an instant. I can’t even tell where the photo was taken. But it was enough…” She had to concentrate, but all she could think about was Luke. “It could happen again. Santos wanted to show me how vulnerable he was no matter what I did to save him.”

“Everyone is on alert, Catherine. But when I leave you, I’ll call Hu Chang and tell him that neither Luke nor anyone else is to leave the house until we tell them it’s okay.”

“Good.” And she had to pull herself together if they were all to survive. “And nothing will happen to them. Not if we handle this right.” She got her jacket from the closet. “No weapons. I expected that.” She took off the ankle holster for her dagger and handed it to him together with her gun. “You were on the island. Can you find a place that I’ll have access to them?” She made a face. “Providing I’m able to use my hands.” She had a sudden thought. “The tomb. He’s bound to take me there for one reason or another. Either to show me that I wasn’t able to destroy his Delores or to kill me in front of her. Is there a place there where you could hide them?”

“I wasn’t inside the tomb.” He nodded. “But I was thinking that there might be action there, so I took a good look around. There’s a large, oval, granite stone heaped with flowers outside the bronze door. I remember seeing gardenias…”

“Fine. Gardenias. I’ll remember.” She slipped on her jacket. “Don’t follow me, Cameron. You get my boy shot, and I’ll kill you.”

“I know that.” He stepped closer, and his fingers gently touched her cheek. “Nothing will happen to you or him, Catherine. I promise you.” His fingers lingered an instant longer, then dropped away from her. He turned away. “See you on the island.”

She watched him walk out the door. Her cheek felt warm where he had touched her. Not the searing heat of sex but something deeper, stronger, that made her stronger because of that fleeting instant of bonding.

She’d had a moment where she’d felt uncertain and weak, and he had sensed it and shown her that she was neither.

And now it was time for her to go and show Santos.

BEETHAM ROAD AND SOUTH QUAY

“Not a great neighborhood. I could have staged an ambush anywhere in the last two blocks,” Dario murmured to Cameron as they moved along the alleys bordering the warehouses. “We should get closer to Catherine if you want to intercept.”

“I don’t want to intercept,” Cameron said. “And if I got any closer, she’d know I was following her.” His lips tightened. “Or someone else would know, and that can’t happen. Catherine would not be pleased. She threatened to kill me.”

Dario’s brows rose. “Then you have a right to be careful. If she’s like my mother, she’d keep her word. If you’re not going to intercept or interfere, why are we following her?”

“I need to be sure that we haven’t miscalculated. Santos almost certainly will send someone to capture her. That’s why he told her to come here. But what if he decides to come himself and take her out on the spot?”

“Is that likely?”

“No, he’s giving up a hell of a lot of torment by cutting down his victim list. He’ll want to take his time with Catherine. But there’s always a possibility. If Santos doesn’t come, who will he send?”

“Juan Pablo. He’s the one who brought Montez here. Santos uses him more than any other of his men except Dorgal.”