“Yes. Go to sleep, love.”
“I will. I don’t want to be awake right now.”
Because being awake was more frightening than the oblivion of sleep. “And in the morning everything will be bright and beautiful and all the adventures will be happy ones.”
“I hope so.…”
He dropped off to sleep five minutes later, and Elena carefully covered him with the sheet and rose to her feet.
Dominic was waiting in the hall. “I’ll sit with him for a little while. He may not stay asleep. He’s had a rough night.”
“So have you.”
“Well, I admit that it’s not every man who’s burned out of two houses in the space of a month.” He smiled. “Go on and talk to Galen. I’ll take good care of Barry.”
“You always have. Better than I’ve done. Maybe I should have—”
“Go.” He gave her a push down the hall. “You must be upset if you’re dealing in should-haves.”
She took a deep breath. He was right. It was no time to be looking back when she had to find a way for them all to survive. “Watch him. He may have nightmares. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
5
“How’s the boy?” Galen asked as she came into the kitchen.
“Not good.” She sat down at the granite-topped table. “But he didn’t see Forbes killed. I was afraid he had.”
“He saw enough to disturb most kids.” He poured her a cup of coffee and sat down across from her. “Don’t try to smooth things over. You need to be up front with him.”
“He’s five years old.”
“And you want to protect him. But you may not be able to do it. It’s better if he knows that you’ll always tell him the truth. Truth is important to kids.”
“And you’re an expert?” she asked sarcastically.
“At most things. Drink your coffee.”
She lifted her cup to her lips. “Why did you come to the vineyard tonight? I thought you were going fishing.”
“So did I. I’ve always had problems with letting go. At first, I was only going to keep a watch on Chavez and see if he made any moves.”
“Why would you do that?”
He looked down into his coffee. “Ben Forbes and I go back a long way. I liked him. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on things. Then, when Gomez went incommunicado, I decided to go up to the valley and see if there was a stakeout.”
“Why?”
“I had a hunch. I believe in hunches.”
So did Elena. “And then you came to the house to warn us.”
“But I got there when things were already starting to happen. Carbonari had evidently found a way to let some of Gomez’s men into the fermenting shed and didn’t like the idea of you getting in the way.”
“I wouldn’t have suspected anything if they hadn’t left the ladder propped against the vat. It was stupid of Carbonari not to put the ladder away and then put it up again later.”
“I wonder if the fermenting shed caught fire.” Galen tilted his head. “It would be pleasant to think of Gomez’s men in that vat, slowly roasting.”
“You’d like to kill them?”
“Oh, yes.” His gaze narrowed on her face. “And you’re studying me, analyzing my responses, looking for an edge. That’s fairly amazing after what you’ve gone through tonight.”
“It’s because of what I’ve gone through tonight.” Her hand tightened on her cup. “I have to find a way to keep Barry and Dominic safe. They won’t be safe for long in this place.”
“Don’t be so scornful of Logan’s pad. It has top-notch security. Billionaires are prime targets for kidnappers and terrorists, and he’s very careful of his family.” He added, “But I agree that penthouses aren’t the best safe houses. There’s only one way out and that’s down.”
“You could always arrange another helicopter pickup.”
“You almost smiled then.”
“Did I?”
“Yes, but it’s gone again.” He leaned back. “Go ahead. Ask me.”
“Ask you what?”
“I’m not going to make this easy for you. You’ve already been a pot of trouble for me. I want the words.”
She was silent for a moment. “I’m alone here. I need help.”
“You could call the DEA.”
“Forbes tried that. I won’t make that mistake again.” She paused. “I need your help. You have contacts and experience. You could keep Barry safe—if you wanted to do it.”
“And what do I get out of it?”
She met his gaze. “Anything you want. Tell me and I’ll find a way to get it for you.”
He said nothing for a time, then, “How can I resist an offer like that?”
Galen was angry. His expression hadn’t changed and his tone was as mocking as ever, but she sensed the anger was there. “You’re not supposed to resist it. You want to be paid; you’ll be paid. You’re not being reasonable.”
“I’m not, am I? I’m glad you called that to my attention.”
“So what do you want?”
“I’ll decide later. Maybe I’ll run across some old enemy you can knock off for me. You wouldn’t mind doing that, would you?”
“I’d mind.”
“But you’d do it.”
“It wouldn’t come to that. You’d want to make your own kill.” Her lips tightened. “What do you want to know? Could I do it? Of course I could do it. My father used to send me out to clear the way before the troops moved out.”
“Clear the way?”
“Find and kill any snipers or sentries who might be waiting. He taught me well. I was very good at it.”
“Bully for him.” He got to his feet. “You know, I don’t think I would have liked your father.”
“I loved him.”
“That makes it worse. Go to bed. I have some phoning to do.”
“You’re going to help us?”
“I thought we’d already established that fact. Yes, I’m going to help you. I have a ranch in southern Oregon that should fit the bill as far as security is concerned. I buried the paperwork on the place and it should be extremely difficult for anyone to find out I own it.”
“But not impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible. It only gives us an edge and a little time to make plans. I have a contact who can probably tell me when Chavez is getting close.” He stared her in the eye. “And you’re going to do everything I tell you to do. That’s the only way I play the game.”
“If I think what you’re doing is right for us.”
He shook his head.
She bit her lower lip. “All right. If you don’t do anything stupid.”
“It will be difficult, but I’ll try to restrain myself.” He added, “And for your cooperation, I’m going to give you a bonus.”
“A bonus?”
“Chavez. I’m going to give you Chavez’s head on a platter.”
“Why?”
“I’m very irritated with him. A few years ago he killed two of my men, and I didn’t like that. But that was business and they knew the risk they were taking. Forbes was different. Forbes was more … personal. I think it’s time Chavez took the fall.”
“You may be disappointed. Chavez didn’t come after Barry himself as I thought he would.”
“I’m not surprised. Barry may be important to Chavez, but Chavez is smart and wouldn’t risk his neck if he could risk someone else’s. But Gomez failed. It’s not likely Chavez will trust anyone else again. I think he’ll come this time.” He smiled grimly. “And Forbes would be disappointed: Chavez is not going to survive to spill his guts to the DEA.” He paused. “Not that he probably would have anyway.”
She stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“You’d have killed him. You wouldn’t have chanced him bribing himself out of jail. And you wouldn’t have risked Barry being drawn into any messy courtrooms. The answer? Kill the son of a bitch.”
“You didn’t tell Forbes you thought I’d do
that.”
“Why should I interfere? I had no desire for Chavez to live to a ripe old age in some cozy jail.” He moved toward the door. “Good night. Don’t be afraid to go to sleep. You’re safe here. Logan’s alarm system is awesome, and I’ll be up most of the night.”
She stared after him for a moment before getting up, going to the sink, and washing out her cup. It was strange to think that after all these years of caring for herself, she was putting her life into someone else’s hands. Strange and a little intimidating. Galen was too perceptive, and his will was as strong as her own.
But he didn’t have her motivation. He didn’t have Barry. She could do anything if it meant keeping Barry safe, and that made her stronger than Galen.
She would be able to handle him.
“Forbes is dead,” Gomez said.
“And you have my son,” Chavez said. “Of course.”
Gomez hesitated. “We’ll have him soon. There was a little problem at the vineyard.”
Chavez smothered the surge of rage. “Problem?”
“She must have been warned. They set fire to the place and were gone before we got there.”
“How could she have been warned? Unless you were so exceptionally clumsy as to have been spotted.”
“We were careful. I had bribes in place with two of the DEA team members. It should have gone smoothly.”
“Don’t tell me how it should have gone. Where is my son? Does the DEA still have them in custody?”
“We don’t think so. I’ve been in touch with Carew, our contact at the agency, and he says the agency is in the dark about where she is now.”
“As much in the dark as you are?”
“I think I know who got them away from the vineyard,” Gomez said hurriedly. “We caught up with Carmichael in Rio. It took a little time, but he talked. Sean Galen got them out of Colombia and delivered them to San Francisco. If the DEA didn’t pull her out of the safe house, Galen has to be the one who did it.”
“Why? It appears to me that an orangutan would have had enough brains to take my son away from you.”
Silence. “He’s the only person she knows in this country. He’s our strongest lead.”
“Then follow it. Dig until you unearth everything about Galen. Find out where he took them.” He lowered his voice to silky softness. “And don’t phone again and tell me you’ve failed me, Gomez. The minute you zero in on them I want to know about it.”
“It may take a little time. Galen works alone. It will be hard to—”
Chavez hung up on him.
Whining bastard. He didn’t want excuses. He wanted his son.
And the chance to savage Elena Kyler until she begged him to kill her.
He drew a deep breath and tried to rid himself of the anger. Two more days and the Delgados and their network would be in his pocket. Then he would be free to finish this business with Elena himself. He should have known better than to rely on Gomez to take care of her. He was the only one strong enough to defeat the bitch. He had done it once and he would have no problem doing it again.
Elena lying on the mat, her eyes blazing up at him.
The memory gave him a burst of pleasure that was part sexual and part heady triumph. He was almost glad Gomez had failed. He had forgotten the sheer enjoyment of making her submit to him. He had never felt stronger or more the conqueror than in those last days with her. It would be good to have a little quality time with Elena before he cut her heart out.
“It’s beautiful.” Elena looked out at the blue mountains in the distance. “I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s so … wild.”
“And Colombia isn’t?” Galen leaned out the window and punched in the number on the electronic gates. “But I know what you mean. Barrenness has a power of its own.”
“It’s not really barren,” Dominic said. “A little stark. Is it your ranch?”
“Yes.” Galen drove through the gates and they swung closed behind the jeep. “I occasionally come up here to relax.”
“Livestock?”
Galen shook his head. “Too much commitment. You have to take care of livestock. Or hire someone else to do it, and then I’d have to have them report to me. A regular Pandora’s box. It would defeat the purpose of coming here to relax.”
“When was the last time you came here?” Elena asked.
He thought about it. “About three months ago … I think.”
“Then you must not need to relax very often.”
He shrugged. “I get bored.”
She stared at him appraisingly. “I bet you do.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” Her glance shifted to the ranch house. “This place is huge.”
“I never liked to rough it. I did too much of it when I was a kid.”
“Where was that?”
“In Liverpool. And other places.” He parked in front of the long wraparound front porch. “My mum always believed that if one place was good, the next was sure to be better.” He got out of the jeep. “Come on, Barry. I’ll show you the barn. There’s a hayloft you’ll appreciate.”
“Later,” Elena said. “I want to take a look. You can never tell what kind of creatures may be in that hay.”
“It’s clean.” A man dressed in jeans and a denim shirt had come out of the house. “When Galen called, I went to town and bought a few bales.”
Elena went rigid.
“It’s okay,” Galen told her quickly. “This is Judd Morgan. He’s sort of the caretaker here. He’s harmless.”
He didn’t look harmless. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, was tall and lean, and gave the impression of whipcord strength. Pale blue eyes were deep set in a face that was planed, chiseled, and hard. Very hard.
“How do you do?” Morgan said. “I assume you’re Elena Kyler. The boy will be all right. I cleaned out the barn two weeks ago, and the only varmints are the kittens and Mac, my German shepherd. He’s gentle.”
“A puppy?” Barry’s eyes lit up.
“Well, not exactly a puppy. He only acts like one.”
“This is Dominic Sanders,” Galen said solemnly. “He was once a priest. I brought him here to save your soul.”
“I’ll let him practice on you. I’m a bigger challenge.” Morgan shook Dominic’s hand before turning his gaze on Galen. “Any news for me from Logan?”
Galen shook his head. “Not yet.”
“Damn.” He turned back toward the house. “I’ll show you to your rooms. It’s a surprisingly nice place considering Galen’s lack of good taste.”
“Mama, may I go to the barn?” Barry asked.
She couldn’t resist the eagerness in his expression. “For a little while. You need a bath before dinner.”
“He’ll have plenty of time.” Galen took his hand and they turned away. “I’m planning a gourmet meal for our first night. Perfection doesn’t happen without effort.”
“Neither does modesty,” Morgan murmured.
“Come on, Barry. This denigration of my sterling character isn’t for your ears.”
Morgan led Elena and Dominic into the house. A cathedral ceiling gave the living room an open, airy look and the chenille-upholstered furniture provided a contrasting coziness.
“Five bedrooms, four baths on the second floor,” Morgan said. “Game room, library, kitchen, dining room, living room, and several other rooms on the main. Do you want the grand tour or to see just your bedrooms?”
“The bedrooms,” Elena said.
Morgan nodded and led them toward the staircase. “The first bedroom on the right has a smaller adjoining room. I thought you’d want to take that one for you and the boy.”
Elena nodded. “That will be fine.”
He threw open the door and stepped aside. “Galen said to get all of you enough clothes to see you through your stay here. They’re already in the closets and chests. I had to rely on Galen’s eye, so blame him if they don’t fit.” He gestured to a door across the ha
ll. “Your room, Mr. Sanders. If either of you has any problems or questions, let me know. I’ll see you at dinner.” He turned and left them.
“Interesting man.” Dominic was looking after him. “And an interesting contrast between him and Galen.”
Like a granite slab and a glittering mirror, Elena thought. Either one could damage you under the right circumstances. “I don’t like Galen not telling us about Morgan.”
“You would have objected to having anyone you didn’t know here. Maybe he thought it would be more reassuring if you met him first.”
Reassuring was not a word she’d use in connection with Judd Morgan. “He obviously lets him have the run of the place. He may trust him, but I have no reason to.”
“Galen hasn’t been wrong yet. Give him a chance.” Dominic crossed the hall and opened his bedroom door. “You know, I like this place. It reminds me of our house.”
Except that it was ten times bigger. But she knew what he meant. There was a simplicity of design and an air of comfort that was homelike. She liked it too. Much better than Logan’s luxurious penthouse where they’d spent last night. “It’s very nice.”
She closed the door and went over to the window. She could see the large barn from here, and it looked as neat and well cared for as the rest of the property. A barn and pets and enough ground for a child to run. Their stay here might not be so bad.
Her gaze lifted to the surrounding countryside. You could see for miles and miles. Was that why Galen had bought this property? She’d received the impression from Forbes that Galen’s past had been shady at best and he was extremely wary. So wary that even when he relaxed he needed to know what was coming toward him?
My God, was she feeling sorry for him? It was good for her and Barry that he’d lived a life that had made him build this stronghold. She mustn’t think beyond that truth.
Barry came running into the house an hour later.
“Mama!”
“Here.” She came to the head of the staircase. “Did you enjoy it?” She could see that he had. Straw was sticking out of his hair and his expression was glowing. “How many kittens were there?”
“Three.” He ran up the stairs. “But the dog … Mac. He rolled over and let me rub his belly.”
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