She got to her feet and headed down the bank toward the mist.
I’m coming to see you, Cira. I need to think of someone who has already lived their life and solved all their problems. I wish you could give me a hint how I can do that.…
LAKE COTTAGE
“Stop worrying.” Joe slipped his arm around Eve and drew her closer on the couch. “I sent out a message to Interpol to be on the alert for anything connected to the Romanos or this Leon Santara. It’s all we can do right now.” His lips brushed her temple as he added wryly, “And I don’t imagine that Caleb is going to stop at Interpol to find Lisa. His contacts aren’t nearly as law-abiding, but I’d bet they’re so afraid of Caleb that they’ll come through for him.”
“That doesn’t mean they’ll find her in time,” Eve said. “Or that Jane’s going to wait if she’s given even a hint about where Lisa is. She’s terribly frightened about her.”
“And you’re terribly concerned about our Jane,” Joe said. “You hate the idea that she’s so far away and you can’t swoop to the rescue if she gets in trouble.”
“And you don’t?” Eve glanced up at him. “Bullshit.”
“Watch your language in front of my son.”
Eve glanced at Michael, who was still building some kind of colorful, complicated structure with his blocks across the room. “Yes, everything changes because of Michael, doesn’t it? I’ve been feeling that more and more lately.”
“I’ve noticed. Very contemplative.”
“And grateful. In the end, this isn’t only about Lisa; it’s about Caleb, too. He saved Michael. We owe him, Joe.”
“Do you think I don’t know that?” he said thickly. “He saved you, too, that night when he blocked that poison from your bloodstream. You never mention that unimportant fact, but it’s not unimportant to me. It’s my whole life.” He paused. “Yeah, I owe Caleb. Suppose I take a trip across the big pond and see what I can do about locating Lisa and giving her to Caleb as a gift.” He grinned. “Lord, that would annoy him if I got there ahead of him.”
She chuckled. “He might surprise you in this case. He might even be grateful.”
“Now that would surprise me.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I don’t know how I’d respond.”
“By rubbing his nose in it.” She shook her head. “And I don’t think that I can allow you to be so ungracious. I think we’ll have to handle it differently.”
His brows rose. “What are you talking about?”
She gazed thoughtfully at Michael across the room. “Just something I’ve been thinking about for quite a while…”
Good idea, Michael?
Michael lifted his eyes from his blocks and smiled at her.
SAN LEANDRO
He’d broken her thumb.
Santara looked down at the girl crumpled on the floor. Lisa was panting, her dark eyes blazing up at him, as she cradled her hand. “I should have broken your neck instead,” he said. “I might still do it. Make that call.”
“No.” Lisa’s voice was shaking. “It only hurt for a minute. Do you think I’ll do anything you tell me to do? Do whatever you want, but I’m counting it all up. I’m remembering, Santara.”
For an instant, the passion in her voice caused a ripple of uneasiness to go through him. Then he dismissed it and chuckled. “Is that supposed to scare me? You’re just a weak little girl who’s going to break anytime now.”
“And what does that make you? Do you only dare beat up on weak little girls?”
Santara could feel the rage sear through him. “I think I’ll do the other thumb next.”
“Whatever. But I don’t think they want me too damaged, do they? They’re afraid of what my brother will do. Why don’t you ask them?” She licked the blood from her lip. “You should be afraid, too.”
“Then call him and bring him here.”
She didn’t answer. She just stared at him with eyes that glittered with hatred in her white face.
Bitch. He wanted to put an end to her right now. Usually he enjoyed the torment, the fear, the weakening, but he wasn’t getting any of that from this girl.
And he’d better make that call the little bitch had taunted him about. He pulled out his phone and dialed Teresa Romano. “How long is this supposed to go on? You tie my hands and still expect me to get results?”
“I take it from that explosion that you’ve done something stupid and are about to make excuses. What is it, Santara?”
“The girl won’t make the call.” He added, “Okay, I broke her thumb. But just beating her up wasn’t doing any good. We have to move on with it.”
“I can see how you’d be frustrated, but you’ll have to rein it in. Gino and I value your opinion, but we have a plan and I won’t permit you to ruin it. I told him that you liked that part of the job a little too much.” She said slowly and clearly, “No permanent damage. Breaking a bone was a little too close to that. We want Caleb to see a token example of what can be expected if he doesn’t do what we wish. We don’t want him to become angry enough to unleash that ugly temper. It might be counterproductive.”
“I can handle this Caleb. I don’t know why you’re worrying about his temper. He’s only one man. I can crush him like a cockroach.”
“I realize that you don’t know why we’re concerned about Caleb. You don’t have to know. I only pay you to obey orders,” she said coldly. “Let’s just say that Caleb possesses a certain talent that’s going to make Gino and me a fortune if we can manage to turn it loose on Haroun. A very valuable talent that’s absolutely foolproof.” She added impatiently, “But Caleb can be very difficult and he has to be handled correctly. Lisa is the best way to do that. He has a fondness for his sister that we can manipulate to permit me to guide him in the way I need him to go.” Her voice hardened. “Now, if you can’t find a way to get what I need, in the way that I need it, I’ll cut you loose and hire someone who can. Do you understand?”
Santara could almost see her, every shining strand of blond hair in place in that chignon, blue eyes stone-cold, no expression on that mature, beautiful face. Gino Romano might control the finances, but Teresa controlled Gino and everything else around her. But not me, Santara thought. I wouldn’t let her control me. This young girl lying on the floor in front of him wasn’t the only female Santara was tempted to butcher whenever he talked to this frigid bitch. “I understand. But I’ll expect a list of acceptable methods you will approve. Evidently you had no better luck than I did with her in the past.”
“It didn’t enter into our relationship. If it had, luck would have had nothing to do with it.” She hung up.
Santara’s hand tightened on his phone, trying to get control. He wanted to kill the bitch.
“I told you that they wouldn’t like it.” Lisa was looking up at him, still cradling her hand. “You don’t understand anything, do you? I can tell from listening to your side of the conversations that you’re just a tool.”
“Am I? Well, this tool can cut deep.” He kicked her viciously in the ribs. “She doesn’t want permanent, but she doesn’t mind pain.”
Lisa gasped in agony and couldn’t speak for a moment. “‘She,’” she repeated finally. “You were talking to Teresa Romano, weren’t you? I thought it might be them.” She lifted a shaking hand to her head. “You never tried to hide the fact that you were taking orders from someone else. You even talked to them in front of me.”