“Like this morning?”
“No, it was very close this time. I’ve been extraordinarily patient for a long time. You wanted a partner, I’ve been a partner and friend. What you’ve wanted, I’ve given you. I’ve even spent weeks setting up a safe haven for the doctor who gave you your sight because you thought he might be in danger.” His lips twisted. “Though I’m still not sure that he doesn’t feel more for you than I’ll permit. But I did it anyway because you asked me.” He met her eyes. “Because you’re worth it. I think you’ll always be worth it. And that’s why I’m willing to put up with all this bullshit you’re causing me. But you can’t expect there not to be repercussions.”
She looked down into the coffee in her cup. “I don’t want anyone having to put up with me. Maybe it’s time you stepped away, Lynch.”
“Stop it,” he said curtly. “I didn’t travel for twenty hours to have you give me this crap. You don’t get rid of me, Kendra.”
“What if I don’t want you?”
He smiled. “Then I’ll make you want me. You’re halfway there already.”
More than halfway. Any way and all ways. She took another sip of coffee. “Twenty hours. That must mean you took a flight almost immediately after you texted me. Who told you what was happening?” She remembered how Griffin had avoided speaking directly to her at the session. “It was Griffin?”
“Yes. Though he did hold out until I bribed him.”
“Bribed him? With what?”
“What it always is. A favor whenever he needs one.”
“You shouldn’t have done that. He’ll take his pound of flesh.”
“I was in a hurry. I knew something was wrong. You weren’t yourself.”
“I’m glad you think so,” she said wryly. “Because everything I’ve said and done lately has been clumsy and verging on stupidity.”
“So I’ve heard,” Lynch said. “You’re lucky Jessie and Olivia have forgiving natures. I’m still not sure Jessie has given you a pass.”
“You’ve heard?” She frowned. “How the hell did you know anything about that?”
He shrugged. “I woke them up and spent an hour hearing it all before I came up to see you. I wanted to know what Olivia knew about this Zachary and her take on how you were handling it. I only expected to see Olivia, but Jessie was an interesting surprise.”
“You woke them up in the middle of the night?”
“My flight had just landed and I wasn’t cool enough to go to you yet, and it was information I needed.” He leaned back in his chair. “They appeared much happier to see me than you do right now. Though your initial response was just what I thought it would be. Olivia was right, you’re definitely off-balance and not thinking straight.”
“I won’t deny that I’m not quite up to par. I got a tremendous shock, and I’m working on bouncing back. I’ll get there.”
“By trying to spread protective wings over your entire world?”
“Why not?” She smiled with an effort. “First things first.”
“Because you’re showing Zachary how valuable they are to you. The more you concentrate on protecting them, the more reason he’ll have to take them down. You know that, Kendra. You’ve done all you can do. Now we have to go after him.”
“We?” She shook her head. “I have plenty of help. I never asked you to leave your Olympic star and come back here. You told me you couldn’t leave China for another week or so. Go back there. I don’t need you.”
“Too late. I wrapped up things early and hitched a ride on a transport plane four hours later.” He grimaced. “Though I’m going to have to make adjustments and find a way to keep anyone from knowing Ling Po has left his village for at least a week.”
“Your gymnast? I thought her name was Yun Shuli.”
“No, that was a lie. You didn’t expect anything else from me when you asked that question. You were just trying to distract me. You surely wouldn’t believe I’d be wasted on a gymnast? With all due respect for the sports world, none of my clients are willing to pay my fee to acquire their services.”
“I found it a little strange. Then who is this Ling Po?”
“A fifteen-year-old genius who is on his way to being the most brilliant computer hacker in the world. He likes the idea of the American way and I managed to persuade him to hop on that plane with me.”
“Just like that?”
“I had him primed and ready. His parents were whisked out of the country to be resettled twelve hours after we boarded our flight.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Lynch was known in the U.S. intelligence community as the “Puppetmaster” due to his powers of manipulation. “And what adjustment do you have to make now that you’ve pulled him out early?”
“Give him time to get used to heightened security until he becomes familiar with the lifestyle. I’ll settle him with someone who might be as brilliant as he is so that he won’t feel lonely. I thought I’d have you call your friend, Sam Zackoff, and ask him if he’d take him under his wing.”
“Ask him yourself. I’m not reaching out to any friends right now.”
He nodded. “Okay, no problem. It just means a little more time than I wanted to spend on Ling Po at the moment. We’ll be pretty busy.”
“I don’t need you. Back away, Lynch.”
“It’s not going to happen. You’re not going to get rid of me.” He looked her directly in the eyes. “I can see that you wouldn’t want Zachary to know that you cared for me as a friend. And it would probably terrify you for him to know that I might be a lover. But you’re just going to have to live with it.”
“No, I don’t.” The idea was already terrifying her. “It’s my choice.”
“Not this time.” He smiled and said coaxingly, “It will be fine. We’ve played this game before. We’re such good friends that sometimes you even forget what else is there waiting for us. It’s possible Zachary will think the same thing.” He shrugged. “Though I’d prefer that he didn’t. I’d enjoy sharing your spotlight. I’m beginning to really want this son of a bitch.”
“And I don’t want you anywhere near him. He’s after me, Lynch. This is my battle.” She could see she wasn’t getting through to him. “You won’t give up?”
“You know the answer.” He finished his coffee. “And now we’ll go downstairs and have breakfast with Olivia and Jessie. Olivia promised me French toast. Then we’ll be on our way to the FBI war room, where I’m sure you’ve been spending entirely too much time.”
She made a last attempt. “I don’t want this, Lynch.”
He stood up. “And I don’t want you in this without me.” He held out his hand to her. His voice was suddenly soft and infinitely persuasive. “This is a battle you can’t win, Kendra. So give it up and concentrate on winning the battle we can win against Zachary. You know we can do it together.”
She stared down at his outstretched hand for a long moment and then slowly reached out and took it. His hand felt warm and strong and alive and the touch filled her with fear … and hope.
“Lynch, this isn’t a good—”