“Don’t flatter yourself,” she said curtly. “I’m not one of those poor girls you bring to Nicos. I know that’s a one-way street. I’m only trying to survive, and I realize how bad my situation may turn out to be. I may need your help before this is over. May I come in?”
He stood gazing at her for a moment. “You think I might help you? How bizarre. And why now? Why not wait until tomorrow?”
“Because I know I won’t sleep unless I talk to you and let you know I may be valuable to you.” She added grimly, “You’ve never given a damn about me. You just stood by and watched as Nicos put Rosa and me through hell. But I don’t have anyone else to turn to, so you’re my only option. I’ll do anything I can to help you, providing you can keep me alive.”
“Interesting.” He stepped aside. “I suppose I can take the time to listen to you. Come in and sit down.”
At least three minutes must have passed since he opened the door, she thought as she moved toward the chair in front of his desk.
Twelve more minutes.
Stall.
She looked around the office. The only thing that interested her was the gold clock with the ivory face on the desk. Yes, three minutes. “This is very nice. Quite luxurious. I’ve never been in here before.”
“Why should you? You had no business here.” He sat down behind the desk. “Three years ago, you were Nicos’s special servant and I had no part in what he did with you.” He smiled. “Until the end. Then he wanted an audience. I admit I didn’t even have to pretend. I really enjoyed it.”
“Obviously. You were eager to replay that night before you left the guesthouse this afternoon.”
“Because you always annoyed me a little. You had sharp eyes and I always felt as if you saw too much. I wasn’t all that surprised when you escaped from the island. If you hadn’t been useful, I would have put a few roadblocks in front of Nicos’s men who were searching for you.” He smiled. “But I didn’t have to do that. You were very clever about keeping ahead of them. And, as it turned out, it was good that it was Lassiter who found you. It amused Nicos much more that he could find another way to hurt him.”
“I don’t care about Lassiter. I don’t care about Nicos. All I want to do is be safe when Nicos has one of his explosions, like the night when he killed Rosa. You might have stopped Nicos that night, but you didn’t do it. When he decides he wants another ‘audience,’ I want you to be in my corner.”
“And why should I do that?” He tilted his head. “The only amusement you gave me was watching you try to keep Nicos from tormenting you and your friend. You went to some fascinating lengths, a regular Scheherazade, to make Nicos believe your lies.”
“I was young and desperate. I’d handle it differently now.”
“Would you? But Nicos is extremely hard to handle unless you’re an expert.”
“Like you?”
He shrugged. “I’ve had a good deal of practice.”
Ten minutes.
“That’s very clear,” she said quietly. “Why do you think I’m here?”
“You still haven’t told me why you’re here. What can you offer me that would make me bother trying to interfere with Nicos when he’s in a mood?”
“The same thing that Nicos finds valuable in me. The dogs. I’m able to control the minds of those substance-containment dogs at the airports. I can influence them or merely confuse them. Either way, it works. I can make the shipments a hundred percent safer. I’m certain that you’ve found that out since I’ve been gone. Even Nicos realizes that I was worth keeping.”
“I don’t argue that you have value. But that again is a value that belongs to Nicos. He wants you on your knees, and eventually you’ll be there.”
Three more minutes.
“If he doesn’t kill me first.” She added quickly, “Which could be very bad for you, Salva. We both know that someday you’re going to take over Nicos’s syndicate. I believe that’s going to happen sooner than I thought.” She paused. “You have the hunger. I can almost smell it.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Are you trying to convince me that voodoo bullshit you hand out to Nicos is sending out vibes? Anyone can see that I’m more intelligent and far better able to run this business than Nicos. Of course it will all belong to me.”
“Then you need to keep me alive so that I can perform the same service for you as I do for him.” She met his eyes. “And, since you are more intelligent, I’m sure that you’ll treat me with the respect and cooperation you’d show to any important asset.”
“Oh, you think so?” He got up from his desk and came around to stand before her. “You believe you understand me, Margaret? You don’t have any idea who I am. Respect and cooperation? If you have enough power, you don’t have to give either of those to anyone around you. I’ve watched Nicos all these years and it’s the only thing we agree about.”
He was too close to her. And his eyes were narrowed on her face. Was he becoming suspicious?
She wanted to jump to her feet and run out of the office.
One more minute.
Stay one more minute.
“You’re saying that I can’t count on you to help me?”
“I didn’t say that. If my plans fall into place before Nicos becomes difficult for you, you might have a place with me.” He reached out and touched her throat. “But don’t expect more of me than you would of Nicos. Less. He calls me his pimp because I know the type of girl that appeals to him and I never disappoint. He likes the weak and the breakable. Like that little girl he has at his house now. Like Rosa.” His hand moved down to the hollow of her throat. “He doesn’t know how much more exciting it is to mold the strong into whatever you wish her to be. One of the reasons I kept away from you three years ago was that I knew I’d be tempted. Nicos almost broke you that night. If I’d been doing it, there would not have been an almost.” His thumb moved into the hollow. “You’re pulse is leaping. Are you afraid of me, Margaret?”
“No. Yes. Why shouldn’t I be?” She brushed his hands away and got to her feet. “This wasn’t the result I wanted or expected.” She backed away from him. She had her fifteen minutes. Get out of here. Run back to the guesthouse. “You’re just another Nicos for me to fight.” She had reached the door. “But I could be much more if you’d change your mind. Let me know.…”
She slammed the door behind her and ran toward the guesthouse. The next moment, she was inside and running across the black-and-white tiles toward her bedroom. So much more evil had been in this room that night than she had imagined. Salva had not only been a bystander; he had wanted to take over and participate.
With her as the key victim, not Rosa.
She closed the bedroom door and went into the bathroom and splashed water on her face and throat. In that moment when he’d touched her, she had felt as weak and dominated as he’d wanted her to feel.
But I wasn’t dominated, she told herself. She’d gotten what she needed from Salva. She wasn’t weak, and she certainly was not breakable.