“Everything is prepared … as ordered.” He turned to Nikolai. “You know what rooms to give them. The first three in the west wing. See that Cara and Miss Nichols are comfortable.” He turned back to Eve. “I’ll give you a glass of wine before you retire for the night if you don’t mind?” He gestured to the lavish parlor. “Our conversation was so hurried when you called this afternoon. I’m sure we’ll both sleep better to have everything clear.”
“I think that’s a good idea.” She waved for Darcy and Cara to follow Nikolai upstairs. Kaskov’s voice was silky smooth, but she could hear the thread of steel running through it. She had expected to meet nothing less. “A glass of wine always makes one more relaxed in difficult situations.”
She followed him into the parlor and watched him as he went to the small cherry bar and poured two glasses of wine from a crystal decanter.
He brought her glass to her. “You look exhausted.” His gaze was studying her face. “Strain. Shadows. Determination. Endurance.” He took a sip of wine. “But no panic. No desperation. I thought you might be desperate since you called and spoke to me as you did.”
“The desperation might come later. I have to keep it at bay right now. It would interfere with my thinking and making decisions. I can’t let that happen.” She lifted her glass. “And I’m sorry if you thought I wasn’t polite to you. That was the last thing I was worried about when I decided I needed your help.” She met his eyes. “Jock says you have an armed camp here, and that’s what I need to protect Cara and Darcy. Under usual circumstances, I’d try my best to keep them away from you and your men. But I can’t do that now. I’m going to have to rely on you to keep that son of a bitch from killing them. He’s going to try. He’s positioning us all for the kill.”
“So you told me. But you’re still here.”
“Because we have to position him for the kill,” she said simply. “It’s the only way I can get my son back.”
“Now that’s an answer I understand.” He smiled. “Particularly said with total ruthlessness and determination. You’re very intimidating at this moment, Eve.”
“He has Michael. No one can stand in my way.” She took another sip of wine and set the glass on the table. “So we find Norwalk, we trap him, we kill him. You know a lot about all of those things, so I’ll accept your help if you’ll give it. If you don’t want to help, then I believe you’ll at least protect Cara.” She tilted her head. “Won’t you?”
He nodded. “If you’ll recall, all of this started because I was protecting Cara from Sean Norwalk. Nothing has changed in that regard. I won’t promise you anything else.”
“I didn’t expect any promises from you. I don’t know if I’d believe them. But you do have some kind of feeling for Cara, and just living in an armed camp will make it safer for Darcy.” She smiled without mirth. “And I’ll use your armed camp. We need a place where we won’t be vulnerable to launched attacks after we find my son. And don’t be too confident about being able to stay out of the fray, Kaskov. You’re the prime target.”
“I never said I wanted to stay out of the fray. I just said that I’d make you no promises. I take care of my own business in my own time.” He finished his wine and smiled. “But by all means, use my place as your own, and I’ll instruct my men that I consider you all family. Amusing…”
“Not at all amusing.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Now I think I’ll go to bed if you think I’ve been ‘clear’ enough. I’m very tired, and I’ve got to get over it.”
“So that you’ll have strength for the battle to come?” he asked softly. “Yes, that’s what I’d do. We may be more alike than you dream, Eve.”
“We’re nothing alike.” She turned and headed for the grand staircase. “I don’t kill people.”
“Except when it’s important to you. You’ll have no problem at all killing Norwalk to save your son.” He lifted his glass to her. “Good night, Eve. Sleep well.”
“Good night.” She started up the stairs. She would sleep well. She had to rest and gain strength. Kaskov was right, there was a storm brewing and a battle on the horizon and she had to be ready.
I’m here, Michael. I’ll never leave you. Hold on, I’ll come to you …
*
Kaskov was sitting in a beige brocade easy chair in the parlor, his eyes closed, listening to Cara’s concert CD when Jock walked into the room. He didn’t open his eyes. “I really wish you’d have the courtesy to announce yourself, Gavin. I know you’re probably annoyed, and there’s a certain amount of power-satisfaction about being able to come and go as you please, but I’m beginning to find it irritating.”
“You’re right, I am annoyed. I didn’t like being caught off guard, and I don’t like anything that’s happening between you and Eve. She thinks it’s safer, but it’s setting up everyone in one place for Norwalk.”
“Then you’ll have to talk to Eve.” Kaskov opened his eyes. “She appears to be running the show. I’m just a poor lackey, doing her bidding.”
“As long as you let her.”
“I can’t help myself. She’s an indomitable force at the moment. A mother with a child in danger. There’s no one more dangerous on the planet.” He smiled. “Refreshing. I’m quite enjoying her.”
“You’ll not enjoy Cara’s reaction, if you do anything to get in Eve’s way. Nor my response, if you make my job harder.”
“Oh, I’m well aware of all the land mines. Why do you think I waited up for you instead of going to bed and have you pay me a visit in the middle of the night again? I knew that you’d want to come and threaten me and so forth. So I put on Cara’s newest CD to soothe me and keep me from being tempted to kill you. It was quite a wonderful concert, wasn’t it?”
“Fantastic. She’s always fantastic.”
“And therefore worthy of being kept alive and producing fantastic music.”
“She’s more than her music.”
“She is her music. It’s an integral part of what some people call the soul. I could see it the first time she played for me when she was eleven years old.” He smiled. “You’ve always been worried that I’d hurt her in some way. But there was never a chance of that. I would always protect the music.”
“If you could manage to do it without her getting in your way.”
“I will manage. Why do you think I haven’t interfered with you hovering over her? What better protection could she have than you, Jock Gavin? If I’m not there, you would be.” He met his eyes. “Perhaps in time, we might come to terms. Until then, I wanted you to know that if you see a threat you can’t handle, you have only to call me. On this subject, we’re on the same page.”
He meant it. And there was no way that Jock would reject that offer. The power potential was too impressive. “I’ll remember. I don’t expect it to be necessary, but we both know that expectations aren’t always fulfilled. Eve thinks that your security will be enough, but I managed to get through.”
“But you’re remarkable. Norwalk will not be that good.”
Jock made an impatient gesture. “I’d rather not take the chance. I went over some of the weaknesses with Nikolai, but tomorrow I’ll go and show him a few more.”
“I thought you’d probably leave a few for you to slip into the property again.”
“And the house isn’t that safe either. Every house has its secrets. I’ll look that over, too.”
“We’re at your disposal. I suppose you’re staying here?”
“Not in the main house. You have a summerhouse on the grounds. It’s close, and I’ll be able to monitor your security guards and yet be here in a few minutes if it’s necessary.”
Kaskov smiled curiously. “And did you have that possibility in mind when you scoped out the property the last time you came?”
“Not consciously. It’s an automatic response from my wicked, misspent past.”
“I don’t regard it as misspent. When you become an expert at anything, the time is well used.”
“But then look to whom I’m talking.” He turned and headed for the front door. “You might let Nikolai know I’m moving into the summerhouse so that he won’t try to shoot me.” He glanced back at him. “We might all get along if you give the order to everyone to stay out of my way, Kaskov.”
“Warning received, noted, and under consideration.” He leaned back in his chair again. “I’ve already given the order not to interfere with you, Gavin. Now run along and let me hear the end of Cara’s concert. I think a Tchaikovsky encore comes next…”