He was silent a moment. “What about Mark Trevor? I haven’t heard you mention him lately.”
She said warily, “What about him? I haven’t seen him recently. He’s busy. He globe-trots all over the world. I’m busy. I have a career. We agreed that it might be best not to incur any additional obligations.”
“Because you’re afraid to trust any relationship.”
“Maybe.” She smiled. “I trust Eve. I trust you . . . when you don’t act weird as you did when I first arrived here. Are you going to tell me what that was all about?”
“Probably. Someday.” He reached out and touched her cheek. “Don’t take chances, Jane. Not now. Not ever. You’re too important to us.” He turned on his heel. “There’s a gun in a case on the top shelf of the closet. Take it with you when you go out from now on.”
“I will.” She watched him go into the house before she turned and gazed out at the thick veil of rain. It was like being cocooned behind her own private waterfall. She used to love sitting out here in a rainstorm when she was a teenager. Sometimes she and Eve would sit on the swing and talk for hours.
Precious times.
Precious memories.
Someone was watching.
She was suddenly shivering.
Nonsense. If she couldn’t see through this veil of rain, no one else out there could see her. It was Joe’s talk of Jelak and warning her against taking risks that had spooked her.
Maybe.
She had always trusted her instincts, and they were sending up skyrocket signals now.
She took a step closer to the porch railing, then stopped. If there was a threat out there, she didn’t want to confront it blindly. It was enough to be on her guard and perhaps mention it to Joe to follow up tomorrow.
Joe believed in the power of instinct. He would understand.
JELAK SMILED WITH SATISFACTION as he lowered the infrared binoculars. He hadn’t been able to see more than a flash of body heat on the porch, but it comforted him to know that he was still in contact, in control. Every instinct told him that it was Jane MacGuire, and she had moved toward the edge of the porch as if wanting to confront him. “I want to confront you too,” he murmured. “But you shouldn’t be so defiant. If I had a rifle, I could take you down right now.”
But he didn’t like guns. He always carried a Glock pistol because of the convenience, but he seldom used it. He preferred the might of his muscles and the clean stroke of his knife to claim the gift.
“Do you feel me, Jane MacGuire?” he murmured. “You’re standing so still I think you must. I was angry with you, but it’s going away. As soon as the rain stops, I think I’ll take a gift in your honor. Anger makes the hunger burn, and I have to keep up my strength.” He rolled the window of the car up and leaned back in the seat. “It will be difficult, but I’ll find a suitable—”
Fear.
No!
His heart was pounding, jerking, panic racing through him.
It was out there in the darkness, coming toward him. He was coming toward him.
He had to get away.
His hand was shaking as he started the car, backed up, and stomped on the accelerator.
Closer. He was closer.
His tires were skidding in the mud as he raced through the forest.
Get away. He had to be stronger before he could face him. More blood. More power.
He’d reached the road leading north to the highway.
How had he found him? The village of Fiero was a world away, and he’d been careful for years not to do anything that might trigger a search. The goblet? Possibly. Before this, he’d used the goblets very sparingly so that there would be no connection.
It could be his imagination. The fear was ebbing the farther he went from the cottage. He could barely feel that sense of impending threat.
It wasn’t his imagination. He’d felt that same fear all those years ago. He’d run then as he was running now.
But he was stronger now and would become even stronger after the next gift. He should strike boldly and show himself the master of the game.
It was time to stop running.
________
SKID MARKS IN THE MUD.
Seth Caleb’s lips tightened grimly as he knelt and checked the tire marks. Deep, tires spinning, lurching; Jelak had peeled out in a panic. Seth had hoped to track him down before he’d become aware that he was on the hunt. But the bastard had clearly known there was a threat near.
Caleb muttered a curse as he got to his feet.
Okay, he’d lost him tonight, but Jelak wasn’t going to give up Eve Duncan. When she had killed Kistle, it had
