Her gaze flew around the room. Cushiony beige tapestry furniture with punches of red. Wide floor-to-ceiling windows across one wall of the room. 'Where am I?'
'Not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy. My ranch in Nevada.'
'Nevada.' She suddenly remembered the sharp pain in her arm. 'You bastard. You gave me a shot to knock me out.'
'It was either a shot or a more physical method to take you out of action. I figured you'd be angry no matter what I did, and the shot was more con ve nient for me.'
Anger seared through her. 'And that's what it's all about, isn't it? What's con ve nient for you and your dog.'
He met her eyes. 'Yes, that's what it's all about. I'm not going to hurt you. Believe me, I didn't want to involve you. It just happened.'
Memories were bombarding her. A man's face exploding before her eyes through the splintered glass. 'You killed a man.'
'No, I killed a vermin.' His glance fell to her neck. 'Who almost killed you. I ban daged that cut on your neck, and it's nothing. But another inch, and we would have had a problem.'
Her hand instinctively reached up and touched the ban dage. 'Do you expect me to thank you? It's your fault that someone was trying to shoot me.' Ned gave a low whine and pushed against her knee as she got to her feet. 'Stop trying to soften me up, Ned.' She pushed him away. 'You've teamed up with the wrong person.'
'He had no choice,' he said wearily. 'I was the only game in town for him. For all of them.'
'I don't know what the hell you're talking about.' She moved toward the door. 'And I don't want to know. I'm going home.'
'I can't let you do that,' he said quietly. 'There are guards outside. They won't hurt you, but they'll put you out again. I don't think you want that. You just want to know what's happening and get your life to go back to what it was.' He shook his head. 'It's too late for that. I'm the only game in town for you, too.'
'You don't have anything to do with me.' She opened the door. 'And as soon as I get rid of you, I'll be-' She suddenly remembered the words she knew she had unconsciously tried to forget. She whirled on him. 'Hugh and Terry. You said you didn't think they had a chance. It was a lie. That was just another part of the craziness you-' He wasn't answering, but his expression… Her stomach clenched with fear. 'I don't believe you.'
He was dialing his phone. 'Will you believe Nick Gilroy?'
'Nick,' she repeated. 'Have you hurt Nick?'
'Ask him.' He spoke into the phone. 'Bridget, she needs to talk to Gilroy. Put him on.' He handed Devon the phone. 'They're on the road on their way here. He's calm and not afraid. You're the only one who can upset him. Your choice.'
She slowly took the phone. 'Nick?'
'Devon, thank God. I've been trying to phone you. I was afraid you were dead, too. The news report didn't mention your name, but I thought-'
'Dead, too?' She moistened her lips. 'Nick, who's dead?'
Silence. 'You don't know? I thought that was why you sent them to pick me up.'
'Who's dead, Nick?'
'Hugh and Terry.'
She inhaled sharply. 'How?'
'The radio said that they were shot several times at close range. Possible burglary. There were narcotics stolen. The clinic was ransacked.'
'In broad daylight?'
'Drug addicts aren't rational. You know several vet offices were victimized last year.'
But no one had been murdered. No one had marched in and cold-bloodedly shot two people.
'But it wasn't burglary, was it, Devon?' he asked. 'You wouldn't have sent someone to get me away from there if it had been a simple theft.'
She didn't bother to tell him that she had not been the one to get him out of the area. She seemed to be webbed in lies, and there was no point in making Nick anxious when she didn't know his situation. 'No, it wasn't a drug steal. You're sure they're dead, Nick?'
Silence. 'What do you want from me? I didn't see them. I only know what I heard on the car radio on our way here. I was shocked as hell. I liked both of them.'
So had she. 'No suspects?'
'Three men were seen driving away in a dark blue sedan a few minutes before the police arrived. There was blood on the ground in the back lot, but they didn't find a body. The cops had received an anonymous 911 tip.' He paused. 'But they were too late.'
Too late. Two lives ended in the space of a few minutes. 'Terry was only twenty years old,' she said dully. 'She had a hot date tonight. She was going to go get a pedi-' She drew a deep, shaky breath. 'I can't believe it, Nick.'
'Neither can I. What's happening, Devon?'
What was happening was that the world was spinning around and upside down. 'I'm not sure. I'm going to have to find out.' She roused herself to ask, 'You're okay, Nick? They're treating you well?'
'Sure.' Then he added, puzzled, 'Why wouldn't they?'
'No reason. I'll talk to you soon, Nick.' She hung up the phone. She was so stunned that she couldn't think clearly. 'He said he'd been trying to reach me.'
'I turned off your phone.'
'You shouldn't have done that. Good Lord, what am I saying? That's the smallest part of what you're guilty of. Two people are dead.'
'I had nothing to do with killing them. I tried to keep them alive.' He paused. 'But, yes, I was probably to blame.'
'You admit it.'
'I guessed wrong. I thought they'd attack the farm even if it meant waiting for you. They must have had orders to escalate. That meant going wherever you'd taken Ned.'
'It makes sense.' He stared at her a moment, then turned away. 'You need some space. I'll go make a pot of coffee.' He jerked his thumb at a door across the room. 'Why don't you go into the bedroom and take a shower. I told Bridget to get you some clothes to wear.'
'Who's Bridget?' Then she remembered he'd spoken to a Bridget on the phone before he'd let her talk to Nick. 'She's your accomplice.'
'You might say that. She works for me. But she wouldn't like the idea of being referred to as anyone's sidekick.'
Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. 'I'm not going to go anywhere, do anything, until you answer my questions. Why did you take Nick?'
'For his safety and because I didn't want him used against you.'
'Then, if it was for his own good, he'll be free to go?'
Marrok shook his head. 'I can't do that.'
'Then you're the one using Nick against me. You know I can't make a move against you until I know he's safe.'
'The thought did occur to me.'
'Damn you.'
'But it wasn't why I had him taken. I told you the reason.'
'And I don't believe you.'
'That's your privilege. I hope you will soon. The situation is getting pretty dicey.' He looked up from scooping coffee into the coffeemaker, and said quietly, 'Whatever it seems, I don't wish harm to you and the people you care about. I've worked hard to keep them safe.'
'Two fine people dead,' she coldly. 'You haven't worked that hard.'
His lips twisted. 'Someday try walking in my shoes. You'll find all you can do is give it your best shot.'
