Sienna nodded. 'And you don't want to bother. Let me do it.'
Molino shook his head. 'Tell him I'll meet with him next week. Set it up.'
'If you opt out, he'll walk away.'
'And you'll say, 'I told you so.'' It would be the last thing Sienna would say, Molino thought. 'But I won't opt out. I'll be finished with Megan Blair in the next few days.'
'How?'
'I've been thinking about her. She wants to find me? I'll let her. I'll make her come to me on her knees.' He bared his teeth in a faint smile. 'You've never believed her mother actually was able to drive my boy mad, have you? Would you like to rape Megan Blair? I'll let you have her for a night before I slit her throat. I'll even let you play with her as you did Gillem. Don't you want the chance to prove me a fool?'
'I never said you were a fool.'
'Go ahead,' Molino said softly. 'Do it. I dare you.' Sienna shrugged. 'If you insist. I'll enjoy banging the bitch. I've never been afraid of things that go bump in the night. But you have to catch her first and then bring her here alive.'
'I'm not worried.' Molino reached for his cell phone. 'I have a few aces in the hole. I'll start pulling them out one by one.'
THE FLIGHT GRADY CHARTERED ARRIVED in Georgia early in the afternoon. Yet they didn't arrive at the international airport, but a small private airport north of the city.
'We have to get a move on,' Harley said as he handed Renata her duffel. 'I bribed the pilot to change the flight plan at the last minute to Kennesaw, Georgia, but Sienna's not dumb. If he knew our departure point, he'll have traced us this far. He'll be onto our arrival city soon.'
'Where are we going?' Megan asked as she followed Harley and Grady down the aisle.
'Dalton, Georgia,' Grady said. 'It's an hour or so up the highway. Harley arranged to rent a house outside town. We'll settle and wait.'
'Wait for what?'
'Developments.'
'Watch and wait?' Megan asked. 'No, Grady. I think Renata's right. We have to prod him. We'll stir things up a bit and make a call or two ourselves.'
'I was afraid that you'd say that.'
'Renata said we had to raise the blood lust. That's hard to do when the only contact with him is when his men come after us.'
'Dammit to hell. You're not going to give up until you talk to him, are you?'
'No,' she answered immediately and hoped her revulsion at the thought didn't show. The idea of actually coming one-on-one with Molino brought instant shock and rejection. She knew him intimately from the episode with Edmund Gillem and the story Grady had recounted about his treatment of her mother. But it would be entirely different confronting him. 'If it will help. What do I say?'
'Play it by ear. You've got good instincts and you're not shy about speaking your mind. It will come to you.' He glanced at Renata. 'Or maybe our little friend will coach you. She said she's good at cause and effect.'
'Back off,' Renata said. 'If we're going to let loose the dogs, you'd better be prepared to protect her.'
'I'm not letting them loose. You are,' Grady said as he went down the steps. 'And after she makes that call, I'll stash her away somewhere safe until the battle is over.'
Renata made a rude sound. 'Do you really think she's going to let you do that?'
'Stop talking about me as if I weren't here,' Megan said. 'I'll do as I please, Grady. I'm not going to be stashed anywhere.'
'Told you so,' Renata murmured. 'Gosh, I never thought I'd love saying that to anyone.'
'And you stop acting like a smug child,' Megan followed Grady down the steps. 'Let's just get on the road.' She caught up with Harley, who was heading for a dark blue car parked on the tarmac. 'I want away from them. It's like being with two cats fighting over a mouse.'
Harley grinned. 'Not at all. They'd kill the mouse. Grady and Renata are scratching at each other to try to keep you alive.'
'Grady, maybe. But Renata?'
He nodded. 'She may feel obligated to use you, but I believe that she'd put her neck on the line to keep Molino from getting you. She's not as hard as she'd like you to think.'
'I don't think she's hard.' She'd always been aware of that vulnerability in Renata. 'Sometimes I feel sorry for her.' She got into the passenger seat of the car. 'And sometimes I want to shake her.'
'Like a bratty younger sister?' he asked softly.
She made a face. 'If the sister was Calamity Jane.'
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE WHITE CLAPBOARD HOUSE HARLEY had rented was on the outskirts of Dalton, surrounded by hills and hidden from the road by a thatch of pine trees. It was at least seventy years old with a wraparound porch and steps that appeared worn with wear.
'Not very impressive,' Harley said. 'It's an old country farmhouse but the farmland was sold off and the family moved away. Evidently it was a large family. It has four bedrooms and two baths and a big country kitchen. The realtor said the key would be in the hanging basket of ivy.'
'It's fine.' Grady reached up and retrieved the key. 'Food?'
'I'll run to the grocery store in town.' Harley looked at Renata. 'Would you care to come with me?'
She shrugged. 'If you like.' She got in the front seat. 'I have something to buy too.'
'A missile launcher?'
'How did you guess?'
Megan shook her head as she watched the car pull out of the driveway. 'She may not be kidding.'
'Well, it won't be a missile launcher.' He unlocked the front door. 'They're not that easy to come by in a small town. And Harley will keep an eye on any other purchases.'
There was no foyer and the furniture in the living room was shabby and none too clean.
She wrinkled her nose. 'I hope the bedrooms are better.'
'We can make do.' He headed for the kitchen. 'It won't be for long.'
She followed him. 'That's good. I'm a little tired of listening to Renata and you jab at each other.' There were glasses in the cupboard and she got one down and rinsed it. 'And I don't understand it.'
'Maybe I resent the fact that she tried to use you.' He smiled. 'I regard that as my privilege.' He held up his hand as she opened her lips to speak. 'Just joking.' His smile faded. 'Somewhat. I know you only allow people to use you at your discretion. But ever since that night you spent in the trailer with Gillem, I've noticed a change. Renata is closely connected to Gillem and that's touching you.'
She couldn't deny it. 'It's not affecting my judgment.' She turned on the kitchen faucet and let it run for a moment until the flow was clear. 'Well water.' She took a sip. 'It's good. Remember we had well water in the beach house that summer? It had too much iron in it and it made my hair limp and flyaway. You used to tease me about it.'
'I remember,' he said thickly.
She stiffened and her gaze flew to his face. Oh, shit. She glanced quickly away but it was too late. She could still see the sensuality, the earthiness, the familiar readiness. And her own body was mirroring all of those responses. She turned away, finished the glass of water, and set the glass on the counter. 'I'd better take a look at those bedrooms. The sheets may need washing and-'
'Shh.' He was behind her, his hands sliding around to cup her breasts. 'The sheets can wait.' He was rubbing slowly against her. We can't.
My God. Her entire body was alive, tingling. A shudder went through her. Heat. Overpowering need. She arched back against him. 'This shouldn't be happening.'
