'Kistle won't permit any help from the police or FBI, but I don't think he'd consider Montalvo as official. He'll only think of him as a friend of mine who might get in the way.'
'My, my, that's exactly how I think of him.'
'Dammit, Joe. We need help. Kistle's going to be waiting for us.'
'Not Montalvo.'
'Yes, Montalvo. I told you that Kistle was planning on targeting him. If he comes here to us, then he'll be safer, and if he goes with us to find Bonnie, we'll be safer. It makes sense.'
'Not to me.' His lips twisted. 'But then you might be the winner no matter which one of us was killed by that bastard.'
She flinched. 'I didn't deserve that, Joe.'
'Maybe not,' he said. 'I'm not thinking too clearly right now.'
Because he was too hurt and angry to even try to understand what she was doing. 'It's the best solution to a bad problem. I'm going to call him, Joe.'
'Go ahead.' He turned away from her. 'But you should warn him that there's a better chance for death by friendly fire than in most wars.'
'I'LL BE THERE IN TWO HOURS,' Montalvo said. 'Though I believe I'm a little insulted that you'd think I need protecting. If you think Kistle may be trying to dispose of me, it might be better for me to stay put and let him try.'
'For God's sake, stop being macho. I'm sick of you and Joe thinking of this as some sort of cat-and-mouse game. And now Kistle is trying to set up his own game and it's scaring me to death. I know you won't go away and there's strength in numbers.'
'What does Quinn say?'
'What do you think? Something about friendly fire.'
He chuckled. 'With Quinn the fire would definitely not be friendly. I'd come just to annoy him.'
'And then I'd feel like shooting you myself. Don't make this difficult for me or I'll deal with Kistle on my own. I'd rather do that anyway. I'm tired of watching other people risk their lives because I'm choosing to let Kistle lead me down the garden path because of Bonnie.'
'You forget that I did that to you. I used Bonnie to make you risk your life when I first met you. Turnabout is fair play. But I wouldn't expect a garden path. I'd say it will be full of thorns.' He went on crisply, 'But I'll try to restrain myself from antagonizing Quinn unduly. And I won't stay at your cottage. Miguel and I will camp out in your woods until you hear from Kistle. That way I can keep an eye on you.' He added, 'And you can keep an eye on me. Won't that be cozy?'
She ignored the question. 'Kistle may object to Miguel.'
'He appears fairly innocuous. He's young and boyish and he has two bandaged hands. Kistle will think he can pick him off at will. And I don't want him targeting Miguel because I'm out of his immediate reach. I want him with me.'
He was right, Eve thought. Kistle would strike out at whatever victim he could if cheated of the one he wanted. 'I'm sure Miguel will like that. He's been aching to go after Kistle since the beginning. I'll see you in a few hours.' She hung up and went back out on the porch, where Joe was sitting on the swing with Toby at his feet. 'He'll be here tonight. He's bringing Miguel and he's going to camp out in the woods.'
'Good. I can't say I'd enjoy having him underfoot.' He looked out at the woods. 'At least he'll be of some use protecting you if he's out there.'
She sat down in the swing beside him. 'Everyone wants to protect me and I'm the one causing all this. Change your mind, Joe. I'm neither stupid nor helpless. Let me do this alone.'
'No way.' He looked away from her. 'Let me do it alone.'
'No way. I'm done with hiding away and waiting. Kistle wants me out on the firing line and that's where I want to be.'
'Then we're at an impasse.'
It seemed to Eve as if they'd been living in that state for months. 'I guess we are.' She reached out and tentatively touched his hand. 'Does that mean you don't want to hold me? That's not what it means to me.'
'No.' His arm slid around her shoulders and drew her to him. 'I'd want to hold you if you were going to lead me down to hell. Because if that's where you were, that's where I'd want to be.'
She put her head on his shoulder. 'Sometimes I think that's where I have been leading you,' she said unsteadily. The moment was filled with love and poignant sadness and she wanted to hold him, touch him, and protect him. 'And anytime you want to turn back, I'll understand.'
'I'm not going anywhere.' He was still staring out at the lake. 'And I'll work with Montalvo because, when I'm not pissed off, I can see how he might help to keep you alive.'
'I wasn't sure you'd be willing to do that.'
'I knew every minute I was in Clayborne Forest that I was fighting against time. I was sure you'd dive in as soon as you couldn't stand it any longer. Do I want to break Montalvo's neck every time I see him? Hell, yes. But I can't afford indulging my feelings toward him right now. My focus has to be totally on you. And I'd put up with a Saddam Hussein or a Satan if he could help.'
'No friendly fire?'
'Maybe later. I'm not promising anything.' He reached for his phone. 'But right now I'm going to call Jane and try to keep her on the other side of the Atlantic. I don't want her caught up in this hell ride.'
'How are you going to do that?'
'How do you think? Make up a whopper of a lie.'
THE CALL FROM KISTLE CAME an hour later. 'Really, Eve. You're spoiling all my fun. I was counting on a more dramatic death for Montalvo than the rest of you. It was going to be like the riveting prologue to the main novel. Now he'll just be one of the crowd.'
'You were listening in on my phone conversation.'
'Yes. Are you surprised?'
'No, I thought there was a good chance. You knew I'd warn him.'
'I didn't realize I'd drive you to tuck him under your wing. But I did learn something of value. Quinn and Montalvo are at odds. That may mean I can divide and conquer.'
'Don't count on it.'
'I never count on anything. That's why I'm so good in the wild. There are certain patterns that never change, but almost everything else is unstable.'
'Including you.'
'Including me. I'm sending you a present tomorrow. I think it will serve to keep the adrenaline flowing. Good night, Eve.'
She turned to Joe sitting on the couch beside her. 'He's still scanning my phone. He knew about the call to Montalvo. I think he's accepted his coming here.'
'The block will be on by morning. What else?'
'He's sending me a present tomorrow.' She shuddered. 'He was practically salivating. I kept thinking of those men with a stake in their hearts. He wants to scare me.'
'So what's new?' Joe turned away. 'I saw two cars' headlights coming up the road before I came in from the porch. It's probably Montalvo. I'm going down to meet him.'
She started to follow him and then stopped. It would be better if she let him go alone. She wasn't going to be able to play referee forever. They were grown men and they'd have to work it out for themselves.
She went to the door and watched him stride down the path toward the place on the other side of the lake where the cars had parked.
A very sensible decision but, dammit, she wanted to be down there with them instead of waiting here like some nitwit lady in a tower.
MONTALVO AND MIGUEL HAD already built a fire and were unpacking their gear by the time Joe reached their camp.
'Ah, Quinn, I was expecting you,' Montalvo said. 'Perhaps not quite this soon, but I had the foresight to bring an extra coffee from Starbucks for you in case you came before I had time to make a pot.' He handed him the large Starbucks cup and turned to Miguel. 'Stop unpacking, Miguel. Don't be rude. We have a guest.'
