Circle Of Fire

'Take Evan and Jayne and go on a vacation. Don't tell anyone where. Just get the hell out of here, and keep Evan safe.'

She pushed the coffee mug away and rose. 'Am I able to leave yet?' she asked, glancing across at Mack.

He nodded, then frowned when Steve snorted softly. 'For the moment. But if you happen to see Barnett, tell him I need to ask him some questions.'

She nodded and dragged her sodden coat off the back of the chair. 'I don't suppose you can give me a lift back to the motel?'

'I can take you,' Steve growled.

Getting into the car with her brother-in-law was the last thing her headache needed. The light in his eyes told her he hadn't yet said everything he'd come here to say. Even the ten-minute trip to the motel would be too much time spent in his company. She shook her head. 'No. I meant it when I suggested running, Steve. The sooner you get away from this place, the better.' She glanced down at Evan. 'I'll talk to you when I get home.'

If I get home,she thought, and followed the FBI agent from the room.

Dusk was beginning to creep across the sky by the time she got back to the motel room. Maddie kept a careful eye on the shadows as she made her way across the parking lot. Though she knew Eleanor wasn't likely to leap out at her, there was an uneasiness to the bitter wind that made her nerves tingle.

Something felt wrong. She just wasn't entirely sure what.

The room was dark when she entered, but it wasn't empty. She could feel Jon's presence, a warmth that surrounded her as securely as a cloak.

'Don't turn on the light,' he said softly.

His voice came from the direction of the beds and was edged with tiredness. She frowned and locked the door before she walked across to the bed.

As her eyes became adjusted to the dim light, she realized that he wasn't wearing much beyond boxer shorts—and a huge bandage on the upper part of his well-muscled left thigh.

'Are you okay? What happened?' she asked, sudden concern making her stomach churn.

'I'm fine. Hank just stuck a knife into me.'

His tone was touched with reluctance, as if he didn't want to discuss the matter. Her frown deepened.

The uneasiness she'd felt walking across the parking lot was nothing compared to the tension suddenly filling the room. 'And what happened to Hank?'

He didn't reply immediately, though the tension rose by several degrees.

'He died. No great loss, really.'

So Hank was dead and no longer a threat. She shivered and rubbed her arms. It should have been a relief that he was no longer able to hurt her or Evan, or anyone else, but it wasn't. She had a bad feeling that Eleanor would make them all pay for his death.

But what scared her more than anything else was the callousness in Jon's voice. It was almost as if he had killed so often that it just didn't matter to him.

And yet, deep down, he seemed to be in pain.

'Want to talk about it?' she asked softly. 'Sometimes it helps if you do.'

He snorted. The quickly fading light that washed through the windows highlighted the derision on his face. 'He got a knife in the back. He died. There's nothing much more to say, Maddie.'

There was when you thought yourself a coward. And while she understood Jon had every intention of killing Hank, he wouldn't have intentionally knifed him in the back. It wasn't his way.

She touched his leg. His skin twitched slightly beneath her fingers, and a sudden shock of awareness ran warmth through her body. It was a sensation hard to ignore, and yet she would have to if she wanted to get any answers from him. She had a feeling he'd reject a physical approach a whole lot faster than he was rejecting emotional ones.

She softly cleared her throat. 'Except that you're lying here filled with anger and self-loathing.'

He glared at her. 'If I'm angry, it's because you won't leave the damn subject alone.'

She stared back at him steadily. His anger was nothing compared to the anger she'd faced during her marriage. She might have known him only a few days, but it was long enough to understand he would never hit her. He might break her heart, but he would never physically hurt her, as Brian so often had.

'Did Hank say anything before he died?'

Something flickered in his eyes before the shutters came back down. It wasn't hard to guess that Hank's departing words had been aimed in her direction.

'Did he say anything else besides sullying my reputation?'

Just for an instant, the hint of a smile tugged at his full lips. Then he ran a hand through his disheveled hair and frowned at her. 'If he did, it's none of your damn business.'

His voice held an edge that cut her to the quick. She bit her lip and glanced at the window. The wind was beginning to pick up outside, rattling the old windows in their frames. Maybe it was something of an omen, a sign that trouble was brewing. But if she was to have any hope of fulfilling her promise to Evan, she had to keep pushing for information. Whether Jon liked it or not, she had every intention of staying until she found Teresa.

But maybe it was time to try a change of tactics. 'How bad is the leg?'

He shrugged, a gesture that could have meant anything. 'It's fairly deep and required several stitches.

The doc reckons I'll have to stay off it for several days.'

She raised her eyebrow and wondered how he'd gotten around the problem of the doctor reporting the wound to the police. Or maybe he hadn't—maybe he'd literally flown the coop before the police arrived to question him. 'And will you?'

He smiled, though no amusement touched the coldness in his eyes. 'No. Quick healing is a gift of my heritage. I'll be able to move around in the morning.' He hesitated and studied her for a long moment.

'When are you leaving?'

Thatwas the reason for his behavior. He wanted her out of his way—it was evident not only in what he said, but in the way he said it. Even in the way he looked at her. Ignoring the deep thrust of hurt, she shook her head. 'I'm not going anywhere.'

He quirked an eyebrow. 'Up until now, I didn't think you were a fool.'

She smiled grimly. 'Then you really don't know me, do you?'

'No, I don't.' Just for a moment his voice was edged with a hint of regret that warmed her heart. 'But you can't stay here. Eleanor will come after me, and I don't want you in the firing line.'

So Evan was right. Jon was going after Eleanor, not Teresa. 'You can't handle Eleanor alone when you're injured.'

'I can, and I will. I don't want you here, Maddie. Just face that fact and leave.'

Heat crept into her cheeks. 'I really don't care what you want. I made a promise to try to find Teresa, and that's exactly what I intend to do.'

'Who the hell told you her name was Teresa?'

'Evan did.'

'And how will you achieve this miracle?' His voice was knife-edged, thrusting deep into her soul. 'I'll find her. I just don't want you blundering around any more, putting everyone's life in jeopardy.'

'It was my so-called blundering that found Evan in the first place!' She jumped to her feet and glared at him. 'Why are you pushing me away like this?'

'You've done what you came here to do. It's time to leave.'

'I made a promise. I can't go back on that.'

'Just as you made a promise never to use your gifts again?' He gave her a cold smile. 'Some vows are made to be broken, I'm afraid. You could no more find the teenager than you could stop using your abilities. Face those facts and just get the hell out of my life.'

She stared at him. While she understood that he was deliberately being nasty in an attempt to get rid of her, his words hurt nevertheless. 'You can be such a bastard.'

'I have the soul of a hunter, a hawk. I am a killer by nature.' He hesitated and gave her an almost savage smile. 'And I love my work.'