Shattered Mirror (Eve Duncan #23)(76)
She followed him into the parlor and watched him as he went to the small cherry bar and poured two glasses of wine from a crystal decanter.
He brought her glass to her. “You look exhausted.” His gaze was studying her face. “Strain. Shadows. Determination. Endurance.” He took a sip of wine. “But no panic. No desperation. I thought you might be desperate since you called and spoke to me as you did.”
“The desperation might come later. I have to keep it at bay right now. It would interfere with my thinking and making decisions. I can’t let that happen.” She lifted her glass. “And I’m sorry if you thought I wasn’t polite to you. That was the last thing I was worried about when I decided I needed your help.” She met his eyes. “Jock says you have an armed camp here, and that’s what I need to protect Cara and Darcy. Under usual circumstances, I’d try my best to keep them away from you and your men. But I can’t do that now. I’m going to have to rely on you to keep that son of a bitch from killing them. He’s going to try. He’s positioning us all for the kill.”
“So you told me. But you’re still here.”
“Because we have to position him for the kill,” she said simply. “It’s the only way I can get my son back.”
“Now that’s an answer I understand.” He smiled. “Particularly said with total ruthlessness and determination. You’re very intimidating at this moment, Eve.”
“He has Michael. No one can stand in my way.” She took another sip of wine and set the glass on the table. “So we find Norwalk, we trap him, we kill him. You know a lot about all of those things, so I’ll accept your help if you’ll give it. If you don’t want to help, then I believe you’ll at least protect Cara.” She tilted her head. “Won’t you?”
He nodded. “If you’ll recall, all of this started because I was protecting Cara from Sean Norwalk. Nothing has changed in that regard. I won’t promise you anything else.”
“I didn’t expect any promises from you. I don’t know if I’d believe them. But you do have some kind of feeling for Cara, and just living in an armed camp will make it safer for Darcy.” She smiled without mirth. “And I’ll use your armed camp. We need a place where we won’t be vulnerable to launched attacks after we find my son. And don’t be too confident about being able to stay out of the fray, Kaskov. You’re the prime target.”
“I never said I wanted to stay out of the fray. I just said that I’d make you no promises. I take care of my own business in my own time.” He finished his wine and smiled. “But by all means, use my place as your own, and I’ll instruct my men that I consider you all family. Amusing…”
“Not at all amusing.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Now I think I’ll go to bed if you think I’ve been ‘clear’ enough. I’m very tired, and I’ve got to get over it.”
“So that you’ll have strength for the battle to come?” he asked softly. “Yes, that’s what I’d do. We may be more alike than you dream, Eve.”
“We’re nothing alike.” She turned and headed for the grand staircase. “I don’t kill people.”
“Except when it’s important to you. You’ll have no problem at all killing Norwalk to save your son.” He lifted his glass to her. “Good night, Eve. Sleep well.”
“Good night.” She started up the stairs. She would sleep well. She had to rest and gain strength. Kaskov was right, there was a storm brewing and a battle on the horizon and she had to be ready.
I’m here, Michael. I’ll never leave you. Hold on, I’ll come to you …
*
Kaskov was sitting in a beige brocade easy chair in the parlor, his eyes closed, listening to Cara’s concert CD when Jock walked into the room. He didn’t open his eyes. “I really wish you’d have the courtesy to announce yourself, Gavin. I know you’re probably annoyed, and there’s a certain amount of power-satisfaction about being able to come and go as you please, but I’m beginning to find it irritating.”
“You’re right, I am annoyed. I didn’t like being caught off guard, and I don’t like anything that’s happening between you and Eve. She thinks it’s safer, but it’s setting up everyone in one place for Norwalk.”
“Then you’ll have to talk to Eve.” Kaskov opened his eyes. “She appears to be running the show. I’m just a poor lackey, doing her bidding.”
“As long as you let her.”
“I can’t help myself. She’s an indomitable force at the moment. A mother with a child in danger. There’s no one more dangerous on the planet.” He smiled. “Refreshing. I’m quite enjoying her.”
“You’ll not enjoy Cara’s reaction, if you do anything to get in Eve’s way. Nor my response, if you make my job harder.”
“Oh, I’m well aware of all the land mines. Why do you think I waited up for you instead of going to bed and have you pay me a visit in the middle of the night again? I knew that you’d want to come and threaten me and so forth. So I put on Cara’s newest CD to soothe me and keep me from being tempted to kill you. It was quite a wonderful concert, wasn’t it?”
“Fantastic. She’s always fantastic.”