Shattered Mirror (Eve Duncan #23)(9)

“Evidently he’s not bored if he continues to set up these visits.”

“No.” She paused. “It’s the music. He loves my music. And he likes the idea that someone from his family is able to play well.”

“Play well? You know that you’re extraordinary, and I don’t like the idea of Kaskov basking in your glory.”

“Glory? It’s all about the music, Eve.”

“Maybe not to him,” she said. “And it can’t go on. Jock isn’t going to permit it. You do know that during every visit, Jock was nearby monitoring what was going on?”

“He told me that he’d be there. I told him not to do it.”

“You were afraid that one of your grandfather’s goons might decide to take Jock out? Does that tell you anything?”

“You know I wouldn’t have let that happen.”

“It’s Jock who wouldn’t have let it happen,” Eve said dryly. “No one has much of a chance against Jock Gavin. But he may be through with that holding pattern if he’s that angry with you, Cara.”

“If he’d just let me talk to him, I can make it right.”

“Maybe not this. Perhaps he’s taking a step back to make a statement.”

“You mean to punish me? I can’t believe he’d do that,” she said unevenly. “He knows how much he can hurt me. He’s my best friend. He’s everything.”

“Then think about how much these visits have been hurting him, where he has to stand by and do nothing.”

“I have to keep my promise.”

Stubborn, and so damn honorable that Eve wanted to shake her. “Then you should be prepared for an explosion in the near future.”

“Not if I can talk to him. I will talk to him. I called Jane and asked her to tell him to call me. If that doesn’t work, I’ll call MacDuff. He loves MacDuff. He listens to him.”

“And you called me. You’re pulling out all the stops.” She knew how determined Cara could be. If something was important to her, then she would keep on fighting until she got her way. And there was no one more important to her than Jock Gavin. “Think about it, Cara. There’s such a thing as compromise.”

“I did compromise. Only one month, Eve. And Michael is alive, and so are you.” She drew a deep breath. “You and Joe took me into your home and your lives, then Michael came along, and he was … magic. Do you know what that means to me? Maybe you could have found another way to save yourself and Michael, but I only saw one way. Don’t be mad at me because I took it.”

“I was never angry with you.” Eve was unbearably touched. “Joe and I love you. You’re a member of our family now. I just want you to stop trying to take care of all of us and start living a good life. You worry about Kaskov and Jock and Michael, Joe, and me. And you work so hard on your music at that school. Do you even have any friends there?”

“Not much time. Lessons and practice. They keep us pretty busy.”

“That’s what you’ve been telling me for years.”

“It’s true.” She added, “But you’ll be glad to know I’ve made one friend this quarter. Housing Admin gave me a roommate because the residence halls were overcrowded. They’ve even been sending us around to different events together.”

“What instrument?”

“No instrument. She’s a soprano. Wonderful range.”

“Encouraging. Now tell me you do something together that doesn’t involve music.”

“We went ice-skating two weeks ago.”

“That’s a start. What’s her name?”

“Darcy Nichols. She’s a couple years older and she’s nothing like me. Blond, blue-eyed, so gorgeous that people stop on the street and look at her. Way more sophisticated than I’ll probably ever be. She’s smart, funny, and she used to be on some Disney show when she was a kid. It ran for years. Golden Days. Did you ever see it?”

“No, but then I was a little too busy for Disney.”

“Me, too. But I think she was pretty famous while the show was running. Anyway, she never acts as if it was a big deal. She kind of pokes fun at herself. Let’s see, what else can I tell you about her … Oh, she likes swimming and movies and rock stars. Is that good enough for you, Eve?”

“If it’s good enough for you. Do you like her?”

“I do like her. She works hard, she’s honest.” She paused, then said slowly, “At first, I wasn’t sure about her. She kind of took my breath away. She takes everyone’s breath away. She kind of … sparkles. She operates at top speed, and she’s curious about everything around her. I guess I was a little intimidated.”

“Not you.”

“She was different. But, as I got to know her, I realized she might not be all that different. I think she may be a lot like me.”

“In what way?”

She was silent. “She has nightmares, too.”

Eve didn’t speak for an instant. Cara hadn’t mentioned those nightmares for a long time. When a small child she had been hunted by a cartel enforcer who had killed her sister and the woman who had raised her. It was no wonder that she’d been plagued by nightmares. Eve had hoped that their frequency had lessened after Cara had come to them. “Not something I’d want to have in common. Do you still have them?”