“You’re lying,” Nathan said sourly. “I saw a guard go into the church after you went in. He didn’t come out.”

“I’m not lying.” Galen gave him an annoyed glance. “I was just omitting an incident that might have upset Eve. I told the truth. He was no trouble. I got him before he alerted anyone.”

“Got him?”

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t Rick. Let’s go. We have to get out of here before they find out the skull is gone.”

“He’s crazy,” Nathan grumbled to Eve. “The bastard could have gotten us eaten.” He looked belligerently at Galen. “And I need a shower.”

“No time. Go as you are or not at all. You made your way here; if you want, you can find your own way out of it.”

“For this Jules Hebert to find?” Eve asked.

“He has to keep up with the program. My mum always said that what goes around, comes around.”

“I’m getting very tired of what your mum said. I think you make it up to suit yourself.” She headed for the door. “We’re taking him.” He shrugged. “If you insist. But we both smell to high heaven, and two of us packed in that car will be enough to make anyone sick.” He passed her and hurried down the stairs in front of her. “We go out the back door and get to the car parked in the cypress grove a few hundred yards from the house.” He stopped at the kitchen door. “Stay here for a minute. I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’ve checked the area out. Most of the guards are located across the bayou at the church, but one rascal is a little distance down the bank of the bayou watching the house. I didn’t have time to take care of him when I went for the skull.” He glanced at Nathan. “And besides, Nathan was making too much noise complaining. We were lucky to get back to the house without anyone seeing us.”

“You were trying to drown—”

“Be ready.” Galen was out the door and moving to the side of the house. “And cross your fingers they don’t find that guard in the church…”

“Come on. Move.” Galen appeared at the door a few minutes later. “We’re on borrowed time.”

“The guard?”

“Taken care of.” He broke into a trot as they neared the cypress grove. “It’s the guard in the church we have to worry about. It’s been almost fifteen minutes.

Someone will go and look for him.”

Eve stopped short. Galen’s brown rental car was not parked there as she had expected. Instead, there was a late-model gray Lexus.

Joe Quinn was standing beside it.

Eve whirled on Galen. “What the hell is happening?”

“I’m happening,” Joe said curtly. “Get in the car and let’s get out of here.” Eve ignored him. “You called him, Galen?”

“Sure. Before I went to the church. I told you I might need him. I’d say the situation is escalating enough to bring him in. I can’t be everywhere at once. Pop the trunk, Quinn.” He put the cases in the trunk. “This is Bill Nathan. Get in the backseat, Nathan.” He turned to Eve. “Your choice where you want to sit, but Quinn is going with us. I’ve invited him along for the ride.”

“Galen, you’re taking too much on yourself.”

“It’s a habit of mine. I’m providing.” He opened the back door for her. “And that includes as much protection as I can manage.”

“For God’s sake, I’m not going to contaminate you,” Joe said roughly. “Get in the car.”

She hesitated, and then got into the backseat next to Nathan. “I don’t like this, Galen.”

“Sorry.” He looked over his shoulder at the church as he got into the passenger seat. “Nothing stirring yet. God, we’re lucky. Let’s go, Quinn.” Joe got into the driver’s seat. “Where are we going?”

“South. I have a place just a little north of New Orleans. That should be safe for a time.”

“They won’t look for us there?”

“Well, when you’re in my business you don’t want the entire world to know where you make your home. The paperwork is buried pretty well.”

“Don’t be overconfident,” Nathan said. “Jules Hebert has the Cabal behind him, and that opens a lot of doors.”

“If this so-called Cabal even exists. Anyone can find anyone, given enough time.

But we may have enough leeway for Eve to finish Victor.”

“Maybe.”

“Drive, Quinn,” Galen said. “He’s depressing me.” Joe’s shoulders were squared; he hadn’t looked back at Eve for the entire journey.

And she had tried her best to keep her gaze off him by looking out the window or trying to chat with Nathan, who was less than communicative. Galen was no help.

He’d been uncharacteristically quiet during the trip, only giving Joe an occasional direction. So there had been nothing to distract her from looking at Joe, thinking about Joe, during these hours on the road.

It seemed wrong to be back here, when she was always beside him. All those years when they had been best friends and then lovers…

Lovers.

Jesus, how she loved him to touch her. Her body was readying, just thinking about the last time he had entered her, driving deep and hard. And afterward was almost as good, being held as if she was wonderfully precious. She always felt so safe…

She forced herself to look away from him. Life wasn’t sex. Life was trust and honesty.

And sex.

She hadn’t been away from Joe’s bed since they had come back from Arizona two years ago. It was natural that she would become used to his body, used to sex with him. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t do without it. It would be better once she got out of this damn car.

Okay, block him out. She had to try to decide what to do once she reached Galen’s place. There were too many important issues to resolve. What was best for Jane and her mother? Think about them instead of Joe. Hell, what was best for her?

An hour later Galen pointed to a huge wrought-iron gate mounted on an equally huge iron fence. “Turn in there. The house is beyond those cedar trees.” He pressed a button on his keychain and the gates swung open. “Thank God, we’re here. This wasn’t the most relaxing trip I’ve ever taken. I could have cut the atmosphere with a knife.”

“It’s all your fault.” Eve said her own prayer of thanks that the journey was over as she leaned forward to get a shadowy glimpse of the huge two-story yellow-beige stucco house. “For God’s sake, it’s a mansion.”

“I made the owner an offer he couldn’t refuse,” Galen said as they drove up the curving driveway to the two carved twelve-foot doors. “I thought it appropriate.”

“I hope we’re not going to be involved with the Mafia,” Eve said. “That’s all I’d need at the moment.”

“I was joking,” Galen said. “My job pays pretty well and I had Logan invest for me. I have a few shekels to rub together.”

“Quite a few,” Quinn said dryly. “One wonders why you’re still working.”

“When you grow up in the slums, there’s never enough money in the world to make you feel safe.” Galen got out of the car and opened the back door. “But I tried to stop about a year ago and I couldn’t take it. I was bored to death. As a matter of fact, that statement was pretty close to the truth. I started taking chances. Hell, I even took up mountain climbing. When I sprained my ankle on one of the kiddie slopes, I decided I was a sad case, so I went back to work. I figured it was healthier.” He helped Eve out of the car. “You okay?”

“Fine.”

“I’m not,” Nathan said. “I’m smelly and dirty and I think I have leech bites.”

“Really?” Galen’s brows rose. “Anywhere interesting? If you were attacked by leeches, then they’re probably still attached. Want help pulling them off?” Nathan glowered at him. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Don’t be surly. You’ll survive. I doubt if you have leeches.”

“You’re such an expert?”

“Sure. Though I’m more knowledgeable about crossing piranha-infested rivers.” Nathan snorted.

“You doubt me? You always cross the river at night when the piranhas are dozing, and you stay away from docks where—”

“I don’t want to hear about piranhas. Will you unlock that damn door?”