"My God, you're furious." He laughed. "I should have known you'd go all soft and sentimental over the thought of a wee babe out in the cold."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not soft."

"I know." He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "That's what makes this such a golden moment."

She felt a melting deep inside. "Damn you."

He turned her hand over and kissed the palm. "And we've had a good many golden moments, haven't we?"

"A few."

"Damned with faint praise." His eyes were twinkling as he looked up at her. "Come back to bed before you start calling me an asshole again."

"It's time I went to my own room."

"Just a little while," he coaxed. "No sex, just cuddling."

She hesitated, then lay back down.

His arms enfolded her. "This is good," he whispered. "Would you really have put down dear old mum for me? Now, I think that's caring."

"Be quiet." She nestled her cheek in the hollow of his shoulder. "It was only a fleeting impulse. Even as an infant you probably deserved to be thrown out in the cold."

"Stung again." He stroked her hair. "I don't like the idea of you charging out to defend me anyway. It offends my sense of gallantry." He paused. "I'd be happier taking the initiative myself."

"With your mum?"

"No, with Chavez."

She stiffened.

"Shh." His hand moved to massage the taut muscles of her nape. "I don't like to talk about it either. But I don't want you making a move without our discussing it."

"What's to discuss?"

"You know it's only a matter of time until Chavez appears."

"You said you'd be told when that was likely to happen."

"I will. But why wait like sitting ducks? Why not let me go hunting and take Chavez down?"

"No!"

"Why not? It's the sensible thing to do. It will keep any fight with Chavez away from you and Barry." He paused. "You were planning on leading him away from Barry, weren't you?"

"I didn't say that."

"It's much more reasonable to let me do it before he even has an inkling where you are. Then, if he takes me down, you and Barry still have a chance to run."

"It appears I'm not that reasonable." Her voice was uneven. "Or that callous."

"Think about it. I was going to do it without telling you, but it's safer if we coordinate our strategy and-"

"I'm not going to think about it. This is my life and my fight."

"What about Barry?"

"I'll protect Barry. I'd never risk him. I'll find a way to do both."

He was silent a moment. "I can do this, Elena. I'm very, very good. Stay with Barry and let me take care of Chavez."

"Do you think I don't want to say yes?" she asked fiercely. "I want him dead. It shouldn't make any difference to me who kills him. But it does, dammit. It does."

"Why?"

"Because I- It does."

"Clear." He chuckled. "Could it be you're beginning to care a bit for me? Yes, that must be it."

"Why would I care anything about an asshole like you?"

"Well, it might be because you sense that I'm willing to throw my heart out on the ground and let you trample on it."

"Stop joking."

"Who's joking?" He brushed her temple with a kiss. "It's a surprise to me too, but I find I'm bloody helpless around you. I feel like a mooning kid again. But don't let it worry you. I'm a very patient bloke and I know you have a few problems to workout."

"Don't let it worry me? How generous of you. But you tell me that-"

"I thought you should know. I don't know where it's going to go or how far it's going to take us, but I don't believe in holding things back."

"Particularly when you want to run out and get yourself killed."

"That wasn't my intention. I'm not into last hurrahs. I was merely-"

"I don't want to talk anymore." Her arms tightened around him. "And I'm tired of cuddling."

"Sex? Glad to oblige." He rolled her over. "Even when it's a form of escape, sex is good." He smiled down at her. "But I have to warn you, there's going to come a time when I'm going to call it something else."

He was asleep.

Elena carefully moved Galen's arm from around her shoulders and slipped out of bed.

She paused a moment, gazing down at him. He was sprawled on his side, and yet he still possessed that catlike grace even in sleep. Most people appeared defenseless when sleeping, but Galen didn't. He looked as if he was only resting, waiting for the opening bell so he could spring up and once again enter the fray.

Stop looking at him. Get out of here. Tonight he had confused and frightened her. She had been so absorbed in pleasure that she hadn't thought of anything beyond sex; she didn't believe Galen had either.

Or, if he had, she supposed he was thinking about "solving her problem." Maybe whatever Galen felt for her was impossible to separate from the effort he'd put into helping her. In six months he'd probably be involved in another project and forget she existed.

And what about how she felt about him? She instantly shied away from that thought. She wouldn't allow herself to feel this softness whenever she was around him. She had Barry and Dominic, and they were more than enough hostages to fortune. She was weakening too much already. If she hadn't been weak, she would have let him go after Chavez. No one was more important than Barry, and it made no difference who killed Chavez.

But she hadn't been able to let Galen go on the hunt.

Which meant it was getting close to the time she must go on the hunt herself.

"Your helicopter pilot, Carmichael, is dead," Manero said. "And it wasn't easy. If he knew anything you didn't want Chavez to know, then you'd better regroup."

"He didn't," Galen said. "Chavez was bound to have found out it was me who snatched Elena and Barry. When did it happen?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe four weeks. He was in Rio before he disappeared. They just found the body in a village outside the city."

Four weeks. Then Chavez had definitely had time to get a massive search under way for Galen. He'd hoped for more notice. "Chavez is still in Colombia?"

"Sitting like a fat cat on the top of his hill. I told you I'd let you know when he made a move."

"Okay, okay." He had thought about this eventuality and it was time to run a check. "There are a few people who could tell him where I might be located. John Logan, Sam Destin, and Paul Russell. I need to know where they are and if they're having any problems. Tell them about Chavez. Warn Destin and Russell they'd better go underground for a while. Logan can take care of himself. They probably won't touch him."

"I usually don't work outside South America. A man has to have his specialty."

"But you have contacts everywhere. I don't have time to get anyone else. I'll pay double."

"Why didn't you contact Destin and Russell before?"

"With enough money, even honest men can be bought. I didn't want them to have time to think about selling me out."

"I like money too."

"But you're an honest man in your way. Bad for you, good for me."

Manero sighed. "Double?"

"Double."