She could feel the anger begin to mount. “Look, you had me to get Erin off Kadmus’s mountain. You didn’t need Hu Chang. Why couldn’t you have left him out of it?”

“Because he’s my friend, and he deserved his chance to save you,” he said simply. “I first brought him into this because I thought he was the best possibility to free Erin. I was wrong. It was you. But because I was wrong, I couldn’t close him out once the decision to use you was made.”

She stared at him in frustration. “You’re impossible. And probably nuts. You have no right to make decisions and try to shape the whole world to suit yourself.”

“Not the whole world.” He smiled faintly. “Just my part of it.”

“I’m not part of your world, and neither is Hu Chang. So you can just stay away from us.”

He shook his head. “Hu Chang became part of my world years ago, and he understands there’s no going back. And you came into my life as a sort of gift from Hu Chang.”

“The hell I did.”

“Why else are you here?”

“Because of Erin and that bastard, Kadmus.”

“I rest my case.”

He meant that everything that had happened to Erin and Kadmus had been done because of the entire ugly scenario that had revolved around him.

And he was right. She didn’t know how or why it was true, but Cameron was the center. “I won’t have it, Cameron,” she said unevenly. “I have to tolerate your help to get Erin out of here and make sure that Hu Chang is safe, but after that, I want you out of my life. I haven’t known where I was with you since the moment you appeared. You and Hu Chang probably share some strange bond, but I want no part of it.”

“I hope I can keep you free of it,” he said soberly. “And you’re much safer not knowing more than a few shallow things about me. But I don’t believe you’ll allow that to keep on. You’re curious, and you think you can’t be in control unless you have the entire picture.” He added, “Sometimes, the entire picture isn’t pretty.”

“I can do without the entire picture. You’d probably turn out to be like that portrait of Dorian Gray who turned into a monster.”

He suddenly chuckled. “Let’s see, you’ve compared me to Jekyll’s Hyde, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and now I’m Dorian Gray? You’re full of literary insults. At least you haven’t gotten obscene.”

“That could come.” She was trying to regain her composure. “You had no right to bring Hu Chang here.”

“I only allowed him to come.” He glanced thoughtfully at her expression. “You care as much about him as he does for you. I thought you might. I knew it would be dangerous to try to step between you.”

“You didn’t step between us. And you’d better not have put Hu Chang in any danger by—”

“Shh, you’re getting too upset. You’ve gone through hell tonight, and you don’t need to—”

“I’ll get upset if I choose. You’re not in control of that either.”

“You’re right. Feel free to sit there and fume. We should be at the hut within a few minutes, and the two of you will be able to discuss how unfair and overbearing I am.” He added, “But while you’re doing it, you might remember that Erin is free, and you and Hu Chang have a way out because of who I am and what I can do, overbearing or not.”

There was no anger in his tone, only weariness. She could feel her own anger ebbing and tried to hold on to it. He might have helped getting them away from the mountain, but she resented that she’d had to rely on him. She’d had to struggle to remain independent. And bringing Hu Chang here was completely out of the bounds of—

“It’s how I run my life,” he said quietly. “For every act I take, I have to strike a balance. So many balances you can’t imagine.”

“Then tell me.”

He shook his head. “Hu Chang knows some of it. He can probably be persuaded to share it with you. Though it would be safer for you if he didn’t.”

“I wouldn’t try to persuade him. He’d laugh at me. I would reason with him.” She had a sudden thought. “Why would it be safer? You said once that you’d had two choices after Erin was captured, and she was becoming a danger to you. One was the one you chose, the other was to kill her.” She paused. “You’re saying that you would do the same to me if I learned too much about you?”

“God, I hope not, Catherine.” His voice, his face, suddenly held the same glowing, tenderness she had noticed earlier when he was caring for Erin. “It’s the last thing I want. I’ll do everything I can to avoid it. I’d take the most extraordinary steps possible to prevent that from happening.”

“As you did with Erin?”

“No, you’d be much more difficult. I’d have to stretch…”

“To keep from killing me.”

“It won’t happen.”

“You’re damned right it won’t.”

He chuckled. “Then we’re agreed. Now all I have to do is convince you to see things my way.”

“Bullshit. Stay out of my mind.” She tore her eyes away. “How soon can we get off this mountain?”

“Possibly tomorrow. Kadmus’s men will be streaming across the road from Daksha to this mountain as soon as he’s convinced we made it over here. They’ll be setting up and beginning the search. I’ll send one of the villagers down to keep an eye on them and report back to me. Unless there’s an emergency situation, I’ll have a helicopter here by tomorrow.”

“He’ll detect any electronic signals.”

“No, he won’t.”

She touched the blanket covering her. “Another whiz-bang invention? You can block the signal?”

“No, I won’t handle it like that. It would raise questions that would send ripples and I avoid ripples. Too much could go wrong.”

The answer led to a flood of wild and improbable possibilities. “Then I’m not going to ask you how you’re going to do it.”

He nodded. “That would be best.”

“Though I might ask Hu Chang.”

“Not best, but totally characteristic. You’ll do what you have to do.” He paused. “Just as Hu Chang did what he had to do. You might remember that when you find yourself in a fury with him.”

“I’m not angry with him. I’m angry with you.”

“But that may change. I’d be glad to share that fury with Hu Chang, but it would hurt you more than it would either one of us.”

“What are you talking about?” Her gaze was narrowed on his face. “I don’t understand a lot of what you say, and that annoys the hell out of me. But that sounded remarkably like a warning.”

“Not a warning.” He was slowing the jeep and pulled it over to the side of the road. “Just sincere advice from someone who cares.” He gestured to the hut across the road. “There you are. I’ll leave the headlights on so that you can see Hu Chang, and he can see you.” He got out of the car. “He must have heard us coming. I’m sure he’ll be out here any minute.”

“Cameron…” Erin dazedly lifted her head. “I must have fallen asleep.”

“Yes, you did.” He opened the rear door. “And just as well. It saved you from hearing Catherine scold me.” He picked her up and started for the hut. “It was most disturbing.”

Erin chuckled. “I can see that it bothered you.”

“Catherine never scolds.” Hu Chang stood in the doorway, the light from the fire within the hut outlining his body. “But she’s been known to tear strips from those who displease her.” His gaze was searching the darkness beyond the brilliant headlights. “Catherine?”

Warmth.

Memories.

Love.

And after all the worry, and frustration and anger he was here in front of her, unhurt, a few yards away.

“You shouldn’t have come,” she said unevenly as she struggled to get out of the car. “You deserve to have a strip torn off you. You should have waited in Hong Kong.”

“I’m not good at waiting.” She could hear the humor in his voice. “In that, I’m like you, Catherine. What is that ugly garment that you have about you?”

“Something that your friend, Cameron, gave me. It’s very warm, but I think that I’ll come into that hut and get my feet warm.”

“Good idea.” Cameron said as he passed Hu Chang with Erin. “Hu Chang, I think I’m going to have to tap your medical skills. Erin is going to need some attention.”