“I’m having the same problem,” Cameron was looking directly in her eyes. “I’m trying to be sympathetic and helpful, but the sex keeps getting in the way. It may always be that way. We’ll have to work on it.”

“No, we won’t.” She turned and went toward the stairs. “Because you don’t even have to be around me. I can handle Santos.” She started up the stairs. “Go and take care of Erin.”

“You’re dismissing me?” He shook his head. “I can’t accept that, Catherine. Erin will always be important. But I find I’m feeling very angry toward Santos … and possessive toward you.”

“Possessive?” She looked over her shoulder. “The hell you are. I told you when you left me that wasn’t going to happen. I’ll never be your mistress, waiting for you to come back from trying to—”

“It doesn’t matter,” Cameron interrupted. “That can be settled later. Right now, the possession is centered on keeping you alive so that I’ll have another chance.” He headed toward the door. “Now I’ll go and make sure I approve of Sam’s security arrangements. I may have to bring some of my own men here.”

“Sam is perfectly capable of choosing good men. I trust him.”

“Does Hu Chang?”

“Of course.”

“You hesitated for a second. Hu Chang and I think alike on most subjects. I’ll do that check.” He looked up at where she was standing on the stairs. “Make up your mind. You won’t get rid of me until I want to go. And that won’t be until Santos is dead. It will be easier for you if we cooperate. It would help to keep me from getting in your way.”

“You won’t get in my way. I won’t let you.”

He shrugged. “What will be, will be.” He paused. “Expect a call from Santos. He’ll think he’s won this round and want to jab. It would have been total victory if Shaw had managed to kill Kelly, but Jane was evidently the prime target.”

“And she’s dying,” Catherine said hoarsely. “Yes, he’d consider that a win.”

“You’re hurting.” He frowned. “I don’t like the idea of your being alone. Let me stay with you.”

“I don’t need you. And I’m not alone.”

“No, you have a whole world of people who lean on you. Just once, lean on someone else.”

“You?”

“Why not?” He shook his head. “What am I thinking? That’s not going to happen.” He opened the front door. “I’ll leave the offer on the table. Anytime, Catherine.”

She watched the door shut behind him.

Anytime.

She was too tired and upset to make sense of those surprising words. She started back up the stairs.

Stop at Kelly’s room and see if she needed her.

Check on Luke and make sure he was okay after all he’d gone through in those woods tonight.

They were so young. Young and tough and thinking they could conquer the world. Yet there might be some kind of aftereffect for both of them. Maybe they would need to talk.

And she would have to tell them what had happened to Jane.

Another shock to add to all the others assaulting them.

Then she would go to her room and think about Jane and Eve.

And let the hurt overcome the control that she was struggling so desperately to hold in place. She’d stop being strong for just an hour or a night and release the sadness that was tearing at her.

See, I don’t need you, Cameron. I can handle it …

*   *   *

She knocked softly. “Kelly? May I come in?”

“Sure. I was expecting you.” Kelly smiled wearily at Catherine as she opened the door. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed, wearing one of Catherine’s sleep shirts. Her blond hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she looked scrubbed and shiny and very young and vulnerable. “I knew you’d be worried about me. I’m okay, Catherine. I’m a little shaky, and I don’t promise I won’t have nightmares, but I’ll get through it. I think Luke’s okay, too.”

“I just checked on him, and he seems fine. But then, Luke developed a lot of calluses while he was with Rakovac.” She sat down in the easy chair beside the bed. “And I don’t think you’ve ever managed to do that.”

“No.” She made a face. “But that’s a lot your fault. You showed me that no matter how ugly it can be out there, there might be a Catherine to make it right again. Like tonight.”

“I almost got you killed. I should have made you come here right away. But you were so excited about your work, and I wasn’t sure that you’d be targeted.” She shook her head. “Excuses. I made a bad call.” She reached out and touched Kelly’s hand. “Santos is so damned clever. He even used your father’s death to make you more vulnerable. I’m sorry he made you go through that, too, Kelly.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t have remembered anyway?” Kelly swallowed. “Dad’s always with me. That night they killed him is always with me. And all the therapists they ran me through didn’t do a damn thing to change that.”

“I know.”

She nodded. “You always know. From the moment you took me out of that camp in the jungle and saved my neck, I knew that no one else would ever really understand. That’s why I’ve always clung to you whether you liked it or not.”

“I liked it.” Her hand tightened on Kelly’s. “I care about you.”

“Sure. Why not? I’m one cool kid.” Her smile faded. “These times when I come here to be with you and Luke make me feel like I have a real family. I can’t lose that, Catherine. I can’t lose you. You’re so worried about me? What about you? Look, I can’t just sit here and twiddle my thumbs and play games with Luke. I can’t let this Santos scumbag kill you while I’m hiding out here. I’ve got to do something.”

“You have your project at school. You can be working on it here.”

“To hell with my project. You know what I mean.”

“Yes, I do. I don’t want to involve you, Kelly.”

“Involve me, or I’ll involve myself. I helped you find out where Rakovac was holding Luke, didn’t I? I don’t know if I can find Santos for you, but I can try.” Her voice was suddenly urgent. “You know I don’t have a clue why my brain seems to be able to see patterns in puzzles when no one else can. I never wanted it, but it’s there. So let’s see if Santos has a pattern that we can trace.”

“Kelly…”

“Let me try.” Her eyes held Catherine’s. “Please, Catherine. I felt helpless in that forest tonight. I won’t feel helpless about you. I need this.”

Catherine nodded slowly. “Okay. Information only. That’s as far as you get involved. What do you need to have to form a pattern?”

“Everything about Santos and everyone close to him. Venable should be able to get it for you, right? Surveillance reports. Background. Emotional affiliations. Anything unusual. Anything that’s common practice for him.” She shrugged. “Everything.”

“I’ll call Venable and have him send it out to Sam. It’s a lot of information to go through, Kelly.”

“I’ll have Luke help me go through it and feed me facts. He’s smart and fast, and he needs to be kept busy, too.”

“You can say that again,” Catherine said dryly.

“You can’t blame him. He’s a little confused about being thought of as a kid when all his instincts are telling him to protect you.” She smiled faintly. “I understand those instincts.”

“Me, too. But it doesn’t make the situation any easier.” She paused, then forced herself to go on. “You weren’t the only one in danger tonight. Jane MacGuire, Eve’s adopted daughter, was critically shot at the lake house in Atlanta. They don’t know whether she’s going to live.”

“No,” Kelly whispered. “Santos?”

Catherine nodded. “We think she was the main target. Evidently, you were to be a bonus.”

She shivered. “Should I be insulted? Lord, I’m so sorry. Poor Jane. Eve must be going crazy.”

“Yes, and frantically trying to find a way to save Jane. I’m going to see her in the morning.”

“Do you want me to go with you?”

“No, I don’t know what I’m going to face. Stay here.”

“I’ll do whatever is best for you. And for Eve.”

“Thanks, Kelly.” She got to her feet and leaned forward to brush a kiss on Kelly’s forehead. “You’re sure you don’t need to talk about what happened tonight?”