“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.”
“I’ll be in soon,” Hu Chang said. “I believe there’s something that I have to discuss with Catherine. I’m guessing that you didn’t do it on the way here.”
“And interfere with your business? I wouldn’t do that.” His smile had an element of mocking mischief. “But get it over quickly. She’s been through a lot tonight.”
“I should have been with her. I was not pleased when you left here without saying a word.”
“If I’d needed you, I would have used you.” He entered the hut. “Turn off the headlights when you come in. I only left them on so that Catherine could—Ah, that’s what I was expecting.”
Luke had pushed past him and stood in the doorway. “Catherine?”
“Oh, my God.”
She stared at him, stunned. She felt dizzy, drunk … and terrified. She couldn’t breathe. “Luke. What are—”
“I can’t see you. The light’s in my eyes. Are you okay?” He was coming toward her. His hair was mussed, and his expression was strained. “Hu Chang said that we’d get you out safe but then Cameron left and I didn’t—”
“I’m fine.” She ran toward him. “You shouldn’t be here. You have no business—” She touched his hair. It was soft, warm from the fire. “It’s all wrong. You shouldn’t have let him bring you, Luke.” She looked over her shoulder at Hu Chang, and said fiercely, “Dammit, you knew better that to risk him. What insanity led you to do this?”
“He wanted to come,” he said simply. “Sometimes it’s best to follow desire instead of reason.”
“And sometimes it’s better to be responsible and do what’s right. I’m not going to forgive you for this, Hu Chang.”
“Then I must bear the pain.”
“No!” Luke said. “Stop it, Catherine.” His dark eyes were glittering in his taut face. “Don’t you blame Hu Chang. I’m the one who decided I was going to come. I would have come after you whether he’d brought me or not. You were in trouble, and you were alone. I needed to be with you.”
“Tell her why, Luke,” Hu Chang said.
“I can’t tell her what I don’t know. Hu Chang talked a lot of weird stuff about souls speaking and how I had to learn…” He frowned. “Well, I haven’t learned what he wanted me to learn. All I know is that I’m here where I should be, and I’m going to stay with you until it’s over.” He stared her in the eye. “You’re not going to send me away, Catherine.”
“Luke, this is crazy. You’re scaring me to death.” She stared at him helplessly. “You’re my son, you’re only a boy. I can’t stand by and let you—”
“I’ve tried to listen to you, Catherine. But you don’t know me.” He swallowed. “I know who you want me to be. I’ll never be able to be him. I can’t be anyone but me, what I am,” he said unsteadily. “Maybe you could get to like me that way, too. But you can’t do it unless you see me for who I am.”
She gazed at him, stricken. “Luke, I love you. I think you’re wonderful. I’d never want you to be anything you didn’t want to be.”
He repeated, “You don’t know me. If you let me stay, maybe you will. I promise I won’t hide anything from you.”
Oh, God, she had the feeling she was on the edge of a precipice. It could be a disaster, or it could be the beginning of something …
She didn’t know. She could only follow Luke’s lead. She was afraid to do anything else. “Look, I have to find a way to keep you safe. But I promise I won’t hide anything from you either.”
He smiled. “You don’t have anything to hide. I knew that from the minute you came to get me from Rakovac. It was all there out front.” He took a step closer and gave her an awkward hug. “I’m glad you’re safe, Catherine. Next time, I’ll be there to watch out for you.” He turned and started to trot back into the hut. He stopped and turned to Hu Chang. “You see that she gets out of the cold. Can’t you see she’s barefoot?”