Catherine gazed at her with frustration, deep affection, and a trace of panic. They were so close to assuring Erin’s permanent safety, but tonight, anything could happen.
She smiled with an effort. “Just stay close as you did in that hot spring, and we’ll be okay.”
She nodded. “And I promise I won’t duck my head under the water.”
“See that you don’t.”
But what they might encounter tonight could be far deadlier than anything they’d yet faced together.
God, keep her safe. She’s gone through so much. Give her a break tonight.
7:40 P.M.
Celia gazed at Luke uncertainly. He’d been much too quiet for the past thirty minutes.
Luke turned away from the French doors to look at her.
“Where’s Catherine?” he asked uncertainly. “And Hu Chang? Something’s happening, isn’t it?”
“Something is always happening,” Celia said. “But nothing for you to worry about.”
“I saw men on the street at the front of the house and one near the corner. Who are they?”
“No one to concern you. Cameron has the house surrounded by several lethal-looking men who he assures me will take good care of all of us.”
“Why should he do that? Where’s Catherine?” Luke repeated. “I haven’t seen her since dinner. And Hu Chang, he always—”
“You’ll have to ask Cameron. He said he’d come around and check on you later.” She smiled. “He’s gone to a lot of trouble. He evidently cares a great deal for you, Luke.”
“I like him, too.” He added, “Most of the time.”
“I feel the same way.” Celia laughed. “But you may have more reason. He’s turned your life upside down.”
“No, he hasn’t. I’m the one who decided to go after Catherine when she left Hong Kong.” His gaze went to the garden. “There are two men out there near the summerhouse. Are they more of the men Cameron assigned to us?”
“Yes. Stop worrying. Come into the kitchen with me, and I’ll make you a cup of jasmine tea.”
“I’m not worrying. I just have to know what’s happening.” He didn’t turn around. “Catherine’s gone to that fireworks factory she was talking about with Erin and Hu Chang, hasn’t she?”
She went still. “I don’t know about any fireworks factory. I don’t ask, and I prefer not to be involved.” She paused. “How did you happen to hear about it? I can’t see Catherine’s discussing it around you.”
“She didn’t. I heard them talking, but I didn’t hear it all. I didn’t know it was tonight. She should have told me.” His hand tightened on the French doorjamb. “She should have taken me. But I knew she wasn’t going to do it.”
“So you decided to do a little eavesdropping?” Celia asked shrewdly. “What did you hear, Luke?”
“Enough. She should have taken me. We should be together. I should be able to take care of her.”
“I’m not sure how mothers usually think, but I don’t believe that’s the way it goes, Luke.” She shrugged. “Anyway, it’s too late. You’ll have to make the best of staying with me until Cameron gives me a call. He made it very clear that all of these guards were here to keep you safe and sound.”
“And what about Catherine?”
“Cameron will make sure that nothing happens to her.”
“But that’s not his job, it’s mine,” he said fiercely. “Catherine belongs to me.”
“Discuss it with him.” Celia moved toward the kitchen. “I believe he may have a different view. Now I’ll go in the kitchen and start the water boiling. We’ll have tea, and I’ll try to keep you amused for the next few hours. I’m not good at chess, but I’m one great poker player.” She hesitated at the door. “She’ll be fine, Luke,” she said softly. “You’ll have lots of time to take care of your mother when you get a little older. I’ll call you when the tea is ready.”
What was she doing babysitting a boy like Luke? Celia thought with frustration as she moved toward the kitchen. She liked the kid, but she knew nothing about what made boys his age tick. He was older in some ways than the men who were her customers, and there were depths that she had not been able to reach. But she couldn’t treat him as she did—
Her phone rang. Cameron.
“I don’t like this, Cameron,” she said crossly. “You told me to keep him busy. You didn’t tell me that he has some kind of obsession about protecting his mother. How the hell am I supposed to soothe him and make everything alright?”
“Soothe him?” Cameron repeated. “Why?”
“He knows what’s happening, dammit. He eavesdropped and came up with answers that didn’t compute when he didn’t see Catherine after dinner. I don’t know if I can—”
“He knows about the fireworks factory?”
“He mentioned something about it.”
“Shit,” Cameron snapped. “Where is he now?”
“In the dining room. I just left him glaring at two of the guards in the garden that you sent over. I’m in the kitchen making jasmine tea and trying to lure him with a poker game.”
“You left him alone?”
“He’s in the next room.”
“Celia, go and find him,” he said slowly and precisely. “Now. Keep him with you until I get there. Don’t let him out of your sight.”
“I’m on my way.” She moved back down the hall. “But it’s not as if—”
The dining room was empty.
“He’s not here,” she said blankly. “I’ll go upstairs and see if he went to his room.”
Cameron muttered a curse. “Do that. And then go out and see if any of those guards saw him. I doubt if they did. Luke has had experience evading surveillance. He’s probably on his way here to the fireworks factory.”
“He said he had to protect Catherine. It was his job.” She paused. “And not yours, Cameron.”
“Just call back if you find him.” He hung up.
Running up the stairs, she hoped she would be able to call back with good news. She didn’t like the idea that she had failed to keep Luke safe. She’d be a lousy mother. There was supposed to be some kind of instinct that told you when a kid was wandering off.
But Luke was not the usual kid, and if he had left, it was deliberate.
Be in your bedroom, Luke. Don’t let me be responsible for losing you. Or worse. Cameron had been very curt. She didn’t even want to think about what else could happen to Luke.
FIREWORKS FACTORY
7:45 P.M.
“I’m going to go and check out a few things, Catherine,” Cameron said as he got off the third-floor freight elevator. “I won’t be long. And I’ll be monitoring you.”
“What? Now?” She stared at him in bewilderment. “Kadmus should be calling any minute. Where are you going?”
“Something has come up that I can’t put off.” He moved toward the window leading to the fire escape. “I have to see to it.”
“Orders from your damn committee?” she asked. “Did they find out that Kadmus is going down?”
“No.” He was swinging out onto the fire escape. “It’s nothing like that.” His face was without expression. “Look, I’ve put Blake’s men in the shops across the street, and they’ll come if they see anything suspicious. I should be back before Kadmus puts in an appearance.”
He was gone.
“Most unusual,” Hu Chang said from across the room where he was sitting with Erin. “But I’m sure that we can handle everything without Cameron if it comes down to it. After all, we are extraordinary people.”
“And Cameron is a secretive bastard who thinks no one is extraordinary but himself.” She drew a deep breath and moved toward the freight elevator. “I’m going to go check all the floors and make sure we’re locked up tight. I want to hear any entry.”
“Would you like me to go with you?” Erin asked.
She smiled. “No, you’re bait. Stay with Hu Chang. That’s all you should have to do tonight.”
“It doesn’t seem like much.” She looked around the dark warehouse. “I don’t like sitting here doing nothing.”
“Then Cameron should have taken you with him. Maybe he would have told you what the—” Catherine stopped. It wasn’t Erin’s fault her superhero was behaving as if he was the only one who was capable. She was just nervous and on edge and wanted this meeting with Kadmus over. She pressed the elevator button. “I’ll be right back.”