"Considering the length of time we've lived together I believe that's my privilege."
"Maybe." She wearily shook her head. "I'm tired of arguing, Joe. We haven't been doing anything else since this business began. You're not going to change my mind. And evidently I can't change yours either. Stalemate."
"I can't accept that. I won't accept it."
"Then you'll have to suck it up and deal with it," she said bluntly. "I'm going to do the reconstruction and turn it over to Montalvo. Then I'm going to go home to Atlanta and wait for Montalvo to pay me back. I can't do anything else. I need to see if he'll go through with his promise. I need him to do that, Joe."
"Do you also need Diaz to cut your throat? That's what you're setting yourself up for."
"I'll take the risk. It's worth it to me. I'm close, Joe. I haven't been this close to finding Bonnie for years."
"You're blind."
She smiled shakily. "Possibly. But you've known that for a long time." She turned and opened the door. "I'm not going to change."
"I won't sit back and let you do this. I'm going to get out of this bed and I'm going after Diaz. I don't care what Montalvo is planning for him. He's going down."
She didn't look back at him. "And I'll try to stop you." She tried to steady her voice. "I guess that makes the situation very clear."
"Eve."
She stopped in the act of closing the door. "What?"
"Why did you come to me last night?"
"Why not? I always come to you when I'm hurting." She drew a shaky breath. "But I guess I can't do that anymore."
She shut the door.
Jesus, her eyes were stinging. She wasn't accustomed to Joe being that hard and cold. Not with her. She felt… bereft.
"Not a happy visit?"
She looked up to see Montalvo coming down the hall.
"A lousy visit." She cleared her throat to ease it of aching tightness. "I hurt his pride. I hurt him. Sometimes I wonder why he stays with me."
"I don't." He smiled. "And I thought he was not that foolish either. It gives one hope."
"Don't play games, Montalvo. I'm not up to it right now."
"Games are for business, not the personal." He nudged her gently toward the stairs. "Go get something to eat. Miguel is waiting for you. I don't want you to go to the library until you have something in your stomach."
"I'd no intention of not eating. It's painstaking work right now. The end of a reconstruction is a different matter. That's all instinct and flow…"
He nodded and then said quietly, "Thank you for covering the reconstruction last night before you left. It made it easier to go in there this morning." His lips twisted. "I had no idea I was such a coward. I was actually dreading it."
"I know." She started down the stairs. "But you shouldn't. Come to peace with her." She stopped on the landing. "Any word about Diaz?"
"Ripples from my informants in Bogota. He's calling for reinforcements."
"Attack?"
"Probably."
"Can the CIA help you?"
"Why should they? The CIA considers me as troublesome as Diaz. I'll handle it. What do you want me to do about Quinn?"
She hesitated and then made the decision. "He's going after Diaz. I don't want you to let him do it. Stop him."
His brows rose. "He's not going to like you for asking this."
"Then he'll have to dislike me. I can't have him dead." She continued down the stairs. "If we're lucky, he may be too weak to make a move but I have to take measures in case he tries."
"And I'm the measure?"
"I can't watch him day and night. I'm going to be busy with your Nalia. You keep him safe."
"An exchange of caretaking of one significant other for another?"
"Yes, but my significant other is alive and I want to keep him that way." She saw Miguel hurrying toward her across the hall as she reached the bottom of the steps. "Will you bring me a sandwich and soup right away, please, Miguel? And another pot of black coffee in about two hours."
A few minutes later she was closing the door of the library behind her. The tears were gone but the sadness remained. She had a feeling that the rift that was widening between Joe and her was becoming more frightening with every spoken word.
She moved over to the dais and took off the drop cloth over the reconstruction. "You're causing an awful lot of trouble, Nalia. You remind me of one of those women from the court of Camelot who had all the knights fighting over her. Only I'm one of the knights who are trying to bring you-"
Camelot.
Jane had been talking about Camelot at the art show. Camelot and MacDuff's Run.
Jane.
Panic surged through her. Of course she was okay. Montalvo had promised to protect her family.
Screw it. She needed to talk to Jane, to hear her voice. She reached into her pocket for her phone and dialed Jane's number.
No answer. No voice mail. Nothing.
Keep calm. Try again later.
She turned back to the reconstruction. Concentrate. Don't let nerves keep you from thinking logically. There could be a reason why Jane wasn't-
Her cell phone rang.
No ID.
"Hello."
"I hope Montalvo's paying you well." It was a man's deep voice, the English slightly accented. "Funeral expenses can be exorbitant these days."
"Who is this?"
"But I'll be glad to take care of that for him. You can share the grave with the bones of his wife."
"Diaz?"
"Yes, Ramon Diaz, you bitch. You're playing on the wrong side. Shall I tell you what I'll do to you if you continue to give Montalvo what he wants?"
"I'm not listening to your threats, Diaz."
"You'll listen. I'll keep you around for a week or two to amuse my men. Then I'll kill you, slowly. Very slowly."
"And will you throw me into the swamp as you did Nalia Armandariz? That was pretty stupid. She's come back to haunt you." She kept her voice cool and steady. "I'll haunt you. I'll bring her back and there's nothing you can do about it."
"Oh, but there is something I can do. You lost one daughter. Are you prepared to lose another?"
She went rigid. "What are you talking about?"
"Such a beautiful girl. Not to my taste. I prefer my partners younger and less independent. But there are many whorehouses that specialize in breaking the spirit of the women I send them."
"You can't touch Jane. I'll kill you if you lay one hand on her."
"Ah, that frightened you, didn't it? I can always find a way to reach out and get what I want."
"You slimeball."
"You're making me angry. You don't want to do that. Stop what you're doing and go back to your country. Your daughter may survive if you do that right away. Though I don't promise. It's hard to stop when you've set a plan of action in motion." He hung up.
Eve's heart was beating so hard she couldn't get her breath. Her finger was trembling as she pressed the disconnect.
Bastard. Slimy son of a bitch.
Jane.
She dialed Jane's number again.
No answer. No voice mail.
Oh, God.
She hung up and ran to the door.
Miguel was coming toward her carrying a covered tray. "I've brought your food. I hope-"
"Get Montalvo," she said through her teeth. "I want to see him now."
Miguel took one look at her expression and set the tray on a chest beside the door. "At once. Is there anything I can do?"
"Just get Montalvo."
He turned and moved swiftly down the hall.
She tried Jane again.
Same result.
Let her be safe. Please, let her be safe.
"What's wrong?" Montalvo was hurrying down the hall toward her. "How can I help?"
"You said you'd protect my family. You promised me."
"Yes, I promised." His gaze was searching her face. "Tell me what's wrong."
"Oh, nothing. Except Diaz said that he was sending my daughter to one of his pet whorehouses."