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“Or you’ll toss him in the dungeon?”
“I’m thinking about it. It would be interesting to see if he’d manage to escape. I don’t like the way he got past my guards. He’s a little too sure of himself.” His gaze narrowed on Rodland’s face. “I don’t believe I like it.”
“You’d like it if he was taking orders from you. You always appreciate confidence,” Jane said. “And I’m not in the mood for you to set any traps to punish him for doing what he was told. Let him alone, MacDuff.”
“Because he’s actually taking his orders from Caleb?”
She turned on Rodland. “Are you?”
He shook his head. “He took the time to give me an in-depth description of MacDuff’s Run when I asked, but my orders actually came from Palik. Caleb was in a hurry to get on his way to Naples.”
She gazed at him for a long minute.Why not?she thought recklessly. She could at least explore the possibility. He might be the key she’d been searching for during that sleepless night. She turned back to MacDuff. “Then he’s working for me. I rather like the idea of someone actually doing what I tell them to do. It might be pleasant not to worry about having every male on the property keeping an eagle eye every time I step out the door.”
He frowned. “That might still happen.”
She pressed her index finger on his chest. “Then I might be the one to toss someone into your dungeon.”
MacDuff suddenly grinned. “Now, I’d pay to see that.” He turned on his heel. “I’ll let you have your guard dog as long as he doesn’t get in my way. The minute he does, he’s out of here.” He glanced over his shoulder at Rodland. “And if you make a mistake with Jane, you won’t make another one. I’ll see you at dinner, Jane. I hope you won’t insist on inviting him to be your taste tester.”
“You can never tell,” she said, deadpan.
He shot her a resigned glance before he went out the door.
“How close was I to that dungeon?” Rodland asked.
“Not too close,” Jane said. “He wanted to make a statement because things haven’t been going his way lately.” She shrugged. “But he doesn’t bluff, so don’t even think about that.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.” He turned and looked at her. “So why did you decide to save my ass?”
“I told the truth: I like the idea of having someone to boss around if I find it necessary. I’m feeling a bit…smothered.”
“I can understand that.” He was studying her. “And?”
“You didn’t back down to MacDuff. I can’t say that for many people. He can be intimidating. And it occurred to me last night that I might need help to solve a particular problem. I remembered that Palik usually keeps men on his payroll who are trained to get things done. You impress me as being in that same category. Are you?”
“Perhaps. I don’t like to be pigeonholed. I prefer to stand alone.”
She shrugged. “Then I’ll make my own judgments. I’ll need you to answer a few questions. How did you get on the property without the guards intercepting you?”
“You might say it’s one of my specialties. I spent almost a year in the mountains of Afghanistan being hunted before they finally took me down. After I received Caleb’s basic instructions, it didn’t take me long to look the estate over and get my bearings.”
“How? Helicopter? Car? Boat?”
He didn’t speak for a moment. Then he replied slowly, “Boat.”
She frowned. “Then MacDuff will find it. We can probably scratch that off.”
He shook his head. “I was careful and tucked it away very neatly some distance from the castle. He’s welcome to try.” He added, “What difference does it make?”
“I need to know what I have to work with.”
“Now I have to ask a question. I’m curious about your ‘problem.’ Would it interfere with Palik’s directive?”
“Not to begin with, but it might escalate.” She met his eyes. “And it very well could cause him to have trouble with Caleb. He wouldn’t like that.”
Rodland gave a low whistle. “I can see that. I’ve not met many men that Palik wouldn’t want to cross, but Seth Caleb is one of them.” His eyes were suddenly gleaming with a hint of mischief. “What are you up to, Jane MacGuire?” he murmured. “I thought this job was going to prove boring. But now it’s taking on aspects that might be intriguing.”
“I’m giving you a chance to say no,” she said bluntly. “I may need to use you, and if I do, it won’t please MacDuff or Palik or Caleb.”
