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And Jane leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.
He wasn’t the only one who was going have a confrontation soon, she thought wearily. But her own might shake her to her very core.
She needed this time to try and come to terms with it before she had to face Caleb again.
***
Three Hours Later
Jane braced herself as she got out of the Range Rover and walked over to the fire where Caleb was sitting. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to run away. I just had to pull myself together.”
“Your friend Felicia,” Caleb said quietly. “I realize that you cared about her. She was a fine woman.” He reached for the coffeepot on the warming stone and poured her a cup of coffee. “But it seems there are other things we have to talk about. Are you ready to do it?”
“No, but if I don’t, you’d have to go to Rodland, and he doesn’t really know anything. I made sure of that when I asked him to go with me.” Her lips curved in a sardonic smile. “Though ‘asked’ isn’t really the correct word. I had to go, and I wanted to make sure that I’d be safe. I knew this time I couldn’t rely only on myself. It wouldn’t be fair.”
“Why not? You’ve proved yourself dozens of times. You did it again today.” He tapped his chest. “By saving my ass.”
“This was different.” She sipped her coffee. “I didn’t have the right. I didn’t know how to tell—”
Her phone was ringing. She didn’t want to answer. These next few minutes were going to be difficult enough. She glanced impatiently down at the ID.
She froze. No name. Only a location.
Kilgoray!
She inhaled sharply. “Something must be wrong. I have to get this.” She pushed theACCESSbutton and thenSPEAKER.
“Jane MacGuire?” It was a man’s voice, deep, slick. “How delightful to make your acquaintance. You’ve been most elusive. This is the second time I’ve had to send men to Kilgoray to try to track you down. But I’m glad I’ve finally reached you. Do you know who this is?”
“I have an idea.”
“Stop playing games, Bohdan,” Caleb bit out. “I recognize your voice. It’s me you want to talk to, isn’t it?”
“Not at the moment, Caleb,” Bohdan said. “I’ll get to you eventually. I have great plans for your demise. But I’m more interested in your Jane’s fate. You’ve caused me a few headaches by stashing her at that castle. I need to show you that you can’t do that to me.” His voice lowered. “And I believe I know exactly how to do it. Are you familiar with a T. S. Campbell, Jane?”
“I never heard of him.”
“You answered too quickly. Because he remembers you. Though it took a while before he’d admit it. We had to check his records. As I said, this is the second visit we’ve paid to this village. The first time I gave orders not to draw attention to why we were here. But when we came back here after the attack on MacDuff’s castle, I told them to tear this village apart to find out why you were here.” He paused. “We found someone who recognized you as visiting at Campbell’s office. And then we had to persuade him to tell the truth. I’m particularly good at that kind of persuasion.”
“I’m sure you are,” she said bitterly. “But I don’t know him.”
“Yes, you do, and I’m going to see how well you know him in the next few days. I’ll call you back and let him talk to you…if he still can.” His voice was almost a whisper now. “And then I’ll let you beg Caleb to give himself up so that I won’t cut you open as I intend to do to Campbell.”
She felt sick. “You could be bluffing. How do I know that you aren’t?”
“Because you can tell how much I’d enjoy it. I’d go very deep, Jane MacGuire. What would I find?”
“You son of a bitch.”
“I’ll talk to you soon.” He cut the connection.
“Jane.” Caleb took her in his arms and held her tight. “You’re shaking like a leaf in a windstorm.”
“He’s a monster.” She was clutching at him. “We can’t let him do that to Campbell. He’s innocent, just like all those other people Bohdan has killed. Did you hear him? I can’t let him do that.”
“We won’t, but I have to know everything you know. I have to know about Campbell.”
“I was going to tell you. I just didn’t know how. There seemed to be so many things that were in the way. And I thought that no one would—”
