Bonnie - Iris Johansen [100]
But for that brief instant, she had wanted to tell him what he wanted to hear.
Forget it. That impulse might have been okay coming from another woman. Not her. Her entire life had been based on being totally herself and not giving one bit of that self away to anyone to buy affection or respect or a haven from fear. It didn’t matter that Gallo had an effect on her that was both powerful and unusual. She would fight to give him a chance. She would stand beside him and fight the enemy.
If he realized who that enemy was.
She had been trying hard not to think how she would feel if someone she loved suddenly became the enemy. That would be strange. She loved so few people in this world. Her son, Luke, Hu Chang, who had been friend and teacher, Eve …
Why was she thinking about this? She had a job to do.
If Gallo held any resentment that she could not lie to him, then he could deal with it.
She had another problem to deal with.
How fast could she get to Danner and Eve?
And how could she take Danner out when she got there?
* * *
DANNER WAS GROWING tenser, edgier with every mile that passed.
And Eve could see that the tension was having an effect on his finely balanced stability. He had not reached for his knife again, but she had seen him staring at her with frustration and impatience. He wanted this over.
Well, so did she. But she could not chance Danner’s ending it without her finding Bonnie. What if he changed his mind and decided that Eve’s death didn’t necessarily have to take place at the site he had chosen? He had been close to that decision only a short time ago. She had been able to distract him then, but she couldn’t be sure of doing it again by confronting him. She had to change tactics … and try to get help on board.
Focus. She had to get Danner to focus on his original plan and reinforce it.
She turned to face him. “You said we were close. Were you lying to me?”
“We’re close.” He raised his head, staring at the top of the trees. “I can feel the chill.”
“Chill. You’re afraid?” She grimaced. “Oh yes, your demons. You take me to my daughter, and I’ll protect you, Danner.”
“You won’t be able to do that.”
He meant because she’d be dead. She felt a chill herself. Ignore it. Get him to focus. “How close are we?”
“An hour, maybe two.”
She moistened her lips. “And then you’ll kill me.”
He didn’t answer.
“Why are you waiting? Why drag me all the way down the state when you could have killed me at the church in Rome?”
“It’s … her place. I have to make sure that she knows I’m giving her what she wants.”
She was silent. “Yes, that would be important. You’re going through all this trouble, and you don’t even know if it’s what she wants.”
“I don’t know whether it makes a difference if I wait.”
She had thought that was the direction in which he was leaning. “It would make a difference.”
“How do you know?”
“She’s my daughter. You said that you saw us together and that you knew we were close. Wouldn’t I know her better than anyone?” She paused. “Don’t you think she’s the one who needs to make the decision?”
He shook his head. “She’s already made it. She led me to the church. It’s what she wants. I know it.”
Cross that argument out. His tone had been absolutely positive.
He thought that Bonnie wanted her to leave this life and cross over to the next.
Oh, Bonnie, it’s an argument that I’ve had with you all through the years, and I could never convince you. He has it all wrong.
Unless you’ve changed your mind.
“I’ll accept what you say,” she said quietly. “Perhaps you’re right. Because I do know that Bonnie wouldn’t want me to be murdered and thrown into a ditch somewhere like you did her.”
He flinched as if she’d struck him. “No. No. No. I didn’t.”
“You’re protesting too much. Why else would you be afraid of her?”
“She won’t leave me alone.”
“But she’ll leave you alone if you kill me?” Move carefully