Bonnie - Iris Johansen [93]
And she would never find Bonnie if she couldn’t control the actions of this man who seemed to teeter back and forth on a lethal tightrope.
Think.
If she ran, then he’d be after her in a heartbeat.
Danner had Ranger training. She had been taught to defend herself, but she was not Catherine and did not have her skills.
Okay, then it had to be verbal attack.
“You don’t want to cut brush with that knife,” she said quietly. “You want to use it on me. Why, Danner? I’ve done what I promised. I thought you wanted to take me to Bonnie. Why give it up now?”
“The demons,” he whispered. “They’re trying to get to me. I can feel them push and pull at me. But I won’t let them do it.”
Demons. Use the demons that obsessed him to control him. “That’s right, keep them away. But you’re not thinking straight. You said you wanted to give me to Bonnie. What good would it do to kill me now? You had a reason to take me to Bonnie, or you would have killed me when we were with Father Barnabas back at the church.” She wasn’t getting through to him. Try another path. “Or do you think I’m a demon too, Danner?”
“I’m not sure. I didn’t … think so. The little girl didn’t think you were a demon. She wanted you.” He was frowning. “But sometimes the demons take over, and I can’t tell the difference until they’re ready to pounce. They don’t always look like demons.”
“I’m not a demon.” She turned and moved slowly back toward where he stood. Not too fast. No threat. She could already see him tensing. She stopped before him. “As you said, Bonnie doesn’t think I’m a demon.”
“But maybe she’s one now, too,” he whispered. “Maybe they caught her when I wasn’t around to keep them away.” His eyes were suddenly glittering with tears. “I hope they didn’t. God, I hope they didn’t. I have to stop them. I have to stop all of you.”
His hand was tightening on the knife. Eve could see the muscles of his body tightening, readying to spring forward toward her.
She instinctively braced herself. No, stop it before she had to defend herself. “Bonnie isn’t a demon either. I’d know it if she had changed.” She stared him in the eye. “Remember, you said you saw us together and you could see how much we loved each other. Do demons love? I don’t think so.”
“No, hate,” he said hoarsely. “Only hate.”
“Then you wouldn’t have chosen to take me to her if you hadn’t been sure that she had love for me. Isn’t that right?”
“Maybe. I’m confused right now.”
But his hand had never loosened on the knife.
“That’s because the demons want you to be confused. They don’t want you to take me to Bonnie. They know that if I’m with her, I’ll protect her, that I’ll never let them have her.” She took a step closer so that she was only inches from him. “I’d keep all the forces of darkness away from my Bonnie. There isn’t an angel or demon who could stop me from doing that. Look at me, Danner. You’ll see it.” She reached down and lifted his hand grasping the knife until the blade was pressing against her throat. She held his gaze with all the passion and strength of will that was her love for Bonnie. “See it,” she repeated fiercely. “And if you don’t, then use that knife that’s at my throat.”
It was a gamble. His hand was shaking, and she could feel the blade prick her skin.
Believe me, she willed the thought with every bit of her mind and soul. I have to bring my Bonnie home. It can’t end like this.
His eyes were flickering, shifting, changing.
Help me, Bonnie. Help me, baby.
He stepped back, and the hand with the knife fell to his side.
Eve let out the breath she hadn’t known she was holding.
The moment of danger had passed … for now.
Had she convinced him? Or had Danner’s madness, which always seemed to be hovering in the shadows, just retreated?
Or had Eve been given the help for which she’d prayed?
It didn’t matter. Danner