Chasing the Night - Iris Johansen [96]
“We can move,” Eve said quietly. “I don’t want you going to that market by yourself.”
“I have to be by myself. He has to see that I’m vulnerable.”
“I don’t like it. You may have told Rakovac you were jettisoning us, but we’re still in this with you. You were a little too sincere on the phone with Rakovac. Don’t try to make the lie true.”
“I told you that I’d always be honest with you.” Catherine was silent, staring at her for a long moment. “Thank you for everything, Eve. I meant every word I said to you. You’re very special, too.” She disappeared into the bedroom.
Dammit, that last sentence had been entirely too final, Eve thought as the front door closed behind Catherine five minutes later. Catherine wouldn’t lie, but she wouldn’t say the words Eve wanted to hear.
Eve quickly dialed Joe and filled him in on Catherine’s conversation with Rakovac. “She wants your promise to keep Venable away from Rakovac until she gets Luke, Joe. She says that she’s cooperating as much as she can, but she has to have your word.”
Joe swore beneath his breath. “She doesn’t ask much. If we don’t get a residence location, Venable will be on Rakovac like a tiger the minute we get a cell fix.”
“Catherine knows that.” She paused. “She said to tell you that she trusts you.”
“Which is the best thing she could do to tie my hands,” he said sourly. “Catherine is nothing if not clever.”
“She meant it, Joe.”
He was silent a moment. “I know she did. I’d trust her, too.” His breath expelled in a frustrated sigh. “Okay, I’ll do it. Though God knows how. I may have to knock Venable out and then hog-tie him. We’ve just got to hope Rakovac is at a location where we can find his sources, and not on the move. It will be safer for all of us.”
“Catherine isn’t concerned about safety right now. Not for herself. But I think she may be trying to close us out.”
“No,” he said definitely. “That’s not going to happen. We’re not going to let Rakovac have her. She may like to work alone, but she’ll have to learn new ways.”
“Then you talk to her. You have more influence than I do with her. You two have a…connection.”
“What?”
“Come on, Joe. It’s there in the open for everyone to see. You’re alike. It’s as if you’re two halves of a whole.” She added quietly, “I’m not trying to make anything of it. I accept it. I like both of those halves, and I don’t believe there’s any threat to me.”
“You’re damn right there’s not. And I don’t have a connection with anyone but you. You’re all I want or need.”
She felt a rush of warmth, mixed with relief. It was all very well to be adult and reasonable, but the way she felt about Joe had elements of passion and possessiveness that weren’t at all reasonable. “That’s good to know. But you should still be the one to convince Catherine.”
“Stubborn. You’re being a little too tolerant. I’d like it more if you were ready to claw her eyes out. It would please the primitive streak in me.” He paused. “Unless you’re trying to get rid of me?”
She should have known he might have that reaction. Their relationship in the past had had its moments of turbulence, but it had been relatively tranquil sailing recently. “You’re the one who has a right to walk out of our relationship. I’ve given you nothing but frustration and grief since the moment you came into my life when I lost Bonnie.”
He was silent a moment. “Hell, yes, I’ve been torn apart. I won’t deny it. The good times balance it out.”
“Sometimes.”
“Sometimes. But you’re not going to get away from me. I’ll track you down.”
He wouldn’t have a hard time doing it. She cleared her throat and tried to keep her tone light. “At the moment, your job is to track down Catherine and Rakovac.