Countdown - Iris Johansen [95]
The heat was moving through her again as she looked up at him. He didn’t realize that he had already made a breakthrough tonight. Not the sexual one that had shaken her to her core. She had let him beyond the barriers into her mind and this private part of her that she trusted to no one. She felt joined, part of him. That they were so fantastic sexually together almost paled in comparison.
Almost. What was she thinking? There was nothing pale about sex with Trevor. It was completely mind-shattering. She pulled him closer. “I’m all for breakthroughs.” She tried to steady her voice. “Show me. . . .”
What are you doing out here?” Joe came out on the porch and sat down beside Eve on the top step. “It’s almost three in the morning. Worried?”
“Of course I’m worried.” She leaned against him as he put his arm around her. “And scared to death. Why not? All the politicians are still arguing about responsibility for 9/11. I’m afraid that we won’t do enough to stop that crazy Grozak.”
“We’re doing all we can. Did John Logan call you back?”
She nodded. “He’s flying to Washington to talk to the bigwigs in Homeland Security. He has enough clout with Congress because of his campaign contributions to have them at least listen. He says he can promise that if nothing else they’ll elevate the warning. He’ll call me back tomorrow.”
“And I contacted the director of the Bureau. He was cagey, but I told him if he didn’t step in with the CIA that I’d call in the media. So stop fretting, Eve.”
“I’m not fretting.” She made a face. “I’m trying to avoid making a painful decision. No luck. I don’t think there’s any way I can get around it.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m saying we have to do everything we can. I kept telling myself that it probably had no connection, but I can’t run the risk.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s eight o’clock in Scotland. I won’t wake Jane if I call her now.” She got up from the step. “I’m going in and making a pot of coffee. Come on in and we’ll talk.”
That was Eve.” Jane slowly hung up the phone. “She wants me to meet her in Naples this evening.”
“What?” Trevor leaned back in his chair. “No way.”
She shook her head. “I have to go. Eve never asks anything of me. She asked this.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. She just said it was important to her. She’ll meet me at the airport. Her flight gets in just after six.” She frowned. “God, I’m worried. Eve doesn’t— She sounded—”
“I’m going with you.”
She shook her head. “No, she said to come alone.”
“The hell you will. She wouldn’t want you to come if she knew there was a risk. Is Quinn going to be there?”
“No.” She held up her hand to stop the protest she knew was coming. “She said that if you want to send someone to guard me, it’s okay with her. She just didn’t want any interference.”
“I wouldn’t interfere.”
She gazed at him skeptically.
“Okay, I’d try not to interfere.” He shook his head. “I let you go to Lucerne without me. I’m not going to let you go this time. I’ll stay in the background. I’ll be chauffeur and bodyguard. You can ignore me.”
“That’s difficult to do. What about Brenner?”
“He didn’t turn up anything about Mario’s father. I sent him back to Colorado.” His lips tightened. “I’m going, Jane.”
She gazed at him in frustration. “But Eve doesn’t want you.”
“Then she’ll have to grin and bear it.” He flipped open his cell phone. “I’ll call and arrange for a helicopter.” He added, “And then phone Venable and tell him to back off and not have his men crawling all over Naples airport.”
She had forgotten Venable and the bug he had placed on the phone. Better Trevor than the CIA. And she had to admit to herself that she felt more comfortable with Trevor going along. “Okay, but you’d better make yourself invisible, dammit. I’ll go tell Mario we’re going and then get my bag and passport.”
MacDuff was standing in the courtyard when the helicopter landed an hour later. “You’re leaving?”
She nodded. “Naples. But we’ll be back tonight or tomorrow. How’s Jock?