No One to Trust - Iris Johansen [50]
“You get restless.”
“Did you ever consider that you might too?”
She shook her head. “I have an anchor. I have Barry.”
“I envy you.” He added lightly, “As my mum used to say, there’s nothing better than a steadying influence.”
“Did she?”
His smile faded. “No, I never knew my mother. I grew up in an orphanage. They found me in a cardboard box in an alley.”
She gazed at him, shocked. “Then all those pithy little quotes are lies? Why?”
He shrugged. “It started when I was a teenager. I think I was drunk at the time. The irony appealed to me. Putting all those homey bits of wisdom in the mouth of a woman who didn’t give a damn for me … Later it just got to be a habit.”
“You don’t know what she was facing. Maybe she had to give you up.”
“No.”
“I almost gave up Barry.”
“Did you drop a newborn baby in an alley when the temperature was below freezing?”
“She did that?”
“Oh, yes. She obviously wanted me to die. But I fooled her. I became the healthiest, meanest little son of a bitch that ever came out of Liverpool.” He sighed. “And now I’ll never be able to quote my dear old mum to you again. It’s going to put a crimp in my conversation.”
“I’m glad. I don’t want to hear about her.” She wrapped the sheet around her and stood beside the bed. “Unless you want to name that price we talked about.”
“Price?”
“I told you I’d do anything you wanted me to do. I wouldn’t mind killing your dear old mum.”
“My God, you’re furious.” He laughed. “I should have known you’d go all soft and sentimental over the thought of a wee babe out in the cold.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not soft.”
“I know.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “That’s what makes this such a golden moment.”
She felt a melting deep inside. “Damn you.”
He turned her hand over and kissed the palm. “And we’ve had a good many golden moments, haven’t we?”
“A few.”
“Damned with faint praise.” His eyes were twinkling as he looked up at her. “Come back to bed before you start calling me an asshole again.”
“It’s time I went to my own room.”
“Just a little while,” he coaxed. “No sex, just cuddling.”
She hesitated, then lay back down.
His arms enfolded her. “This is good,” he whispered. “Would you really have put down dear old mum for me? Now, I think that’s caring.”
“Be quiet.” She nestled her cheek in the hollow of his shoulder. “It was only a fleeting impulse. Even as an infant you probably deserved to be thrown out in the cold.”
“Stung again.” He stroked her hair. “I don’t like the idea of you charging out to defend me anyway. It offends my sense of gallantry.” He paused. “I’d be happier taking the initiative myself.”
“With your mum?”
“No, with Chavez.”
She stiffened.
“Shh.” His hand moved to massage the taut muscles of her nape. “I don’t like to talk about it either. But I don’t want you making a move without our discussing it.”
“What’s to discuss?”
“You know it’s only a matter of time until Chavez appears.”
“You said you’d be told when that was likely to happen.”
“I will. But why wait like sitting ducks? Why not let me go hunting and take Chavez down?”
“No!”
“Why not? It’s the sensible thing to do. It will keep any fight with Chavez away from you and Barry.” He paused. “You were planning on leading him away from Barry, weren’t you?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“It’s much more reasonable to let me do it before he even has an inkling where you are. Then, if he takes me down, you and Barry still have a chance to run.”
“It appears I’m not that reasonable.” Her voice was uneven. “Or that callous.”
“Think about it. I was going to do it without telling you, but it’s safer if we coordinate our strategy and—”
“I’m not going to think about it. This is my life and my fight.”
“What about Barry?”
“I’ll protect Barry. I’d never risk him. I’ll find a way to do both.”
He was silent a moment. “I can do this, Elena. I’m very, very good. Stay with Barry and let me take care of Chavez.”
“Do you think I don’t want to say yes?” she asked fiercely. “I want him dead. It shouldn