No One to Trust - Iris Johansen [63]
“You won’t. Go back inside.”
“You’ll do it?”
“There’s not much I wouldn’t do for you.” A smile lit his face. “Fight a dragon, tilt at a windmill, explore a wilderness …”
She loved that smile. She never wanted to stop looking at him when he smiled at her. “Just a location.”
“You don’t understand. You have to make me stretch my capabilities. Next time I want a challenge.” He opened the screen door. “Now scoot back to bed. I have some thinking to do.”
She didn’t move. “Will you … sit on the porch swing with me?”
He went still. “Why?”
She didn’t want to go inside. She didn’t want to leave him. “It would be nice. I feel a little … It would be nice.”
He took her hand and led her toward the swing. “Yes, it would.” He pulled her down beside him and put his arm around her. “Cuddle up. It’s a little chilly.”
But he was warm and strong and smelled of lemony cologne. It was good sitting here and not thinking of anything but the creak of the swing and how comforting it was to have him hold her. “This is very nice of you. If you want … we could go in later and have sex.”
He chuckled. “No, we couldn’t. That’s not what you need right now. You keep trying to pay me. How long is it going to take you to realize that times like this have their own value to me? Of course, that’s only when I’m not being a sex-driven pig.”
“Or an asshole.”
“You’re smiling.” His hand gently massaged the side of her neck. “That’s a good sign. Now, close your eyes and I’ll tell you about my life as a smuggler in the Orient back when I was young and dashing. Of course, I’m still young and dashing, but maybe not quite as foolhardy. I remember one time when I was trying to find a ship to Shanghai …”
11
Chavez’s call came the next morning.
“Did you have a good night?” he asked after Galen gave her the phone. “I’m afraid poor Luis didn’t. Of course, I slept very well indeed.”
“I’m not going to give you Barry.” She paused. “But he’s not the only one you want. I’ll meet you, if you like. Don’t you want another chance at me?”
“So much that I’m almost tempted. Almost. But I have to have my son first. Once you’re dead you won’t be able to tell me where he is. Then I’d have to negotiate with someone else.”
“Maybe you’d get lucky and be able to keep me alive. I’m sure you’d much rather torture me than Luis.”
“Much. But there are small satisfactions. He looks a bit like you around the eyes. Give me my son.”
“Let me talk to Luis.”
“I’m afraid he’s not able to communicate at the moment. Perhaps the next time I call.” He hung up.
“He wouldn’t let me talk to him.” She handed the phone back to Galen. “He said he couldn’t talk.”
“He could be lying,” Judd said from his seat across the room.
“I know that.” She drew a deep breath. “Just find Chavez for me, Galen.” She went out on the porch. She tried to make her face expressionless as she saw Barry sitting in the swing with Dominic. “Hi. Are you hungry?”
“No.” Barry was gazing at her, troubled. “You look sad, Mama.”
“No, I’m fine. I thought maybe we’d take a walk by the lake. I heard wild geese when I was out here last night.”
“Sure.” He jumped down from the swing. “I’ll go tell Galen that I can’t help with breakfast.” He ran past her into the house.
“It’s getting harder to keep things from him,” Dominic said. “He’s a smart boy, and all this bouncing around would make anyone suspicious. You may have to talk to him.”
“And what am I going to tell him? That his father is a monster and wants to kill his mother?” She shook her head. “My job is to protect Barry.”
“And Luis?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. Chavez wouldn’t let me talk to him.”
“I’m ready.” Barry opened the screen door. “Galen said he had to do some business this morning anyway and I could come back and help with brunch. That’s half breakfast, half lunch.” He ran down the porch steps. “Let’s go see the geese.”
“Well?” Galen asked Judd.
“You may not be handling this right,” Judd said. “I’ve been thinking about it, and maybe we