No One to Trust - Iris Johansen [80]
He ran toward her and she automatically rolled over, grabbed his ankle, and twisted it. She jumped to her feet and gave him a roundhouse kick to the abdomen as he got up.
He grunted before grabbing her foot and yanking it, bringing her down.
She felt a surge of anger mixed with sheer adrenaline as she dodged to the side and attacked again.
It was not like sparring with Judd. Galen was better, quicker, and he seemed not to feel the punishment she was inflicting.
“Is that all you can do? Maybe you’d better pretend I’m Judd. It might give you more incentive. Or maybe Chavez.”
“I don’t need an incentive.” She ducked and attacked again.
Fifteen minutes passed, and she was breathless and no longer sure whom she was fighting. Judd. Chavez. Galen. They were all whirling before her as she attacked and attacked and attacked again.
“Okay. Okay.” Galen was breathless as he finally backed away from her. “I give up. I don’t need any more damage.”
She stood there, her breasts rising and falling with every breath. “You’re … done?”
“We’re done.” He wiped his sweaty face on his shirt. “Let’s hit the shower. I have some bruises I need to take care of.”
“I hurt you?”
“No more than I expected. I imagine you’ll find a few bruises too.” He held the screen door open for her. “If you don’t, I’ll feel more of a failure than I do now.”
The haze of adrenaline was gradually ebbing and she was able to think again. “You didn’t want to beat me. You were acting as a punching bag.”
“The hell I was.” He winced as he flexed his arm. “That was purely a side effect. Come on. Shower.”
She didn’t move. “Why?”
“Because I stink?”
“Why did you do it?”
“What else can you do at four in the morning? Don’t answer that. I’m trying not to think of the alternatives.”
“So you decided to knock me around.”
“That’s right. I needed to release my inner hostility.”
“Bullshit.”
He smiled. “How do you feel?”
She thought about it. “Strong. Very strong.”
“Not defenseless?”
“No way.”
“Then I’ll postpone the shower and make some coffee while we decide what you want for breakfast.” He moved toward the kitchen. “Or maybe not. Caffeine may rouse the tiger in you again.”
I saw lions and tigers.…
The memory brought pain but not the terrible feeling of helplessness.
“You have an unusual way of handling depression, Galen. You see a woman who is down and out and try to pound her into the ground.”
“Whatever works. Tender loving care wasn’t doing the job.” He flipped on the kitchen lights. “You can function now. Lord, can you function.”
Yes, she could function. She could feel the blood flowing through her veins, and her mind was alert. Galen had given her release and confidence. God, what enormous gifts in this time of need.
She tore her gaze away from him. “You weren’t so bad yourself.” She went to the cabinet and took down two cups. “Okay, now we have to decide whether to stake out Chavez or continue to go after Judd.”
“I’ll pay it, Morgan,” Chavez said. “But I want a little something extra.”
“You’re getting what you pay for. Nothing else.”
“Thirty million is an exorbitant fee for one little boy. I think I deserve more. It won’t be anything you’re not accustomed to doing.”
“And what is that?”
“I want Elena Kyler. Alive preferably, but I’ll accept her dead if it proves impossible.”
Judd was silent a moment. “Why should I give you anything?”
“I’m reluctant to give you this much money. I can stretch our negotiations out for a long time, and you want them over. You’re probably tap dancing to keep ahead of Galen and Elena right now. All you have to do is give me Elena and it’s a done deal.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“I’ll add another five million dollars to the pot if you bring her to me alive. I’ll also put pressure on a few senators I have in my pocket to take the heat off you.”
“It’s an interesting proposition.”
“And one you won’t get from me again. It will be easy for you. I don’t even know why you’re hesitating.”
“I’ll let you know.” He hung up the phone.
It will be easy for you.
It was natural for Chavez to believe that