Your Next Breath (29 page)

The muscles of her stomach clenched. She could almost feel him inside her. “You know I do.” She kept her voice steady. “But I won’t have sex with you, Cameron. Not here, not now.”

“Pity.” He leaned forward, and his tongue slowly outlined her lower lip. She could feel the blood tingle beneath the sudden plumpness the sensation brought. “I thought that might be your reaction with your son in the house. But I wanted you enough to take the chance.” His hand moved lightly over her breast, then paused to rub, squeeze. Why couldn’t she step away from him? She was leaning forward, wanting to tear off her clothes, to frantically seek more. “We both know it’s going to happen. Now or later. But if you change your mind about now…”

Step back.

She couldn’t let him touch her any more, or she wouldn’t be able to stop it from happening.

Hard, so hard.

She whirled away from him and headed for the door. Get away from him. Get away from the way she was melting as he touched her. “I won’t change my mind.” She didn’t look back at him. “I’m going upstairs to work with Luke and Kelly. Then I’ll call Eve and see how Jane is recovering from the operation. I’ll give Montez a little more time to call me, then I’m going back and track him down to see him. As I said, I think I almost had him. He only needs a little more push.”

“So do you,” he said softly. “But I can wait until we’re on the plane going down to give Montez that extra little shove.”

The intimacy of that picture of the two of them on that long flight caused heat to escalate. “Bastard.”

“Impatient bastard,” he corrected. “Life is too short. We can’t afford to do anything but live for the moment. Now go do all those worthy, reasonable things that you’ve planned.”

“I shall.” She headed quickly for the stairs. She wasn’t running, she told herself. The hell she wasn’t. Cameron was the only man who made her unsure of her own ability to resist temptation.

She had almost let him lock that door.

Don’t think of that long plane ride down to Guatemala.

This wasn’t about living for the moment.

It was about making sure that no one ended up dead.

ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL
ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Caleb was in the room again, Jane realized drowsily. They had kept her heavily drugged since the operation, and she had been going in and out of consciousness. Sometimes, she’d been aware of Eve, sometimes Joe, but always Caleb in the background, somewhere in the room.

But now he was once again in the chair beside her bed as he’d been so often before the operation.

“Don’t play possum.”

Her eyes opened. “I wasn’t … playing … anything. Still sleepy.”

“I told them you wouldn’t need the drugs. They didn’t listen to me.”

“How … terrible. That they’d pay attention to the doctor’s instructions instead … of yours.”

Silence. “I believe you’re smiling at me. How unusual.”

“It must be the drugs. Even you’re looking mellow to me.”

“Mellow?” He tilted his head. “Then maybe I’d better take advantage of the moment while your defenses are down. Did Eve or Joe tell you that the operation was a success?”

“Joe.”

“Good.” He studied her face. “And you didn’t fight its being a success. That helped to make it work. I was a little worried Basle might have an uphill psychological battle in spite of everything I did to give those arteries a chance to heal.”

“No, I told you that … I knew I wasn’t being … fair. Trevor knew, too. He turned his … back. I’ll do what you all want me to do.”

“That will do until we can bring you back all the way. I made the operating staff promise not to reveal your condition to anyone else. As far as anyone knows, your status is still critical.”

“To keep someone from trying again? It … won’t work.”

He shrugged. “I don’t think so either, but I had to try. It will make Eve feel better.” He leaned forward. “You know that I’ll protect you?”

She could feel the dark intensity, the flames that surrounded him. But at this moment, they didn’t disturb her. “Yes, I’m … not worried about that.”

“You’re not worried about much of anything,” he said dryly. “I think now is the time I should probe a little, don’t you?”

“Not honorable.”

“And since when did you think I was honorable?”

“Never, but I think you have a … code. I just can’t read it.”

He chuckled. “Neither can I.” He tilted his head. “And why do you think I’m so determined to protect you?”

“Sex,” she said emphatically.

“Oh, I’m afraid of having my toy taken away?” He nodded. “Yes, sex has a good deal to do with it. Of course, you’d recognize that aspect. Anything else?”

She shook her head. “Can’t read your code.”

“But you could always read Trevor.” His smile faded. “And when you couldn’t, you knew what there was for you. You’ll never know that with me because it just keeps building and changing.”

“Don’t want to talk about Trevor. Makes me … sad.”

“Fine. So let’s go back to what’s important while you’re still mellow enough to listen and comprehend. I’ll be with you constantly until you’re out of here. I’m expecting problems, and I’ll not allow my work to be wasted. Whenever I tell you to do something, it will have nothing to do with what I eventually want from you. It will only be to keep you alive. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“Believe me?”

“I think I do.”

“And you’ll do what I say?”

She was silent.

“Jane.”

“Until I get out of this hospital.”

He smiled faintly. “I couldn’t ask any more. I’d be afraid you had brain damage if you hadn’t qualified that.” He got to his feet. “I’d like to stay for a while, but I don’t want to push my luck. You understand, and you won’t fight me. I feel lucky to be given those concessions. I’ll go get Eve and Joe and let you relax for a while. But I’ll always be close.”

“I know.” She stared at him. Darkness and fire and a fascinating sensuality. Strange that she felt no tension or threat at this moment. “I’m perfectly relaxed.”

“The drugs. It probably won’t last that long.”

“Maybe not.” What would it feel like to be comfortable and at ease with him all the time? She would probably never know. Even now, she was experiencing a faraway, tiny ripple of uneasiness. “Too bad.”

He looked back over his shoulder. “Is it? We’ll have to see as time goes on…”

RAIN FOREST
GUATEMALA

Smoke!

Montez woke from an uneasy sleep with the acrid sting in his nostrils. The cave was dark, but he could see a veil of smoke hanging on the air.

He jerked upright. Had the cave he’d found been discovered? Were they burning him out? He reached for his knapsack and crawled forward toward the cave opening. He stopped warily, his gaze searching the darkness of the forest.

Smoke all around, but there was no fire licking toward his cave.

And no one appeared to be in the trees near him.

So where was the smoke coming from? All he needed was a forest fire trapping him in this cave.

Find out.

If the fire was no threat to him, stay here. If there was danger, go on the run again.

Or go to the monastery if he judged that it was now safe from Dorgal.

He was sure Dorgal had ordered it searched already, but Montez still had to let time pass before he made contact. He would never forgive himself if other innocents died because he was scurrying for shelter.

No, not the monastery yet.

This cave was shelter enough and threatened no one but himself.

He moved cautiously out of that shelter and glided toward the trees.

His lungs were burning. He started to cough.

Ignore it.

Where was the fire?

To the west. He could hear a deep whoosh of crackling sound.

Find out where it was and in what direction it was traveling.

He covered his nose and mouth with his handkerchief and moved through the forest.

The smoke was thicker now.

The crackling louder.

And dread was beginning to turn him cold with fear. No, it didn’t have to be—

Then he heard the screams.

And he realized what was on fire.

The monastery.

CHAPTER

12

Her cell phone was ringing, waking Catherine from sleep.

She jerked upright in bed and grabbed it from the bedside table.

Montez. Thank God, it was Montez.

“You’ve made up your mind?” she asked as she answered the phone. “I knew that—”

“Come and get me,” Montez said hoarsely. “I told you that I’d ask for a sign. Well, I have it.” His voice was strained with agony. “Sweet Mary, Mother of Jesus, I have it.”

“Sign?” She was on her feet. “What sign? What’s wrong, Montez?”

“They set the monastery on fire. I’m standing here watching it burn. Screaming. I hear the screaming. I think they locked the monks inside, but some must have escaped because I see a few running for the forest. But they’re on fire. Burning—screaming and burning. I’ve got to help them.”

“Listen, Montez. It’s a trap. The minute you show yourself, Dorgal will pounce.”

“They’re burning up. Dear God, I can
smell
them. I’ve got to help. I’m a doctor.”

“I can see that.” She tried to think. “Stay away from the monastery itself. It won’t help anyone for you to be trapped. I’ll have Dario and his men rush over there and free anyone locked inside. Cameron says they’re in the area. If you need to help any of those monks who ran into the forest, do what you have to do. Just try to keep Dorgal’s men from catching sight of you. Okay?”

“If I can—” He hung up.

And Catherine was running out the door and down the hall to Cameron’s room. “Call Dario and tell him to get to the monastery. Dorgal has set fire to it,” she said when she threw open the door. “Montez says that he locked some of the monks inside.”

Cameron didn’t question, he was on the phone in seconds.

And Catherine was darting back to her room, tearing off her nightshirt, and throwing on her clothes. She dashed into the bathroom and splashed water in her face, then was hurrying back down the hall to Cameron’s room again.

He was just hanging up the phone. “Dario’s no more than eight minutes away,” he said tersely as he got out of bed naked and started dressing. “I told him to release those monks and try to gather up Montez if he could find him. He’s at the monastery?”

“In the forest trying to help the burn victims who escaped. It had to be a trap, Cameron.”

He nodded. “And it will be a miracle if Dario gets there before Montez is caught.”

“I know.” She rubbed her temple. “I tried to warn him. But I knew I couldn’t stop him. I wouldn’t have stopped. You wouldn’t have stopped. He talked about terrible evil and the sign he’d been given.”

“No longer a pacifist?”

“He said to come and get him. I’m going to do it. I want to head for the airport and fly down there right away. But it may be too late.”

“And it might not. Dario might get there in time. Or if Montez has already been captured, he might have been able to track them.”

“To where? The nearest airport? What good would that do?”

“Don’t be negative.” He smiled. “I have a feeling that all is not lost.”

“Feeling?”

Cameron was entirely too confident, she realized suspiciously. And Cameron was never confident unless he had a reason on which to base it. Who knew if that basis was something connected to the psychic ability he undoubtedly possessed. Though she didn’t really believe he could read the future, she thought impatiently. But she didn’t really know the extent of what he could do. He hadn’t ever shared any in-depth information with her about his capabilities. “You wouldn’t care to tell me why you have that ‘feeling’?”

“I’m an optimist.” He grabbed his jacket. “And, since you have a tendency to see right through me, I like to have the ability to occasionally surprise you.”

“Occasionally?” She moved toward the door. “I never know what the hell you’re going to do next. But if you’re hiding something that concerns me, I’m not going to be pleased.”

“My dear Catherine, I like the thought that everything that concerns me, concerns you. So the chances are that you’ll not be pleased somewhere along the way.” He followed her down the stairs. “I believe I’ll keep my surprises to myself.”

“As if there was any doubt.” She stopped short as she reached the bottom of the stairs. “Wait here.” She turned and ran back up the stairs. “Luke…”

“Ah, you’re not going to risk his being angry with you again?”

“I have to tell him…” And she wasn’t looking forward to it. She had no time to argue. But she had been a coward before because she hadn’t wanted to face Luke’s almost certainly wanting to go with her. She wouldn’t do it again.

She drew a deep breath and quietly opened his door.

Luke was asleep, curled up in a ball in his bed across the room.

“Luke?” she said.

No answer.

She moved across the room to stand beside his bed.

So deeply asleep, so beautiful in his tousled disarray, half boy, half young man. Dear God, she loved him.

And dear God, she was glad she had an excuse not to face him at this moment. She would only have been able to hurl the information at him before running back down to Cameron.

She glided over to his desk and scrawled a note on a Post-it.

Sorry. I tried, Luke
.

Catherine.

*   *   *

He would know that it had been a halfhearted effort, but he would also know that she had listened to him and been here.

She turned and quietly left his room.

*   *   *

“No pilot?” Catherine said as she climbed the steps of the jet and saw the open door of the cockpit. “The committee won’t be pleased you’re not taking a backup bodyguard to protect their golden boy.”

“Too bad. As we discussed, I prefer to be in control, and I haven’t had enough of that lately.” He strode down the aisle. “It might have been tolerable if I’d had a sexual reward in view for putting up with being a passenger instead of pilot, but that’s not going to happen. So come up to the cockpit and keep me company.”