"Hi." Heather kissed her. "Your phone vibed off the nightstand."

"d.a.m.n. What time is it?" She sat up. Jack was right. When Heather was around, she forgot to even casually check the time.

"A bit past nine thirty."

She picked up the cell and dialed Jack. "What's up?"

"I called five minutes ago, but-"

"I didn't answer, I'm aware. Any reason you called?" She didn't try to hide her irritation.

"You're in a foul mood for someone who just got some," Jack said cheerfully. "Nothing's wrong, I wanted to make sure everything was okay."

She rubbed her eyes. "Everything's fine."

"Heather?"

She turned to look at her. "She looks beautiful even in the morning."

"Can't say the same for my roomie."

"Is he still cuffed?"

"You mean again. Had to take him to the toilet."

* 345 *

"That must have been exciting."

"A genuine thrill, especially since I had to place him on the bowl."

She laughed.

"Told him I'd castrate him with a blunt knife if he ever mentioned it."

"I'll see you in a little." She laughed again and hung up.

"I guess it's almost showtime." Heather kissed her shoulder.

"Are you nervous?"

"Normally, no, but I know how much this means to Jack and Ca.s.s-she's a colleague, one we already buried once. None of us want to go through that again, and Jack won't survive it a second time."

"Buried her once?"

"When Rozsa's lab blew up, Ca.s.s was in there. We thought she died in the explosion, but it turned out Rozsa had kidnapped her."

"So you gave her a proper funeral and everything?"

"The organization did. Jack was about to end her life when my bosses found her."

"Thank G.o.d they did."

"She's been self-destructive ever since. Smoking, drinking.

She hardly eats or sleeps. Ca.s.s is everything to her."

"What happened to her face?"

"That's her story to tell."

"Fair enough." Heather pulled her back down on the bed with her. "You really are painfully beautiful." Chase kissed her and was aroused in seconds.

"I love the way you touch me."

"I love the way you react when I do." She enfolded Heather in her arms and rolled them over until Heather was lying on top of her. Their mouths met in renewed pa.s.sion, but just as she thrust a muscled thigh between Heather's legs, her cell went off again. She fumbled for it, frowning with annoyance. "What now?"

"Rozsa called." Jack's voice was urgent and businesslike. Her irritation vanished. "Said Dario should have his man ready in an hour at the Hammam Eden on the Boulevard Garibaldi."

* 346 *

"Hammam?"

"Turkish bath."

"I know what that is."

"Be here ASAP. We need to prepare."

"Give me two." She hung up. "Rozsa called," she told Heather as she got out of bed and headed into the bathroom. "We have to be there in an hour. d.a.m.n, my clothes are soaked." She grabbed the hotel robe. "Jack is going to love this." Heather got up, too. "What do you want me to do?"

"Stay with Dario. He'll be chained the whole time so he can't hurt you, and I'll give you the key. But please-"

"Don't say it," Heather said, smiling up at her. "I won't listen to him again."

Chase kissed her. "Can you be at the room in ten?"

"Yes."

After Jack hung up with Chase, she gave Dario his cell. "Make the call to your delivery man. On speakerphone, and keep it to the bare minimum. Try anything, and I'll stick that phone down your throat."

Dario watched her warily as he waited for the connection to go through. "The Hamman Eden on the Boulevard Garibaldi. 11 a.m.

You're to leave the money in a small black duffel in the men's steam room."

Jack waited only until the guy confirmed the information before she took the cell from Dario and disconnected. Then she put it back into her pocket. "What's your delivery man look like?" she asked Dario.

"Big guy," he answered. "Dark hair, wears it in a ponytail." She glanced up at the wall clock. "Heather will be here momentarily and will stay with you while we're gone." She loomed over him with a wolfish smile. "Should I spell out what body parts I'll carve out of you if you try to pull any more of your bulls.h.i.t with her?"

* 347 *

"Not necessary." Dario tried to appear unconcerned, but he shrank back into his chair and wouldn't look at her.

"Peachy."

Thirty minutes before the scheduled drop-off, Chase and Jack sipped coffee inside a cafe across from the hammam, to plot their strategy as they watched people come and go from the Turkish bath.

Chase had to force herself to push aside thoughts of Heather so she could focus entirely on their mission.

"This is it," Jack said, more to herself than Chase, "the day I see Ca.s.s again."

She drummed her fingers impatiently on the tabletop.

"It sure is." She hoped she sounded confident.

"How was your evening?" Jack made a sad attempt not to smile.

"It was...great." She sighed. "She's great."

"Going to see her again, when this is over?"

"I hope so."

"That's refreshing. What happened to your theory of screw 'em and dump 'em?"

"It was never a theory. It was a defense mechanism."

"One you apparently don't need with her?"

"I always thought my life was too screwed up to inflict on anyone else."

"Until you found someone with the same screwed-up life." She smiled. "Who knew all it took was someone as broken?"

"Maybe a new angle for your novels. Perhaps it's time Emily saved Landor from the devil and his self-persecution. Emily is too perfect, and even if perfection wasn't an illusion, it would be a boring trait."

"I never wanted Emily damaged."

"It's time you threw some s.h.i.t at her. Otherwise Landor will never feel confident enough to reveal who he really is. Emily will continue to love a mortal, a lie...and not the truth."

"What if she can't deal with who Landor is?"

* 348 *

"She won't. Not until he accepts it himself." She turned to look outside. Jack's words made her feel transparent and vulnerable, feelings she'd put aside years ago.

"Only when you accept who you are will you get what you need...Landis."

"Emily save Landor," she mumbled to herself.

"Heather doesn't have to be perfect. She just has to be perfect for you and vice versa."

"Is that the case with you and Ca.s.s?"

Jack's expression darkened. "I doubt Ca.s.s will ever be the same after this."

"Will that be a problem?"

"Only if she ever stops loving me."

"After today, she'll never let you go." Jack frowned and stared out the window. "And I'll never let anything happen to her again," she said, her voice breaking.

She looked down at her coffee cup. Her friend was miserable, and for the first time, she realized that Jack felt responsible for what had happened to Ca.s.s. She saw no point in trying to reason with Jack's misplaced guilt right now; she was too stubborn and this wasn't the right moment. "Please, don't try to be a hero. Wait for me before you decide to do anything."

"I'm not exactly a beginner. I know what I'm doing."

"I'm anxious to get Ca.s.s back, too, but I know you can get unpredictable when it's personal."

"I won't do anything stupid, Landis."

"Are you nervous?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah."

"Good. It means you won't do anything stupid." Jack smiled. "You're quoting me. I'm not nervous about the job. I am about seeing Ca.s.s again."

"I know you don't want to hear this, but there is a chance Ca.s.s is..." It had crossed her mind many times, but she'd never dared share this with Jack.

Jack's smile disappeared. "She's not dead. I know she isn't."

"Please try to take that scenario into consideration."

* 349 *

"I can't. Won't. She's somewhere out there, waiting for me." Chase didn't press. She checked her watch. "So we're clear on our positions. I'll take the front."

"And I the back."

"Chances are Rozsa will be disguised."

"He'll be the one leaving with a small black duffel," Jack said.

"Or whatever he replaces it with."

"I'll follow him on foot until you pick me up by car."