face. “Do they?”
“You’ll find out for yourself in a few days.”
“I may strangle you. And if you’re conning me I’ll find a way to make you wish you’d never been born.”
“I wouldn’t dare. You’d see right through me.” He stood up. “I believe I’ll go and relieve Brenner for a while. It will give you a break from my company.”
“And keep me from asking questions?”
“Just delay them.” He paused, looking down at her. “I’m not trying to keep you in the dark, Jane. I have a lot to do, and having to worry about you halfway across the world will get in my way.”
“So you’re dribbling information to keep me intrigued and heading in the direction you want me to go.”
“Whatever works.”
“Well, then dribble this information. Why are we going to Scotland instead of back to Herculaneum?”
“I’m sure Brenner told you it’s a trifle uncomfortable for me in Italy at the moment.”
“Because that’s what you told him to tell me. I don’t believe it would make any difference to you if Grozak was on your tail. You’d enjoy the adrenaline rush. It’s why you do what you do instead of becoming a solid citizen.”
“True, but unfortunately most of the people around me aren’t similarly inclined. I have to take their feelings into consideration and act responsibly.”
“Responsibly?”
“I can be responsible when it’s important to me.” He met her gaze. “That’s the reason I came to get you. You’re important to me.”
Every word, every nuance, every expression breathed sensuality. And her body was responding to that sensuality; the palms of her hands were tingling, her breasts felt suddenly sensitive. Even her pulse was beginning to race, she realized with frustration.
Son of a bitch. She wouldn’t look away from him, dammit. He knew what he was doing to her. He was expecting it. Ignore it and face him down. “I wasn’t even on the scene when you set up shop in Scotland. Who were you being responsible for then? Bartlett?”
He stared at her defiant face for a long moment before he smiled. “Do you know there’s no one in the world like you? God, I’ve missed you.”
Stop this melting warmth that flowed through her. Crazy. They were over a foot apart, but she felt as if they were touching. “Bartlett?” she repeated.
“Bartlett and Mario.”
“Who’s Mario?”
“Mario Donato, another innocent bystander who’s doing some work for me at MacDuff’s Run.”
“If he’s doing work for you, then he’s not innocent.”
“Relatively speaking. He’s the translator finishing up the scrolls. I had to get someone else to do the work after Dupoi sold me down the river to Grozak.”
“I’m surprised you were able to get the scrolls back from him.”
“I was keeping an eye on Dupoi. I’m not the most trusting man around. At the first sign that he was negotiating I moved in and took the scrolls away.”
Her gaze narrowed on his face. “He double-crossed you. What did you do to him?”
“Nothing. I didn’t touch a hair on his head.” He tilted his head. “You don’t believe me?”
“Why should I? I know you spent years and traveled thousands of miles to get revenge on that murderer who was after me four years ago. You wouldn’t walk away from someone who betrayed you.”
“But that’s exactly what I did.” He paused. “After I planted evidence that the bastard was really in the process of double-crossing Grozak. I thought the punishment should fit the crime. I understand Grozak was very upset and took a very long time to dismember that son of a bitch.”
She shivered as she saw his expression. Cool, casual, yet there was an underlying savagery in that very carelessness.
“You shouldn’t ask questions if you don’t want answers,” he said as he read her expression. “Because I’m going to tell you the truth. Well, as much as I can. If it doesn’t violate a confidence. But I’ll never lie to you if I can help it. That’s quite a
“You’ll find out for yourself in a few days.”
“I may strangle you. And if you’re conning me I’ll find a way to make you wish you’d never been born.”
“I wouldn’t dare. You’d see right through me.” He stood up. “I believe I’ll go and relieve Brenner for a while. It will give you a break from my company.”
“And keep me from asking questions?”
“Just delay them.” He paused, looking down at her. “I’m not trying to keep you in the dark, Jane. I have a lot to do, and having to worry about you halfway across the world will get in my way.”
“So you’re dribbling information to keep me intrigued and heading in the direction you want me to go.”
“Whatever works.”
“Well, then dribble this information. Why are we going to Scotland instead of back to Herculaneum?”
“I’m sure Brenner told you it’s a trifle uncomfortable for me in Italy at the moment.”
“Because that’s what you told him to tell me. I don’t believe it would make any difference to you if Grozak was on your tail. You’d enjoy the adrenaline rush. It’s why you do what you do instead of becoming a solid citizen.”
“True, but unfortunately most of the people around me aren’t similarly inclined. I have to take their feelings into consideration and act responsibly.”
“Responsibly?”
“I can be responsible when it’s important to me.” He met her gaze. “That’s the reason I came to get you. You’re important to me.”
Every word, every nuance, every expression breathed sensuality. And her body was responding to that sensuality; the palms of her hands were tingling, her breasts felt suddenly sensitive. Even her pulse was beginning to race, she realized with frustration.
Son of a bitch. She wouldn’t look away from him, dammit. He knew what he was doing to her. He was expecting it. Ignore it and face him down. “I wasn’t even on the scene when you set up shop in Scotland. Who were you being responsible for then? Bartlett?”
He stared at her defiant face for a long moment before he smiled. “Do you know there’s no one in the world like you? God, I’ve missed you.”
Stop this melting warmth that flowed through her. Crazy. They were over a foot apart, but she felt as if they were touching. “Bartlett?” she repeated.
“Bartlett and Mario.”
“Who’s Mario?”
“Mario Donato, another innocent bystander who’s doing some work for me at MacDuff’s Run.”
“If he’s doing work for you, then he’s not innocent.”
“Relatively speaking. He’s the translator finishing up the scrolls. I had to get someone else to do the work after Dupoi sold me down the river to Grozak.”
“I’m surprised you were able to get the scrolls back from him.”
“I was keeping an eye on Dupoi. I’m not the most trusting man around. At the first sign that he was negotiating I moved in and took the scrolls away.”
Her gaze narrowed on his face. “He double-crossed you. What did you do to him?”
“Nothing. I didn’t touch a hair on his head.” He tilted his head. “You don’t believe me?”
“Why should I? I know you spent years and traveled thousands of miles to get revenge on that murderer who was after me four years ago. You wouldn’t walk away from someone who betrayed you.”
“But that’s exactly what I did.” He paused. “After I planted evidence that the bastard was really in the process of double-crossing Grozak. I thought the punishment should fit the crime. I understand Grozak was very upset and took a very long time to dismember that son of a bitch.”
She shivered as she saw his expression. Cool, casual, yet there was an underlying savagery in that very carelessness.
“You shouldn’t ask questions if you don’t want answers,” he said as he read her expression. “Because I’m going to tell you the truth. Well, as much as I can. If it doesn’t violate a confidence. But I’ll never lie to you if I can help it. That’s quite a
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