Iris Johansen - Chasing the Night

“Joe? How did he-Later.” She lifted her hand to her head. “I can’t seem to think right now.” She slipped into the shirt Eve was holding for her. “My son is alive?”

“Yes, Luke is alive. Kelly says he’s a survivor. He’s with her now.”

“Then it’s over, isn’t it?”

“It’s over.” Eve buttoned Catherine’s shirt. She couldn’t blame Catherine for being dazed. She had obviously gone through hell in the past hours, but no more than the hell she had endured for the last nine years. “Or it’s the beginning. It depends on how you look at it.”

“Yes, that’s a good way to look at it. That’s what I told Rakovac.” She looked down at Rakovac’s face, still twisted with agony. “He ruined the last nine years for Luke and me. I can’t let him take anything else from us. He’d win. I can’t let him win.”

Eve gave her a quick, hard hug. “Not you. That’s not going to happen.”

“I didn’t want this to happen to you and Kelly. I thought I was going to keep him away from you.”

“It didn’t happen. You couldn’t know. Don’t think about it right now.”

“How is she?” Joe stood in the doorway.

“Good enough.” Eve nodded at Rakovac. “He’s dead.”

Venable pushed Joe aside and strode into the room. “I checked the car out front. There was a computer, but I didn’t see-” He was searching Rakovac’s pockets. He pulled out a keychain. “Thumb drive! This has got to be it. I’ll go to the study and check it out on his computer.” He jumped to his feet and ran out of the room and down the stairs.

“You didn’t find what you needed at Rakovac’s house?” Catherine asked.

“It was purged. Venable says we can get it eventually, but we need it now.” Joe crossed to look down at Rakovac. “You got him. How?”

She smiled faintly. “I struck him with my fangs. Mamba venom.”

“A fitting end. I thought you’d have made preparations. You wouldn’t have just gone in without a plan.” His glance shifted to her face. He reached out and took both her hands in his and looked into her eyes. “Did it feel good, Catherine?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Then forget about the bastard.” He squeezed her hands and turned away. “I’ve got to go down and check with Venable on that thumb drive. Eve, why don’t you take her down to see her son?”

“I was planning on it,” Eve said. “As soon as I get the blood off her. Neither of you appear to have noticed it.”

“From what I saw of Luke out there, he wouldn’t have noticed either,” Joe said as he left the room.

“Luke…” Catherine said. “I didn’t think I’d feel like this. I’m scared, Eve. All the things I meant to say to him have flown out of my head.”

“They were probably the wrong things anyway. You can’t comprehend what Luke has become.”

Her eyes widened in alarm. “What’s wrong? Why do you say that?”

“Calm down. I didn’t mean anything is wrong.” She caught her lower lip between her teeth. Catherine had been looking forward to this reunion for nine years. How to warn her, without dashing that hope? “You’ll have to decide that for yourself. I didn’t have enough time with him to judge. Luke is going to be difficult. You may have a long way to go. There’s no way around that.” She paused, feeling her way. “But he’s like you, Catherine. That’s a very good start.”

She smiled shakily. “Then heaven help him. I was always so glad that my baby wasn’t like me.”

“But he’s no longer a baby, and he has many of your qualities.”

“You’re being so gentle,” Catherine said. “That’s scaring me even more.”

“Then it’s time I shut up and took you down to see him.” She took Catherine’s hand. “Come on. He’s with Kelly, and she’s not always patient with him. I don’t want him walking out on her.”

“They don’t get along?”

“I didn’t say that. They may be good for each other. They’re just…young.”

Catherine pulled her hand away from Eve’s as they reached the stairs. “You don’t have to treat me like a child. I’ll be fine.” She started down the steps, her gaze searching the foyer below. “Where is-” Her breath left her as she saw Luke standing beside Kelly by the door. “Oh, my God,” she whispered. “He is beautiful, isn’t he, Eve? Just like that progression you did.”

“Yes, I did a good job. But I only did the computer rendering; you’re responsible for the actual creation.” She watched Catherine go slowly down the steps. She was so vulnerable right now. Please don’t let him hurt her.

As if he felt her gaze on him, Luke suddenly looked up with that wary instinct that seemed such a part of him.

He tensed as he saw Catherine on the stairs.

His expression closed, became even more shuttered.

“Catherine!” Kelly pushed past him and ran up the steps to her. “I’ve been scared to death. Are you okay?”

Catherine gave Kelly a hug, her gaze still on Luke over the girl’s head. “I’m fine.”

Kelly stepped back and gazed at her a moment. “Come on, I’ll go down with you.” She slipped her arm protectively around Catherine’s waist and started back down the stairs. She said softly, “He’s not so bad. You just have to take him down when he gets too full of himself.”

“I’ll remember that.” Catherine hadn’t taken her gaze from Luke’s dark eyes staring up at her.

She was now face-to-face with him.

But Kelly was suddenly standing between them. “You listen to me, Luke,” she said fiercely. “This is Catherine, this is your mother. She’s wonderful, and you don’t deserve her. But you’ve got her, and you’d better not hurt her.”

Then she whirled away and ran back up to where Eve was standing on the stairs.

Luke didn’t answer Kelly. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Catherine.

“Hello, Luke, I’ve waited a long time,” Catherine said awkwardly. “Now that you’re here, I don’t know the right things to say. Maybe there aren’t any right things. I’ve tried so hard to get you back.” She paused. It was so difficult. She wanted desperately to take him in her arms and tell him all the hurt and loneliness was over. But she had to move with such heartbreaking slowness. “I love you. If you give me a chance, I’ll try to give you a good life. Those are the only things that are important, I think. What do you think?”

He didn’t answer.

“Talk to me, Luke. Are there any questions you’d like to ask me?”

“Yes.” He asked baldly, “Did you tell Rakovac to hurt me?”

“No!” Her eyes closed for an instant before they opened to reveal them shimmering with unshed tears. “As God is my witness, Luke.”

“I didn’t think so. He lies. I don’t believe anything he says.”

“You won’t ever have to worry about him again, Luke.”

His gaze flew to the staircase leading to the upper floor. “He’s dead?”

“Yes.”

“You did it?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Good.” The ferocity was back in his expression. “I’m glad. I was going to do it if I had to.”

She flinched. “No. Don’t say that. You shouldn’t have to do anything like that to protect yourself. I’ll protect you from now on.”

He stared at her skeptically.

“You don’t believe me? I love you, Luke.”

“Why should I believe you? I don’t know you. I don’t love you. I don’t love anyone.”

She drew a deep breath. “You’re right. Trust has to be earned. Will you give me a chance to earn it? You have a choice now.”

“I do?” he asked warily.

“Did you think I was going to force you?” she asked. “You can come with me and see if you like it. Everything is going to be strange for you for a while. I think we can work through it together. Or, if you don’t want to give me my chance, then I’ll find a place for you where you’ll be happy. That’s all I want. For you to be happy.” She smiled unsteadily. “What makes you happy, Luke?”