The Survivor (Eve Duncan #30)

“Yes, thanks to Bevan I’ve heard you’re trying to call in a few old friends to get in my way. Riley Smith… She was the reason that you were able to get me sent away from the island five years ago. I have a few special plans in mind for her.”

“Stay away from her,” Maya said sharply. “Or I’ll find a way to make you regret it.”

“Ah, another weapon for me?” She heard the sly satisfaction in his voice. “And I thought my main worry was going to be Cade Morgan. My men almost managed to take her down at Duncan’s house in Atlanta. I believe I’ll have to increase the bonus now.”

Maya knew she had made a mistake. “Do what you like. She’s nothing to me. But just know that you’ll die if you try to get in my way.”

“We’ll see. But Bevan is proving to be a valuable ally, and I’m going to use him until he hands me your head on a platter. I’ll be in touch…” He cut the connection.

Maya’s knuckles turned white as her hand clenched the phone. She gazed at Riley. “As you heard, it wasn’t Bevan. And it appears I’ve brought you right into the middle of—”

“Shut up.” Riley was suddenly around the fire and kneeling beside Maya, her eyes glittering fiercely. “You don’t have to be some kind of Wonder Woman every minute of the day.” She reached out and grasped Maya’s hands. “I could see what that asshole was doing to you when he was talking about Bailey. Ignore it. We won’t let him touch her. He’s not going to get anything he wants. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you.” She was trying to smile. “But I can’t help wonder why you’re being so protective when at least half of Nadim’s poison was aimed at you.”

“He’s a dirtbag,” Riley said. “And I’ve already tasted his poison and survived it. I’m sick and tired of having him think he can do terrible, ugly things and get away with it. You’re one of the good guys, and I can’t stand watching him try to tear you to pieces. I won’t do it and you can’t—”

“What’s happening here?” Cade was striding across the cave toward them. His gaze was narrowed on Maya’s face and then shifted to Bailey curled up asleep a few yards away. “Something wrong with the kid?”

“No.” Maya released Riley’s hands. “Except that she’ll probably wake up if we keep talking. I’d rather not face her right now. She can be very perceptive.” She got to her feet. “And I’ve got to finish doing my rounds.”

Riley didn’t move from where she was kneeling. “Maya.”

Maya glanced at her. “What a nag you are.” She pulled out her phone and tossed it to Cade. “I can handle this, but you might want to consider a change of procedure or even personnel since Riley appears to be upset about it.” She strode across the cave in the direction of the opening. “You’ll probably want to talk to me later.”

OUTSIDE THE CAVE

AN HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER

“Are you hiding out?” Cade slid down the stone wall of the outside cave to where Maya was hunched to sit beside her. “It’s a little cold tonight for moon gazing.”

“And there’s no moon,” Maya said. “Though the sky’s beginning to clear.” She glanced at him. “And I wouldn’t be hiding out from you, Cade. I just finished checking the exterior sentries and thought I’d rest a moment.” She paused. “And I needed to clear my head after talking to Nadim. I kept remembering that hideous tent and the expression on Siena’s face.”

“Just like Riley,” Cade said roughly. “You should have known hearing the bullshit that son of a bitch Nadim was spitting would affect her almost as much as it did you. There’s no one more protective than Riley. Naturally, she would want to go after anyone who threatened Bailey… or you. She was disappointed in the way you’d tried to use us, but it didn’t last long. She never intended to take either one of you under her wing, but it happened.”

She was silent a moment. “You’re telling me that you want to send her away from here?”

“No, I’m telling you that it’s too late to do it,” he said. “And that I’m furious about it. Not that I’m blaming you. You have your own battles to fight, and you’ve tried to keep her as safe as you could under the circumstances.” His tone was suddenly ragged with exasperation. “It’s just that it’s going to be difficult as hell to keep her safe now. Because she’s going to want to trail you and Bailey and make sure that Nadim doesn’t cut your throat.”

“Do you think I want her to do that? I was going to agree with you that we had to get her away from here. I wanted her to just fade into the background as far as he was concerned. The minute Nadim mentioned Riley, it scared me.”

“Not as much as it did me,” Cade said. “And I tracked you down out here to tell you that I’m going to fix it. There’s no way now Riley is going to leave here before this is over. I’ll have to work around it. We’ll do everything we can to make sure that we bring that bastard down and keep Riley safe. In return I’ll probably do some things you won’t like, but you’ll still smile and not argue with me. Do you understand?”

“I understand. But that doesn’t mean I’ll go along with it.”

“You will because you’ll stop and realize I’m only trying to patch together a way to get Riley home safely.”

“If I agree, then I might go along with you.” She added wearily, “I don’t want anyone to die on this mountain.”

“I won’t guarantee I can keep that from happening.” He got to his feet and his voice was suddenly gentle. “But I’ll make every effort to see that it’s not anyone you care about. Now will you get inside the cave, so I won’t have to come after you again?”

She didn’t look at him. “In a few minutes.”

“Have it your own way.” He turned and headed for the cave entrance. He deliberately didn’t glance over his shoulder as he moved across the cave to Riley’s sleeping bag, which she’d set up near Bailey’s.

She turned over as he sat down beside her. “Did you find her?”

“Yes, she was outside getting some air.” He lay down and drew her close, his gaze still on the cave entrance. “And being monumentally stubborn.”