Caleb hadn’t expected Quinn to admit to that vulnerability. The bastard was tough as nails. But maybe he should have expected it. Every man had a weakness, and Eve and Jane were clearly Quinn’s. “I can see dire consequences if you interfere with gravity. Maybe we can work out a way to accommodate both of us.”
“I don’t want to accommodate you. You’re interfering with a police investigation.”
“That’s true, but I’m sure you don’t have jurisdiction down here.” He added recklessly, “And I think you know I don’t give a damn about your precious law if it gets in my way.”
“Give me that security disk.”
“I plan on doing that. You have the contacts to identify anyone the security camera picked up. I could do it eventually, but it would take me more time.”
Joe held out his hand again.
“No, a promise. You get in touch with me the minute you identify this bastard.”
“You’d trust me?”
“If you gave your word. You’re one of those rare individuals who actually value their word. Jane wouldn’t feel as she does about you if you weren’t straight.” He gazed directly into Joe’s eyes. “Promise me.”
Joe hesitated, then shrugged. “I promise. If you don’t try to kill him before I get to him.”
“I never ‘try’ to kill anyone.” He handed him the disk. “And I’m too irritated at what happened to Jane to not concentrate on finality. He shouldn’t have made that clumsy attempt on someone who is mine.”
“You arrogant son of a bitch. Jane doesn’t belong to anyone but herself.”
“Doesn’t she?” He pretended to think about it. “You might be right, but then you might not. You don’t really know, do you? Possession is so complicated. The nuances are—” He broke off as he saw the veterinary van come around the bend in the road. “At any rate, I won’t do any permanent damage to him until I find out all the answers. Is that good enough for you?” He didn’t wait for an answer as his pace increased as he walked toward the van. “But I warn you, I’m not going to wait around for you to make your move.”
He heard a muttered curse from behind him, but his attention was now focused on the van that had pulled up before the air ambulance.
He started running again as the van’s doors opened. Devon jumped down and headed for the plane. A moment later, the stretcher bearing Jane was being lifted from the vehicle.
He felt the rage that he’d managed to control once more stinging him as he was again reminded of her helplessness. That sniper might not have taken her life, but he had temporarily taken her strength. From the moment he had met Jane, he had been aware of her endurance and strength, and it had struck a chord in him that was almost as powerful as the basic sexual attraction that had drawn him. He had known she could fight him in any arena, and it had excited him. He had tried to keep himself from looking beyond that excitement and that strange sense of possession that it brought with it.
Or wondering if there was anything beyond it at all. He’d had many women, and none of them had stirred him the way Jane did. He had not been able either to walk away or let her go. What he was feeling now was confusing, and he had felt not only anger but something deeper, stranger, when he had thought she might be dying. He refused to examine that emotion more closely. It was foreign and far too dangerous.
Better to embrace the rage and the possessiveness.
Yes, he could deal with those emotions. Protectiveness was a natural result of thinking of Jane as belonging to him. And rage? Rage was his brother, the impetus that had driven him, saved him, defined him.
And might someday destroy him.
But not now. He could use it and let it use him to find the enemy.
Jane’s enemy. Caleb’s enemy. They had become one in his mind, as Jane was becoming inexorably interwoven with him in his thoughts.
He rejected the idea as soon as he recognized it. Too close. Veer away. Obey the boundaries.
* * *
“JANE.”
She opened her eyes to see Seth Caleb bending over the stretcher. “Hi,” she said drowsily. “I was wondering if you’d … get here.”
“You shouldn’t have wondered.” He was smiling. “Expect it.”
“Not … true. I can’t expect … anything of … you.” She tried to pull her thoughts together. “I’m blurry. Devon insisted on giving me another sedative to get me through the trip. Why weren’t—that’s right, you went after that sniper. Did you get him?”
“No, he had a boat hidden at an inlet near here.” He took her hand. “But don’t worry, I’ll find him.”