Pandora's Daughter Read online

"I don't care about you. I care about Megan."

  "That's why I chose you to look after her. You're all black and white, Phillip. Right is right. Wrong is wrong. I see too many shades of gray." He said wearily, "You've done a good job with her. I may not have stayed in touch, but I read every report you sent me. I wanted to hear good things about her. Believe me, I needed to see myself justified." He went on quickly, "And if it's Molino, he'll try again and again. You'd better tighten security just in case your redneck is bogus."

  "You don't have to tell me that. I'll keep her alive and do what I can, but you'd better be prepared to step in if Molino does something to trigger Megan. That's one area where I can't help her." He hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. He had done his job and told Grady of the threat but he wasn't sure if he felt any better about it.

  Grady had always been something of an enigma to him. Yes, Phillip was grateful, but that didn't rule out resentment. He trusted his effectiveness but he had never been confident about which way he'd jump in a given circumstance. Maybe he had an instinctive rejection of the power he sensed in Grady. God knows, it wasn't as if he hadn't lived with some aspect of that power for most of his adult life. Grady's was just more intense and on a larger scope. He'd seen him do some pretty incredible things in the time he'd known him.

  But Phillip couldn't worry now about what Grady might do. He was the one who had to be prepared to do whatever was necessary to protect Megan.

  He got up from the chair, moved toward the desk across the room, and opened the top drawer. He pulled out the automatic pistol and checked it. Then he sat back down at the desk and leaned back in the chair. As he'd promised Grady, he would sit up tonight and keep watch over Megan. He had a bad feeling about what had happened tonight. He had no psychic talents like Grady or the others like him, but instinct counted for something. He had a hunch that there was a nasty storm brewing.

  Sleep well, Megan. You may need it.

  Gadsden, Alabama

  THE TRUCK WOULD BLOW ANY MINUTE.

  Tim Darnell backed away from the gasoline-soaked blue vehicle and watched the flame travel from the front seat toward the gas tank.

  Too bad. Damn fine truck. But it had been damaged by contact with Megan Blair's SUV and probably had her paint on it. He'd made sure the registration was in a bogus name but he still couldn't risk keeping it. Could he get Molino to replace it?

  Not likely. Molino didn't like failures and he'd be lucky to keep the assignment much less get him to pay him a bonus for it. Get it over with. Bite the bullet. He took out his cell phone and dialed Peter Sienna at Molino's office.

  "I hope you're calling me to tell me that you've completed the job," Sienna said when he picked up the phone. "I expected you to phone hours ago."

  "I had to drive the truck across the Alabama border to destroy it." He hesitated. "Things didn't go well. I'm going to need a little more time."

  Sienna didn't speak for a moment. "Are you telling me she's still alive?"

  "Right now." He added quickly, "But I'll take care of it. I tried to make it look like an accident. I expected her to lose her head but she didn't. She drove that SUV as if she was racing at Daytona. I'll have to try something else. Another day or two. That's all, I promise."

  "Mr. Molino doesn't give a damn about your promises. He wanted the matter taken care of immediately."

  Hard ass, Darnell thought sourly. If he didn't need the money, he'd tell him to go screw himself. "I've had her under surveillance for the last week. It won't take me long to work out another way to do the job. I'll make sure Mr. Molino won't be disappointed."

  "He's already going to be disappointed," Sienna said. "Two days. After that, we'll have to replace you." He hung up.

  That bastard was treating him like the scum of the earth. He and Molino thought because they had money and power, they could do anything they wanted to do. Well, he was smarter than both of them. Everyone made mistakes. How was he to know that the Blair woman would be that cool? She was only a woman and he had seen her fall apart only this evening in that waiting room when he'd been on watch at the hospital.

  It's not as if he hadn't been prepared for a worst-case scenario. But he had covered his tracks and hidden his other truck in the brush in the woods here outside Gadsden. In moments the truck would be destroyed.

  And the homeless guy he'd picked up on Highway 20 had been a stroke of genius. Even if they found the truck they would think that the driver who had tried to run Megan Blair off the road had died in the wreckage.

  The vagrant was slumped across the steering wheel and Darnell had made sure that the blow to the head could have occurred in the crash.

  Darnell frowned as he saw the man stir, move, in the driver's seat. No, dammit, if he managed to get out of the truck he was going to spoil everything. Should he try to-

  The truck exploded as the flame reached the gas tank!

  Yes.

  He watched with satisfaction for a moment as the flames licked, devoured, swallowed the truck. How is that for a cover-up, Sienna?

  Could you and Molino have tied up things so neatly? He moved toward the truck parked down the road.

  And he'd be just as efficient eliminating Megan Blair. He hadn't really tipped his hand. There was still a chance at staging an accident. He always preferred to do it that way. He wasn't one of Molino's dumb thugs who was going to risk his neck by using a gun or knife if he could avoid it. He had a future and someday he'd be more powerful than Molino ever dreamed.

  He would stay away from her for twenty-four hours to let her regain her composure and the memory fade a little. He would go to his classes at Georgia State, make sure the alibi he'd set up for tonight was still firmly in place, maybe spend a few hours with his lover.

  Then, the next day, he would go after Megan Blair again.

  SIENNA TURNED TO MOLINO. "He botched the job. He's making excuses and promises, but the bottom line is that she's still alive. Shall I send someone else?"

  Molino thought about it. "Not yet. He's not usually inefficient. He killed that child in Orlando last year with no problems for us." He added jeeringly, "I'm surprised you'd even suggest we send the boy packing. He's going to some fancy college just like you did. That must make him smarter than an ignorant wop like me."

  Sienna's expression didn't change. "Education is valuable, but it can't replace experience. If he can't do the job then we should make an adjustment."

  Sienna sounded like a damned lawyer, Molino thought with annoyance. He used to be able to ruffle that sleek, slightly patronizing surface, but these days, Sienna was able to ignore the jabs. He probably thought any opinion but his own wasn't important. He turned and moved toward the French doors. "There's no urgency. We know where she is now." After twelve long years, they'd tracked the bitch down. Grady had laid a dozen false trails in those years and the frustration had almost driven him berserk. "And, besides, I'd almost like to do the job myself." He could feel the hatred sear through him. Fucking freak. We almost have her, Steven. Just as I promised you. "Any report on Grady?"

  "We were close in Rome. We didn't get him. But we know he hasn't found the Ledger either or he wouldn't still be on the hunt. We think he's in Paris."

  Grady was always close on his heels, Molino thought bitterly. But for how much longer could he keep him from leaping ahead of him and taking the prize?

  Forget about Grady. They would get him eventually. Right now they had to concentrate on the enemy at their gates.

  Megan Blair.

  Paris

  HE DIDN'T NEED THIS, DAMMIT.

  Grady hung up the phone after talking to Phillip and went to the window to stare out at the rooftops around St. Germain. It was too tempting. How could he resist the lure when he was being met with frustration on every front? He'd been trying to ignore Megan Blair for the last twelve years and now she was storming back into his life. He had tucked her neatly away and had hoped she would stay closeted in that little house in Atlanta.

  I
t wasn't happening.

  He'd known for the last year that she was stirring, changing, growing. He hadn't had to rely on Phillip's reports after he'd linked with Megan on that night of her mother's death. Monitoring was the only way he could maintain control and keep her steady. She'd grown to love and trust Phillip after her first year with him, and her life had become more serene. He'd been able to distance himself, compartmentalize, and keep that link ember-low.

  Not lately. There had been moments so intense it had been like riding a bucking bronco. Her mother had reached her zenith when she was in her mid-twenties and Megan was now twenty-seven. If she was as strong as he believed, then he wasn't going to be able to stall that zenith much longer. Even if there had been no Molino threat, he would have had to do something about her soon.

  But there was a Molino threat and time had run out.

  He dialed Jed Harley in Miami, Florida. "I'm leaving Paris tonight. I want you to head for Atlanta right away."

  "And leave these sunny beaches and half-naked women lusting after my sexy body? There had better be a good reason, Grady."

  "Molino may have found Megan Blair."

  "Shit. That's bad."

  "Very bad. I thought she was off his radar."

  "Wait a minute. It's been twelve years. She hasn't done anything that would tip him off, has she?"

  "Not according to Phillip. She's been the typical wholesome American girl, smart, hardworking, affectionate with animals, kind to the sick. In short, she's a bloody miracle."

  "And you're not believing him?"

  "I believe him. But Phillip cares about her and he may be turning a blind eye. He doesn't want her to be a Pandora." Grady's lips twisted. "Hell, I've never tried to persuade him otherwise because I wanted him to be her guardian. Phillip was perfect, everything I wasn't. There was a chance that he might even have been right."

  "You're talking past tense."

  "Was I?"

  "What are you planning, Grady?"

  "I let Megan Blair have twelve years, Harley."

  "And that means?"

  "If she's ready to explode, then why shouldn't I use her to find the Ledger and blow Molino to hell?"

  "Are you asking me? I'd already left the unit before you had to yank Megan's mother away from Molino and set her up in North Carolina. I don't know the stakes and if I did, I probably wouldn't understand them. I'm not like you. I'm as normal as apple pie and I like it that way. I wouldn't have your baggage for all the tea in China." He chuckled. "Well, maybe I could handle it if I was emperor of all I survey. But the compensation would have to be substantial."

  "You could handle it." He hadn't run across much that Harley couldn't handle in the years he'd known him. He'd been one of the most valuable soldiers in the Special Forces unit where Grady had acted as "consultant." After he had drifted away from the unit and gone on to other things, they'd still kept in touch. He was smart as a whip, experienced, and tough. Very tough. "But there's not enough compensation on the planet, Harley. Trust me."

  "Oh, I do trust you. I wouldn't allow myself to be at your beck and call if I didn't. Actually, I find all that psychic mumbo jumbo rather fascinating… at a distance. So what am I supposed to do in Atlanta?"

  "Surveillance on Megan Blair until I can get there." He rattled off her home address.

  "Boring."

  "It may not be dull if Molino's man tries to chop her again. You may be able to cut someone's throat."

  "That's true. You do know how to brighten my day. I'm on my way." He hung up.

  Grady pressed the disconnect. He hadn't been certain what action he was going to take until he'd put it into words with Harley. The hell he didn't know, he thought impatiently. He'd just needed to make it clear to himself what he had to do. During these last years they'd been linked he had grown to know Megan more intimately than he had ever known anyone. It hadn't been an easy decision.

  Okay, the choice was made. Let out the tiger.

  Get used to me, Megan. We're going to become very, very close.

  Don't just stand here. Get packed and go to the airport. She was sleeping now and it would offer him an opportunity to ease her gently into a frame to accept him. While he was on the plane, he'd concentrate on slowly trying to let Megan become aware of him on a subconscious level and cause the link to strengthen.

  And God help both of them.

  LORD, SHE FELT GOOD, Megan thought as she stepped beneath the shower. Her mind was clear and she felt brimming with energy. Perhaps it was the extra sleep she had gotten. She had slept for ten hours and that was uncommon for her. Maybe that accident last night had upset her more than she'd thought. All she'd been aware of at the time had been anger and later a sense of helplessness that had been even more infuriating.

  Stop analyzing and forget about it. That creep who'd tried to run her off the road wasn't worth worrying about. Let the police take care of him. She had a life to lead and it would be a good life, dammit.

  Phillip looked up with a smile as she came into the kitchen. "You look full of vim and vigor." He studied her. "And optimism?"

  "Why not?" She poured a bowl of cornflakes. "Everything seemed pretty gloomy last night, but I can't go around practicing medicine the way everyone else wants me to do it. I'm doing what's right for me and what I believe is right for my patients. If the hospital kicks me out because I don't fit their mold, I'll go volunteer to work with AIDS patients in Africa. Screw what anyone else thinks."

  "I'll second that." He handed her the milk. "You just seemed a little depressed last night. I didn't expect you to bounce back so soon. You're not prone to mood swings. At least, I didn't notice if you are. You're not, are you?"

  She shook her head.

  "No nightmares?"

  "No." She shrugged. "And they say sleep brings counsel. I certainly slept enough last night." She started to eat. "If I don't hurry, I'm going to be late picking up Davy. I have the day off and I promised to take him to the zoo this afternoon after preschool. Could I borrow your Camry until I can arrange to pick up a rental car?"

  "Sure." He handed her the car keys. "But you could use a little more rest. You've been burning the candle at both ends for the last couple weeks. You could beg off."

  "I don't want to beg off. Davy doesn't get that much attention from Scott or Jana these days. They're too involved in making their marriage work." She shook her head. "Scott tries to ignore the fact that Davy is another man's son but it gets in the way. And Jana is a good mother, but she wants to enjoy being a wife right now."

  "So you're mothering the little boy."

  "No, he has a mother. I wouldn't try to replace Jana. But love doesn't have to have a name or a title. Davy's a sweet kid and four-year-olds don't have a problem with accepting affection wherever they can get it."

  "You should have a child of your own."

  "That would be nice." She looked down at her cereal. "Maybe in a decade or so. Providing I can find the right guy."

  "And what do you call 'right'? Whatever happened to that young man you were dating in school?" He frowned. "What was his name…?"

  "Julio Medera."

  "Ah, yes. Very intense and smoldering. He couldn't seem to keep his hands off you. The passionate Latin lover type. Is that what appeals to you?"

  "Passion appeals to most women." Her curious gaze lifted to his face. "I can't remember you ever asking me about my love life before. Are you trying to get rid of me?"

  "No way."

  "I'm out of school now and I could get an apartment near the hospital. I should probably think about it."

  "Don't you dare. You wouldn't want to leave an old crock like me alone. I'd probably just fade away into the sunset." He smiled gently. "We're family, Megan. If there comes a time when you want to go, then I'll help you. But don't be in a hurry. These years have been too good for both of us."

  She nodded. "I just wondered why you were talking about love and marriage and babies. It's not like you."

  "Perhaps I decided we
should talk more about what we think, how we're feeling."

  She made a face. "Phillip, I talk entirely too much about how I feel about things. Ad nauseam. I'm not going to put you through any more whining."

  "You never whine."

  "You say that because you love me." Her smile faded. "Thank God. Have I ever told you how much that means to me? That's what we should be talking about." She pushed back her chair. "And your personal life. If I remember correctly, you haven't had a date since I started my internship."

  He grinned. "But I have the excuse of my advancing age."

  "Bull."

  He chuckled. "I certainly hope you're right." His smile faded. "What did happen to your Julio?"

  "Too intense." She turned toward the door but glanced back over her shoulder. "What are all these questions about? Nightmares. Mood swings. My nonexistent love life. You haven't been so curious about my doings since the first few years we began to live together. Why are you being so nosy?"

  "You shook me up last night," he said quietly. "I almost lost you. I guess it occurred to me that I should take more interest in the little things." He smiled. "I figured maybe I was neglecting my duty."

  She felt a warm surge of affection. "Duty doesn't mean anything. You give me love and that's a hundred times more important." She waved at him as she went out the door. Her smile faded as she crossed the driveway to the Camry.

  She hadn't meant to be evasive but she still had a problem talking about Julio. She had hurt him and the guilt had never left her. He had mistaken passion for love and she should have been more careful. The remorse had been so intense it had kept her from plunging into any other relationship. She had been tempted any number of times because she'd discovered sex was an outlet that took away the pain and tension when emotion ran too high. But it wasn't fair to take when it hurt the giver.

  First, do no harm.

  The first rule of the Hippocratic oath she had taken such a short time ago. A smile curved her lips as she began to back out of the driveway. Not exactly the loftiest application to that creed, but honor was honor.