Your Next Breath

“No!” His lips curled. “You fool. You can’t touch her. I’ll kill your son. Then I’ll kill you and lay you on the floor beside her coffin. You’ll rot there, while she goes on forever. I’ll come and visit here, and Delores and I will laugh.”

“I don’t doubt you’d make the attempt, since you’re completely wacko.” She put her right arm half behind her as she took a step closer to the casket. “But I imagine she’d have problems with changing expressions, wouldn’t she? Did Montez fix that, too? Let me take a closer look…”

“Don’t touch that glass.” His hand grasped her shoulder, and he jerked her back. “Keep away from her.”

“Whatever you say.” She moved her arm so that he wouldn’t touch the dagger in her sleeve. “It sounded as if you wanted us to be best buddies.”

“I don’t want your foulness near her. Not until you’re—”

Kaboom.

The explosion caused the tomb to shake.

Santos froze. “What the hell?”

He grabbed Catherine’s arm and jerked her out of the tomb. His gaze flew up the hill.

Flames. Smoke.

The house that must have been Santos’s residence was almost entirely destroyed, flames clawing the night sky. Pablo was giving orders to the two men with him as he ran up the hill toward the house.

Kaboom.

Another explosion.

The bunkhouse?

“Venable?” Santos screamed. “I’ll kill that bastard, Pablo. He swore he wasn’t followed to the island.”

“Not Venable.” She jerked her arm away from him. She jabbed her elbow in his belly with all her force. He bent double with pain. “And Pablo didn’t lie.” She dove around the side of the tomb just as Santos fired a shot that ricocheted off the granite.

Another explosion down at the beach.

“Come back here, Catherine,” Santos said. “Blow up everything in sight, and I’ll still win. Because I’m taking out my phone. I’m dialing a number … In two minutes, your son will be dead.”

“No.” She let her dagger drop down her sleeve into her hand.

Position. Throw.

Aim for the hand holding the phone.

“You heard her,” Cameron said from the road behind Santos. “She said no. It’s not going to happen.”

He dove forward and tackled Santos, knocking the gun from his hand.

Thank God.

Catherine moved from behind the tomb.

But Santos had his hands around Cameron’s throat. Her hand tightened on her dagger.

Cameron kneed him in the groin, and when his grip loosened, he flipped him over his head.

Santos crashed against the side of the tomb and slid down to the ground. He lifted his head dazedly. Then as he saw Catherine, his face contorted with rage. He reached for his phone again.

She was on him in seconds, her dagger pi

He screamed!

“No way.” She bent down, and her eyes gazed fiercely into his own. “You’re not going to touch my son. Not now. Not ever.”

“The hell I’m not.” He screamed again as he jerked the dagger out of his hand and ran back toward the entrance of the tomb.

“Dammit, get out of the way, Catherine.” Cameron’s gun was aimed at Santos. “You’re blocking my shot.”

“Let him go.” She watched Santos disappear into the tomb again. “He’s not going anywhere. There’s no back door to the tomb. He’s trapped in there with his Delores. I’ll go after him in a minute. Give me your phone. I’ve got to call Hu Chang.”

“Why are you—”

“Now!” He took one look at her strained expression and tossed her his phone.

Her hand was shaking as she dialed Hu Chang. She started speaking as soon as he answered. “I can’t talk more than a minute. Don’t let Luke go to his room. If he’s there, get him out. Dammit, I don’t know where else in the house he’ll be safe. Not near any window. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you. Now slow down and tell me why.”

“No time. A Victorian house over a thousand yards from my house. The attic. A shooter named Lambell. Did you get all that?”

“I’ve got it. Are you safe?”

“Yes. No. Maybe. I’ll call you when I know for sure.” She hung up.

Safe. Luke would be safe.

As safe as she and Hu Chang could make him.

“Lambell?” Cameron repeated.

“A surprise from Santos. His ace in the hole. But I think Hu Chang will be able to block it.” She was trying to catch her breath as she glanced at Cameron, then up at the burning hillside. “It appears you decided to blow up the island. Is there going to be anything left?”

“Very little. Dario is rounding up the rest of Santos’s men, and they don’t seem to be enthusiastic about defending it.” His gaze was fixed on her face. “Your face looks like it went through a nasty blast, too. Santos?”

She nodded. “He didn’t like a few of my comments about Delores.” Her gaze went to the crypt. “So he brought me here to join her.”

“I thought this was where you’d end up.”

“So did I. Delores was where it all started.” Was it fate that had led Santos to run back into that crypt? She wondered. She had a strange feeling that it had been. “This is where I want it ended.”

“I was wondering why you blocked my shot.” Cameron’s lips tightened. “And I noticed you said I, not we, will go after him. What are you doing, Catherine?”

“What do you think? This battle was always aimed at me, and I’ve got to end it. He killed, he wounded, he terrified people I love in the name of Delores. I’m going to punish him.”

“Not without me.”

“Don’t be selfish; you practically blew up the whole damn island yourself. Leave Santos to me.”

“Not without me,” he repeated. He looked her in the eye. “Absolutely not.”

And if she didn’t accept that help, he’d go in after Santos himself. His entire being was poised, ready, glittering like the dagger with which she’d stabbed Santos. “Okay, I won’t shut you out. But it probably won’t be in the way you might prefer. Give me a couple minutes to get my breath, then I’ll tell you what I need.” She gazed at the bronze door of the tomb. He was in there waiting for her. She could feel his waves of hatred, the frustration, the bloodlust.

Well, she had a bloodlust of her own.

I’m coming for you, bastard.

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

“Lambell?” Caleb shook his head. “Dorgal gave me five names and locations here in Louisville. None of them was Lambell, Hu Chang.”

“Then he lied,” Hu Chang said. “And it doesn’t matter. Catherine says that he exists and is a danger.” He headed for the door. “A Victorian house that’s at least a thousand feet from this one. Do you recall such a house, Sam?”

“Two blocks away. Three-story. Green shutters and trim,” Sam said. “It’s the only one within that distance.”

“I’m on my way,” Caleb said as he headed for the door. “Call me if you hear anything more from Catherine.”

“She called and asked my assistance,” Hu Chang said. “I do not appreciate being told to monitor the phone.”

“She told you to take care of Luke,” Caleb said. “How can you do that if you’re busy cutting that bastard’s throat? And Sam’s got to protect the house. I’m the outsider. Much better that you leave Lambell to me. I was getting restless anyway.”

“How could we tell that? Just because you’ve been prowling like a panther since you arrived here?” Hu Chang said. “Outsider. Yes, that describes you.” He shrugged. “Very well. I’m disappointed, but I yield to logic if not to your selfish desire to indulge yourself.” He stared him in the eye. “But do not fail her, Caleb. You do not want me to be displeased with you.”

“You won’t be.” Caleb smiled recklessly. “I’ve got it. Victorian house. Green trim. One shooter soon to be deceased.”

The door slammed behind him.

CHAPTER

16

“I’ll give you four minutes.” Cameron pushed Catherine back against the tomb. His face was taut, his eyes glittering as he stared down at her. “And that’s cutting it close. Then I’m coming in after you.”