“And you had no regrets?”
“I didn’t say that. Venable says I’m too cold to have any feelings, but occasionally I feel a stirring.” He smiled. “They just aren’t what other people usually identify as conventional emotions. That priest knew that he would probably die for what he believed. Part of me wanted to tell him what a fool he was, another part wanted to knock him on the head and take him away and let him convert Eskimos or something. But people do what they have to do. So I went down the mountain and let him do what he had to do.”
“Die.”
“Yes.” He looked down at the fire. “Death comes to everyone. The bad, the good, the guilty, the innocent. You have a lot of experience in that particular truth, don’t you? Your Bonnie was both good and innocent, wasn’t she?”
“You have no idea. She’s special. And beautiful, so beautiful.” Eve’s gaze went to his face. If by some wild chance what he had told her was true, Zander was Bonnie’s grandfather. She found herself trying to find a resemblance. He had fine, strong features, but she could not see Bonnie in him.
His glance shifted from the fire and caught her appraisal. “You’re relieved that Bonnie doesn’t look like me.”
And Eve was annoyed that he’d read her so easily. “There’s no reason why she should. You’re not my father. How do you know what Bonnie looks like?”
“Bonnie is a gigantic portion of your life and history. I told you, I’m curious. There are many photos of Bonnie from the time she was kidnapped. Naturally, I’d explore that aspect of your life.”
“There’s nothing natural about your being curious about me.”
He chuckled. “It disturbs you more than I thought that you’ve found your humble, long-lost father. You don’t like the idea that you have to claim me. Are you afraid I might have corrupted your genes?”
“The question is moot since I’m not claiming you.”
“But would it bother you?”
“Hell, no. I am what I am. What I’ve made of myself. I don’t believe that who started you on the journey has anything to say about what you do on the road. That comes from life experiences and who is on that road with you.” She paused. “And we all have souls. Some souls are more beautiful than others. My Bonnie…” She paused. “She has a soul that could light up the universe. Do you think that I’d ever believe that a few degenerate threads of DNA from you or anyone else could change what she became the short time she was on Earth? What she gave to all of us?”
“No.” His gaze was fixed intently on her face. “I don’t think you’d ever believe that, Eve. If I were a more sentimental man, I’d feel a sense of comfort that you hold me free from blame.” He grimaced. “But unfortunately, sentiment seems to have been left out of my makeup. Or perhaps it was scourged out of me at some point.”
“Scourged? I can’t see you being scourged by anyone.”
“Of course not. Just an attempt to win your sympathy.”
“Bullshit.”
“Exactly.”
“I don’t want sentiment or lies. There’s only one thing I want from you.” She held out her wrists to him. “Let me go.”
He didn’t answer for a moment. “It’s possible. But I’d be giving up bait for no reimbursement. After all, as we discussed that was my prime purpose. The idea appalls me.” He paused. “Let me think.”
“Don’t tease me, dammit.” She dropped her hands before her. For an instant she’d had a surge of hope, followed by disappointment and anger. “I won’t beg you, Zander.”
“No, I know you won’t. I suspected that you had a sense of your own worth before I met you, and now I’m sure of it. It’s a quality I respect.”
“Because you definitely have a sense of your own worth.”
He chuckled. “See how well we’re getting to know each other?” He was silent. “You want me to let you go.”
“I won’t ask you again.”
“You didn’t ask me, it was more of a demand.”
“Because you don’t really need me to get what you want. Doane will come when he sees the smoke. Then you’ll have him.”
“That could be one way to handle it,” Zander said. “But there’s the question of reimbursement.”
“You want me to pay you some kind of ransom? How much?”
“You couldn’t afford me, Eve. Of course, I could go to your lover, Quinn. He’s very rich, inherited money from his parents, I understand.”
“Joe is out of this. It’s between you and me, Zander.”
“That’s my take on it, too,” he said softly. “You and me, Eve.”
There was a note in his voice that caused her to stiffen. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Reimbursement. I didn’t realize until I actually arrived in this godforsaken place that I might have another reason than Doane to be on the hunt.”
“You wanted to save me from him?” she asked sarcastically.
“Oh, that would violate my prime directive as they say in the Sci-Fi genre. Yet as I was tracking you through the forest and learning the way you thought and used those valuable instincts, I realized that I had a need to know you.” His brows rose. “It was very sobering. I’ve known you existed for most of your life and been able to ignore you. And for the past five years, I’ve had your dossier in front of me and your photo looking up at me, and I’ve been able to be very cool and calculating about you.”
“So?”
“I didn’t realize that it must have been exerting an insidious effect on me until I came here.”
“But you’re a man of no sentiment.”
“So it must be intense curiosity. Why else?” He looked her in the eye. “Because, whether you believe it or not, I am your father, Eve. Since I appear to have trouble forgetting that at the moment, I need to explore who you are, what you are, so that I can dismiss you from my mind and walk away.”
She could almost believe him. Zander would have no reason to lie to her when he was not trying to get anything from her, and she was clearly on the defensive. “I don’t care whether you’re my father or not. You can walk away right now.”
“And I will.” He smiled. “And so will you. All you have to do is sit there and answer my questions. Satisfy my curiosity. Then I’ll cut those ropes and let you run into the forest while I wait for Doane.”
She gazed at him warily. “What kind of questions?”
“Are you afraid I’ll delve into your sex life with Quinn? Perish the thought. I’ll skate lightly over your love life. It really doesn’t interest me.”
“What does interest you?”
“What you’re doing running free in the forest. How you grew up. How you feel when you’re working on those reconstructions. Jane MacGuire. Bonnie…”
“That’s very personal stuff, Zander.”
“But I don’t believe you’ll be hesitant about talking about it. You don’t have many secrets do you, Eve?”
“No, but I know if I want you to—”
“Reimbursement, Eve. Not such a high price, is it?”
She looked down at her bound wrists. “No.”
He reached in his leather pouch and gave her another strip of jerky. “Don’t throw this one away.” He stretched out on the ground and gazed at her over the flames. “I’ll wait until you finish before I start asking questions.”
“I have a question for you.” She took a bite of jerky. “Why should I trust you to keep your word and let me go?”
“You probably shouldn’t. But I do keep my word. It’s the sign of a true professional.”
“Just look at you.” She slowly chewed the jerky. “You’re all relaxed and stretched out there staring at me as if you were lying on a living-room couch waiting to be entertained by your favorite TV show.”
“It would be a good simile if I watched TV. I fully intend to stare at you while you answer my questions. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Why? You’ve just told me what a mess I am with all these bruises and the dirt.”
“Sometimes both can be badges of courage or interesting contrasts to what lies beneath. After the first glance, I barely noticed them. All I could see was the defiance in your eyes and the tension in your body. You seemed to shine … Everything else went away.” He added, “I want to see your expressions. It will be the best part of the show.”