Karen frowned. “Something wrong?”
“We’re just being careful.” Gabriel followed me to the door. “Shouldn’t take but a minute. I saw a grill out back, and Max makes a mean steak.”
I opened the door and stepped inside. “He hasn’t been here.”
“Let’s make sure. I’ll check the bedrooms.”
“Does Karen drink coffee?” I asked.
“Like a fish. I hope we’ve got enough.”
Gabriel checked the bedrooms and did a quick walk around the living room and the dining room. “Doesn’t look like anything is out of place.”
“I told you, he hasn’t been here. He leaves behind some type of evil energy level. I can’t explain it, but it’s something I can feel.” I filled the pot and turned it on. “She’s pretty.”
“Karen? Yeah, I guess. I’ll go bring in her luggage and grab the groceries.”
He didn’t bring in my luggage. The thought irritated me because I wasn’t sure where it was coming from. I’d never been the type of woman who needed a man to carry her luggage. The sound of the three of them laughing as they came through the front door irritated me even more. What the hell is wrong with me? Gabriel’s dying. If Karen makes him happy, I should be happy for him.
“I’ll fire up the grill.” Max wheeled to the back door as Gabriel placed two bags of groceries on the counter. “Keep out some steaks, Dakota, and make one of those fantastic salads of yours.” He smiled at Karen. “We’ll have you fed in no time.”
“What can I do to help?” Karen joined me in the kitchen.
“What are you good at?” I asked.
“Not cooking, that’s for sure.” Karen laughed. “But I can wash vegetables and potatoes.” She glanced around the kitchen. “Ooh, you made coffee. I could kiss you.”
I could cut your throat with the knife I’m about to use. I unloaded the groceries, keeping out the steaks and what I needed for the salad. “You had a long drive. Have a cup of coffee and relax. I’m sure Max would love some company.”
“I’ll do the dishes and clean up.” Karen poured a cup and walked away. “That’s something I’m good at, at least.”
I washed the potatoes, wrapped them in foil, and set them on the counter for Max to place on the grill along with the steaks. The dark thoughts that kept springing up were bothering me. Some part of me had feelings for Gabriel, and jealousy could be a part of it. “It’s stupid.”
“Need a hand?” Gabriel leaned on the counter as I viciously sliced vegetables.
“I’ve got it. Go play with the others.”
“Something bothering you?”
He was watching me intently. “I thought about cutting her throat. Should that bother me?”
Gabriel laughed. “I told you, she takes some getting used to. Anything in particular piss you off?”
“Hey, Dakota, bring out the steaks and potatoes. Grill is ready,” Max yelled from the back porch.
I glanced up, meeting Gabriel’s gaze. “That. You might want to take those out. I just might wind up cutting both their throats.”
26
Gabriel remained silent during dinner. He preferred watching and remaining vigilant. Karen and Max were hitting it off, and Dakota was toying with her food. The thought Dakota was jealous of Max was like a boil beginning to fester. You’re dying, dumbass. At least with Max she’d have a future. He pushed away his plate and rose. “I’m going to take a walk.”
“I’m stuffed. I’ll go with you.” Karen stood. “Leave everything, and I’ll clean it up when we get back.”
Gabriel held the door for her. Evening was descending into night and the moon beginning to rise, casting eerie shadows near the lake. “We’re not going far. It’ll be dark soon.”
“You think he’s here, don’t you?”
“Dakota does, and in that regard, I trust her intuition.” He dug through his pockets for a piece of gum. Giving up cigarettes was hard all the time but worse after a meal. “You need to tone it down a little, Karen.”
“I was just conducting a tiny experiment. I think I know what I need to know now.”
“Which was?”
“Whether she was interested in you, Max, or me.” Karen smiled. “I was hoping it was me, but it turns out it’s you. Her green-eyed monster comes out every time I get close to you.”
“She did say something about wanting to cut your throat. I thought it was Max.”
“Dakota cares about Max, but it’s more a sisterly thing.” Karen knelt beside the lake. “Other than wanting to kill me, how is she?”
“Different. Stronger in a lot of ways than she was before. She said she had a lot to tell the three of us. Salyer made contact with her. Her daughter is alive. He sent her a photo.”
Karen nodded. “Sounds like the parts are coming together. We should head back. Now that I’ve broken the ice, I’d like to get started right away.”
“You’re not going to wait until morning?”
“Not for the preliminaries. I want to scope out how much she remembers and what’s bothering her the most about remembering. Also, if Christian Salyer is out there, we need to find him, especially if he has her daughter.”
“One more thing.” Gabriel waited until she turned to look at him. “Take it easy with Max. He may be in a wheelchair, but he’s still a man, and I don’t want to see him hurt.”
“Gabriel Browne, there’s a heart under that cold exterior after all. You know, you’re one of the few clients I had that didn’t put me through transference and vow your undying love for me. Don’t worry. I’ll handle Max. I actually like him. He’s fun, cute, and more intelligent than most of the men I meet today.”
Gabriel kept his eyes vigilant, scanning the area as they walked slowly back to the cabin. “I told you Salyer has another girl, didn’t I?”
“Bethany Phillips.” Karen sighed. “I’ll do everything I can to find out if she knows where she was being held, but it may take some time. She has to learn to trust me. He held her for more than a year. There may be some part of her that suffers from Stockholm syndrome and doesn’t want Salyer caught. If that’s true, we may never be able to crack that barrier.”
“I could see that if the captors weren’t abusive to the victims, but I can’t imagine anyone loving Salyer after what he puts them through.”
“Love is a strange emotion, Gabriel. If Dakota is right and he has her daughter, then she’ll do whatever she has to do to get her back. Even if it means going with Salyer.”
Would you die for her?
Gabriel knew what Salyer’s plans were. He also knew Dakota would do anything to get Emma away from him, even die for her. He coughed, the sound a deep rattle. I don’t have anything to lose. If Salyer will make a deal, maybe I can die for both of them. I’ll make damn sure I take Salyer with me.
I was putting away the last of the dishes when Gabriel and Karen walked through the door. Neither of them looked very happy. “Lovers’ spat?”
Gabriel glared at me, but Karen laughed. “Trust me, honey. We were never lovers. Gabriel isn’t my type.” She walked to the counter and poured a cup of coffee. “Thank you for cleaning up. I would have done it.”
“No big deal. Max washed. I dried.”
“Grab a cup of coffee, and let’s sit down and get to know each other.” Karen walked into the living room and opened the briefcase she’d placed there earlier. “I usually tape my sessions. If that bothers you, I can just take notes.”