“Just a scratch. He’s still up in the hills dealing with damage control because of several bodies that have to be dealt with. Not to mention, MacDuff’s men. They were pretty upset about Colin’s murder, then MacDuff’s injury. And they didn’t like it that they were left out of that blowup that took out Salazar.” He shrugged. “I don’t blame them. I would have felt the same if I’d missed all the fun.”
“I won’t even address that remark,” she said. “Eve wouldn’t tell me what was happening, but I guarantee I wouldn’t have thought it was ‘fun.’”
“You just did address it. In the way that was predictably your own.” His smile faded. “And if anything had happened to Eve, I wouldn’t be saying that. I don’t believe I would have had the nerve to send her in to face Natalie Castino and Salazar. I know Quinn didn’t want her to do it. It was her choice. She wanted to be sure that Cara would be protected.”
“She still wants her to be protected.”
“We all do.” He lightly tapped his chest. “Even my callous, barbaric self.” He turned away. “And now I’ve got to get back to Quinn and offer my help. I’m actually becoming accustomed to being a team player. No, that’s not true, but it sounds good, and I thought you’d like to hear it.” He met her eyes. “I just wanted to check to see how you were doing. I know it was harder for you to stay out of the action than it was for Colin’s men.”
“Yes, it was, but it was the right thing to do.”
“Boring.” He smiled. “I promise I’ll never make you do the right thing, Jane.” Before she could answer, he had turned away. “But I brought Eve down from the hills with me, and she might need someone to talk to about right and wrong. She’s much more on your wavelength than I am.” His voice drifted back to her. “She’s down by the lake…”
Jane stood watching him for a moment. Why was it always so difficult to look away from Caleb? He seemed to gather all the light and darkness around him until it became a part of him. She forced herself to look away and down at the lake.
But Eve wasn’t at the lake as Caleb had said. She was standing beside her tent, and she was looking down at Cara’s violin, which she was holding.
Not good.
“Eve.” Jane walked quickly toward her. “The air ambulance just took MacDuff and Jock to the hospital. Everything seems to be—”
“Easy.” Eve looked up and met Jane’s eyes. “I’m not going to fall apart. I’ve just been scared and having trouble remembering that Natalie Castino isn’t infallible. She’s just a smart woman who is evil beyond belief.” She glanced back at the violin. “But Cara is smart, too. Smart and good and gifted. She’s already survived more than anyone would think she could. She can survive this, too.” She bent down and carefully put the violin back in its case. “All she needs is help from the people who love her. She’s going to get that, Jane.” She moved down the slope toward the lake. “And it’s going to be enough to save her.”
“Yes.” Jane moved down to stand beside Eve on the bank. The fog was gone, but the heavy mist that always wreathed the north bank was still there. So much violence and killing had echoed through these hills in the last days, but that eternal mist was still beckoning, calling, as it had for centuries. “We’ll make it enough.”
But, Cira, we could use a little help from you if you can see your way clear. This is about a child, too. Your Marcus would have liked her. You would have liked her. Don’t let us lose her as you did Marcus. Please, don’t let Eve lose her.
Eve was gazing out at the mist, too. “It seems … different today.” She tried to smile. “What do you think? The beginning or the end?”
Jane moved a step closer and took her hand. “The beginning,” she said. “Definitely, the beginning.”
ALSO BY IRIS JOHANSEN
Shadow Play
The Naked Eye (with Roy Johansen)
Your Next Breath
Sight Unseen (with Roy Johansen)
Live to See Tomorrow
Silencing Eve
Hunting Eve
Taking Eve
Sleep No More
Close Your Eyes (with Roy Johansen)
What Doesn’t Kill You
Bonnie
Eve
Chasing the Night
Shadow Zone (with Roy Johansen)
Eight Days to Live
Deadlock
Dark Summer
Quicksand
Silent Thunder (with Roy Johansen)
Pandora’s Daughter
Stalemate
An Unexpected Song
Killer Dreams
On the Run
Countdown
Blind Alley
Firestorm
Fatal Tide
Dead Aim
No One to Trust
Body of Lies
Final Target
The Search
The Killing Game
The Face of Deception
And Then You Die
Long After Midnight
The Ugly Duckling
Lion’s Bride
Midnight Warrior
The Beloved Scoundrel
The Magnificent Rogue
The Tiger Prince
Last Bridge Home
The Golden Barbarian
Reap the Wind
Storm Winds
The Wind Dancer
About the Author
IRIS JOHANSEN is the New York Times bestselling author of Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn’t Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing the Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora’s Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On the Run, Countdown, Firestorm, Fatal Tide, Dead Aim, and more. And with her son Roy Johansen, she has coauthored Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Also by Iris Johansen
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
HIDE AWAY. Copyright © 2016 by Johansen Publishing LLLP. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by Rob Grom
Cover photographs: man on boat © Russell Kaye/Sandra-Lee Phipps; woman © Don Bayley/Getty Images; Scottish Highlands © CHBaum/Shutterstock; forest © Andipantz/Getty Images; running girl© MJTH/Shutterstock
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-07582-6 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-8720-6 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466887206
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First Edition: April 2
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