Hide Away by Iris Johansen Page B

to come back there? Or do you want to come here?”
    â€œNeither.”
    â€œIt’s one or the other. I’m not leaving you to face this without me.”
    â€œBack off, Jane. We’ll handle it.”
    â€œLike you always back off when I’m in trouble? We’re family, and you know I can’t do that. Choose.”
    â€œJane.”
    â€œI’ll go along with whatever you say, but I really think you’d be better off coming across the pond. I agree with Margaret that you should be running and hiding rather than staked out for Salazar in a cave where he can corner you.”
    â€œIt’s a very nice cave, and you spent a number of years holed up here.”
    â€œI loved it. If I didn’t think I’d cling too much to you and Joe, I’d be back there right now.” She went on brusquely, “But as I said, you’d be safer here. Well, not here in London, but I’m planning on meeting MacDuff and Jock in Edinburgh in a few days, then we’ll go directly to the Highlands.”
    â€œOh, yes, the great treasure hunt. Your friend, Lord MacDuff has been trying to talk you into looking for Cira’s gold for years.” Cira was the ancestress who had come to Scotland from Herculaneum centuries ago and had founded the MacDuff dynasty. There had been legends that she had brought with her a chest of gold coins that would have astronomical value today, but it had never been found. MacDuff and his best friend, Jock Gavin, had been searching for it for years, and MacDuff had reasons to believe that Jane might be able to help them. But Jane had only agreed in the past weeks because she needed the distraction to cope with the depression, Eve knew. “And I believe it’s a great idea. Is Seth Caleb going along?”
    â€œNo, I haven’t seen him since I got back to London from Atlanta.” She added flatly, “And I certainly didn’t invite him.”
    Jane’s tone was distinctly cool, Eve noticed. But that didn’t surprise her. Caleb and Jane’s relationship had been volatile since the moment they had met years ago. Caleb was an enigma, and Eve never knew which way he was going to turn. She did know that he probably felt something for Jane that he didn’t feel for anyone else on earth. “Since when did Caleb require an invitation?”
    â€œI’m trying to change the status quo in that regard. Look, that’s not important. This whole idiotic treasure hunt isn’t important. I’ll put it off if you want me to come back. Otherwise, you come here, and we’ll get lost in the Highlands while Joe is trying to set up a way to make Cara permanently safe from Salazar.”
    â€œAnd I’m supposed to involve you in this mess? No way.”
    â€œI’m already involved. The minute Margaret told me what was going on, I was involved. Accept it.”
    â€œI won’t accept it.”
    â€œYes, you will, maybe not this minute, but it will happen. I’ll hang up, and you’ll think about it. And you’ll realize that we’re family, and what happens to one happens to all of us. That’s what you taught me when I was growing up, and nothing has changed.”
    â€œA lot has changed. You’re grown-up, you have a career, you have a life outside—”
    â€œWe’re family. Make a choice. Call me tomorrow. Or I’ll be on the next plane back to Atlanta.” She hung up.
    She sounded totally determined, Eve thought in frustration. Once Jane made up her mind, there was no changing it. She listened, she looked at the problem from all sides, then she came to a conclusion and forged ahead. This time she had not indulged in the usual analyzing but jumped in with both feet when she’d heard Eve might be in danger.
    Which was exactly what Eve would have done.
    Family. Because family was everything.
    Eve wanted to strangle Margaret. She had probably known exactly what effect recounting