Smokescreen - Iris Johansen Page 0,148

get it over with.”

She pressed the button.

Fair hair. Eyes glittering as Varak strode out on the porch and looked down at the man kneeling in the yard.

Ferocity.

His lips pulled away from his teeth like that of a feral animal.

Malicious pleasure.

Anticipating the pain to come.

He was speaking, hurling threats at the man on his knees.

Then he was walking down the steps.

Power. Arrogance. As if he owned the world…

She couldn’t take her eyes off him. She was staring in helpless fascination.

Even when one of Varak’s men handed him his machete.

“No, dammit!” Novak was there beside Jill, jerking his phone away from her. “No more.”

“No more,” she repeated dully. She didn’t need any more. She’d seen enough. “Thank you. I…couldn’t seem to stop. He was like a snake that was weaving back and forth and hypnotizing me. Not letting me move.” She hadn’t been able to move that night in the jungle either. “I couldn’t move at all. Only snakes aren’t that strong…”

“Shh.” She was suddenly in his arms. “No, they’re not that strong. And I’ll be chopping the head off this particular snake very soon. He’s just jumped even higher on my kill list.” His hand cupped the back of her head, his lips at her temple. “It was him?” he asked softly. “He was one of those sons of bitches who raped you that night?”

She shook her head. “No, he was the one who was telling the rest of them how to do it.” Her voice was shaking. “He kept saying they weren’t hurting me enough. That it wouldn’t do any good unless they broke me. He seemed angry about it. He was the one who kept beating me and beating me…” She had to take a deep breath. “It was him. I recognized the eyes.” She added, “And the voice. I didn’t realize I’d remember so much. It was such a hideous blur. Or maybe I just tried to block him out.” She recalled something else. “And that laugh. I’ll always remember him laughing when he leaned over me and asked how I liked it—” Her fingers bit into his shoulders. “But he never actually raped me, and I didn’t get a chance to scratch him. He must have been very careful about DNA. He’d know how dangerous it was to him…Maybe that was why he was so angry. He’d hate it that he couldn’t make me suffer as much as he wanted.” She buried her face in his chest. “But you were right—arrogant. As if he owned the world.”

“He won’t own more than six feet of it when I get my hands on him,” Novak said harshly. “I knew you thought he was one of them when you kept insisting on seeing the video. I couldn’t stop you when you had a right to know.” His lips tightened. “And I had a right to know, too. I’ve been wanting to kill those bastards from the night it happened.”

“It never occurred to me it could be him,” Jill said. “I just thought it was a few thugs hired by the people who killed Hadfeld to make certain I left Maldara. Why would Varak become involved in…that…when it would automatically put him in danger?”

“Why would he use a machete on that man today? The idea probably amused him. I’ll have to ask him before I gut him.”

His voice was colder than she’d ever heard it, and Jill was beginning to be afraid she’d made a terrible mistake. Novak had already been determined enough to go after Varak in that hellish jungle, and she might have tipped the scales even more. She rushed to repair the damage. “Don’t use me as an excuse. I’ve told you time after time that none of that was your fault. I wasn’t your responsibility. Do you hear me?”

He didn’t answer.

“And what if you’re wrong about making another run at Varak?” she said harshly. “I’ve been thinking about it today, and it seems too dangerous. He’s sitting there with his land mines and his damn machete ready to strike. I know you believe it’s the logical way to go, but it could get you—”

“Hush.” He pulled her down and fitted her spoon fashion against him. “Just lie here and let me hold you. We’ll talk later. You’re upset, and I didn’t handle any of this right.”

“No, you didn’t. You should believe me when I tell you something. I know it’s partly my fault. I got upset when I realized Varak—” She stopped and started again: “How can

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