took a sleek, small gray phone out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. “Very safe.”
“I’m glad something is safe around here,” Eve said. “I guarantee Joe isn’t going to be impressed by it. Alarms are going to go off the minute the call doesn’t come in on my computer Skype.” Her gaze shifted back to the blackened skull. It seemed to be staring malevolently back at her. Foolishness. Those stories that Jill had told her about Varak were causing her imagination to run riot. “Why don’t you both get out of here? You’ve done your part. Don’t worry. Nothing Joe says will change my mind. I’ve agreed to do this. Now I’m committed.”
“I’m not quite finished here.” Jill put up her hand as Eve started to speak. “I’m not hanging out to eavesdrop on your conversation. It’s time we trusted each other.” She glanced at Novak. “I speak for myself. Novak has been playing in the shadows for so long it comes natural to him. Most of the time, he can’t help himself. But he won’t do anything to hurt you.”
Novak’s eyes narrowed on her. “What are you up to?”
“I’m just trying to tell her that she has to put up with having me bunk here at the museum from now on until the reconstruction is finished.”
“What!” Eve said. “No way.”
“My thought exactly,” Novak said to Jill. “After all you’ve gone through to make sure that no one was aware of the connection between you?”
“The press interview already established that, and you’ll just have to make certain there’s no one snooping around here. You’ll do that anyway.”
“Why?” Eve’s lips twisted. “Because we trust each other so much?”
“I want you to have someone here to protect you. I think that has to be me.”
“I have her guarded, Jill,” Novak said. “You know that.”
Jill shook her head. “How quickly could they get to her? It might not be soon enough.” She turned back to Eve. “I won’t bother you. You won’t know I’m here. Unless you need me.”
“I don’t want you here.”
“I’m sorry,” Jill said sincerely. “It has to be this way. I got you into this, and I have to be responsible for you.”
“The hell you do.”
Jill smiled slightly. “Then we’ll have to be responsible for each other. Earlier today, I told Hajif to have a cot ready for me. I’ll go down and tell him to bring it up now.” She headed for the door. “It will be fine, Eve.”
“It’s not necessary, Jill,” Novak said.
“Yes, it is.” Jill looked at him over her shoulder. “I don’t want her to be alone.”
“That seems to be her mantra these days,” Novak said to Eve between set teeth, as they watched her walk out of the museum.
Eve repeated, “I don’t want her here, Novak. I can take care of myself.”
“I’m sure you can. Quinn would make sure that you would never be helpless. It doesn’t seem to make any difference to Jill.” He looked back at Eve. “Oh, she can take care of herself, too. She survived here in Maldara for two years. And she might not have gone to one of our training camps like Gideon, but she knows karate and is an excellent shot.”
“You said she was vulnerable.”
“Because she does things like this,” he said harshly, his eyes glittering in his taut face. “Because she knows that no matter how good anyone is, there’s always a situation where being good isn’t enough. She was hurt in one of those damned situations recently. She doesn’t want anyone else to be hurt.” He gestured impatiently. “You might as well give in to her. You’re not going to win. She’ll make it work for you. But she won’t let you go through this alone.” He turned and headed for the door. “I’ll go help her. First I have to send someone to pick up her car at the U.N. building, then talk to the guards so that we can get her settled. Go ahead and call Quinn.”
Eve shook her head ruefully. So much for privacy and being in total control of the reconstruction process. She supposed it didn’t really matter if Jill stayed. If Jill annoyed her, then she would just toss her out.
She doesn’t want anyone else to be hurt.
Those poignant words had touched Eve in spite of her resistance to this invasion of her privacy. That memory of Jill’s attack must be a constant battle to overcome. But she was dealing with it and not trying to hide away.