Free Final Target by Iris Johansen

then nodded jerkily.
    "Good." He finished his coffee and stood up. "Now I'll get back to the gatehouse and you get on the phone to Andreas. Okay?"
    "I'll think about it."
    "Up to you. It will be harder if he calls you after hearing from the guards here." He waved and moved toward the door. "See you."
    She sat there for a long time. She wasn't accustomed to taking orders, and Travis's suggestion had been dangerously close to an order. It seemed he had spoken truthfully when he said he liked control.
    He wouldn't get it. She had no intention of yielding one iota of supervision over Cassie's treatment. From the moment he had sat down on Cassie's bed, she had seen a change in him. The challenge had seemed to electrify him, every cell in his body had taken on a force. She might need his determination but not his domination.
    But, annoyingly, Travis had been right about calling Andreas. She'd been tempted to ignore his suggestion just because he'd made it, but that would be counterproductive. Call Andreas, get it over with, then sit down and consider how she could use Michael Travis.

    It was still raining, but Travis hardly felt the drops as he ran back to the gatehouse. He was still charged with the explosive energy of the battle with Cassie…and Jessica Riley.
    Fascinating.
    The struggle with Cassie and then the interesting interchange he'd witnessed between Jessica and her sister, Melissa. Pieces of a puzzle were coming to light that he found very interesting.
    And dangerous.
    Maybe he hadn't gotten his fill of walking on a tightrope after all.

Chapter Six
    Andreas was silent when Jessica finished.
    When he did speak, his voice was thick. "You think she could have died?"
    "I wouldn't have brought Travis to the house if I hadn't thought there was a strong possibility."
    "Christ." Another silence. "What the hell is happening to her?"
    "That's what I'm trying to find out."
    "I want to be with her. I hate being thousands of miles away."
    "You couldn't help her, sir."
    "But Travis did."
    "I don't believe there's any doubt he saved her life." She paused. "I may need to use him again."
    "I didn't want him around her. I thought it would make the nightmares worse."
    "They couldn't be worse."
    Another silence. "Then use him. Use anyone or anything you have to. I'll send word he's to put himself at your disposal."
    Travis would love that. "Thank you, sir. I'm sure that will help."
    "She's getting worse." His voice was uneven. "Why can't we do something? Why are we just spinning our wheels while she-"
    She couldn't bear the pain in his words." I know how you feel. I wonder…if you'd consider taking her back to Vasaro."
    "No! Absolutely not. I may be desperate, but I'm not crazy."
    " I think it might-"
    "No."
    She heaved a sigh. She hadn't thought he'd accept the idea, but she'd had to try. It was radical, even dangerous, but she was as desperate as Andreas. "I wish you'd consider it."
    "I'd consider getting a new doctor for my daughter first." He said something to someone in the background and then came back on the line. "I have to go. There's a damn reception at the royal palace. I want to hear better news from you the next time you call or I'll fly home and find someone who can help Cassie." He hung up.
    The threat didn't bother Jessica. She knew he was just in agony over a seemingly hopeless situation. If she'd believed someone else could do a better job with Cassie, she'd go and hire him herself.
    But he was right-lately they'd just been spinning their wheels, trying to maintain the status quo.
    I have a passion for disrupting the status quo.
    Maybe bringing Travis more fully into the equation might be a good step.
    And maybe not. At any rate, something had to change. Cassie couldn't go on like this. Jessica had to explore every possibility to bring Cassie back.
    She wearily started up the stairs. Time to check on Cassie and then get some sleep.
    She stopped at the door of the blue room.
    Every possibility.
    Melissa.
    Melissa was as