Free Chasing the Night by Iris Johansen

was loving. At times she hadn’t been sure it would survive. “Joe, if you—”
    He kissed her again, smothering the words she had been about to speak. “No, I don’t want to argue. I’ve had my say. I just want you to know how I feel.”
    “Duly noted.” Her hands slid around him, and her nails bit teasingly into the back of his neck. “I like the way you feel. Emotionally…” She ran her tongue over his lower lip. “Physically.” She pushed him over and climbed on top of him. “Sexually. Oh, yes, most definitely sexually.”
    He inhaled sharply as her hands moved over him. “Are you trying to distract me?”
    “Hell, yes. You’re being too intense. I’m dealing with enough intensity. Am I succeeding?”
    He smiled as his hands closed on her breasts. “Without a shadow of a doubt.”

    Venable called Eve just after noon the following afternoon. “How is your collaboration with my pet she-wolf coming along?”
    “Very well. And I don’t have time to talk to you unless you have something to contribute.” She gazed at Catherine. “Would you like to speak to Catherine?”
    “No, I’d just like you to give her a message. Tell her that I kept my word. The Rakovac file should be on her e-mail.”
    “Tell her yourself. You may be fond of secrets and playing people against each other, but I like things out in the open. I’m putting you on speaker.” She turned to Catherine as she pressed the button. “Venable says you have a document on your e-mail.”
    Catherine tensed. “The file, Venable?”
    “I told you I’d get it for you,” Venable said sourly. “And I put my ass on the line with the director to keep my word. He was having second thoughts.”
    “The entire file?”
    “Surveillance on Rakovac from the week that your son was taken.” He paused. “You’re not going to be pleased. I told you at the time that we had no visual confirmation on Luke. I didn’t lie to you.”
    “But he had to have some contact with him. I heard him crying on that first call. Rakovac mentioned things that he did in other calls.”
    “And we both know the bastard could have been stringing you along,” Venable said bluntly. “Luke could have been killed right after that first call.”
    “No question. But if he wasn’t, and Luke is alive, there might be something in those surveillance records that will give me some direction.”
    “Well, go damn carefully. I don’t want you blowing our relationship with him until we’re ready to pounce. You owe me that much.”
    “Screw you. I don’t owe you anything.”
    “I kept your son alive. I was always a presence reminding Rakovac how dangerous it would be to go too far. It had to have had an effect.”
    “Maybe. Neither of us knows whether that’s true.”
    “But you’re being positive. That’s what this is all about.” His voice harshened. “Look, you’ll see by the info on the last section of that file that it’s not only the Company that is working at parting ways. Rakovac is going down a path that’s dangerous for all of us. He’s left his apartment in Moscow and dropped off our radar. We’re trying to find him, too. We’re going to have to handle him very delicately until we get to a point where we can get rid of him.”
    Catherine’s eyes widened. “You’re going to kill him.”
    “It’s quite likely it will be necessary. If we can’t work it any other way.”
    “You can’t do that. Not yet.”
    “It’s not going to happen tomorrow. All I’m asking is that you keep it slow and easy and not cause us to have to move prematurely.”
    Catherine drew a deep breath. “I’ll think about it. I can’t promise. I’ve waited too long.”
    “Then I may have to work at slowing you down myself,” he murmured. “I’ll have to see what roadblocks I can toss in your path. I know you may not believe it, but I’m on your side, Catherine. I’ve always wanted the best for you.”
    “Listen to me.” Catherine’s voice was shaking. “You’re