difficult for me, but I learned to compromise. I couldn’t do everything I wanted, but there were things I could do. I was able to teach, give comfort and understanding and, every now and then, more concrete help.”
“Like with Barry?”
A smile lit his face as he glanced at the sleeping child. “That was my joy and privilege. I couldn’t give Elena everything she needed as a child, but I got another chance with Barry. I believe God finds ways to help us find our true path. When Elena needed help with Barry, I knew I’d found mine.” His brows lifted. “You’re asking a lot of questions. Why?”
“I’m plagued with a curious mind.”
“And Elena is an intriguing woman.”
“Since she tried to kill me a minute after we first met, it’s difficult to think of her as a woman.”
“Then why are you so angry at the thought of the way her father raised her?”
“I just don’t like children being forced into grown-up games.”
“As you were?”
Galen was silent a moment. “Are you fishing?”
“It’s my nature. And my vocation.” Dominic tilted his head, studying Galen. “You’re an interesting man and probably better than you think you are.”
He chuckled. “I couldn’t be. Unless there’s something better than perfection.” His smile faded. “Dominic, I’m a cynical, selfish son of a bitch who’s dabbled in more sin than you could measure in a lifetime. But that doesn’t mean I’m all bad. I show up pretty good next to men like Chavez.”
“Most men do.”
“Don’t you want to save his soul? What an opportunity.”
Dominic shook his head. “I’d find it difficult to ask God to forgive him after what he’s done to the people I care about. I suppose that’s why I’m no longer a priest.”
“But it makes you a hell of a lot more human.” He shrugged. “Now, what about a game of checkers before Barry wakes up and needs your attention? It’s going to be a long flight and I get bored easily.”
“I’ve noticed a certain restlessness.” He gazed thoughtfully at him. “What do you do to keep it at bay?”
Galen grinned. “I wouldn’t want to disillusion you by telling you.” He spread out the board. “I’ll take the black pieces. Like to like, as my mum used to say.”
“Time to get up.”
Elena’s eyes flew open to see Galen standing inside the curtains.
“It’s okay. You have an hour before we land. Do you need any help?”
She shook her head and scrambled to a sitting position. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine, but you’re probably better than you were. You were out like a light. How long has it been since you got any sleep?”
“I don’t remember. It doesn’t matter. How is Barry?”
“He slept a couple hours himself.” He turned to go. “If you need any help in the bathroom, give a call. By the way, Forbes wants to talk to you.”
She tossed the sheet aside. “I want to talk to him.”
Fifteen minutes later she dropped down in the seat beside Forbes. “Where are you taking us?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Forbes said. “There’s a place north of San Francisco in the wine country that we’ve used before as a safe house. It used to be a working vineyard, but it’s deserted now. I’ve called and made arrangements to have a team pick us up at the airport and drive us straight there.”
She stiffened. “What team?”
“DEA.” He went on hurriedly. “I know you didn’t want the government involved, but I can’t protect you by myself. I’ve notified my superiors of the situation and they’ve agreed to go along with me. We got you out of the country without pulling in the agency, but I can’t give you enough protection on my own.”
She had known that would probably be the case. She didn’tlike it, but there was little she could do about it right now. “Do you know the men who’ll be on this team?”
“I know the lead agent, and I’ve had the other three men on the team checked out and they came up
“Like with Barry?”
A smile lit his face as he glanced at the sleeping child. “That was my joy and privilege. I couldn’t give Elena everything she needed as a child, but I got another chance with Barry. I believe God finds ways to help us find our true path. When Elena needed help with Barry, I knew I’d found mine.” His brows lifted. “You’re asking a lot of questions. Why?”
“I’m plagued with a curious mind.”
“And Elena is an intriguing woman.”
“Since she tried to kill me a minute after we first met, it’s difficult to think of her as a woman.”
“Then why are you so angry at the thought of the way her father raised her?”
“I just don’t like children being forced into grown-up games.”
“As you were?”
Galen was silent a moment. “Are you fishing?”
“It’s my nature. And my vocation.” Dominic tilted his head, studying Galen. “You’re an interesting man and probably better than you think you are.”
He chuckled. “I couldn’t be. Unless there’s something better than perfection.” His smile faded. “Dominic, I’m a cynical, selfish son of a bitch who’s dabbled in more sin than you could measure in a lifetime. But that doesn’t mean I’m all bad. I show up pretty good next to men like Chavez.”
“Most men do.”
“Don’t you want to save his soul? What an opportunity.”
Dominic shook his head. “I’d find it difficult to ask God to forgive him after what he’s done to the people I care about. I suppose that’s why I’m no longer a priest.”
“But it makes you a hell of a lot more human.” He shrugged. “Now, what about a game of checkers before Barry wakes up and needs your attention? It’s going to be a long flight and I get bored easily.”
“I’ve noticed a certain restlessness.” He gazed thoughtfully at him. “What do you do to keep it at bay?”
Galen grinned. “I wouldn’t want to disillusion you by telling you.” He spread out the board. “I’ll take the black pieces. Like to like, as my mum used to say.”
“Time to get up.”
Elena’s eyes flew open to see Galen standing inside the curtains.
“It’s okay. You have an hour before we land. Do you need any help?”
She shook her head and scrambled to a sitting position. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine, but you’re probably better than you were. You were out like a light. How long has it been since you got any sleep?”
“I don’t remember. It doesn’t matter. How is Barry?”
“He slept a couple hours himself.” He turned to go. “If you need any help in the bathroom, give a call. By the way, Forbes wants to talk to you.”
She tossed the sheet aside. “I want to talk to him.”
Fifteen minutes later she dropped down in the seat beside Forbes. “Where are you taking us?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Forbes said. “There’s a place north of San Francisco in the wine country that we’ve used before as a safe house. It used to be a working vineyard, but it’s deserted now. I’ve called and made arrangements to have a team pick us up at the airport and drive us straight there.”
She stiffened. “What team?”
“DEA.” He went on hurriedly. “I know you didn’t want the government involved, but I can’t protect you by myself. I’ve notified my superiors of the situation and they’ve agreed to go along with me. We got you out of the country without pulling in the agency, but I can’t give you enough protection on my own.”
She had known that would probably be the case. She didn’tlike it, but there was little she could do about it right now. “Do you know the men who’ll be on this team?”
“I know the lead agent, and I’ve had the other three men on the team checked out and they came up
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