The Perfect Liar (Last Stand 5)

"Where was Tatiana through all of this?"

"Tati's different from Kalyna. She's a real sweetheart. But she's not...I don't know, dynamic, exciting, charismatic like Kalyna. Kalyna knows how to be whatever you want her to be. It isn't until she feels completely safe that her real personality comes out."

"How come Tati didn't see that side of her?" Luke whispered.

"Weren't she and her sister close?" Ava asked.

"Kalyna pretended to be a loving sister, but she's never loved anyone, not really. She'd leave Tati with the bulk of the work and slip away with me. Tati must've known we were having sex, but it was almost as if she didn't want to deal with it, as if it was less upsetting to turn a blind eye.

She was loyal enough not to tell. But if she'd thought that what we were doing was worse than fooling around, she would've come forward. Kalyna knew that, knew what to keep from her and what was safe to tell."

"How do you feel about Kalyna now?"

He gave a bitter laugh. "I wish I could tell you I hate her. In some ways, I do but..."

"What?"

"Even after everything that's happened, there are stil times I think of her and want to be with her. She was...like a drug for me. I've never smoked, but I've heard people talk about how hard it is to quit, how after years and years of not having a cigarette, they stil crave one. That's what it's like for me. But I'd never get with Kalyna again, even if she wanted me. I know she's sick."

"I think she has her heart set on someone else." Ava met Luke's gaze as she said this.

"Oh, yeah?" Mark said. "Well, you should warn him. If he's smart he'l stay far, far away. She'l be everything he could dream of--at first. But then she'l turn on him."

Ava seemed to realize she'd been clinging to Luke and suddenly let go. "Why'd you threaten Mrs. Harter, Mark?"

"That was stupid. I was so angry, you know? I'd finally moved on and was dating a nice girl, someone I thought I could have a serious relationship with. It was the first time I'd cared about anyone since Kalyna.

And Norma Harter ruined it for me."

"You broke up."

"She couldn't stand to let me touch her after that, and I can't blame her."

"Have you told the police what you've told me?"

"Yes. I'm going in tomorrow to make a formal statement."

"I have one last question."

"What is it?"

"Why'd you come back?"

"I figured enough time had passed. Kalyna was gone. I'd been in Tucson, waiting tables, and I needed a better job. It's not as if I love the funereal business. It's just...it's all I know."

"I see. Well, thanks for talking to me."

He caught her before she could hang up. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"What do you think's going to happen?"

"To what?"

"To me?"

"That depends on the case the D.A. constructs. But if it looks like you're going to prison, you could turn state's evidence and your stay wil be a lot shorter than Kalyna's," she said. Then she told him goodbye and disconnected.

"What's your take?" Luke asked as she put her phone on the table.

Ava turned to study him. "I believe him."

"So do I," he said. "Which means..."

"Which means Kalyna is the most evil individual I've ever encountered."

"And she's obsessed with me." He shoved a hand through his hair.

"That's always good to hear."

He was being flippant, but she remained earnest. "Normal rules don't apply anymore, Luke. You have to watch your back every second until the police catch her and put her behind bars."

He scowled. "I'm not going to run from a woman!"

Ava got to her feet. "That's exactly the kind of macho bullshit that could get you kil ed! You realize that."

He stood, too. "But waiting for the police to put Kalyna behind bars could take a long time. There's no guarantee they'l ever be able to gather the evidence they need. I can't let her--or anyone else--disrupt my life indefinitely. That's bullshit! If she wants me, she can come and get me. A fight, I can deal with."

"You don't understand. If Kalyna is what Mark's just described, she won't fight fair."

"Doesn't matter."

"Would you quit being so cavalier? She kil ed an innocent girl for the entertainment value! She kil ed the woman who adopted her--probably for gas money. She's not like any other woman you've ever come across."

"Those victims were both vulnerable to her. They were weaker, unaware that she was dangerous. I won't make that mistake."

"But she has no conscience."

"What do you want me to do? I have a job, Ava. I'l stay here tonight and maybe tomorrow if it'l make you feel better. As long as I stay in the area, I can take some leave. But when that leave is up, I have to report to work whether they've found Kalyna or not."

Anger sparked in Ava's eyes. "You're an ass**le, you know that?

You're going to get yourself kil ed!"

Surprised by her harsh reaction, he grabbed her arm. "Whoa, what's going on here?"

"I've dealt with this type of thing before, seen women murdered because they couldn't escape the men who were tormenting them. Do you think I want to see that happen to you? Just because you're a man and feel you shouldn't be frightened of a woman?"

Why was she so upset? Nothing had happened to him yet. "What's the matter, Ava?"

"You're not taking this seriously enough!"

"And I think you're taking it too seriously. Why?"

She glared up at him without answering.

"Are you beginning to care about me?" he asked softly.

"No," she snapped, but she couldn't maintain eye contact. Jerking away from him, she walked out of the room.

A few seconds later, he heard the cabin door slam.

Chapter 25

Ava had overreacted and she knew it. The lack of sleep, the stress of putting in too many hours and dealing with such high-stakes cases, the knowledge that Jane Burke would be starting at TLS and was il -equipped for the job, the constant fight not to succumb to her attraction to Luke--it was wearing her down. And what Mark had said about Kalyna...God, it was so dark, so sick, so upsetting-- terrifying. She couldn't stand the thought of Luke in harm's way.

But Ava's problem ran even deeper.

Are you beginning to care about me?

Yes. She was falling head over heels despite her best efforts to keep some emotional distance. And she didn't want to get a call telling her he'd been kil ed, especially when they'd had what so many other victims never had--plenty of warning.