“You didn’t back down to MacDuff. I can’t say that for many people. He can be intimidating. And it occurred to me last night that I might need help to solve a particular problem. I remembered that Palik usually keeps men on his payroll who are trained to get things done. You impress me as being in that same category. Are you?”

“Perhaps. I don’t like to be pigeonholed. I prefer to stand alone.”

She shrugged. “Then I’ll make my own judgments. I’ll need you to answer a few questions. How did you get on the property without the guards intercepting you?”

“You might say it’s one of my specialties. I spent almost a year in the mountains of Afghanistan being hunted before they finally took me down. After I received Caleb’s basic instructions, it didn’t take me long to look the estate over and get my bearings.”

“How? Helicopter? Car? Boat?”

He didn’t speak for a moment. Then he replied slowly, “Boat.”

She frowned. “Then MacDuff will find it. We can probably scratch that off.”

He shook his head. “I was careful and tucked it away very neatly some distance from the castle. He’s welcome to try.” He added, “What difference does it make?”

“I need to know what I have to work with.”

“Now I have to ask a question. I’m curious about your ‘problem.’ Would it interfere with Palik’s directive?”

“Not to begin with, but it might escalate.” She met his eyes. “And it very well could cause him to have trouble with Caleb. He wouldn’t like that.”

Rodland gave a low whistle. “I can see that. I’ve not met many men that Palik wouldn’t want to cross, but Seth Caleb is one of them.” His eyes were suddenly gleaming with a hint of mischief. “What are you up to, Jane MacGuire?” he murmured. “I thought this job was going to prove boring. But now it’s taking on aspects that might be intriguing.”

“I’m giving you a chance to say no,” she said bluntly. “I may need to use you, and if I do, it won’t please MacDuff or Palik or Caleb.”

“Then why should I do it?”

“Because if you don’t, I’ll call MacDuff and he’ll find a way to make your life very uncomfortable here. And I’ll let Palik know that I don’t want you near me and won’t permit you on the property to do what he sent you here to do.”

“I can see that happening.” He was studying her. “Yet I’m not sure you’d do it. I think it would have to be very important for you to go to those lengths.”

Very perceptive, she thought. And as sharp as she’d first estimated. “It couldn’t be more important to me.”