She tore his hand from her mouth. “I hear you. But if you think I’m going to pay any attention to that stupidity, you’re mistaken, Tanner. I know that monster. I also know what he probably did here. Sometimes I tried to close my eyes, but I know. And I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for whoever else he hurt besides Maria and me.” She pushed him aside and went over to the panel on the sliding glass doors. “You think you know about locks? I practiced on Volkov’s and Anton’s locks and security systems for seven months during that Trial. I can get you in this house in the blink of an eye.” She was quickly working on the security system. “And do you think I’ll have even a hint of guilt about doing it? Particularly since I told you to leave Rennell home, and I know you wouldn’t have thought twice about having him do it.” She snapped the lock and security system and slid open the door. “If you need me to do anything else, let me know.”

He entered the house. “I’ll think about it. Right now I’m feeling a bit chastened. Did I screw up?”

She nodded. “You forgot the monster rule. We’re in this together. If you don’t need me for anything else, I’ll sit down meekly in that chair over there. I’ll let you do all the searching you want. I’ve no desire to see Volkov’s horror chambers.”

“Neither do I.” Tanner was going through the CD and video library by the TV. “But it’s not fair to ignore them if they exist.” He was checking out one of them as he was speaking. “I don’t want you in here. Sit on the porch as I first asked.”

She looked at the DVDs he was holding. “Bad?”

“You told me he liked to cause pain. He evidently wanted to document everything. There’s no reason for you to see it.”

“I’m not arguing.” But she had to ask. “Sandrino?”

He shook his head. “Not yet.” He jerked his thumb. “Out.”

She sat down on the porch chair and closed her eyes. She had known this would probably be what the day would bring, and she’d accepted it. She’d sensed Tanner’s tension on the entire long drive here. She knew what he desperately wanted, but also what he expected. She’d wanted to be with him regardless. She should probably have stayed with him, but she didn’t know if that would have hurt him as much as it did her. He’d desperately wanted to protect her just from opening those damn doors. She’d stay here and try to help when he came to her.

Tanner didn’t come to the porch for another three hours. He dropped down in the chair next to her and took her hand. “Are you okay?”

“Why shouldn’t I be okay?” Her hand tightened on his. “I’m not the one who was looking through that ugliness.”

“I don’t know. I only wanted to check,” he said wearily. “It just seemed impossible that anything in the world could be okay after what I saw in there. I’m glad you are.”