Gift of Gold

the worst of the two. He was the one who got Sandquist high on drugs and then orchestrated the rape. It was he who used the rapier on me. I will have my vengeance tomorrow.”
    Verity stood very still. “How, Caitlin?”
    Caitlin’s smile was a terrible thing to see. “I know Kincaid very well in some ways. I know he will be consumed with the desire to own
Bloodlust.
He always gets what he wants. But this time he will not only be denied the object of his desire when I sell the painting to someone else, he will be forced to endure the shock of having it unveiled in front of the other bidders. They will recognize him instantly. No matter what he says or does after that, everyone in the elite world in which he moves will know he is the rapist in Caitlin Evanger’s last painting. It will taint him for the rest of his life. Especially when everyone realizes I was the victim.”
    Verity sucked in her breath, a deep wariness overshadowing her compassion. “Where do I fit in to all this? What about Jonas?”
    “In the beginning I did not care one way or another if Quarrel was around,” Caitlin said with a slight shrug. “I wanted you here with me because you are my friend. I need both you and Tavi with me when I pull the cover off that painting tomorrow. But perhaps it’s just as well Quarrel will be here along with the other bidders. Kincaid is, after all, potentially dangerous. He enjoys hurting people. He has a lust for it that is sexual, I think. In him, the lust for sex is closely related to the lust for violence. It must have been hard on him controlling himself all these years while he made a success of himself in the business world.”
    “You expect Jonas to act as a bodyguard?” Verity asked incredulously.
    “No, of course not,” Caitlin assured her. “I just think that there is some safety in numbers.”
    “You think Kincaid will go nuts when he sees that painting?”
    “I don’t know what he will do. I doubt he’ll lose his self-control, but you never can tell. I have already suffered at his hands once. I do not intend to do so again.” Caitlin shuddered. “I would kill myself before I let him touch me again.”
    “Tell me something, Caitlin. After you have carried out your vengeance, do you intend to kill yourself?” Verity asked calmly.
    Caitlin looked away toward the sea. “I don’t think about anything beyond what will happen tomorrow. But if it’s any concern to you, you might keep in mind that I did not kill myself after what happened here in this house all those years ago. I’m not likely to kill myself after taking revenge.”
    “How old were you, Caitlin?”
    “I was twenty-three. A very sheltered twenty-three, thanks to strict, aging parents. I was also a very beautiful twenty-three, very naïve, and very excited about dating a worldly man like Damon Kincaid. I had no conception of the kind of monster I was falling in love with. When he invited me to spend the weekend on the coast, I was thrilled. I thought he was going to ask me to marry him. I was a fool and I paid for it. But the price was far too high and now I will have some of it paid back.” Caitlin swung her cane fiercely, crashing it against the stainless steel window frame.
    “Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Caitlin? Kincaid sounds like a very dangerous man.”
    “Everything is planned down to the last detail,” Caitlin said, regaining her control immediately.
    “He’ll recognize you. As soon as he walks into this house, he’ll know who you are.”
    “No. After the accident the surgeons were forced to make several small changes to my face in order to repair the damage that had been done. A lot of little things got altered, the shape of my eyes and nose, for instance. Those changes, combined with the aging effect of the intervening years and a change in hair color, are enough. I don’t resemble my old self very much. Even if I did, I doubt that Kincaid would recognize me. I was just another victim to him. The doctors wanted to get rid of the scar, too, but I refused. I made them leave it so that every time I looked in a mirror I thought about vengeance.”
    “Caitlin, this is crazy.”
    She turned around. “Now that you know the full truth, will you be leaving, Verity? Or will you stay here with me and lend me the shield of your friendship?”
    Verity knew she had no option. “I’ll stay. But I must tell Jonas what’s going on. He has a right to know.”
    “Do what you think is best.”