Page 67 of Dangerous Liaisons

Chapter Fifty

Jesse tensed when Cole brought his mouth to her ear and whispered, “I’m hoping, they’re Caruthers and Fletcher.”

He’s been expecting them.

She tightened her grip on his jacket as much out of uncertainty of what to do as the desire to throttle him.

“Trust me,” he ordered, and disengaged her hand from his shirt.

He slipped down through the foliage and Jesse repressed an urge to climb from the tree after him.

So much for monkey-sex.

Right now, she’d settle for dishing out a monkey beating. He was holding out on her—had been from the start. Jesse strained to discern the path of his descent, but he reached the ground and she lost him when he melted into the jungle. With careful and silent deliberation, she rose and steadied herself against the trunk. The village lay eight clicks north. The mission was over, a failure. Her best option was to get Amanda out of Houghton House. So why was she waiting for Cole?

Only natural jungle night sounds gently chattered around her as she climbed down, pausing at each branch to listen. She lowered to the ground and stood by the trunk, patting her pockets, wondering if she had anything Cole might need. Maybe she should leave a note? She laughed inwardly at the ridiculous thought. Her reluctance to take off surprised her. This was Cole she was talking about. Injured or not, he could take care of himself. A footfall crunched undergrowth a few meters to her right. She whirled. A red lensed flashlight flicked on then off.

“Jess,” Cole whispered. “It’s me.”

She discerned his outline nearly close enough to touch.

“Caruthers and Fletcher are with me.” Cole caught her arm. “I’ve filled them in on you and Lanton.”

Jesse glanced in the direction of the village. Cole released her, then turned on the red flashlight and pointed it at the ground. Another red light flicked on directly ahead, and the outlines of two men materialized, wearing night-camouflage, ops-vest and stocking caps. One stood an inch or so taller than her five-ten, and was built like a tri-athlete, slim, with smooth, easy movements.

The other she recognized from the cantina: six-six, early thirties, held the flashlight in one massive paw. As they approached, Jesse noticed that, without his disguise, the big guy had no beer-belly or beard. He looked like a linebacker for the New York Giants. This was the guy who had tripped her outside the cantina. No wonder it had felt like a ton of bricks had fallen on her.

“Jesse Evans,” Cole said, “Charlie—Crush—Caruthers and Sam Fletcher.”

Jesse brought her gaze to rest on Crush.

He nodded in understanding. “Sorry about the tackle outside the cantina, ma’am. Just doing my job.”

His had a North Jersey accent and, despite the obvious implication that he had relished doing his job, she couldn’t help feeling she’d met the boy next door. He was probably even a Giant’s fan.

Jesse nodded. “I should have been watching my back.” And she would have been if Cole hadn’t screwed up her insides with his damn kisses.

A twinge of embarrassment fluttered her stomach. She was acting like a schoolgirl mooning over a first kiss. The flutter turned sour. She refocused on Caruthers and Fletcher. “How did you boys find us?”

“We saw you kick ass back at the compound,” Fletcher said. “We owe you big time for getting Cole out of that hellhole.” He had a San Fernando accent, and spoke with a chuckle in his voice.

Despite his warmth, a chill settled in Jesse’s gut. The truck ride from the sub base had lasted four hours. The prison could have been anywhere in a two-hundred kilometer radius. “How did you know where they had us?”

“We had a friendly talk with one of Perez’s men,” Crush replied. “He gave us the location of the prison. We weren’t sure you and Cole were there until we saw you arrive.”

“That’s when we figured bonus, two for one,” Fletcher added.

“Stow it,” Crush ordered, casting a sideway glance at Fletcher that Jesse couldn’t interpret in the dim light.

Did Fletcher mean her and Cole, or her and Perez? “Two?”

Cole grasped her arm, more intimate than cautionary. Caruthers’ gaze snapped to the action. Jesse barely registered the quiver in her belly before pulling free and leveling her gaze on Caruthers.

He gave another nod of understanding. “You went inside with Perez and one guard, next thing we know you’re in the doorway, gun blazing, with Cole on your heels.”

Jesse startled, thrown by a tone that asked her to confirm she had come through for Cole after all.

“We sprung our own trap before you disappeared into the jungle,” Caruthers said. “We kept the guards busy while you and Cole got away.”