The other man turned away, shaking his head. With his military haircut and gung-ho attitude, Jake figured he must be new to the DEA. He lived for the job, as Jake had once. The DEA recruited men like him, and if he fit the standard profile he had no special woman, no loved ones to cloud his thinking or impair his judgment. He would have no way to understand the depth of Jake’s feelings for Jenny, nor would he care.
Which meant he would be good at what he did. Jake told himself to be glad, though he felt only hollow emptiness when he remembered being like Trent. Still, he’d take the expertise and use it. He needed all the help he could get to rescue Jenny. Even if she hated him right now, he prayed he could change that. With luck, she’d listen to her heart instead of Rosa’s lies. He hoped he’d taught her at least that much since he’d been back. If she listened to her heart, then she’d know the truth.
Jenny was shown to a small room on the second floor. Though it looked out over the tropical courtyard, the black metal bars over the window were there to prevent escape.
Mind reeling, she kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed. The mattress felt sinfully soft—soft enough to sink into and drift off to sleep. But sleep was the last thing on Jenny’s mind. All she could think about was Jake. Jake declaring undying love to the delectable Rosa. Jake and Rosa, their bodies intertwined.
No!
Each thought brought a stab of fresh agony.
Then she thought of Jake, in the car as they had attempted to flee from their pursuers.
“7 love you, ”he’d told her. “I always have, even when I had to go away. I’ve never stopped loving you, Jen. ”
She’d believed him, God help her. One tiny part of her heart still wanted to believe him and to hell with whatever Rosa might say.
Suddenly exhausted, Jenny covered her face with her hands and wept.
Somehow, she must have fallen asleep. When she opened her eyes, she had a stiff neck and a sore throat. Though she went to the sink and splashed water on her face, her eyes were swollen and red. Drat! Now Rosa would know she’d been crying. Jenny knew she had to keep in mind that the other woman was not her friend. Despite her friendly overtures and invitations to share confidences, Rosa would kill her without the slightest hesitation if she thought it would benefit her—and satisfy her thirst for vengeance.
After all, she meant to kill Jake. Though Jenny had been heard to mutter that she’d like to kill him herself a time or two, she couldn’t imagine the depths of hatred—and madness—that would make Rosa capable of such an act. But then Rosa came from a totally different world than the one Jenny knew. A world of illegal drugs and cartels ... and cold-blooded violence. Death and murder were nothing to her. Jenny knew she was still in grave danger.
Even so, she had to help Jake.
Fluffing her hair with one hand, Jenny smiled a determined smile at herself in the mirror. Puffy-eyed and all, she’d decided this time she was going to fight for what she wanted.
When Jake had disappeared before, she’d retreated, becoming a shell of herself. Now she knew better. She knew what she wanted, knew what Jake said he wanted too. It would take more than Rosa to make her believe differently.
She would hear it from Jake or not at all.
This time she meant to grab for the brass ring and hold on with all her might.
She loved Jake. Always had, always would. And Jake loved her. She would hold that belief close to her heart, to give her strength for whatever might happen.
When one of the guards came to summon her back to Rosa’s presence, Jenny was ready. Inclining her head slightly, she straightened her shoulders and stepped out into the hallway, stumbling slightly.
“Pay attention,” her escort hissed. It was the same man who had guarded her earlier, the one who had led the way while her driver followed behind.
The route they took seemed longer than the one she’d taken earlier. Though it might only mean that Rosa would meet her in a different room. Still, there were so many twists and turns that Jenny became quite disoriented.
“Listen carefully.” His voice low, her guard
sounded tense. “I’m gonna get you out of here. Whatever I tell you to do, do it. Instantly. Understand?” Stunned, Jenny nodded. Was it possible? This man was on her side?
“Good. In a few minutes a helicopter will be here. When it gets low enough I’m gonna push you and I want you to run for it.”
Heart pumping, again Jenny nodded. “Jake?” she croaked. “Is he okay?”
The hard lines of his face relaxed for a moment “Yeah.” He flashed her a smile. “He’s on his way. I used to work with him, so when you see him tell him Mike Wheeler said hi. Your Jake’s a good guy.” Faintly in the distance she could hear the low hum of the helicopter. Tense, Jenny glanced around them, wondering when she would be missed.
“Do what I say and you’ll be fine,” the agent reassured her. Muttering a faint prayer, Jenny had no choice but to believe him.
“If our guy undercover can get her out, we won’t even have to go in.” Trent sounded disappointed, reminding Jake that men like this lived for action. “Is he good?”
Trent grinned. “One of the best. You used to work with him. Mike Wheeler.”
Jake’s trepidation eased slightly. If there was anyone he would trust with his life, it would be Mike. He had saved Jake’s neck more than once during their time undercover in Mexico. “He’ll get her out,” he told Trent “I’m glad he was available.”
Now all he had to do was pray nothing went wrong. If Mike hadn’t lost his touch, it shouldn’t be long until Jake could hold his Jenny in his arms again.
“Ready?” Mike touched her arm.
Lump in her throat, Jenny nodded. The approaching helicopters were two black specks in the fading sky. Worried, she glanced from Mike to the helicopters. “Won’t they notice them?”
“Yeah, but by the time they do we’ll be out of here.”
Jenny wished she felt as confident as he sounded. Her entire body tense, she waited in the shadows as the hum of their approaching rescue grew louder.
Out by the front gate she heard shouts, loud voices talking in rapid Spanish. Had they learned she was missing?
“Don’t worry about it,” Mike reassured her, his voice calm. “Take a deep breath and get ready.”
Now she could see the full outline of the helicopters. They broke formation, one circling around to the back of the compound, the other continuing on its course towards them.
“That’s ours.”
Everything seemed to happen at once.
The helicopter swooped in. Armed guards spilled from the doorways of the mansion. She heard the rapid pop-pop of shots being fired.
“Go!” Mike pushed her hard in the small of her back.
Stumbling, heart racing, Jenny ran. Remembering to duck under the whirring blades, she reached blindly for the hand that yanked her up inside the helicopter. Mike leapt on board after her and they were off.
“All clear.” The pilot radioed the other helicopter, rising like a shot into the sky. “Cargo intact.”
“Are you hit?”
“Negative.”
“Then rendezvous as planned at nineteen hundred.”
“Affirmative.”
“One other thing”—the other pilot’s voice contained a trace of laughter—“hold on.”
“Jenny?” Jake’s beloved voice came over the radio, sounding strong and sure. “I love you.”
And Jenny knew without a doubt that he did. Forever and always.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen Whiddon spun fanciful tales for her younger brothers as early as the age of eleven. Growing up in the Catskill Mountains of New York, then the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, she found enough magic in the rugged peaks to keep her imagination fueled for years.
Now making her home in North Texas, she shares her life with her hero-like husband and three doting dogs. This was her fifth Precious Gems romance novel, first published in 2000.
Si
nce then, she went on to write five paranormal romances for Dorchester books and twenty plus books for Harlequin Romantic Suspense and Harlequin Nocturne. She has won the Romantic Times Award for Best Silhouette Intimate Moments in 2005.
You can email Karen at [email protected] or write her at P.O. Box 820807, N. Richland Hills, TX 76182. Also, check out her web site at www.karenwhiddon.com
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