“I cannot say.”
“Won’t say,” Aidan snarled.
“Aidan, enough. He’s obviously terrified of someone.”
“He’s going to be more than terrified if he doesn’t talk.” Aidan grabbed Miguel’s arm and pulled him to stand. “Spill it, kid.”
Instead of answering, he sent Anna a pleading look. “They said they would not hurt her.”
“Who said?”
“I can’t say.”
“How much did they pay you, kid?”
“No, it wasn’t the money.” He shook his head rapidly. “They said—”
“What did you do, Miguel?” Anna asked.
“I just told them where to find Dr. Carrie. They said they wouldn’t hurt her.”
“What did they want with her?”
“Someone is hurt. They want Dr. Carrie to make him better.”
“Oh no, Miguel.” Anna sent a worried look to Aidan. “Carrie isn’t a medical doctor. She’s a psychologist.”
Aidan gave her a grim nod and then turned his attention back to Miguel. “What’s the name of the person they wanted her to treat?”
Miguel shrugged his thin shoulders, refusing to meet Aidan’s eyes as he said, “I do not know.”
Aidan wasn’t having it. “Try again.”
Evidently thinking she would have pity on him, Miguel sent a dark-eyed, pleading look to Anna.
Anna wasn’t in the mood to be gentle anymore. Carrie could be in serious trouble.
“Miguel, either you tell us where Carrie is, or I’m going to leave you with Señor Thorne and walk away.”
“But…but…” Realizing he couldn’t get out of it, he said, “It’s the Garcia family. One of their people is sick. They can’t risk going to the hospital.”
“And they thought a psychologist was their best bet?”
The harshness in Aidan’s tone confirmed Anna’s fears. Carrie was in deep trouble.
Chapter Four
Bogota, Colombia
“Thorne arrived in Cali yesterday.”
“Excellent.” Something that might have been a smile at one time twitched at Simon Cook’s mouth. “He took the bait. When can we expect him to arrive here?”
“There was a small glitch.”
“And that would be?”
“Today’s planned meeting didn’t happen. Diaz didn’t get a chance to grab him.”
His blood pressure shot up, but he gave no indication of his ire as he said in a mild tone, “And why not?”
“There was a disturbance at the bar where they were to meet. A woman came in, and Thorne helped her out. Diaz saw them leave together.”
“This girl. Who is she?”
“Name’s Anna Bradford. A do-gooder doing counseling at a free family clinic. She’s an American.”
He rubbed his chin as he considered this new development. “Interesting. So Thorne was being his typical knight-in-shining-armor self, or is there more to it?”
“Possibly.”
“Explain.”
“Thorne is still with the girl. We’re studying the situation. There is a possibility that he knows her. He seemed familiar with her. Diaz asked some discreet questions at the bar. Word is, Thorne kissed her.”
His heart jumped. “Is that right?”
“Yes, sir. Some believed he did it just to keep anyone else from bothering her.”
“You disagree?”
Patrick shrugged his beefy shoulders. “Seems out of character for the man. Thorne’s not known for his impulsiveness.”
“Indeed, he’s not. You’ll find out more about this young woman, won’t you, Patrick? In the most discreet manner, of course.”
“Of course, sir. What do you want me to do with Diaz?”
He waved his hand as if swatting away a fly. “His services are no longer needed. If Thorne happens upon him, I don’t trust Diaz to keep his mouth shut. He’s a liability we can’t afford. As usual, discretion is of utmost importance. I would be quite put out if Thorne finds out about Diaz’s demise.”
“Yes, sir. Consider it done and to your specification.”
“Thank you, Patrick.”
Without even having to tell him, Patrick knew to leave. It was one of the man’s best qualities. Anticipating the needs of his employer had earned him a permanent position long ago.
He sat back in his chair. Hearing a slight squeak, he made a mental note to have one of his servants take care of the matter. Everything, including furniture, should perform perfectly. If not, they would be replaced. Just like people.
A grim smile played around his mouth. Even though Aidan Thorne was still alive and breathing, he couldn’t help but be glad the plan had been foiled. It would have been so simple, too simple. For ten long agonizing years, he had been waiting for an opportunity. On two occasions he had exacted a small amount of revenge, but never full victory. Those small incidences had been nothing in comparison to what Thorne was owed. But circumstances had changed, and he had been ready to accept that his ultimate act of revenge could never be as spectacular as he hoped.
He had thought to hold Thorne here, performing various tests and experiments, and then allow events to unfold as they would. It was so rare to have such a healthy specimen for his research. He had fantasized about the last days of Aidan Thorne’s life and had told himself that would have to be enough.
But now? Had fate intervened, giving him a second chance? Energy and excitement surged through him. After all this time, did Aidan Thorne have a new woman in his life? Someone he cared for? Someone he would miss when she was gone?
His imagination took flight again. This time, a real smile stretched across his mouth.
The possibilities were endless.
Cali, Colombia
“What should we do?”
Aidan looked into Anna’s trusting eyes. What he wanted to do was haul her over his shoulder and get her on a plane out of here. Pronto. The Garcias were one of the oldest families in Colombia. A half century ago, the family had been affluent and well respected, earning most of their money from agriculture and emerald mining. Then one family member had discovered that smuggling drugs was a much more lucrative moneymaker. Other family members were either coerced or persuaded to agree. Since then their wealth had increased, but their respectability had taken a hit. They were widely feared, though, and that was the kicker.
Aidan glanced down at Miguel. If he wasn’t still holding the kid’s arm, Aidan knew he would’ve disappeared in a second. Miguel knew more than he was telling them. Part of it was fear of retribution. Aidan believed that. He also knew there was something else that kept the kid from talking. Money.
“I don’t care how much they paid you, kid. You can’t spend it if you’re in prison, and I’ll personally walk you to the cell and watch them lock you up tight if you don’t spill it here and now. Where did they take Carrie?”
Aidan gave him the look he used to interrogate hardened, soulless men and women who’d sell their firstborn for whatever stupid-assed cause they believed in. The cold-as-death stare usually got a response. Directed at a teenager who was probably about to lose control of his bladder and bowels, it had an immediate effect.
“It’s about an hour away from here. In a large place. I’ve never been there, but a cousin of a friend said it is hidden within the hills”
“When did they take her?”
“Last night when she was going to her room.”
“Would they have hurt her, Aidan?” Anna asked.
“They didn’t,” Miguel said.
Anna turned her eyes on the kid. “You were there?”
The look in Anna’s eyes made Miguel back up. If the situation weren’t so serious, Aidan would have laughed. She might appear as pretty and fluffy as cotton candy, but the look she’d given the kid might’ve worried even the most badass criminal.
“I…I wanted to make sure she was all right. She—”
“Fine,” Aidan said. “Our priority is to find her.”
He pulled out his cellphone, searing Miguel with a look. “You got family here?”
“No. My mama…she is gone. She is all that I had.” He glanced over at Anna, tears filling his eyes again. “Lo siento, Señorita Anna. I should not have done this, I know.” Straightening his shoulders and lifting his chin, he made the most pitiful declaration Aidan had ever heard. “I will take my punishment like a man.”
The kid probably hadn’t seen his twentieth birthday yet. Yeah, he’d screwed up, but Aidan wasn’t about to throw him to the wolves. Money was a powerful motivator, especially for someone who didn’t have much opportunity. Problem was, the Garcias wouldn’t leave Miguel alive if they knew he’d ratted on them.
Aidan shifted his focus to Anna. “Stay here with him. Don’t let him out of your sight.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’ve got a couple of calls to make.”
Moving his gaze back to Miguel, Aidan gave the kid his best I mean business glare. “Stay here with Anna. She may not look like it, but she can and will beat your ass to a bloody pulp. I’ve seen her take down men twice your size. Got me, amigo?”
Sending Anna a wary glance, Miguel nodded. “Si.”
Turning away from them, Aidan put the phone to his ear and made his first call.
Anna didn’t bother to pretend she wasn’t eavesdropping. Was Aidan contacting LCR? Could a rescue team arrive in time to save Carrie? What would happen when the Garcias realized she was a doctor of psychology and not a medical doctor?
“Hola, amigo. Como estas?”
Whoever Aidan’s first call was to, it was someone fluent in Spanish. Anna managed to understand his first words, but then he spoke in a dialect she didn’t recognize and at a speed she had no hope of following.
“He is asking someone to help me.”
Miguel seemed to have no trouble following the conversation, but then Aidan moved farther away from them, and neither of them could hear.
Giving up, she turned back to Miguel. “Why didn’t you come to me, Miguel? I would have been glad to help you.”
“No one could help against Garcia’s men.”
“Aidan will. And so will I.”
Before she could continue a reassurance she in no way felt certain of, Aidan returned.
“Okay, here’s the plan. A man will be here soon to pick you up, Miguel. He’ll take you to get a passport and then will fly with you out of Cali.”
She said, “You can’t get a passport that fast,” at the same time that Miguel asked, “Where am I going?”
Aidan sent her a raised-brow look that she understood totally. It wouldn’t be a legitimate passport, but it would do the job. He then turned to Miguel. “Unless you have other options, you’re going to the US.”
Anna knew one of the people he’d called and why. The one man they both trusted to take care of Miguel and see that he had a chance. Noah McCall, the leader of Last Chance Rescue, would make sure Miguel got opportunities he’d never get on his own.
“It’s where I’ve always dreamed of going. But where—”
“You’ll be taken to a man who can help you. But it’s up to you what you do with your opportunity. This isn’t a handout, it’s a help up. Understand?”
“Si. Gracias, Señor Thorne.”
“You can call me Aidan, kid.”
“Señor Aidan. Gracias.”
“What about Carrie?” Anna asked. “What are we going to do?”
His face hardening, he turned back to her. “I’d like to send you with Miguel.”
She sent him the same kind of raised-brow look Aidan had given her a few moments ago. She was going nowhere.
“Yeah. That’s what I thought.”
He gave her an up-and-down look that was in no way sexual or inappropriate. Her libido didn’t care. Where Aidan Thorne was concerned, the most innocent of looks from him could cause a mild earthquake in her body. The man was potent without even trying.
“You got some hiking boots?”
“Yes.”
“Thick socks? Sunscreen? A hat?”
“Yes. Yes.” She grimaced, then said, “And yes.”
“You don’t like your hat?”
“My mom snuck it into my suitcase before I left. It was my grandfather’s.”
He didn’t smile, but a glint of amusement flickered in his eyes. “It’ll be perfect, then.”
He glanced at his watch. “Come on. Our ride will be arriving soon.”
Anna and Miguel followed Aidan back into the hotel. The curious eyes of the small kitchen staff bored holes into their backs as they made their way through the room they’d dashed through moments ago.
Aidan stopped in the tiny lobby. “Where’s your room, Anna?”
“Third floor. Room 301.”
“Let’s go.”
“Me, too?” Miguel asked.
“Yeah. Neither of you are leaving my sight.”
Anna sent Aidan a frustrated look that he ignored. Being in the dark and having orders thrown at her without explanation was irritating. She held her tongue. Not only had she interrupted whatever plans he’d had, he was helping her rescue Carrie and had arranged a new life for Miguel.
They trudged up the three flights of stairs together, Aidan in the lead, his gun once more in his hand. No matter the situation, she had noticed that Aidan was always first through a door. His overprotective gene had been well honed.
Aidan stopped at her door and held out his hand. Anna fished in the pocket of her jeans for her key card and gave it to him. Giving one sweeping glance down the hallway, he shoved the card into the slot, eased open the door, and peered inside.
Seconds later, he pushed the door the rest of the way open. “Looks clear.”
They walked into the room, and Anna grimaced at the mess she’d left behind. She hadn’t been expecting company. Her clothes looked as though they’d exploded from her suitcase. The thong panties she’d thought were too uncomfortable were hanging from a bedpost where she’d flung them in her rush to get dressed. Her bed was unmade, and her birth control pills were lying on the nightstand.
The look on Aidan’s face was a mixture of bemusement and humor. A burning blush started at the tips of her toes and zoomed like wildfire throughout her body.
“Excuse me.” She sped through the room, scooping up clothes and her thong on the way to her suitcase.
Aidan got to her suitcase before she did and was already pulling clothes from it, throwing items left and right.
“What are you doing? It looked bad enough before.”
“No time to be modest, Bradford.” He pulled out a pair of khaki pants, a light blue tank top, a long-sleeved button-down cotton shirt, and a pair of thick socks. “Put these on, along with your hiking boots.” He nodded toward her backpack hanging from a chair. “Call me when you’re dressed, and we’ll pack the rest together.”
Before she could answer, he grabbed Miguel by the shoulder and pushed him out the door.
Aidan closed the door behind him and then leaned up against the doorjamb, his eyes on alert for any kind of threat.
“Señorita Anna. She is your woman?”
“No. Barely know the girl.”
He gave a casual glance toward the kid, checking to make sure Miguel bought that. No way in hell was he going to answer the question truthfully. Besides, Anna wasn’t Aidan’s woman. Just because he wanted her like a starving man wanted a meal, or a thirsty man craved water, didn’t make her his woman. Didn’t matter what he wanted. He’d never endanger Anna that way.
“You seemed…how you say…familiar with her.”
“I know her name. Nothing more.” Aidan made the words as offhand as possible, wanting to shut down even the slightest suspicion. Even though Miguel was headed to Noah McCall, one of the few people Aidan did trust, it didn’t mean the kid needed to know anything about his personal business. It was safer for everyone.
The door opened abruptly. Aidan had to give her credit. Anna’s independent spirit was most likely h
owling protests at his bossiness, but she gave no indication of her ire. She was dressed in the clothes he’d set out for her, and in her hand was the ugliest hat he’d ever seen. It was the color of brown mustard, with a wide green brim and decorated with some kind of insect design.
“Put the hat on.”
Though temper glinted in her eyes, she plopped the hat over her silky dark hair. Only Anna could make something so damn ugly look kind of cute.
He removed the hat from her head and almost smiled at the relief on her face. “Bunch your hair up.” Frowning her confusion, she did as he asked. Aidan plopped the hat back on to her head. “Perfect. Now, let’s get you packed. Smith will be here soon.”
Instead of arguing with him, she led the way back into her room. Less than five minutes later, Aidan had filled her backpack with the essentials for their trip, and they were headed out the door. He had been impressed with Anna’s clothing choices almost as much as her packing efficiency. For someone who always looked so feminine and effortlessly lovely, her apparel was surprisingly practical and minimalistic.
They reached the first floor just as his cellphone vibrated. A signal that Smith was close. Aidan pushed both Miguel and Anna into a small alcove. He pulled a handful of bills out of his wallet and handed them to the kid.
“This should last you till you get to where you’re going.” He put his hands on Miguel’s shoulders and eyed him, man to man. “Listen, kid, I trust Smith more than any other person in this city, but that’s not saying much. If you get an idea that anything is off, you tell him you need to take a leak and then get away from him.”
From his other pocket, he took a burner phone, keyed in a couple of numbers, and hit save. He handed the phone to Miguel. “Something like that happens, you hit speed dial for either of these numbers and then hide until someone comes for you. Got it?”
“Si. Gracias.”
“Okay. Let’s get going.”
Walking in front of them, Aidan went through the front door and spotted Smith getting out of a beat up looking Land Rover. Dressed in a long-sleeved black shirt and black jeans, the man should’ve looked like a wilted weed. Instead, he looked as cool as if he were in air conditioning instead of the ninety-plus degrees and one hundred percent humidity of Cali, Colombia.
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