know.”
“I won’t leave you until I know you’re safe.”
“Promise?”
“Absolutely.”
“What about Suzanne Carmichael? If she’s after you, going to Maryland wouldn’t be the safest thing.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“You’re putting yourself in danger for me.”
His steady gaze held hers. “I think danger has already found me.”
***
“Tell me about the woman.” Manco Garcia’s bottomless black eyes stared Suzanne Carmichael down. On the outside, he appeared calm, as if the dinner they were sharing was a cozy scene in a well-planned sexual seduction. Never mind they were in a sleazy hotel, eating fast-food burgers.
Suzanne tried to appear as nonchalant as Garcia as she took a bite of her hamburger and chewed. She wiped her mouth slowly with the paper napkin and schooled her features to stare at him as coolly as he was staring at her, while inside she shook so hard she feared her dinner would come back up. “She was as much a surprise to me as she was to you.”
He gazed at her. The man never let his guard down, never entered a business deal unless it benefited him. And never let someone live who didn’t follow through with their promises.
This last was what had Suzanne sweating.
He folded his hands over his taut belly. “This is a problem, Susanita. I don’t like surprises. They…upset me. The woman, she witnessed something she shouldn’t have. And she has what we need, no?” He tilted his head and Suzanne’s fingers tightened, squeezing the stale bun.
She swallowed, her mouth going dry. Truth was, she didn’t know if Hope Stewart had what they needed, but it would increase her life expectancy if she didn’t let Garcia in on that bit of information. Damn, Bradley. And damn Charles Stewart. Both had kept her from the money she’d stashed from the arms she’d sold to Garcia and his terrorist organization, People of Light. She desperately needed the money now. Had promised a good portion of it to Garcia for his help in her prison escape. And if she were to flee the country, as had been her plan, she needed the cash to do it. Her cash. The cash Stewart had been bleeding from her.
“We have a deal, querida . Your freedom for two million of your American dollars.” Garcia waved an elegant hand over the table. “I see you eating my food, enjoying my company. Yet, I have no—” he rubbed his fingers together, “— dinero . Certainly, Susanita, you see my dilemma?”
She cleared her throat. “I see you have every right to your…frustration.”
Anger flared in his dark eyes but he quickly masked it. “Ah, Susanita, I am past frustration. It has been a week. I have met my end of the bargain. You have not.”
“I will,” she said quickly. “It’s just a small wrinkle in the plan. You’ll get your money, I promise.”
A black eyebrow rose in disbelief.
She didn’t really believe it either. Being Garcia’s captive had not been in her plans but without the money, she couldn’t leave him, and being a known fugitive she couldn’t walk out of the hotel either. Which left her in quite a dilemma.
“Manco.” She made her voice purr, the way he’d liked it all those years ago. “When have I ever not followed through with a promise?” She inched her chair closer to the small table and leaned forward, hoping the tantalizing view inside the deep V of her T-shirt would distract him. His hard gaze never left her face. “Hope will return to her father’s home. And when she does, we’ll get your money.”
He stared at her until her face began to heat in shame and she pulled away, self-consciously tugging at the neck of her shirt. She hoped to God she was right and Hope returned to the scene of the crime. Garcia had placed two of his best men there to watch and wait, but so far it was as if Hope Stewart had vanished.
Garcia drilled his finger into the table. “I have been in your stinking country for two weeks now, called here by you. I can not afford to spend more
“I won’t leave you until I know you’re safe.”
“Promise?”
“Absolutely.”
“What about Suzanne Carmichael? If she’s after you, going to Maryland wouldn’t be the safest thing.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“You’re putting yourself in danger for me.”
His steady gaze held hers. “I think danger has already found me.”
***
“Tell me about the woman.” Manco Garcia’s bottomless black eyes stared Suzanne Carmichael down. On the outside, he appeared calm, as if the dinner they were sharing was a cozy scene in a well-planned sexual seduction. Never mind they were in a sleazy hotel, eating fast-food burgers.
Suzanne tried to appear as nonchalant as Garcia as she took a bite of her hamburger and chewed. She wiped her mouth slowly with the paper napkin and schooled her features to stare at him as coolly as he was staring at her, while inside she shook so hard she feared her dinner would come back up. “She was as much a surprise to me as she was to you.”
He gazed at her. The man never let his guard down, never entered a business deal unless it benefited him. And never let someone live who didn’t follow through with their promises.
This last was what had Suzanne sweating.
He folded his hands over his taut belly. “This is a problem, Susanita. I don’t like surprises. They…upset me. The woman, she witnessed something she shouldn’t have. And she has what we need, no?” He tilted his head and Suzanne’s fingers tightened, squeezing the stale bun.
She swallowed, her mouth going dry. Truth was, she didn’t know if Hope Stewart had what they needed, but it would increase her life expectancy if she didn’t let Garcia in on that bit of information. Damn, Bradley. And damn Charles Stewart. Both had kept her from the money she’d stashed from the arms she’d sold to Garcia and his terrorist organization, People of Light. She desperately needed the money now. Had promised a good portion of it to Garcia for his help in her prison escape. And if she were to flee the country, as had been her plan, she needed the cash to do it. Her cash. The cash Stewart had been bleeding from her.
“We have a deal, querida . Your freedom for two million of your American dollars.” Garcia waved an elegant hand over the table. “I see you eating my food, enjoying my company. Yet, I have no—” he rubbed his fingers together, “— dinero . Certainly, Susanita, you see my dilemma?”
She cleared her throat. “I see you have every right to your…frustration.”
Anger flared in his dark eyes but he quickly masked it. “Ah, Susanita, I am past frustration. It has been a week. I have met my end of the bargain. You have not.”
“I will,” she said quickly. “It’s just a small wrinkle in the plan. You’ll get your money, I promise.”
A black eyebrow rose in disbelief.
She didn’t really believe it either. Being Garcia’s captive had not been in her plans but without the money, she couldn’t leave him, and being a known fugitive she couldn’t walk out of the hotel either. Which left her in quite a dilemma.
“Manco.” She made her voice purr, the way he’d liked it all those years ago. “When have I ever not followed through with a promise?” She inched her chair closer to the small table and leaned forward, hoping the tantalizing view inside the deep V of her T-shirt would distract him. His hard gaze never left her face. “Hope will return to her father’s home. And when she does, we’ll get your money.”
He stared at her until her face began to heat in shame and she pulled away, self-consciously tugging at the neck of her shirt. She hoped to God she was right and Hope returned to the scene of the crime. Garcia had placed two of his best men there to watch and wait, but so far it was as if Hope Stewart had vanished.
Garcia drilled his finger into the table. “I have been in your stinking country for two weeks now, called here by you. I can not afford to spend more
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