Traitorous Attraction (21 page)

Connor grinned at his brother. “If that’s what you need to tell yourself to preserve your rep, we’ll go with that story.”

The sound of female laughter drew them both to their feet. Who had entered their bungalow? Finn and Hyde were keeping watch in shifts. Connor and Aiden moved to the front door, prepared to face a slew of Sphere agents.

Finn and Hyde were alone in the room.

“I heard a woman,” Connor said, looking around.

Hyde stood from the chair. “Surprise.” A distinctly feminine voice.

Aiden inclined his head. “You’re a woman?”

She grinned. “Finally figure that out?”

Connor stared. Her petite features and smaller frame should have been clues. “Why were you in La Sabaneta?” From what he knew, it was a male-only prison. He shuddered to think about the abuse a woman would face inside.

“I was captured during a government raid of an AR camp, just like Aiden. I pretended to be a man. I thought I would fare better. It wasn’t the first time I’ve pretended to be male, but it was the most challenging,” Hyde said.

Connor stared at her for a long moment and recognition dawned. “I hadn’t made the connection. You’re Alexandra Hyde.”

Alexandra Hyde was a female mercenary, one of the few with an esteemed reputation in their field. She had been off the grid for some time, which wasn’t unusual for a mercenary.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said and nodded toward him.

“I should have known,” Connor said. “Although your stature doesn’t live up to the legend.”

Hyde laughed. “My reputation has served me well. I’ve already thanked Finn for his role in my unplanned escape. Thank you, as well. I owe you one.”

Connor knew exactly how he wanted to cash in the favor. “Glad to hear you say that. We’re working on a second jailbreak.”

Hyde lifted one brow. “Not at La Sabaneta.”

“No. At the palace of
el presidente
outside Carvalo City,” Connor said.

Hyde and Finn exchanged looks. Hyde shrugged. “I’m in. I have a bone to pick with that man. Might as well clear my debt to you while taking care of some personal business.” She cracked her knuckles.

“We need to rescue two women being held against their will,” Connor said.

Hyde’s eyes narrowed. “I have a soft spot for that very cause. Point me at him and I’ll charge in with guns blazing.”

“The only open problem is who gets first shot at him,” Connor said. If
el presidente
had hurt Kate in any way, he would die at Connor’s hands.

“Guess it depends,” Aiden said.

“On what?” Hyde asked.

“On who gets to that SOB first,” Aiden said.

* * *

It wasn’t as bad as the prison, but the holding cell at
el presidente
’s palace was without television, computer, clock or phone. The windows were high on the wall, covered in dark cloth and narrow. Too narrow for either Kate or Ariana to slip through.

Kate was facing extradition to the United States on treason charges. Or the Tumaran government would kill her and Ariana. She guessed they weren’t killed on the spot because
el presidente
would make an example of them to show the rest of the country what happened to traitors and revolutionaries.

How much time had passed? She and Ariana had taken turns sleeping and keeping watch. They hadn’t been fed and had been given only a small amount of water. Weakness wrapped its tentacles around Kate more with every moment that passed. No air moved through the room and the hours were endless.

“They want to break us,” Ariana said again. For being trapped in a small room with little chance of escape, Ariana had maintained a positive attitude. “Once we’re hungry and tired, their mind games will work better.”

Kate rested her head against the door. It would be easy to play games with her. She didn’t know what had happened to Connor, Finn and Aiden. The last she had heard, the helicopter had descended into the prison yard. Had Connor heard Marcus’s demand that he come to
el presidente
’s palace? If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t know where she and Ariana were.

When Kate and Ariana hadn’t shown at the rendezvous point, assuming that the trio of men had made it, they had to know something was wrong. A huge missing chunk of information existed between what she knew and what she longed to know. Had they rescued Aiden? Was Connor safe?

Would Connor figure out that Marcus had sold out to
el presidente
and given up everything he knew about Kate Swiss?

She had asked Marcus about Connor. She had asked the men who had delivered the water about him. She had asked in English, in Portuguese and in Spanish. No one would answer her.

Kate had left her relationship with Connor in a bad place. He had been angry with her, and though that anger had taken a backseat to Aiden’s rescue, it bothered her to think about it and all she had was time to think. She hadn’t meant to betray Connor or Aiden. Withholding information from Connor had been a mistake. He wanted brutal honesty. She could give him that. If she had a chance in the future, if she saw him again and if he forgave her, she would do better.

Questions and lack of basic necessities were driving her to a bad mental place. “How did you survive those months not knowing how Aiden was or where he was?” Kate asked.

Ariana gave her a small smile. “Day by day, minute by minute, I devoted myself to the AR. I told myself that I would change Tumara and I would find and free Aiden. I would get rid of
el presidente
and put someone in power who would be good for our country and who would give our citizens a chance at success and happiness, like my brother Bruno.”

“You didn’t know if Aiden was alive or not,” Kate said, hating to speak the harsh words, but wondering about Connor. The ache in her chest was so strong, she wanted to cry. And Kate never cried. It was a sign of weakness and another of the thousand ways that she tried to blend with the men around her. She wouldn’t sob. It wouldn’t help and she had no hydration or energy to spare.

“I always believed he was alive. Just as I believe it now. Don’t let them break you. Don’t let them make you think Connor is dead. He and Aiden are coming for us. I know they are,” Ariana said.

Soft, sad words. Kate focused on thinking about Connor and picturing him coming to her rescue. He had been angry with her. Was he angry enough to leave her in
el presidente
’s palace? Aiden would come for Ariana. How would Kate feel if Aiden showed up sans Connor?

Her heart would break all over again. “Connor and I had a disagreement the night before the jailbreak.”

“And now you think he will forget about you?” Ariana asked.

“Connor isn’t like Aiden. His trust is on a hair trigger.”

Ariana straightened. “Aiden talked about Connor from time to time.” She paused as if considering whether she should say more. “Connor and Aiden didn’t have the easiest childhood, but they have good hearts. I don’t think Connor would leave you here over a quarrel.”

A quarrel that had struck close to the heart of Connor’s trust issue. “When I fell in love with him, I knew what I was risking. I knew he was closed off. I just hoped I could get through to him and he would see that I could be trusted. I never intended to hurt him. I wanted him to see that we are meant to be together.” When he’d finally told her he loved her and trusted her, she had taken a machete to the sentiment.

“You’ll have plenty of time to explain yourself and come to an understanding when we get out of here,” Ariana said.

That was where she needed to focus her effort: on getting out of this place. Kate would wait and she would get the opportunity. When she did, she would grab it and run.

She pictured Connor’s face and hands, his soft touch and his strong body. She remembered how she’d felt when he’d kissed her for the first time, the excitement when they had made love and the wonderfulness of the word
love
on his lips. He would come for her. She wouldn’t question it. Trust went both ways and trust was only real when tested.

* * *

Connor had to turn himself in to
el presidente.
For Kate’s life, he didn’t have a choice. He, Finn, Aiden and Hyde had discussed the options. They had planned and changed plans and reworked plans. In the end, the best they could do was to surrender. Connor couldn’t talk Aiden out of coming with him. In Connor’s current physical state, with his leg weakened and without weapons or resources, he couldn’t fight off the army of men
el presidente
surrounded himself with at his palace.

He and Aiden walked to the gates of the palace. The past three days—three long, intense days of gathering resources and information and preparing in every way they could—had led to this moment.

“Do you realize this is the first time we’ve worked a mission together?” Aiden asked. “I always wanted to be in the field with the legendary Connor West.”

“You’ll give me a big ego if you keep that up,” Connor said.

Aiden laughed. “Okay, no more compliments. You ready to face the music?”

Connor shrugged. “Ready as I can be.”

They stood outside the gates, and within moments, they were apprehended by six guards. Aiden and Connor didn’t waste energy struggling. They were dragged inside the house and they were patted down. One of the guards took the gun Connor had hidden at his ankle.

“Did you think we would allow you near
el presidente
with this?” the guard asked, holding it up.

He hadn’t. It had been worth a shot. Though they had chosen this path to save the women they loved and get them to safety as soon as possible, they weren’t fools.
El presidente
was not an honorable man. His palace was opulent, painted in gold with thick velvet-and-satin draperies over the windows and shiny marble on the floor. He lived in luxury while his countrymen suffered and scrambled to have enough to eat. That alone spoke to his character.

Connor and Aiden were brought before
el presidente.
The dictator sat behind a mahogany desk. He smiled when Connor and Aiden were brought in.

“You’ve decided to be reasonable and turn yourselves in,”
el presidente
said.

General Alva stood at his side, smirking. Though Connor had met the man only once, his dislike of him was potent.

“You have Kate and Ariana. What choice did we have but to come here?” Connor asked.

El presidente
rose to his feet and circled the desk. He stood in front of Connor and Aiden. Their arms were secured by two guards each. The other two guards had taken a post by the door. Connor wanted to whip the man across his smug face, but he controlled his temper. This mission was intensely personal and required more control. Quick responses fueled by volatile emotions were catastrophic.

El presidente
struck Connor across the face. Connor didn’t avoid the blow and he didn’t fight back. Outnumbered and weaponless, his struggle would be futile, and he wouldn’t give
el presidente
the satisfaction of seeing him fight and fail.

All he cared about was seeing Kate and Ariana and knowing they hadn’t been harmed.

“You are trusting men,”
el presidente
said.

He could not have been more off target about Connor. “I did what I needed to do,” Connor said. “You asked me to come and I did.”

Aiden remained silent.

El presidente
walked to stand in front of Aiden. “And you. You escaped the most dangerous prison in our country. You’ll find the accommodations there are better than where you’re going.”

Aiden stared blankly and Connor knew he was controlling himself for Ariana. “Since I’m guessing I’ll be six feet under, I guess you’re right.”

El presidente
seemed gleeful with Aiden’s words. “If you’re lucky we’ll bury your body. More likely, I’ll throw it in the street for the dogs to make an example of what happens to people who interfere in my country and who betray me. You’re an American traitor. Your country doesn’t want you returned. They would rather see you dead at my hands. Works to my advantage since that’s the outcome I prefer, as well.”

Connor saw the anger light in Aiden’s face and Aiden looked at the ground to hide it.
El presidente
was wrong. The American people wouldn’t stand for an American to be treated as a rabid animal and violently killed, but Sphere would.
El presidente
knew that Sphere liked for messes to be cleaned up, and death was the surest way to keep their secrets and tie off loose ends.

“Release Kate Squire and Ariana Feliz,” Connor said.

El presidente
laughed. “You’re in no position to make demands.”

“Let them go. You have Aiden and me. You have what you wanted,” Connor said.

El presidente
shook his head. “I only expected one traitor to turn himself in. Lucky to get you both on some misplaced sense of honor. I have what I want. The four people who have caused me complications. Ms. Feliz has caused problems for me. She and her dimwit brother are leading the rebellion against me. I can’t let her return to her terrorist network. She’s the fuel on their fire. Ms. Squire knows too much. I can’t stand for that. I will find and punish everyone who’s assisted you. I will kill them. I will break the spirit of the rebellion, and peace will rule the land.”

El presidente
wasn’t planning to release Kate or Ariana, and he had no plans for peace. No amount of money would sway him, no exchange of lives and no bargaining. The four of them were condemned to die.

Connor glanced at the clock on the far wall. It was two minutes until eight o’clock in the evening. Connor asked again for their lives. “Don’t kill the women. You don’t want their blood on your hands.”

El presidente
lifted a brow as if surprised Connor had responded. “I won’t get any blood on my hands. That’s why I have General Alva and my guards. They take care of uncivilized tasks.”

If he’d had a sliver of respect for
el presidente,
Connor would have lost it then. A leader who forced others to do his dirty work, just as Sphere did, was cowardly and weak.