Page 21 of Dangerous Liaisons

Chapter Fifteen

Jesse stared at Cole. “What?”

“Green Leader put me on the scent, then just sat back and waited.”

“You’re saying you found me on your own when Lanton with all his resources didn’t come close?”

“Lanton did find you; through me. Listen, Jess, you know what it’s like to lose a team member. But do you know what it’s like to lose a whole team?”

“Yeah,” she snapped.

“No,” he cut her off gentle, but firm. “You don’t. You’re outraged those men were murdered, but they weren’t your friends. You didn’t train with them, know them for years, watch them get married and have kids.” Cole’s mouth thinned. “You didn’t have to tell their wives, kids, and girlfriends they weren’t coming back. I wanted you even worse than I wanted those Colombians. I called in every favor I owed to me—and found you.”

She started to rebut, but he was right. If she’d been in his position, she would have found him. Hell, she was in his position. Nothing was going to stop her from proving Lanton’s guilt.

Cole slid his hand from her wrist to her fingers and gave them a squeeze. “You can still win, Jess.”

She startled, the thought that he’d read her mind freezing her brain for an instant, then she realized the idiocy of his statement and yanked free of his grasp. “Don’t tell me, you’re going to save me? Play me, and I’ll cut out your heart and leaving it on this table. I’m already dead. There’s nothing I can do to make it any worse.”

Cole stared back. “You want Lanton?”

“I’ll get Lanton.”

“Yeah? Why haven’t you?” Before she could answer, he added, “Because you’re not dead. Because you want to prove Lanton is responsible for Green Team’s death. You want your life back.”

“My life back?”

She would get Amanda to safety—somehow. But get her life back? Her heart sped up. Cole was right about one thing; he had found her, which meant Lanton had found her. And he had to be watching them right now. Who was in the diner? The woman with the little girl, the little girl—

“Whoever is behind this knew I’d find you.” Cole’s voice jerked her attention back to him. “What they didn’t count on was that I’d see you in action. The person who sent Green Team into that village to be murdered wouldn’t have gone into that alley.”

Jesse stared in disbelief. “You’re saying my going into that alley proves I’m innocent?” She snorted. “For all you know last night was a performance.”

Cole studied her. “Was it?”

Jesse considered a glib remark, but answered, “No.”

The bell on the door tinkled again and a man entered.

“You say Lanton is our mole, but he let you get away,” Cole said. “What have you got to prove that Jess? What does he want from you?”

Here was the defining moment. The moment Lanton discovered the most damning evidence she had was his membership in DC’s exclusive Submissions BDSM club and a two million dollar account she had yet to connect to her or Perez, he would send every available assassin after her.

“You’re asking a lot,” she told Cole.

“Maybe,” he replied, his drawl pronounced. “But if you’re right about Lanton, then he’s wondering the same thing I am.”

“What I’ve got?”

Cole shook his head. “Why you’ve kept quiet.”

He was right, Lanton would wonder, which she prayed kept him terrified.

Cole scooted to the edge of his seat. “I’ll be back.”

He stood, then strode across the diner and down the short hallway leading to the restroom. The men’s room was at the end of the hall, directly in her line of sight. He opened the door and stepped inside. The little girl sitting at the counter squealed in delight. Jesse twisted to see the kid behind the counter placing a large banana split in front of the girl. Jesse started to turn back around then realized the man who entered a moment ago was gone, and she hadn’t seen him exit. She glanced down the hall toward the men’s room door where Cole had just disappeared.

Jesse rose and started for the front door. “My boyfriend’s in the bathroom,” she called to the waitress, who stood a couple tables away. “I’m just going out to the car for my purse.”