Page 61 of Dangerous Liaisons

He hurried to the front door and grasped the handle, then motioned for Jesse to approach. She hurried past him, plastered herself against the left wall, and locked gazes with him.

He gave a short nod. “We open this door with guns blazing.”

She raised a brow. He grinned again, and she how he’d managed to escape being snagged by one of those A&M sorority girls. “I’m betting the guards got bored and are sitting in the jeep,” she said.

“Where’s the jeep?”

“About fifteen meters beyond the door. There could be more of them by now," she added. “Maybe even another jeep.”

Cole frowned. “What choice do we have?”

“I go out and see.” He started to protest, but Jesse cut in, “Perez expected me to kill you, then Lanton. He figured he’d get two for one. If you remember, he likes those kinds of deals.”

Cole’s jaw clenched.

“I’m supposed to be walking out of here,” she went on. “They won’t be surprised to see me open the door.”

“They’ll know something’s wrong when they don’t see Perez,” Cole insisted. “You three came in fifteen minutes ago.”

“Right.” She handed the CR-21 to Cole. “Which means we’re running out of time. That’ll give us a split second of surprise. It’s the best we’ve got.” She grabbed the hand still holding the door. “Let’s go.”

Grim lines around his mouth said he didn’t like it, but he released the doorknob. She cast a glance back at the prisoners. None of them had budged.

“How ready are they?”

Cole called in a whisper, “Amigos,” and added in quick Spanish, “we’re making a run for it. My friend and I will shoot as many guards as we can. Anyone who doesn’t want to take a chance on dying doesn’t have to go.”

Without hesitation, a hoarse murmur passed between the men and none moved.

Jesse looked back at Cole. “When I open the door, if no one jumps to attention, I’ll tell them there’s a problem with Perez. If they go for it, when they get near the building, shoot. If anything looks fishy, I’ll heave the door open and dive out of the way so you can start shooting. Ready?” she added before he could refuse.

He stood mute and she feared he would argue. He moved suddenly, startling her, and she found herself in his tight embrace. The powerful beat of his heart reverberated through her. He kissed her hard and released her so abruptly, she barely heard his, “Now I’m ready.”

Jesse her legs to steady as she stepped back and eased open the door. She stepped from the building and met the gaze of the big man who had captured her and Cole.

Obsidian Eyes.