Page 90 of Dangerous Liaisons

Chapter Sixty-Six

Jesse blinked furiously in an effort to adjust to the darkness—and center the PPK on Cole’s hulking figure. A bone-jarring blow to her arm forced the weapon from her grip. The gun clattered to the tile. She threw a hard right punch into air as the gun slid across the room. A hand closed around her wrist. She drew back an elbow for a jab at her attacker’s ribs, but was yanked into his arms. They toppled to the floor. Even blind, she knew Cole’s body.

“Let me go, you son-of-a-bitch!”

“Hush,” he whispered, hugging her face to his neck. “Whoever took the shot is still out there.”

“What have you done with Amanda?” she demanded.

Jesse jerked a leg into the air and slammed the heel of her shoe onto Cole’s leg. He stiffened. Satisfaction rocketed through her. With any luck, she had struck his gunshot wound. She lifted her foot again, but he threw a leg over hers and hugged her closer.

“Stop it,” he ordered.

“I’ll kill you,” she hissed.

“I’ve got to make sure Harris is all right,” Cole whispered.

She twisted her head free and squinted in Harris’ direction. “Harris,” she called in a whisper.

No answer.

Jesse shoved at Cole’s chest. “Let me go.”

A tiny click sounded, then a faint voice said over a radio, “Cardinal, report. What’s with the lights?”

“Mockingbird is in the roost,” Cole whispered. “Rogue Raven is outside the door.”

“Hawk closing in,” the man replied, and the radio went dead.

“Bastard,” Jesse muttered.

Cole tightened his bear hug. “Stop it,” he ordered. “Amanda is fine. It’s Harris I’m worried about.”

“I don’t believe a word you say,” she snapped. “Let me go check on him.”

“This isn’t finished,” Cole said. “You’ve got to trust me.”

Jesse gave a harsh laugh. “Let go.”

He did. She scrambled to her knees and glanced around the room. The clouds must have parted, because a thin strip of moonlight crossed Harris’ motionless body, where it lay near the door. Cole got to his knees as she crawled to Harris. A second later, Cole joined her. Jesse pressed fingers against Harris’ neck for a pulse. Strong and even. She dropped a palm to the tile beside his shoulder and it slipped on something slick. Blood. Jesse wiped the blood on her jeans, then carefully probed his shoulder.

Harris grunted. “You trying to finish the job?”

Relief flooded her. “Not me.” She looked at Cole. “We’ve got to get him out of here fast.”

“Not until they find the sniper,” Cole replied. “We have no idea—”

Jesse straightened and leveled a punch at Cole’s jaw.

He landed on his ass, then straightened, rubbing his jaw. “Got it out of your system?”

Harris gave a hoarse laugh. “Don’t count on that.” He began coughing hard.

Jesse’s heart leaped into her throat. She pressed a hand against the wound to staunch the flow of blood. “Give me something to bind the wound,” she ordered Cole.

At the sound of fabric tearing she looked up to see him ripping a strip off his shirt. She ran her gaze around the room. There had to be something to staunch the flow of blood. The sink. Jesse scrambled on hands and knees to the sink. What looked like a towel lay on the dish drain. She felt the object. A terrycloth towel. She smelled it. Fresh. Jesse hurried back to Harris.

“Give me the shirt,” she said to Cole, and covered the wound with the towel.