Page 64 of Colombian Chemistry

I glanced at the plane. Knox had it lined up for takeoff.

Hurry, Knox. Get her out of here.

The next Jeep sped toward them, and I shot at the tires again. A front tire exploded, but after a brief swerve, it kept up its trajectory to block the runway. I exhaled a breath and aimed, this time focusing on the driver. My bullet landed right where I placed it. He slumped forward onto the steering wheel, and the Jeep veered right, then flipped several times and rolled to a fiery stop.

The plane engine roared as Knox gunned it down the runway. I saw a man from the last Jeep lift his gun to shoot at the cockpit, but I smoked him quickly too. Irene’s face was pressed to the window as they took off, and I watched her disappear into the air, not knowing when I’d ever see her again.

I love you, Irene. More than anything in this world, I thought just before putting three more cartel members down.

The plane circled and headed north, and I knew she was safely out of range. I’d done it. Even though it killed me to see her go, I’d saved her. And now to fulfill my promise and save her father too.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Marcus

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The ice cubes in my Caipirinha clinked against the glass as I swirled it while I sat at my beachfront table at the Playa del Cartagena Hotel.

I glanced at my watch. Eleven fifty-nine. Any minute the people I trusted most in this world would arrive. And after they did, I would ask them to help me fulfill my promise to Irene. My promise to save her father. It had been ten days since I’d seen her, and the ache for her hadn’t faded at all. In fact, it had amplified, though I didn’t know how that was possible. I’d been trained to handle torture, but what I hadn’t been trained on was the torture of being away from the woman I loved.

“Looking good, stud,” Piper said from behind me.

I smiled as I pushed up from the table and turned to face her. Her appearance changed every time I saw her, and it was always fun to see what look she’d be sporting when we met.

The stiletto heels she wore clicked on the stones and made her already long legs look even longer. Those legs were the only thing ever-consistent about her appearance. Today she had short, black hair and lips painted fire engine red. She looked the part of a rich, social elite in her flowing dress, complete with a Louis Vuitton handbag and oversized sunglasses. She fit right in with the affluent crowd at Playa de la Cartagena.

“Right on time,” I said with a smile.

Her meticulously groomed eyebrow rose. “Have I ever been late?”

“Never.” I smiled while we folded into an embrace, and I hugged her tight. It had been three years since we’d seen one another.

“Good to see you, Piper.”

“Of course it’s good to see me, you lucky son of a bitch. I look good. I’d want to see me too.”

She slipped off her sunglasses, and her smokey-painted green eyes flickered with the mischief they always did. She batted her thick black lashes.

I burst into laughter and hugged her once more. “God, I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” She gave up the coy act and settled into a seat beside me. “Where’s Knox?”

“You are always on time. Him?”

We laughed and simultaneously answered, “Never.”

My phone rang, and I picked it up and propped it on the table. Wesley appeared on the video screen. His shaggy, chin-length brown hair hadn’t changed one bit, and even with the sparse facial hair around his chin, it didn’t hide the baby face that earned him the nickname Pretty Boy when we’d met. He’d only been twenty then and being six years younger than the rest of us, we’d teased him mercilessly about his youthful looks. We often joked it was the reason we never took him out on missions... they’d never take him seriously. Well, that and he barely knew how to fire a gun. Wesley’s special skill set was computers and technology, and even though we did most of our interactions through a screen, he was still a valuable and respected member of our team.

“Hey, Pretty Boy. You’ve got Piper and me.”

“Because Knox is late, right?” Wesley smiled.

Piper and I laughed, and she answered, “Big shocker. Good to see you, Pretty Boy. I missed your handsome baby face.”

She stuck her finger out and booped the screen. Their flirtation was always entertaining, and even though Piper would never act on it, Wes’s big heart eyes for Piper were completely unmistakable. Poor boy had been enamored with her since the first time he’d seen her.

He blew her a kiss. “Looking good, Piper! I’m digging this hairstyle.”