Page 78 of Colombian Chemistry

I walked along with him and followed him through the mansion to the east wing. As we walked, Wesley announced that he had full control of the building and had disarmed all the alarms and looped the security cameras. I breathed a sigh of relief.

“We’re breeching now,” Marcus said.

Fear coursed through me, knowing the danger he was moving into, but I reminded myself he was a professional... the best in the world. He would find my father and get both himself and my father out safely. He had to. I needed them both in my life.

I counted the doors as we walked, and we stopped at the fourth door as Wesley predicted.

“They’re at the door, Piper,” he said. “Be ready.”

She didn’t answer, but I knew that only meant she was too close to talk without being heard.

But instead of taking me inside his room, Cruz pushed me up against the wall just outside his door.

“I want to fuck you right here,” he said as he pressed me into the stucco tiles.

His hands moved to my hips, and he pushed up my dress. Panic surged through me as I wiggled to get free.

“Not here,” I said, trying to dissuade him. “Someone may see.”

“Good. Then they’ll know you’re all mine.” He unbuttoned his pants, grinning as he worked on the zipper.

“Shit,” Wesley said. “Piper. Change of plans. Hallway. Now.”

“Stop!” I demanded, but he pressed his lips against mine. I tried to reach for the knife in my boot, but his body prevented me from bending down the few inches I needed to grab it.

I remembered Piper’s words on how to defend myself without a knife, so I closed my hand in a fist and punched him in his balls. He yowled and stumbled backward. I was shocked to see Piper behind him, and as he rose up, with one quick flick of her wrist, she sliced open his throat.

He collapsed on the ground, clutching his neck, before going limping in a growing puddle of blood.

“Piper, you never cease to amaze me,” Wesley said. “So fucking hot.”

“I just do it to impress you, Pretty Boy,” she said as she looked up at the camera and winked.

“You’re killing me, Piper. You’re killing me,” Wesley said on a sigh. “Cruz is down, guys. I repeat, Cruz is down. I know you can’t answer because I see where you are but just wanted you to know that Piper kicked some ass. Again. He never even saw it coming. And Irene is safe.”

No one answered, and I was glad Wesley had announced the reason, or I’d have been worried sick. Wesley was watching them too, and if something had gone wrong, he’d have said something.

“You okay, sweetie?” Piper asked me as she knelt and wiped her blade off on Cruz’s shirt.

I tried not to vomit as I stared down at the corpse. “Yeah. I’m okay.”

“You did great. Now we need to get the hell out of here.”

“Shit! Guards coming up the stairs!” Wesley said. “Contact in three, two...”

The three guards that came around the corner stopped and looked at Cruz, then back up at us.

“Intruders!” one shouted.

Piper yanked two daggers from her thighs and sent them slicing through the air. Each one found its mark in a man’s head. They dropped to the floor, leaving the third man stammering.

Piper moved like a cheetah as she flew down the hall. He drew his gun and shot, but she dodged the bullet and slid underneath him, taking his legs as she went. After he landed with a thud, she spun up onto him and straddled his shoulders. She pulled a knife from the dead man at her side and plunged the blade into his head.

“More guards coming! Move! Go east!” Wesley commanded.

“Shit!” I said as I ran toward Piper.

She jumped to her feet. “There’s no way we’re getting out the way we planned. Just follow me. We’ll find another way.”