She wiped her forearm over her forehead as sticky heat made her sweat. Her peach-colored T-shirt plastered to her back. “Uh-huh. I can see that.”
He tilted her chin up with an index finger so she had to look into his eyes. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Thank you for trying to come to come to my rescue.”
He threw her a rueful grin, a little sheepish around the edges. “Yeah, trying is the operative word. It’s a damn good thing that El Jaguar decided to stop the asshole.” His eyes darkened, the humor lapsing. “I didn’t think… I couldn’t let them hurt you.”
Amazement and warmth filled a new place in her heart, a tiny little spot that seemed to widen and expand as time moved forward. The more she saw him in action, the more he seemed to affect her. She wondered if she’d lost her mind allowing mushy emotion to intrude. Could she trust feelings generated during gut-wrenching danger? Could the affection she already felt for this rough-and-tumble agent possibly be real?
Zane brushed her hair back from her face, the tips of his fingers tracing over her skin and sending a sensual shiver through her. Then he wiped at the tears drying on her cheek. “There’s something else wrong other than the fact you were in a car wreck and had the shit scared out of you.”
She cleared her throat. “No, I—no that was it. When that creep grabbed me it was bad enough, but then when that guy hit you in the head and I saw all that blood—”
She gulped and stopped.
Oh no. No, I can’t confess that. He’ll believe I’m getting too attached if the words are out there hanging in the stratosphere.
Eduardo came up with the first aid kit and forestalled confession. An admission she couldn’t, wouldn’t make at this juncture, if ever.
“Señor Spinella.” Eduardo gave the kit to her to hold, then extracted a penlight. “Let me see your eyes.” Eduardo made some ums and ahs that sounded doctorial. “Your pupils are even. Everything looks good. You feel all right now?”
Zane rubbed the back of his neck. “Good news. The slam on the head has cured my neck ache.”
She laughed, an almost hysterical yelp that made her slap her hand over her mouth in embarrassment. Zane’s eyebrows went up and he chuckled at the same time Eduardo followed with a laugh.
“Sorry.” She walked over to the limo and retrieved her fanny pack lying on the ground. “I think I’m losing my mind in this heat.”
Eduardo used antiseptic to clean the cut on the back of Zane’s neck, and while she watched the short guy working, she sighed. “What are we going to do next? We have no workable car and we’re stranded miles from anywhere. Don’t tell me we have to trek through the jungle to reach Haan’s house?”
“We could,” Zane said, “but we aren’t going to.” After Eduardo finished putting a bandage on the cut, Zane said, “Come on, I’ll show you my secret weapon.”
His weapon happened to be a satellite phone tucked into a hidden compartment below one set of bench seats in the back of the limo. He turned it on and within seconds he’d contacted Haan’s base of operations. After going through a few hoops to speak to the man himself, he let Haan know what had happened and where they were.
He turned off the phone. “They’re sending another limo for us.”
Eduardo rolled his gaze skyward. “I will call my friends to help me out of this, Señor Spinella. I will stay with the car.”
Zane nodded. “Absolutely.”
Now that the drama had diminished, Keira realized the jungle surrounding them chattered with life. Colorful birds, none she could identify, anchored in the lowest branches of trees nearby. Their songs, some pleasant and some raucous, filled the air. Other unrecognizable animal sounds echoed through the jungle. They’d slid off into a small area where the jungle had been pushed back from the narrow two-lane paved road. Thick and mysterious, the green canopy above blocked light deeper into the jungle. Suddenly the rainforest seemed a hostile place rife with perils imagined and unimagined. Hazards closed in on all sides.
When Zane touched her shoulder she jumped. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“This jungle is giving me the creeps, that’s what’s wrong.”
“It’s a beautiful place,” Zane said.
“Beautiful but often deadly,” Eduardo said from the car as he put the first aid kit back into glove box.
“That’s great, Eduardo. Give her even more confidence.” His brows pinched together as he observed her. “Why don’t you sit in the limo and get out of this sun?”
Once they settled inside the tilted car, she relaxed a little. Eduardo stayed outside.
“That feels better.” She took a tissue out of her fanny pack and dabbed at her face and neck. “The sun was starting to feel like it was cutting through my skull straight into my brain.”
Zane found bottled water in the fridge and handed her one. “Drink up.”
As the cold water slid down her throat, she sighed in pleasure. “How long will take Haan to send rescue?”
He glanced at his watch. “No telling. The man’s fickle. It could be less than an hour, it could be a few hours.”
“A few hours?”
“Like I said, the man’s fickle. He likes to keep people off guard. Figures if he stays unpredictable he’s harder to kill.”
She leaned back on the seat, sinking into the leather with a wince. With the door open, the humidity invaded. She glanced at him and took in his ragged exterior. His rich plum polo shirt and khaki pants had been stained with blood and dirt.
After a short silence, he leaned closer. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Me? You’re the one who got clonked on the head.”
“That’s not what I meant.” His eyes held empathy, a profound unease she found disconcerting. His gaze flickered to her arms and he reached out and clasped her wrist gently. “Tell me those bruises are from the wreck or whether that fucker put those marks on you.”
She shivered under his gentle touch as his finger caressed the three bruises forming on her upper arm. “I don’t know. It could be either one.”
“Shit.” His voice went soft and husky. “I’m sorry, Keira.”
“About what?”
“That I let him assault you.”
“What could you do? You couldn’t have stopped it any more than I could. I’m just thankful it didn’t go any further.”
Zane brushed his fingers over her arm again and sweet, warm trickles of delight worked their way into her loins. She knew in her gut, from the flames in his eyes, that given the chance, Zane would have pulverized Manuel with one slam of his fist. A wholly female response rose inside her at the knowledge. Whether she wanted it or not, her body had gone cavewoman on her at the idea of this man fighting for her. A stirring started low in her belly. Her body responded to his on a needful level she wanted to deny but couldn’t. Even hurt this man set her insides on fire with one action, one small look.
Zane nodded. “Yeah, if El Jaguar hadn’t put a stop to it, it would have gone further.”
She trembled a little, despite the heat. “Thank God for him, as weird as that sounds. Do you know who this Jaguar character is? Wasn’t he a little harmless for a thug?”
“Harmless, my ass. My guess is that Manuel and Ortega might end up as predator food tonight. I’ve heard of El Jaguar. He’s a mortal enemy of Haan, though no one knows why.”
After she took another sip of water, she sighed. “Great. Haan and El Jaguar. With enemies like them, who needs friends, right?”
She watched his face transform from simmering anger to gentle understanding. Before she could even move, he leaned toward her and turned her face toward his.
“You did good out there, Keira.”
Not believing his praise, but liking it all the same, she said, “Thank you. All I did was stand there like a geek.”
He grinned and kissed her mouth softly. A quick, sweet touch that sent shivery warmth into her. “No, you were calm and cool. Besides, you layered it on thick and I appreciate that. I think it
convinced them you were my fiancée because you acted like you really cared whether they shot my ass off. Your voice was trembling and you were crying. You’re a wonderful actress.”
The trauma of the last hour left her shaky and off guard. She whispered in a hoarse voice, “I wasn’t acting. I did care whether they killed you.”
She turned her face away, unwilling to let him see the additional tears threatening her eyes. She drew in a ragged breath.
“Keira.” His voice took on a deep, gentle tone. “Thank you for caring.”
Embarrassed she’d revealed too much, she didn’t speak.
“Look at me.” His gentle command made her turn toward him. His face, marred by smudges and a little blood, somehow managed to appear more rugged and handsome. “You’re a brave woman. I admire that.”
She didn’t expect his praise. “Thanks.”
This close she could see the fire in his dark eyes, the warmth banked for the moment but threatening something off the charts in the future. Deep inside, she trembled in a brand-new way. This man had her mixed up, her feelings a jumble of misfires and misunderstandings.
Deciding she needed a new approach to keep her sanity, she settled back and reached for her water. “I don’t understand El Jaguar. He didn’t try and hurt either of us. He seemed to be trying to protect us in a weird sort of way.”
“Yeah, that has me puzzled, too. It doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
A few moments later, Haan’s limo drove up and the tough-looking driver got out, weapon strapped to his huge chest. Tall, bald-headed and with a colossal handlebar mustache, the new driver looked ready for violence.
His American accent came out clearly. “Mr. Haan sent me. Get your things and supplies and we’ll leave.”
After they piled into the limo and left Eduardo, she whispered in Zane’s ear, “Is Eduardo going to be all right?”
Zane grinned and cracked his knuckles. “Eduardo is always all right.”
Something about Eduardo didn’t add up and when it was safe to ask she planned to get the scoop. Zane took out the Macon card and scanned the limo. No listening devices registered.
Keira smiled. “El Jaguar didn’t realize my ring is a fake. So much for financing his little army.”
Zane chuckled. “Yeah, he’s going to be pissed.”
Chapter Six
When Keira awoke from her short little catnap, she felt as if she’d been underwater with no oxygen. She gasped and jerked in semi-fright.
“Whoa, take it easy,” Zane’s deep voice rumbled. “We’re here.”
His arm tightened around her and she realized her head was pillowed on Zane’s shoulder and he cuddled her close against him. As warm and wonderful as his embrace felt, she pushed away and sat up. A woman could get way too used to being snuggled in his arms. The man ought to come with a warning label marked “Too Hot to Handle”.
She didn’t have time to blink or take a peek out the windows at their surroundings before the door next to her popped open. Bruiser, as she thought of the limo driver, stood outside waiting for her to exit. She slipped outside into the bright sun. Zane climbed out behind her.
They’d parked in a circular driveway in front of the sprawling two-story home of Ludwig Haan. The long driveway eased away into the jungle behind them. The photograph she’d seen of this house didn’t capture the complete essence. The Ludwig compound resembled a luxury cabin gone mad, the mahogany-colored wood blending into the shadowy, fertile danger of the jungle surrounding them. Huge reflective glass windows on all sides seemed to watch them like dark eyes. Despite the modern exterior, the house screamed coldness and efficiency, not the welcoming home of a dear friend.
She followed the limo driver to the door as he dragged her bags up a ramp along the porch steps. Zane followed close behind; he didn’t carry any luggage, playing the spoiled rich American to the highest degree.
The huge front door, a conglomeration of modern effectiveness and old-style Spanish Colonial design, swung open on whisper soft hinges.
“Good afternoon.” Ludwig Haan smiled and gestured for them to come in. His grin immediately faded as they followed him inside the cool interior and the door slammed behind them. “I was distressed to hear what happened.”
As they walked into the expansive two-story foyer, she noticed the jungle motif. Unfortunately the theme seemed faked, much like those overdone showhouses that lacked warmth to go with their manicured ambience. An overall impression of fake animal skins and paintings of animals native to the area ran across her senses before Ludwig turned back to her.
He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “My dearest lady, how fortunate you weren’t hurt. And I see your beautiful engagement ring was stolen.”
She pulled her hand from his slowly. “It’s a small matter. Mr. Haan—”
“Ludwig. Please.”
She didn’t want to call him by his first name. Acknowledging him that way seemed to give him power. “Zane is hurt. Is there anyway to get medical attention at Rancho La Paz?”
Zane smiled down at her and pulled her close. He kissed her forehead. “I’m all right, sweetie.”
Despite the warmth of his embrace and the riot of feelings dancing through her, she continued. “Please, Ludwig. I’m concerned about his head wound.”
Nodding, Haan smiled. “Of course. It was selfish of me not to mention it first.” He turned toward the stairs. The palatial center staircase went straight up, then branched into two wings. “I’ll call my personal physician right away.”
“Thank you,” she said with genuine gratefulness.
Ludwig nodded toward the bruiser limo driver and the man started away from them with their luggage. “He’s taking it by elevator. Even Douglas doesn’t have the muscle to haul two sets of baggage. I’ll show you to your room; then if you’re hungry, I have a luncheon set for noon.”
Food sounded beyond good at this point, but she wanted to make sure Zane hadn’t suffered serious injury first. A little surprised that Ludwig would consider showing them their room and not asking a servant, she moved out from under Zane’s arm and followed Ludwig. The wiry, tall man proceeded ahead of them.
As they wended down the long hallway to the left, she felt like she’d stepped into a shopping mall. Oddly designed, the area showed a room or two and then a gap which held a long, tall window. Jungle rioted beyond the open area in back. A huge pool, shaped like a kidney, sparkled in the intense sunlight. Lawn chairs sprawled in various areas, as well as a small bar-like vicinity that probably served during a party.
Ludwig opened a door to the right and entered. Her jaw about hit the floor. She’d seen plenty of high-priced hotel rooms on television and in magazines. Even the room at the hotel back in San Cristobal had been extravagant. This room surpassed their lavishness and then some. Zane entered the room last and Douglas brought in the baggage and dumped it near the bed. Ludwig dismissed Douglas and the man left without a word.
Unlike the hokey décor downstairs this room belonged to a harem dream. The huge king-sized bed, definitely the California king Zane referred to, was overlaid by a gauzy orchid purple canopy that halfway enclosed it in privacy. A satiny matching purple fabric covered the bed. Dozens of pillows stacked up against the dark wood, elaborately carved headboard.
“Wow,” she said involuntarily. Her heart sped up when Zane threw her a cautionary glance. A rich woman wouldn’t be surprised by this room. “I mean, this room is so wonderful. How generous of you, Ludwig.”
She strolled toward the large sliding glass doors that opened onto a big balcony that featured two brown wicker lounge chairs and a table. Right now the doors stayed closed and she felt the cooling relief of air conditioning spreading through the room.
“It’s wonderful, as always.” Zane ambled toward the bed, looking as if he might like to sink down on it and sleep. “I think you’ve surpassed yourself this time.”
Ludwig’s smile broadened and he held his hands out. “But of course. For the brid
e- and groom-to-be I’d do anything.” He clapped one hand on Zane’s grubby shoulder. “Of course it would be better than a bachelor suite.” His gaze traveled to Keira and when his cool eyes caressed her form in that lascivious way, she shuddered. “My dear, I never thought to ask something important. Forgive me. Perhaps you’re an old-fashioned woman? Would you prefer your own room until the wedding night?”
Something about the way he looked at her made her skin crawl from head to toe. While earlier she would have jumped at the chance to have a separate room from Zane’s, now she didn’t. “No.” The word came out with force, and she smiled and softened her voice. “No, I’d love to stay here with Zane.”
Did she see a small flicker of disappointment in Ludwig’s eyes? Before she could be sure he started for the door. “Very well. I’ll leave you to rest and refresh while I call the doctor. He should get here in short order.” He started to leave but then turned back, his gaze intent on them both. “You said you were attacked by El Jaguar?”
“That’s what he called himself. You know him?”
Keira waited, breathing on hold, for Ludwig’s answer. Ludwig shrugged. “The name is not familiar to me. He must be a petty criminal intent on harassing law-abiding citizens. No matter, he cannot harm you here. This place is as tough to get in as…what do you call it in America? Fort Knox. Anyway, there will be no problems while you are here.” He smiled suddenly. “You know, I think I have just the thing to replace your engagement ring until you are wed.”
Startled, she started to speak. “Mr. Haan—I mean Ludwig, that isn’t necessary—”
“Of course it is,” he said in a clipped tone. “Both of you wait right here. I will be back in a few moments.”
With that the man left, closing the door behind him. Zane immediately put his index finger up to his lips in a gesture that asked for quiet. She nodded and went to lock the door while Zane took out his Macon card to check for bugs. To her surprise Zane found no listening devices in the room.
He frowned. “I wonder what kind of ring he wants you to wear?”
Special Investigations Agency: Primordial Page 11