by Linda Turner
She was at the door, her fist raised to pound on it, when it hit her that she was on the verge of totally losing control. Horrified, she dropped her head weakly against the door and sucked in an agitated breath. Lord, what was she doing? If Barrera really was hurting Ace, she wouldn’t do him any good by falling apart. She had to stay calm, think. Right this minute, Ace might need her.
There’s no way you’re going to be left in this mausoleum by yourself for long. I’ll be back for you, and then we’re getting the hell out of here.
His words came back to her as clearly as if he stood beside her. Strong, sure, fearless. Wherever he was, he was all right. And he would come for her. She knew it as surely as she knew her own name. As surely as she knew she trusted him with her heart and soul. As surely as she knew she loved him.
The truth hit her from the blind side, stunning her. Stiffening, she instantly rejected the idea. She couldn’t love him. It wasn’t possible. He might flirt with her, kiss her, even openly desire her, but he’d made it clear that once was enough for him as far as relationships were concerned. He’d loved one woman—he wouldn’t love another. He wouldn’t love her.
She winced, but there was no avoiding the inevitable. Some things weren’t meant to be, and she and Ace were one of them. And that hurt. God, how it hurt! But if she could have gone back and changed that moment when he’d come into her life, she knew that she wouldn’t have. Because not only had she learned just how much she could love a man, she’d tumbled into an adventure that she would remember to her dying day. Regardless of what happened, she couldn’t regret that.
When Ace showed up at her door twenty minutes later accompanied by a grim-faced Bubba, he had changed into new jeans that fit him like a glove and a blue cotton shirt that darkened the color of his eyes. And he’d shaved! He almost looked civilized. His dark hair was neatly combed, his jaw a smooth slab of granite that her fingers itched to touch. Her pulse skipping, Maddy couldn’t stop staring. How could she have forgotten what a good-looking man he was?
Her eyes met his and he gave her a rakish grin that was full of daring, and just that quickly, he was the same Ace who lied his way into two countries without a passport. Ignoring Bubba, he looked her up and down and whistled in appreciation. “You clean up real good, princess. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in ruffles before. I like them.”
A blush stole into her cheeks, but her eyes sparkled up into his as she picked self-consciously at the ruffled neckline of the peasant blouse that had been left on the bed for her. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
Surprised, he blinked. “Are you flirting with me, Maddy Lawrence?”
She was, and she loved it. She loved him. And suddenly she wasn’t the same old Maddy who jumped at her own shadow and was so unsure of herself that the only man in her life was the one she found between the pages of a book. Daring to slip her hand through the crook of his arm, she said saucily, “If you have to ask, I must not be doing it very well,” and had the satisfaction of seeing him searching for a smart comeback for the first time since she’d known him. She was still grinning when they went downstairs.
The macabre dinner that followed was like something out of one of Maddy’s worst nightmares. Barrera, who was waiting for them in the living room when they came downstairs, dismissed Bubba with a casual wave of his hand and proceeded to greet them as if they were honored guests. “Señorita, señor, welcome! Please, come in. It is a pleasure to have you in my home. Can I get you a drink? Wine? Iced tea? Whatever you wish is, of course, yours. Mi casa es su casa.”
Maddy felt rather than heard Ace snort at that, but he only said, “Iced tea will be fine, thank you. This is quite a place you have here, señor. A little out of the way, though. I don’t imagine you have many visitors.”
Fixing their drinks himself from the elaborate drink cart that sat near the couch, Barrera chuckled, but there was little warmth in the sound. “That is true, Ace. I may call you and the señorita by your first names, sí? Formality is so boring, and you’re right. We are quite isolated, which is why I’m so pleased to have you here.” Crossing to them, he handed them each a glass of tea, then gave Maddy a smile that might have been charming if it had reached his eyes. It didn’t. “Señorita Maddy, you must tell me what you think of our rain forest. I’m sure it’s quite different from what you’re used to.”
Caught in the trap of his hard, all-seeing gaze, Maddy suppressed a shiver and forced a weak smile. “It’s beautiful. But much more dangerous than I was prepared for.”
“She doesn’t like snakes,” Ace added pointedly.
Not a slow-witted man, Barrera lifted an arched brow, the amusement that curled his thin-lipped mouth mockingly sinister. “I’ve been told it’s an acquired taste. Shall we go into dinner?”
Maddy couldn’t even swallow her tea—there was no way she was going to be able to force down food—but their host didn’t appear to be concerned if she was hungry or not. Taking her arm, he led her into the dining room and pulled out a chair for her at the table that looked as if it’d come right out of a medieval castle. Dark and heavy and ornately carved, it was laden with enough food for an army.
Taking a seat right next to her at the head of the table, he motioned for Ace to take the place to his left so that he and Maddy were facing each other. “I’ve dismissed the servants for the evening so that we can dine in private, so please help yourself. I hope you like veal. It’s one of my chef’s specialties.”
It was probably delicious, but when Maddy dutifully tasted it, it could have been shoe leather for all the pleasure she got from it. Ace, however, didn’t appear to be having the same problem. He dug in with the enthusiasm of a man who didn’t have a single worry on his mind. He chatted with Barrera as if they were old friends, discussing everything from last year’s Superbowl champ to the situation in Bosnia-Sergovia. But any fears Maddy had that he’d been taken in by the drug lord’s smooth charm faded the instant her eyes met his across the table. He was just as on guard as she was and ready for anything.
Like the snake that he was, Barrera struck when they least expected it. One second he was arguing American politics with Ace, and the next he said coolly, “I know why have you have come, Ace, but I’m afraid you’re too late.”
Leaning back in his chair, Ace didn’t even blink at the sudden change in conversation. His smile as easy as his host’s, he merely lifted a brow in casual interest. “Oh, really? And what am I too late for?”
“The ring, of course,” Barrera chided. “Come now, there is no need for you to pretend. I know you want the ring Mark Antony gave Cleopatra to wear in her belly button, and you know I have it. I bought it from Señor Lazear fifteen minutes before my men ran across you and Señorita Maddy on the path from the river. So you see, you have come all this way for nothing.”
His tone was regretful, his manner consoling, but Ace saw the glee in the bastard’s eyes and would have taken great satisfaction in punching his lights out. Unfortunately, that would have only brought the guards running, and that was the last thing he wanted.
Studying the other man shrewdly, he said lazily, “Well, maybe we did and maybe we didn’t. I don’t know how well you know Lazear, but he’s got quite a reputation back in the States. You see, he’s got a nasty habit of passing off fakes as the real thing, then keeping the original for himself. So you might have Cleopatra’s ring and you might not.”
“And I suppose you might know the real thing if you saw it,” Barrera taunted. “Is that what you’re angling for, Señor Ace? You wish to see the ring?”
Ace grinned. “If it’s not too much trouble. As you said, we did come a long way.”
For a tense moment, he thought Barrera was going to flatly refuse. But the drug lord could hardly do that and still continue to appear to be the congenial host, which, for reasons of his own, was a role he seemed to especially enjoy.
“Very well,” the older man said with a lightness that was belied by the tight bunching of his squar
e jaw. With a sharp flick of his hand, he rang the small bell that sat near his wineglass on the table and brought a servant running within seconds. “Bring me the rosewood box off my desk,” he said in Spanish to the elderly woman who appeared in the doorway. “Andele!”
As silent as a wraith, she glided away and was back within minutes, this time with a small, antique rosewood jewelry box that she set on the table before him. Anticipation lighting his eyes, Barrera leaned forward eagerly and opened the lid. When he swiveled toward Ace, his smile was smug. “There you go, señor. Check it out for yourself.”
Ace knew before he even touched it that the ring was genuine. He’d only seen pictures of it before, but he’d been told of distinguishing marks to look for, marks that weren’t common knowledge or easily detected, and they were all there. Fighting the urge to palm the damn thing, he carefully returned the ring to its display box.
Glancing up, he shot the drug lord a narrow-eyed look that pinned him to his seat. “How much do you want for it?”
Truly amused, Barrera only laughed. “You must be joking, señor. In spite of Lazear’s foolish willingness to part with it, some things are not for sale.”
Ace had figured as much, but it was worth a shot. “Then it appears you’re right, señor. Apparently we’ve barged in on you for nothing. I apologize for that and promise to get out of your hair first thing in the morning. So if you don’t mind, we’ll retire early tonight. It’s been a long day, and we both could use some sleep in a real bed.”
Acting as if he expected the other man’s full cooperation, Ace actually started to push to his feet, but that was as far as he got. Again, Barrera laughed, but this time there was something decidedly evil about the sound. “Nice try, Ace, but I would have to be incredibly stupid to let you leave in the morning, and we both know I’m not a stupid man. You and Señorita Maddy will not be going anywhere. Ever.”
“Ever?” Maddy choked, her gaze bouncing back and forth between the two men. “What do you mean ever? Surely you don’t expect us to just stay here!”
“That’s exactly what I expect, señorita,” he said coldly. “Only my most trusted friends and advisers are allowed to know the location of this compound, and you, unfortunately, are not one of those privileged few. If I let you leave here, you’d go straight to the DEA with that information. I can’t allow you to do that, so I have no choice but to keep you here.”
Unable to believe he was serious, Maddy just stared at him. “But we have lives back home, family, jobs—”
“You should have thought of that before you came barging in where you had no business sticking your pretty little nose in something you didn’t understand.”
Aware of Maddy’s rising panic, Ace kept his voice deliberately calm as he chided, “Don’t you think you’re being a little paranoid here? I don’t know why the DEA would be interested in your location, Mr. Barrera, but all we came here for was the ring. Since it’s not available, there’s no reason to stick around to talk to the DEA or anyone else-”
A pained expressed crossed Barrera’s swarthy face as he held up a hand. “Please, sir, don’t insult my intelligence. Mr. Lazear tried that, and he’s now cooling nicely in the freezer. I would hate to consign you and Señorita Maddy to the same fate.”
“Oh, God!” Maddy whispered faintly.
“Yes, it was quite sad,” he said with little regret, “but he shouldn’t have tried to play me for a fool. I’m sure the two of you will be much smarter.” In the blink of an eye, his expression changed as he, too, rose to his feet with an easy smile and set the rosewood jewelry box on the sideboard. “But after such a trying day, I can understand why you would wish to retire early. I’ll call Jose and he can show you back to your rooms. Tomorrow my men will retrieve the rest of your things from your camp in the jungle.”
The man was mad, Ace decided, if he thought they were going to meekly accept his hospitality until he decided to either free them or kill them. His smile as shallow as their host’s, he came around the table and pulled back Maddy’s chair for her, slipping his arm around her waist as she stood. “Then if we’re going to be your guest for some time, señor, I’d appreciate it if you’d allow Maddy to room with me,” he lied brazenly. “We’re lovers and don’t sleep well apart.”
Caught flat-footed, Maddy gasped, hot color singeing her cheeks. “Ace!”
“Don’t be embarrassed, sweetheart,” he teased, pulling her closer against his side. “I’m sure we haven’t shocked Señor Barrera.”
Amused, the other man laughed softly. “He’s right, señorita. Don’t be embarrassed—I understand perfectly. When a man is used to having a lover beside him in the night, he does not like to do without. Come, I’ll show you to your room myself, then inform the guards that from now on, you are not to be separated.”
Her cheeks still hot and her hand tightly clenched in Ace’s, Maddy didn’t issue a single word of complaint. But the second they were left alone in Ace’s room and the key clicked in the lock, she turned on him and muttered, “I can’t believe you did that! Did you see the way that sleaze was looking at me?”
Already methodically searching the room for a way out, he looked up and flashed her a grin. “When you’re dealing with scum, you’ve got to appeal to their baser instincts. It works every time. Once he gets to thinking about it, though, he’s bound to realize putting us in together wasn’t a very smart move. So help me search the place for a way out, Pollyanna. Tonight may be the only night we have together.”
Just the thought of being separated from him again was all the incentive she needed. Together, they went over the room with a fine-tooth comb, meticulously examining every nook and cranny for something that could be used to unlock the door and anything that could be used as a weapon.
Barrera, however, was no idiot. There were no coat hangers in the closet, no innocent pieces of wire that could be fashioned into a crude key for the lock on the door. That left the window as the only escape route. And while it didn’t have any bars, there really was no need for them. They were on the second floor and in a tower room. The only way out was a sheer wall that led straight to the main compound… and the guards…two stories below. Even if they knotted the sheets from the bed together, they’d never reach all the way to the ground and they’d be easy targets for Barrera’s men.
Staring down at the lighted compound below, Maddy swallowed, forcing moisture into her suddenly dry mouth. “It looks like we’re stuck.”
Beside her, Ace said, “Not necessarily. Just because we can’t go down doesn’t mean we’re going to sit on our hands and wait for Barrera to stick us in the freezer with Lazear. One way or another, sweetheart, we’re getting out of here. Tonight.”
“But how?”
“We’ll go up.”
Chapter 10
“Up?” Maddy squeaked. “Are you out of your mind? We’ll break our necks!”
“O, ye of little faith.” He chuckled, clicking his tongue at her. “Would I let anything happen to you?”
“Not deliberately, no, but if we’re dead, we’re dead. What does it matter how we got that way?” Frowning, she lifted a hand to his brow. “That blow to your head must have really scrambled your brains. You’re not thinking clearly.”
Lightning quick, he trapped her fingers in his. “Will you stop that? There’s nothing wrong with my head! It’s harder than a rock. Now behave yourself and keep an open mind. Okay?” Laying an arm across her shoulders, he leaned out the window and turned her with him so that they were facing the side of the building instead of looking at the ground. Conscious of the guards down below, he said quietly in her ear, “All right, tell me what you see.”
It didn’t take an Einstein to figure that out. “The rock wall of the building.”
“And?”
“And a rain gutter.”
“Thatta girl,” he said proudly, hugging her. “That’s our ticket out of here.”
He was crazy. Certifiable. For his own safety—and hers!—he should hav
e been locked away a long time ago in a room with rubber walls so he couldn’t hurt himself. And she loved him, God help her. So much that if he’d have told her he’d find a way to get her to the moon without NASA’s help, she’d have tried her darnedest to believe him. Lord, she was in trouble.
“It’s a gutter, Ace, not a ladder,” she said pointedly in what she thought was a fairly reasonable voice considering the fact that her knees were already starting to knock. “How do you know it’ll hold us?”
“Because it’s been reinforced. Look at it. Go ahead,” he encouraged when she just lifted a skeptical brow at him instead. “The brackets holding it to the building are just like the rungs of a ladder, and every one of them is cemented in place all the way to the roof. That thing would hold King Kong and never even shake. We’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Oh, really? And what do you call those bozos over there?” she asked, nodding to the men stationed at each corner of the parapet with automatic weapons.
He grinned. “A small technicality. They’ll never even see us.”
“And how do you figure that? Ace, I’m wearing white. The only way they’re going to miss me is if they’re blind.”
“Look at the security lights,” he coaxed patiently, pointing to where the floodlights were mounted at each corner below the battlements where the guards kept watch. “They’re all directed outward, toward the jungle, not the compound. This place is a fort, honey, not a prison. It’s designed to keep people out, not in. Nobody’s paying any attention to what’s going on up here.”
He sounded so logical, so sure of himself, that she couldn’t help but believe him. But how could she scale the side of a building like some type of human fly? “I must be out of my mind to even think about doing this,” she muttered to herself. “I’m a coward. A yellow-livered, crybaby, scared-of-her-own-shadow coward. I don’t do things like this! Or at least I didn’t before a certain someone kidnapped me and dragged me out of New York.” Pulling her gaze away from the guards posted at the far corner of the parapet, she frowned up at him in irritation. “What have you done to me?”