Page 73

Everything had happened so fast.

A rustling sound behind him. Alessandra’s shouted warning. The sight of her tumbling into the clearing with one of the pigs who’d kidnapped her behind her…

He hadn’t had time to think, only to react.

He’d fired at the fat prick, spun around and taken out the skinny one. The kills were a given; he was a STUD sniper, and in moments like these, his response was as disciplined as breathing.

His response to the sight of Alessandra sinking towards the ground was not.

Racing to her, sweeping her into his arms and holding her close wasn’t in any operations manual.

“I was—I was heading back to the clearing. And—and then there was an arm around my neck and—and—”

“Shh.” Tanner kissed her hair, her forehead, her mouth. “Everything’s okay now.”

“They said they would kill you. And—and give me to Estrella Brilliante.”

He stiffened. “Bright Star.”

“Yes. That’s a guerrilla group, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” He stroked his hand over her hair. “Did they say anything else? Maybe about a rendezvous point with Bright Star?”

“No. That

was all. Just that—that they had to keep me alive for—”

She shuddered, and he framed her face with his hands and looked into her eyes.

“Bright Star won’t touch you. I’ll keep you safe, sweetheart. I swear it.”

She nodded. Her breathing had steadied and she’d stopped trembling.

That was good.

Better than good.

She was amazing.

How could he have written her off as just another spoiled, rich brat? She was smart as hell, strong and courageous, and he was alive because she’d risked everything for him.

Bright Star.

Goddammit.

They could be anywhere by now. Even with Alessandra armed, the two of them would be outnumbered, what, ten to two? Twenty? Thirty?

Returning to the game trail wasn’t a good idea. Based on the direction the kidnappers had come from, they’d figured out his ruse, and there was no way of knowing what info they’d given to the guerrillas or where they were supposed to meet up.

Alessandra and he needed a different way to reach the river and they needed to get moving ASAP.

He drew back and framed her face with his hands.

“Honey.” She looked at him. Her eyes still held the shock of what had happened, and he wished he could spend the rest of the morning just holding her like this, but he couldn’t. “We have to get started.” He stroked a strand of hair back from her forehead. “You okay?”

She nodded. He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers.

“We’re going to have to take a different route to the river. I don’t know where Bright Star’s supposed to come on the scene, but in the not-so-good old days, this part of the rainforest was their territory.” He paused. “First, though, I have to, ah, I have to handle some housekeeping issues.”