Hostage to Love

Still friends with General Timothy Wallace ten years after retiring his U.S. Marine uniform, Nick had thought of no one better to turn to, and the older man had come through for him. Within six hours, he’d assembled the men now aboard the plane and found a spare seat on a military jet to transport Nick to the American airbase in Morocco.

Frustration had gnawed at him when he’d been forced to hang around while the mercenaries strategized, counter-strategized, and waited for intelligence to come in from Nawaka. Knowing they were right had not made the wait any easier. And knowing he had to rely on others because his own military skills were hopelessly rusty after ten years’ disuse angered him even more.

He scanned the plane again, thinking how different this was from the way he normally traveled. The Andreakos private jets he and Alex owned, with their state-of-the-art systems and luxurious interiors, were a far cry from this shelled-out cargo plane with jump seats and guardrails lined up on the sides. But since they needed to call as little attention to themselves as possible, he had to settle for this mode of transport.

Wrenching himself from his thoughts, he glanced at his watch for the umpteenth time and willed the lazy hand sweeping its face to move faster. With a start, he noted the date—Friday the thirteenth.

No, he didn’t believe in stupid clichés and silly superstitions.

Still, he could do nothing to stop the chill creeping down his spine. He tore his gaze away and focused on John Allen, the leader of the group, as he approached.

“We’ll be landing in thirty minutes, sir. Transportation is already in place.” Allen was built like a Sherman tank, with bulging muscles testifying to an addiction to weightlifting.

“Fine. Have you gone over

the details again with your men?”

“No need, Mr. Andreakos. They know what they’re doing.”

“Good.” Nick raised an eyebrow as the ex-special forces soldier hesitated. “Is there anything else?” Allen had expressed reservations about Nick’s presence on the plane, and he still sensed the other man’s diffidence.

When Allen shook his head, Nick turned away from him and shrugged on the Kevlar jacket he’d left on his seat. Strapping on the belt containing his handgun, he checked the GPS device in his breast pocket.

“For chrissakes, man, sit down. Before I make you,” Alex bit out. “We’ll find her. We’ll bring her home. And you can take delight in tearing strips off her. Or doing whatever it is that you two do when you’re pissed off with each other.”

Gritting his teeth, Nick sat down. After he secured his seat belt, he tilted his head back and rested it against the hard metal. Closing his eyes, he felt the fear he’d been holding back engulf him, his imagination throwing up scenarios that chilled him to the bone. What if he was too late? What if she was—

No. With steel will inherited from his Greek forebears, he cast the images aside and replaced them with positive thoughts.

What would his wife say when she saw him again for the first time in six months?

…

“No. I will not sleep with you.” Belle shook her head for emphasis. “You’ll put me in here with the rest.” She hoped her assertive tone would convey her determination not to succumb to Mwana’s despicable demand.

She watched his vivid scar dance in the dim light of the cave as a smile lifted his mouth.

“I’m not sure you understand. I don’t wish you harm. I only wish to keep you safe, Mrs. Andreakos.”

Cold dread invaded Belle’s bones. He’d found out who she really was.

“Yes, I know your real identity,” he confirmed, his voice markedly chillier than it had been this afternoon. “Which makes you all the more…interesting.”

“I assure you, it doesn’t.”

“I beg to differ. I’m sure the world—and certainly I—would love to know what the wife of a billionaire is doing in a place like this.”

“Nick Andreakos and I, we…we’re no longer married.” She squashed her guilt at the white lie and curbed the shaft of pain at the words. Calm…she needed to remain calm. “So if you’re thinking of trading me in for ransom, you’re wasting your time.”

Interest sparked across his face, altering his expression from dangerously formidable to merely terrifying. “You’re no longer married?”

She didn’t want to tell an outright lie, so she shrugged. “N-not all marriages work out.”

“Even if you’re no longer married, I’m sure you will fetch a handsome fee. And you’re still useful to me in different ways.”

“How? I’m just a teacher.”

“No, you’re far more than that.” His eyes narrowed on her face. “But I’m yet to determine whether the benefit of having you around outweighs the risks.”