Want You Back (13 page)

Shaken, Jenny could only stare—and try to breathe. “This is too much.” She felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach. “That's
exactly
what he did to me two years ago.”

When Rosa smiled, Jenny felt a shiver of premoni
tion.

“So he did, my friend. And now?”

Now. Despite the numbing anguish that seemed to be spreading through her, Jenny knew she’d have to be careful. She had not the slightest doubt that if she said the wrong thing, Rosa would have her killed without the slightest remorse. Especially if she knew that Jake had told Jenny he loved her.

Did he? Or was it all an act? Had he told Rosa he loved her too? He’d promised to marry her, hadn’t he?
Just as he’d once promised
Jenny.

Feeling sick, Jenny sagged in her chair. She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak, not with the tears that pricked her eyes and clogged the back of her throat.

“Poor thing.” Rosa sounded sympathetic. “You thought he loved you, didn’t you?”

Bowing her head, Jenny knew her silence was answer enough.

“Cheer up,
chica.”
Rosa stood and came around the desk, pacing like a caged lioness in front of the window. Sheathed in a close-fitting white dress, her body matched her face, Jenny thought dispassion
ately, lush and perfect. No wonder Jake had become her lover.

“I have a plan.” Stopping in front of Jenny, hands on her hips, Rosa threw back her head and laughed. “I will avenge my honor, and my name. Yours too, if you would like.”

Startled, Jenny raised her head and swallowed. Madness gleamed in Rosa’s beautiful eyes.

Jenny didn’t know what to think. She needed some time alone, to go over the facts. But there was one thing she needed to clear up. “I’m confused,” she said slowly. “So this has nothing to do with the drug cartel?”

Rosa’s eyes flashed. “Nothing to do with it? Hah.” She ran a scarlet-tipped hand over her hair, smooth
ing it “My father and my brothers are in jail. Because of me!” She spat the words. “They accepted Jake because of me.”

Oh-oh. Bad question. Still, Jenny had to know the truth. “So you met Jake before your family did?” Rosa blinked, then lowered her gaze. “No.” Her voice, though soft, seemed full of pain. Jenny could definitely relate to that. She’d felt much the same way when Jake had left
her
standing at the altar.

“Jake had worked for my family awhile before I met him.” Smiling a misty smile, Rosa shook her head. “One look, and I knew I had to have him. Have you ever felt like that?”

Aching, Jenny nodded. Though she couldn’t say so, she’d felt like that with only one man. Jake. The sad thing about it was that she knew now he was the only man she would ever love. If what Rosa said was true, then the scope of his betrayal—his
second
betrayal—defied her comprehension.

She needed to think. She fought the urge to cover her ears when Rosa continued speaking. “I imagine you have. Jake has that effect on most women. I should know.”

Jenny felt queasy. She swayed on her feet, wonder
ing if the other woman would understand. Or whether she would care.
    

“Please.” Licking her dry lips, she peered at Rosa. “May I go to my room? I don’t feel well.”

“Your room?” This time Rosa didn’t even smile. Her expression bitter, she pushed a button on her phone to summon an escort. “I am sorry,
amiga.
This must all come as a shock to you. Go. Rest and relax. I will expect your decision at the evening meal.”

It took every ounce of strength Jenny could muster to keep from sagging with relief. At least she would have a few hours to figure out what was truth and what was lies.

Jake couldn’t believe it when Trent told him who had Jenny and wanted his head on a platter. Rosa! At first he’d been angry, then shocked, then lastly- remembering her obsession with him—worried.

Rosa had pursued him with single-minded intent for nearly eighteen of the twenty-four months he’d spent undercover. He’d wanted nothing to do with her; after all, he was still in love with Jenny. But one night he’d had one tequila too many. When he’d woken to find her warm and willing in his bed, he’d been unable to keep from taking advantage of what she’d so blatan
tl
y offered.

He’d realized
instantly
it had been a big mistake. Perhaps the biggest mistake of his career. She’d nearly blown his cover, telling her father that they were in love and steaming ahead with wedding plans though he’d never once mentioned the word.
  

Hell, he’d hardly ever talked to the woman. After that one fool
ish mistake, after he’d been told he would have to marry her, he’d sought her out. Trying to explain he didn’t love her, apologizing, none of it had done any good. Even when he told her about Jenny, carefully leaving out her name and where she lived, Rosa hadn’t wanted to hear him. She’d threatened to have him killed if he didn’t do what she wanted. Jake had believed her.

He’d reported to his superiors that they had to wrap things up before the date of his planned mar
riage. He’d do a lot of things for his country, but marrying Rosa wasn’t one of them. There was only one woman he wanted to marry.

Now Rosa had Jenny. His blood ran cold. He had no doubt that Rosa intended to carry out her threats, though what she would do to Jenny he had only an idea.

And it wasn’t a pleasant one.

“We have to get her out,” Jake told Trent “Right away.
Rosa’s crazier than all of her family put together. She’s out for my blood.”

Trent grinned sympathetically. “What did you do, love her and leave her?”

“No.” Jake glanced at his watch, trying to calculate their arrival time. “Only in her mind. She even had a wedding planned.”

“So Rosa is the one you had to leave at the altar?” Though Trent’s question contained only mild curios
ity, it hit Jake right in the gut.

“No, that was Jenny.” He closed his eyes in remem
brance, then opened them as another thought occurred to him. “Good God,” he groaned. “No doubt the two of them are comparing war stories right now.”

“War stories?”

“Rosa thinks I left her the night before the wed
ding, like I had to with Jenny. I told her I didn’t want to marry her, but she didn’t care. I told her I didn’t love her and ditto.” He sat forward as another thought occurred to him.

“Hell. I even told her that I loved someone else. That’s why she abducted Jenny. She wants double revenge.”

Trent cocked his head. “What do you mean?” “She has no intention of letting Jenny go, whether she has me or not” His voice was a monotone, echo
ing the dread and despair he felt inside. “I imagine

she thinks it’s perfect. She can avenge her family and hurt me, all with one blow.”

“How’s that?”

“All she has to do is kill Jenny. If she does that, she is guessing that I’d wish I were dead too.”

Trent shot him a look of such doubt that Jake knew the other man didn’t believe him. “Would you? Would you wish to be dead if Jenny were gone?” This time Jake laughed, a harsh, bitter sound that the wind whipped away. “Oh yeah. But I can promise you one thing. If Rosa so much as harms a hair on my Jenny’s head, before I die I will make her wish she were dead.”

The other man turned away, shaking his head. With his military haircut and gung-ho attitude, Jake fig
ured he must be new to the DEA. He lived for the job, as Jake had once. The DEA recruited men like him, and if he fit the standard profile he had no special woman, no loved ones to cloud his thinking or impair his
judgment
. He would have no way to understand the
depth of Jake’s feelings for Jenny, nor would he care.

Which meant he would be good at what he did. Jake told himself to be glad, though he felt only hollow emptiness when he remembered being like Trent. Still, he’d take the expertise and use it. He needed all the help he could get to rescue Jenny. Even if she hated him right now, he prayed he could change that. With luck, she’d listen to her heart instead of Rosa’s lies. He hoped he’d taught her at least that much since he’d been back. If she listened to her heart, then she’d know the truth.

Jenny was shown to a small room on the second floor. Though it looked out over the tropical court
yard, the black metal bars over the window were there to prevent escape.

Mind reeling, she kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed. The mattress felt sinfully soft—soft enough to sink into and drift off to sleep. But sleep was the last thing on
J
enny’s mind. All she could think about was Jake. Jake declaring undying love to the delectable Rosa. Jake and Rosa, their bodies inter
twined.

No!

Each thought brought a stab of fresh agony.

Then she thought of Jake, in the car as they had attempted to flee from their pursuers.

“7
love you,
”he’d told her.
“I always have, even when I had t
o go away. I’ve never stopped lo
ving you, Jen. ”

She’d believed him, God help her. One tiny part of her heart still wanted to believe him and to hell with whatever Rosa might say.

Suddenly exhausted, Jenny covered her face with her hands and wept.

Somehow, she must have fallen asleep. When she opened her eyes, she had a stiff neck and a sore throat. Though she went to the sink and splashed water on her face, her eyes were swollen and red. Drat! Now Rosa would know she’d been crying. Jenny knew she had to keep in mind that the other woman was not her friend. Despite her friendly overtures and invitations to share confidences, Rosa would kill her without the slightest hesitation if she thought it would benefit her—and satisfy her thirst for vengeance.

After all, she meant to kill Jake. Though Jenny had been heard to mutter that she’d like to kill him herself a time or two, she couldn’t imagine the depths of hatred—and madness—that would make Rosa capa
ble of such an act. But then Rosa came from a totally different world than the one Jenny knew. A world of illegal drugs and cartels ... and cold-blooded vio
lence. Death
and murder were nothing to her. Jenny knew she was still in grave danger.

Even so, she had to help Jake.

Fluffing her hair with one hand, Jenny smiled a determined smile at herself in the mirror. Puffy-eyed and all, she’d decided this time she was going to fight for what she wanted.

When Jake had disappeared before, she’d re
treated, becoming a shell of herself. Now she knew better. She knew what she wanted, knew what Jake said he wanted too. It would take more than Rosa to make her believe
differently
.

She would hear it from Jake or not at all.

This time she meant to grab for the brass ring and hold on with all her might.

She loved Jake. Always had, always would. And Jake loved her. She would hold that belief close to her heart, to give her strength for whatever might happen.

When one of the guards came to summon her back to Rosa’s presence, Jenny was ready. Inclining her head s
lightly
, she straightened her shoulders and stepped out into the hallway, stumbling s
lightly
.

“Pay attention,” her escort hissed. It was the same man who had guarded her earlier, the one who had led the way while her driver followed behind.

The route they took seemed longer than the one she’d taken earlier. Though it might only mean that Rosa would meet her in a different room. Still, there were so many twists and turns that Jenny became quite disoriented.

“Listen carefully.” His voice low, her guard

sounded tense. “I’m gonna get you out of here. What
ever I tell you to do, do it.
Instantly
. Understand?” Stunned, Jenny nodded. Was it possible? This man was on her side?

“Good. In a few minutes a helicopter will be here. When it gets low enough I’m gonna push you and I want you to run for it.”

Heart pumping, again Jenny nodded. “Jake?” she croaked. “Is he okay?”

The hard lines of his face relaxed for a moment “Yeah.” He flashed her a smile. “He’s on his way. I used to work with him, so when you see him tell him Mike Wheeler said hi. Your Jake’s a good guy.”
Faintly
in the distance she could hear the low hum of the helicopter. Tense, Jenny glanced around them, wondering when she would be missed.

“Do what I say and you’ll be fine,” the agent reas
sured her. Muttering a faint prayer, Jenny had no choice but to believe him.

“If our guy undercover can get her out, we won’t even have to go in.” Trent sounded disappointed, reminding Jake that men like this lived for action. “Is he good?”

Trent grinned. “One of the best. You used to work with him. Mike Wheeler.”

Jake’s trepidation eased s
lightly
. If there was any
one he would trust with his life, it would be Mike. He had saved Jake’s neck more than once during their time undercover in Mexico. “He’ll get her out,” he told Trent “I’m glad he was available.”