Page 55 of Hazard

He hesitated, every instinct in him protesting.

“Do you want to lose this opportunity to get Alzate?”

“No, of course, not, but there’s protocol in this instance.”

“Will this get you court-martialed?” she asked softly. “It’s not worth losing your job over. I can’t have that.”

“No, probably not, if we get the information we need, but I’m still going to get my ass chewed.”

“I’ll take all the responsibility for the order.” She came forward and set her hand on his arm. “So, I’m officially ordering you to take me to Astrid. We can’t let this opportunity pass us by.”

He took a hard breath, dragging his hand across his face in a weary gesture. He stared at her, torn between his duty to her, and his duty to Iceman. He slung his arm around her neck, bringing her close to him. “I’ll keep you safe, Leigh. No matter what. Can you handle that?”

She huffed out a soft breath against the skin of his neck, her arms going around him. Her voice was uneven when she answered. “I hope it won’t come to that. But I know I’m in the best hands with you.”

He let his reservations go. He either had to be one hundred percent committed or not. He wanted to get Alzate for her. The thought of this man threatening Leigh from his hideaway was unacceptable. She would never be safe until he was either dead or behind bars.

“Hoo-yah,” he said softly, then let her go. He opened the door to Jose’s hopeful expression. “Give me a moment to get kitted out, and then we’ll go.” He grabbed Jose by the shirt. “Be aware that I will do whatever is necessary to protect Leigh.” His tone was absolute and hard as nails.

Jose nodded in relief. “I’m counting on that, Hazard.”

Fifteen minutes later, dressed in his tactical vest and a sidearm on his hip, he followed Jose to a vehicle that was parked in the compound. Climbing inside, Jose driving, with he and Leigh in the backseat, they drove out of the gate once the Marines opened it for them.

“Where are we going?” Hazard asked.

“To one of her friend’s homes. It isn’t far,” he said, waving his hand. They passed the center of Bogotá, which looked rougher than other parts of the city with the trash, graffiti, and questionable people milling around. Hazard’s attention was on point, as sharp as the tip of the spear.

Jose pulled into a driveway and put the car in Park. He didn’t turn off the engine. Instead, he turned around and there was a pistol in his hand. He pointed it at Leigh. She gasped, her hand going to Hazard’s arm.

“Hand me your weapon, and the knife I know you carry in your vest.” Jose’s amicable look had been replaced with this hard, unrelenting man yet desperation tinged his voice. Desperate people did desperate things. “If you try anything, I will kill her.”

The deep sense of shock and betrayal was nothing to the rage that flowed through Hazard’s veins, and he wanted to kill Jose with his bare hands. He felt physically ill that Jose had duped him into trusting him, and he had put his beautiful Leigh into unspeakable danger as if she hadn’t been traumatized enough already.

The man had been instrumental every time he had consulted for the team. His rage boiled over into white-hot violence, and it took everything in him not to slam his fist into Jose’s face in fury and frustration.

He looked over at Leigh, who was so terrified and exposed, and he was sick of seeing her with that look on her face. A jolt of guilt punched him hard in the gut, but he couldn’t dwell on that now. He had to get them out of this. He knew she was made of some tough stuff, and in the wake of her meltdown, he had to rely on that, his concern now was solely on Leigh’s survival. “Don’t do this, Jose. My team will hunt you down like an animal.”

Jose’s hard look softened for just a moment with terrible regret. “I have no doubt. You all are honorable men. But I also have no choice. Alzate has her, and I can’t let Astrid die. Give me your weapons. This is your last warning.”

He reached for his sidearm.

“Two fingers, carefully. I know how lethal you are, my friend.”

Hazard gritted his teeth and removed the pistol by its grip, handing it over to Jose. He took it.

“Now the knife.”

Hazard removed the seven-inch blade, flipped it, and handed it to Jose by the handle. “You fucking bastard.”

“Get out,” he said.

“I’m not leaving Leigh. You might as well shoot me now.”

“I’m not going to shoot you. You’re going to drive. I just know that you wouldn’t have been cooperative, my friend.”

Hazard opened his door, and he and Jose traded places. Once he was behind the wheel, he put the car in gear and backed out of the driveway. Stepping on the gas, his mind worked overtime as he tried to figure out how he was going to save Leigh from whatever Jose had planned. He knew in his gut, it was something desperate, and he was right when Jose said, “Alzate wants Leigh in the worst way. He’s willing to trade her for my Astrid. I’m going to give him what he wants,” he said, his voice hushed. “Leigh is my bargaining chip.”

Skull wanted to tell Hazard and Leigh in person what had happened, and the repercussions of the man captured in the photo with Astrid, Nacho, and the girl. With a heavy heart, he knocked, but there was no answer. Skull knocked again. Maybe he had taken Leigh somewhere else? No. She was shaken up. He would have wanted her to rest.

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