Diana Palmer Collected 1-6: Soldier of Fortune / Tender Stranger / Enamored / Mystery Man / Rawhide and Lace / Unlikely Lover

All the pleas in the world wouldn’t hold him back, not when Martina’s life hung in the balance. If there was a chance of any kind, he would take it. But if he died…oh, God, if he died, there would be nothing of worth left in Gabby’s life. Tears welled up in her soft green eyes as she tried to imagine a world without him. She wanted to go with him, to risk her life at his side, to die with him if that was what lay in store. But even as she thought it, she knew that nothing would convince him to take her along. He might not love her, but he was fiercely protective of her. He wouldn’t allow her to risk her life. And she couldn’t fight him.

With a resigned sigh, she got up, combed her hair, and went into the living room where the men were assembled. It took the last ounce of courage she possessed to smile at them. She couldn’t meet J.D.’s searching gaze at all. It would cut her to the quick to see indifference in his eyes.

There was a new face in the room. It belonged to a dark, lithe man with pale blue eyes.

“Semson,” J.D. told her, indicating the newcomer. “He’s been out scouting for the past day or so.”

“Gabby?” the new man murmured and grinned at her. “How do you stand working for this guy?”

She smiled wanly. “Oh, it has its moments,” she confessed, but she didn’t look at J.D. as she said it.

J.D. had picked up an automatic weapon something like a machine gun and slung it over his shoulder, but he was carrying the crossbow. Gabby stared pointedly at it and suddenly realized what it was for.

She looked up, and he seemed to read the thought in her mind.

He nodded. “Sentries,” he said, confirming her suspicions. “If there are any.”

She felt her throat go dry. She’d never been in a situation like this, and she could have kicked herself for coming along. It was one thing to watch an operation like this in a fictional TV show. But to realize that any one of these men, especially J.D., might never come back from the rescue attempt…that was altogether different.

“Hey, Gabby, don’t look so grim,” Apollo chided. “I won’t let this big turkey get himself hurt.”

Gabby laughed despite herself. “Thanks, Apollo,” she said. “I’ve gotten kind of used to him.”

“That works both ways. Laremos, take care of her,” J.D. told the other man.

Laremos nodded. “Be assured that I will. Now, shall we double-check our coordinates and codes?”

They did, and Gabby felt her palms sweating as she rattled off the codes from memory. She knew how important they were, and that made her more nervous than ever.

“Calm down,” J.D. said quietly. “You’re okay.”

She smiled for him. “Sure. You guys take it easy out there, okay?”

“We’re sort of used to this kind of thing,” First Shirt said with a wink. “Okay, guys. Hit it.”

And just that quickly, they left. Gabby stood at the front door with her wide, unblinking gaze riveted on J.D.’s broad back. He didn’t turn or say anything to her. It hurt terribly.

“How long will it take them to get there, Diego?” she asked the man at her side.

“At least an hour or two, Gabby,” he replied. “The terrain is rugged, and they require much stealth.”

She glanced up to see that his eyes were concerned. “Are you worried?”

“Of course not,” he said, but he was lying and she knew it. His smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“I’ll get a cup of coffee, if I may, and sit beside the radio.”

He studied her closely. “Archer—you care very much for him.”

“Yes,” she said simply.

“Will you believe me if I tell you that of all the men I have known, he is the most capable under fire?” he said gently. “I have seen him come back from the grave. And their opponents have traveled far, señorita, and are already decimated in numbers. They will not expect such an attack here. We have seen to it that their intelligence is distorted.”

“But what if something goes wrong?” she burst out.

He sighed. “Then it is in the hands of God, is it not?”

She thought about that for the next three hours, pacing and sweating and worried out of her mind.

“Shouldn’t we have heard something?” she asked finally, her face contorted with fear.

Laremos frowned. “It is rugged terrain,” he reiterated.

“Yes, but…listen!”

The radio broke its silence, and Gabby made a dive for it. She gave the correct identification and waited.

“Panther to Red Rover,” J.D.’s voice said curtly. “Bravo. Tango in ten. Out.”

She keyed the mike. “Red Rover here. Alpha. Omega. Out.”

The code words meant that the group had arrived undetected and would make their play in ten minutes. She’d radioed back that the message was understood and that there was no new intelligence to convey.

She looked up at Laremos, feeling her heart go wild as she realized how close the danger was. “Ten minutes,” she said.

“The waiting is the hardest, is it not?” he asked quietly. “I will have Carisa fix us another pot of coffee.”

He strode away, and Gabby prayed and chewed her nails and stared at the radio as if it held the key to salvation.

Long, agonizing minutes later, it came to life again. “Panther to Red Rover,” J.D. said tightly, as gunfire and an explosion of some sort sounded in the background. “Charlie Tango! Heat up the coffee. Out!”

Her fingers trembled as she returned, “Red Rover to Panther. Bravo. Omega. Out!”

She’d just signed off when Laremos came tearing into the room, eyes flashing.

“Raise them quickly! One of my men just reported that he’s sighted a group of what he thinks are drug smugglers moving toward Archer’s position!”

She grabbed the radio. “Red Rover to Panther. Red Rover to Panther. Come in, Panther!”

But there was no answer. Frantically she tried again and again, and still there was no answer. Her frightened eyes went to Laremos.

“They must be under fire,” he said heavily, “or they would answer. We can only pray that they spot the newcomers in time.”

She stared at the radio, hating it. She tried it again, and again she gave the message. There was no answer.

Her mind went wild. J.D., answer me, she pleaded silently. I can’t lose you now, I can’t!

As if he heard her, somewhere miles away, the radio blared. “Red Rover, we’re cut off by another armed band—nasty-looking guys, and lots of them,” J.D. said sharply. “They’re heading into the jungle coordinates two clicks from position Delta. Gabby, get the hell out of there, they’re going in your direction…!”