WYATT WHIRLED AT THE sound of gunfire.One shot.They hadn't killed her, had they?He was running before he realized it, sprinting down the hall toward the break room. He skidded through the door, bumping into Ivan.A man Wyatt sort of recognized lay on the floor bleeding out.The computer geek was frozen to the spot, watching blood creep toward him.Kolya stood in the doorway leading to the outside yelling in Russian."Where is she?" Wyatt snarled. Kolya had promised him Vara.Outside men ran past."You let her get away?" Wyatt's vision hazed red.It was an island. They had one job, to get her talking, and they couldn't do that.He stalked across the room and shoved past Kolya."Which way did she go?" Wyatt demanded."Stay inside," Kolya said."You let her get away." Wyatt turned and glared at the Russian mob boss. This was ill advised, and yet he couldn't rein it in."It's a small island. They'll find her.""Before or after her CIA or whatever pals get here?" Wyatt sh

"WE NEED TO BE smart about this." Wyatt stood up against the wall. It was as close to the map of the island as Kolya would allow him to be. He should be back out there, not in here talking. "Vara's out there, dug in somewhere, with four guns and we don't know how many bullets. Just throwing men out there to look at her is going to get them killed and give her more supplies. How long until she hits someone who has a phone she can unlock?"They'd stopped telling Wyatt to be quiet and were outright ignoring him now, continuing their conversations he couldn't understand.This was bullshit.The woman was resourceful and dangerous when her back was up against a wall. She'd gotten him and the team out of a few tight spots over the years he hadn't thought they'd survive. He'd always said she was the one person he didn't want to go toe-to-toe with, and here he was with everything on the lineWyatt would be dead if it weren't for Vara. But he'd almost died because of her, too.She'd screwed

SACRIFICE HAPPENS.It was a cardinal truth that came with leading people.Vara knew it, and so did Alec. But he was too blinded by emotion to accept that for them to survive she had to take a risk. And possibly sacrifice herself. Otherwise none of them were getting off this rock alive."I'm coming out, Wyatt. Hear me?" Vara called out.Alec shook his head. Even with the paint she could see the rage lines around his mouth and nose."I have to," she whispered."No," he snarled, for her ears alone.She pulled against his grasp. "Alec, trust me?""He's going to kill you." Alec's hold remained fast."You won't let him.""We have to do something," Brett said again."Toss your guns first," Wyatt yelled."Alec, we have to do this." She pulled out the handgun she'd used earlier. It was one of the firearms she had strapped to her body."Fine." Alec closed his eyes and released her.She wanted to kiss him, to tell him it would be okay, but she didn't dare test his resolve."Okay. I

ALEC SLID HIS HAND down Vara's back to cup her ass, tugging her up against his body."Stop." She chuckled and pushed at his shoulder."You've been gone two whole weeks." He walked her back until he had her pinned to the wall."You were working." She curled her fingers through his hair. "You wouldn't have gotten to see me if I was here because you weren't.""Exactly." He kissed her cheek when she turned her head."Stop. Dinner's almost done."The smell of the grill and the brisket that had been cooking most of the day had his stomach growling. But he was far more hungry for the woman in his arms."I'll eat later." He kissed her jaw and then her neck. "You haven't told me how your first week on the job was.""Vara? Alec?" Carson called out.Alec dropped his head to Vara's shoulder and groaned."Yeah?" Vara hugged him to her and laughed."You guys going to come out?" Carson's voice vibrated with laughter. She'd spent a lot of time around the house and had gotten close to Vara.

COCO DE JONG FLOPPED down on the padded bench and watched her best friend carry on an animated discussion with the man who would officiate tomorrow's wedding.This was all so surreal.She should have said no and run away when Lacey asked Coco to be the maid of honor. If she'd been in her right mind she would have, but at the time she'd been floored that out of everyone Lacey knew she wanted her. Coco. All her life she'd been picked last or not at all, and now someone made her their first pick.It's no big deal, she kept chanting to herself.Except tomorrow she'd be standing front and center with her crazy, unruly hair alongside these beautiful women. On one side would be Lacey, blonde, slim, perfect in white. On Coco's other was Omarosa, a model gorgeous woman who worked for National Geographic with skin so dark it glowed. And her hair. Coco had so much envy over the woman's sleek, a long curtain of jet-black hair she could scream.Story of Coco's life. Stuck in the middle with he