Her Kind of Hero by Diana Palmer Read Free Book Online Page A

It has some age, but we find it quite reliable in tight situations.”
    â€œIs it yours?” she asked.
    He laughed. “You might say that we have access to it, and various other aircraft, when we need them.”
    â€œDon’t bore her to death, Bojo,” a younger voice chuckled.
    â€œListen to him!” Bojo exclaimed. “And do you not drone on eternally about that small computer you carry, Peter, and its divine functions?”
    A dark-haired, dark-eyed young man with white teeth came into view, a rifle slung over his shoulder. “Computers are my specialty,” he said with a grin. “You’re Callie? I’m Peter Stone. I’m from Brooklyn. That’s Bojo, he’s from Morocco. I guess you know Micah. And Smith over there—” he indicated a huge dark-eyed man “—runs a seafood restaurant in Charleston, along with our Maddie and a couple of guys we seem to have misplaced…”
    â€œWe haven’t misplaced them,” Micah said curtly. “They’ve gone ahead to get the DC-3 gassed up.”
    Bojo grinned. “Lopez will have men waiting at the airport for us.”
    â€œWhile we’re taking off where we landed—at Laremos’s private airstrip,” Micah replied calmly. “And Laremos will have a small army at his airstrip, just in case Lopez does try anything.”
    â€œBut what about customs?” Callie voiced.
    Everybody laughed.
    She flushed, realizing now that her captors hadn’t gone through customs, and neither had these men. “Okay, I get it, but what about getting back into the States from here? I don’t have a passport…”
    â€œYou have a birth certificate,” Micah reminded her. “It’ll be waiting in Miami, along with a small bag containing some of your own clothes and shoes. That’s why Maddie didn’t come with us,” he added smugly.
    â€œMiami?” she exclaimed, recalling belatedly that he’d mentioned that before. “Why not Texas?”
    â€œYou’re coming back to the Bahamas with me, Callie,” Micah replied. “You’ll be Lopez’s priority now. He’ll be out for revenge, and it will take all of us to keep you safe.”
    She gaped at him. “But, Dad…” she groaned.
    â€œDad is in good hands. So are you. Now try not to worry. I know what I’m doing.”
    She bit her lower lip. None of this was making sense, and she was still scared, every time she thought about Lopez. But all these men surrounding her looked tough and battle-hardened, and she knew they wouldn’t let her be recaptured.
    â€œWho’s Laremos?” Callie asked curiously, a minute later.
    â€œHe’s retired now,” Micah said, coming away from the door. “But he and ‘Dutch’ van Meer and J. D. Brettman were the guys who taught us the trade. They were the best. Laremos lives outside Cancún on a plantation with his wife and kids, and he’s got the equivalent of a small army around him. Even the drug lords avoid his place. We’ll get out all right, even if Lopez has his men tracking us.”
    She averted her eyes and folded her arms tightly around her body.
    â€œYou are shivering,” Bojo said gently. “Here.” He found a blanket and wrapped it around her.
    That one simple act of compassion brought all her repressed fear and anguish to the surface. She bawled. Not a sound touched her lips. But tears poured from her eyes, draping themselves hot and wet across her pale cheeks and down to the corner of her pretty bow mouth.
    Micah saw them and his face hardened like rock.
    She turned her face toward the other side of the helicopter. She was used to hiding her tears. They mostly angered people, made them more hostile. Or they showed a weakness that was readily exploited. It was always better not to let people know they had the power to hurt you.
    She wrapped the blanket closer and didn’t