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Mountain Retreat
Cassie Miles
Her fiance, a Marine held captive for months in a war torn country, is back on American soil . . . with secrets. For six agonizing months, Sidney Parker had no idea if her beloved fiance, a U.S. Marine Captain, was alive or dead. Held captive in a South American dictatorship, Nick Corelli is suddenly back home in Texas. But instead of the romantic reunion Sidney expects, Nick is working with the CIA—and another mysterious agency—on a covert mission. One that places Sidney’s life in jeopardy. When even the safe house meant to protect them is compromised, Nick rushes Sidney to a mountain retreat and this time she wants answers. Yet their greatest enemy is lying in wait for the ultimate showdown.
Her fiancé, a marine held captive for months in a war-torn country, is back on American soil…with secrets.
For six agonizing months, Sidney Parker had no idea if her beloved fiancé, a US Marines captain, was alive or dead. Held captive in a South American dictatorship, Nick Corelli is suddenly back home in Texas. But instead of the romantic reunion Sidney expects, Nick is working with the CIA—and another mysterious agency—on a covert mission. One that places Sidney’s life in jeopardy. When the safe house meant to protect them is compromised, Nick rushes Sidney to a mountain retreat…and now she wants answers. Yet their greatest enemy is lying in wait for the ultimate showdown.
Nick. It was really him.
Sidney couldn't see his face, but she knew it was him.
She took off running. She crashed into the glass wall. Her palms splayed against it. “Nick.”
He turned. His hands met hers against the glass.
Sweet Lord, was this possible? She stared, unblinking. If she closed her eyes, she was afraid he'd disappear.
He came around the wall through the door and reached toward her. She latched on to his hand, laced her fingers through his. He was thinner than the last time she'd seen him. His complexion was pale as though he'd been ill, but this was definitely her fiancé.
She lifted her hand toward his face and touched the V-shaped scar on his jaw.
“Oh, Nick, I missed you so much.”
“It's okay. I'm here. I'm back.”
But there was something different. When she peered into his eyes, she didn't see the man she had once loved with all her heart.
Nick Corelli looked back at her with the eyes of a stranger.
Mountain Retreat
Cassie Miles
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
CASSIE MILES, a USA TODAY bestselling author, lives in Colorado. After raising two daughters and cooking tons of macaroni and cheese for her family, Cassie is trying to be more adventurous in her culinary efforts. She's discovered that almost anything tastes better with wine. When she's not plotting Mills & Boon® Intrigue books, Cassie likes to hang out at the Denver Botanical Gardens near her high-rise home.
CAST OF CHARACTERS (#ua8c9d2ed-29a9-52b3-9452-393a86f88810)
Sidney Parker—Her eidetic memory tortures her with painful details about her kidnapped fiancé.
Nick Corelli—He never purposely wanted to hurt Sidney. But as a Marine, duty comes first.
Tomas Hurtado—The dictator of the oil-rich South American country of Tiquanna.
Elena Hurtado—The exotic and beautiful wife of the dictator.
Rico Suarez—He works for Dictator Hurtado. Or does he?
Miguel Avilar—The dashing leader of the rebel forces is determined to overthrow Hurtado.
Victoria Hawthorne—The CIA special-agent-in-charge struggles to control the situation.
Sam Phillips—The CIA special agent helps Sidney. What does he want in return?
Randall Butler—As a Marine Corps intelligence officer, he keeps a close eye on Nick.
To my kids and friends and docs and therapists and everybody who made it possible for me to be sitting here at my computer. And, as always, to Rick.
Contents
Cover (#u84a17c10-ddcd-5693-8544-5b1a8584657a)
Back Cover Text (#ua56c21cf-5b36-565f-aad6-f3d3e6b3f7ad)
Introduction (#u6091f97e-b156-5ece-aaa9-41d5f9ea0461)
Title Page (#u4278a9a5-c1a5-5990-9cdc-49e97ece0166)
About the Author (#u04701325-0481-5cbb-8c07-9434710ca37d)
Cast of Characters
Dedication (#u4b82c2d5-4504-5ff7-bdf9-e84f04e20766)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#ua8c9d2ed-29a9-52b3-9452-393a86f88810)
Working as a barmaid at the Silver Star Saloon in Austin put Sidney Parker’s eidetic memory to good use. She could easily remember the drink orders for this table of twelve. With thumbs hooked in the belt loops of her thigh-high jean skirt, she faced the group of well-dressed young people who were still wearing their security badges from the state capitol.
“What’ll it be?” she asked.
They could have answered in one voice: beer. But the Silver Star was a designer brewery with products ranging from Amber Angel to Zoo Brew. Sidney mentally recorded the order and gave a nod.
“Wait a minute,” said a woman with platinum blond curls. “Change mine from Chantilly Lace to Raspberry Rocket.”
“Got it.”
“Are you sure? You didn’t write anything down.”
Sidney inhaled a breath and repeated their order. “We’re starting over here with two Pale Tigers, then a Blue Moon, a Lucky Ducky, Thor’s Hammer Lite...” She continued around the table and ended with the redhead. “And you’ll be having the Raspberry Rocket.”
The gang applauded, and she swept a bow before heading to the huge central bar to fill her tray.
Keeping her brain occupied wasn’t the greatest benefit of Sidney’s part-time night job. The country-and-western sound track, the conversation and general clamor at the Silver Star provided her with a much-needed distraction during those lonely hours before dawn when tears swamped her pillow.
Behind the bar, Celia Marshall ducked down so the customers couldn’t see her adjust the red gingham uniform shirt to better contain her cleavage. “I swear, I’m about to have a wardrobe malfunction.”
“That’s a problem I don’t have.” Sidney never needed to worry about her cup running over; her breasts were small and well behaved.
“I’d trade my chest in a minute for your mile-long legs.”
“No deal.” Sidney liked being tall. In her cowgirl boots, she was almost six feet. She gave her friend a closer look and noticed the puffiness around her eyes. “Something wrong?”
“Ray and I are fussing at each other again.” Celia shook her head and frowned. “I always feel like a class-A whiner talking to you about man problems. Nobody has worse luck than you.”
“It’s not a contest.” Sidney tucked a strand of her long, straight blond hair behind her ear. “And there’s nothing I can do about my situation. You have options.”
“Any word on Nick?”
“Not yet.” She couldn’t bear to think of Nick Corelli, her fiancé. The mere mention of his name conjured up a mental image of a tall, handsome marine with thick black hair and deep-set eyes the color of fine cognac. Her perfect memory filled in all the blanks as she recalled his wide grin, high cheekbones and strong jawline.
If she allowed herself to think about him, she’d be sobbing in a minute. So she pushed his image aside and asked, “What’s up with you and Ray?”
“It’s all about his stupid hunting plans.”
Sidney listened while she loaded her tray. It was going to take a couple of trips to serve her big table, and the domestic drama of Celia and Ray gave her something else to think about. They were both good people, understandable people with normal relationship issues. Not like her and Nick.
As she stood behind the bar, she spotted two men with impeccable posture and serious expressions enter the saloon. They weren’t in uniform, but they might as well have been marching shoulder to shoulder, wearing their marine dress blues.
She set her tray on the bar. “Celia, you’ll have to take over for me.”
After a quick explanation to the shift manager, she fell into step between the two marines. She knew the drill. They were here to escort her to an interview with a CIA agent or someone high up in Marine Intelligence. She’d taken part in sixteen of these interrogations during the past six months after her fiancé went missing in a South American dictatorship. She always hoped that her marine escorts would be bringing good news.
They never did.
* * *
IN A DULL beige room at the local CIA field offices, Sidney paced back and forth behind the table. The heels of her boots clunked on the tile floor. In her barmaid uniform with the short denim skirt and gingham top, she felt a little ridiculous but not intimidated.
The first time she’d been sequestered in a room like this, her anxiety level was off the charts. The shock of possibly losing Nick had been staggering, and she’d been desperate for information. She’d begged, wept and pleaded.
The only facts she’d been able to pry from the case officer, CIA Special Agent Sean Phillips, were that her fiancé was MIA in the South American country of Tiquanna, his body hadn’t been found and he was probably being held by the rebels. There had been no ransom demands.
That was in early May, six months and four days ago. Nothing much had changed in the details she’d been given, but her attitude had transformed. When she first came here, she was a nervous kitty cat. Now, a lioness.
She was half a tick away from going to Tiquanna herself, marching into the palace compound of dictator Tomas Hurtado and demanding an army to storm the rebel camps. She’d met Hurtado three years ago when he consulted with the oil company she worked for in the engineering department. Along with her boss at Texas Triton, she had actually traveled to the small country that was intent on developing its natural resources.
Sometimes, she wondered if that trip was the reason Nick had been selected for the assignment. When he told her that his platoon was being sent to Tiquanna, she’d given him all the inside information on Hurtado and his stunning wife, Elena.
The door opened and Special Agent Phillips entered. Sidney had heard that CIA agents liked to look anonymous so they could fade into crowds. If true, that meant Phillips was a CIA superstar. He was the most average-looking guy she’d ever met. With his thinning brown hair, brown eyes and average build, he was as plain as a prairie chicken.
“Why am I here?” she asked.
“Nice to see you, Sidney.”
“Do you have news?”
A second person entered the room. Special Agent Victoria Hawthorne was higher in rank than Phillips, always dressed in black and as thin as a greyhound. Her dark hair was slicked back in a tight bun. She pulled out a chair on the opposite side of the table and sat. “Have a seat, Sidney.”
