Leopard 04 - Wild Fire

out. “And they’ll know you’re from this region.”
    Conner shrugged. “They’ll recognize your businessman as leopard. Santos is bound to have leopard for security. He’d be insane not to. As for me, there are three leopard tribes residing in the Panama-Colombia rain forest, but we don’t mix that much. The traitors would probably recognize my father’s name as he’s an elder in the village, but I use my mother’s name. Plus, few people know of me—I lived with my mother apart from our village.”
    There was a collective gasp. Mates stayed together—always. Conner shot them a hard look. “I grew up despising my old man. I guess I turned out just like him.”
    Conner felt the knots in his belly tighten. They were giving him no choice. He crossed to the window and stared out into the darkness. The noose had slipped over his neck and was slowly tightening, strangling him. If they wanted to get to the compound to rescue the children, he had to charm the socks off Imelda Cortez and get Marcos Suza Santos and his security detail invited to her fortress of a home. Maybe he’d entertained some romantic notion that he’d go back to Borneo and find Isabeau Chandler, and she’d forgive him and they would live happily ever after. There were no happily-ever-afters for men like him.
    He knew that. He just couldn’t accept that he had to let her go.
    It was dead calm beneath the canopy, but in the utter darkness he could still make out the shapes of the leaves, feel the heat seeping into his pores, squeezing his heart like a vise. He was going to seduce another woman. Look at her. Touch her. Draw her to him. Betray Isabeau one more time. It was another sin among so many.
    “Can you do it?” Rio asked, evidently following his train of thought.
    Conner turned his head, a slow animal-like motion. His eyes held distance. Self-loathing. “I was born for the job.” He couldn’t quite cover the bitterness in his voice.
    Rio inhaled sharply. He couldn’t imagine betraying Rachel. “One of the others can try it. You can teach them.”
    Felipe and Leonardo looked at one another. How did one learn charisma? Conner had an animal quality about him that they all shared, but his was predominant, inherent, something he was born with and wore on the outside as well as the inside. He walked into a room and everyone was instantly aware of him.
    They didn’t try to hide Conner, rather used his presence to their advantage. He could look bored, amused and indifferent all at the same time.
    For the first time Elijah stirred, drawing attention to himself. He had a past in the drug industry and knew most of those involved by reputation. He was also a very dangerous, charismatic man. “I might be able to help with this matter. I have a past. This woman, Imelda Cortez, she will recognize my name if I use it.
    Just my presence alone will cast a taint on Santos.” He cast a quick glance at Felipe and Leonardo. “I’m sorry, but you know it is the truth. She will have all of us checked out and my name is known to every law enforcement agency around the world. She might be interested enough to invite us because I’m there as well. I can try seduction.”
    Rio studied him. Elijah was his brother-in-law. He had inherited the drug throne his father and uncle had created. When his father had tried to go legitimate, his uncle had killed him and taken Elijah and Rachel in, raising them under his rule. Life and death was all Elijah had ever known. He wasn’t ready yet for such a key position on a mission. There was no doubt his looks and magnetism would draw Imelda to him, but he didn’t have the charm yet that Conner possessed. The four scars from a leopard’s claw on the side of Conner’s face only added to his mystique.
    Rio let himself look at Conner. He’d been the one who’d selected Conner to seduce Isabeau Chandler.

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    And in the end, Rio had been the one to kill her father. Conner had tried to save him, but Chandler had pulled a gun and tried to protect the leader of a terrorist camp. He’d given Rio no choice. Conner was in the line of fire, trying to talk the man down, but the doctor refused to take the out. Rio had pulled the trigger and saved Conner’s life, but there’d been no way to save his soul.
    Isabeau had been so shocked. Rio would never forget the look on her face when she realized Conner had used her to gain entrance to the