Page 104 of Wicked Intention

Alfonso Ramos’ Estate

Present Day

FINN WAS GETTING out of the shower when the bathroom door opened. It wasn’t a surprise to see Zo wander in. She’d done this every morning they’d been here. He reached for a towel as she sat on the marble edge surrounding the tub. She’d been awake before him again and was dressed in jeans and another polo shirt. This one was black. As he dried off, he checked her feet. Running shoes. Perfect.

“Still not a good time to talk?” she asked.

Shaking his head, Finn tied the towel around his waist. The last two days had been intense. He’d never have believed that a complicated arms deal worth millions of dollars could come together this quickly, but it had. Once he’d lit a fire under both Ramos and Silva. “Definitely not today.”

“Yeah, I get it.” She frowned. “I don’t like it when we have unresolved issues.”

He grabbed another towel and used it on his hair. “I don’tlike it either, and I know we need to discuss it, but I don’t have the mental bandwidth to go there. Not today.”

Zo straightened, and their eyes met in the mirror. Finn opened the drawer, got out a comb, and ran it through his too-short hair. He could see she’d connected the dots. “I’ll try to stay with Tia Izel near the casita. Al’s been insisting I join him for lunch every day, though.”

“He won’t today.” Putting the comb away, he used the towel from his hair to dry off more thoroughly.

“He’s hanging with you then?”

“Afraid so.”

“That’s unusual, isn’t it?”

Finn shrugged. “He doesn’t trust me with his money.”

Zo’s lips pursed, and her brow furrowed. “Wouldn’t he use a wire transfer?”

“We are. He is.” Finn started pulling on clothes. He wanted a Kevlar vest, camouflage fatigues, and his own weapons, but what he had were hiking boots, jeans, and a long-sleeved shirt that wouldn’t protect him from shit. “But someone has to transfer the rest of the payment, and he doesn’t want it to be me or any of his lieutenants.”

She watched him button his shirt, tuck it into his jeans, and fasten them before she said, “Watch your back. Once he has what he wants, there is nothing stopping Al from putting a bullet in your head.”

Finn scowled at her. First, she doubted his ability to work out a deal and thought she should take over. For fuck’s sake, Army Special Forces constantly dealt with foreign militaries and civilians. He’d been trained to negotiate. Now, she didn’t think he knew how to handle himself during a weapons purchase. Yeah, not only did Zo not need him, she thought she could do his job better than he could.

Slowly, Zo pushed to her feet. “I don’t know what I said to piss you off this time either, but just because you were some hotshot soldier doesn’t mean I’m not going to worry aboutyou. It doesn’t mean I’m not going to remind you to keep yourself safe.”

He caught her hand before she could leave the bathroom. “Sorry, loquita, I’m edgy right now, and you’re the first person who’s ever worried about me. I’m not used to it.”

She moved into him when he tugged her against his body. “I’m not the first. Ryder and Langley practically left a vapor trail getting out to LA when you told them you’d moved in with me. And after they decided I was probably okay, Griff and Kyle arrived a few weeks later to check me out. They did it because they care about you.”

“Not the same thing.” He pushed her braid behind her shoulder. “So you don’t think I’m incompetent, then?” He’d meant to sound as if he were teasing her, but Finn was wound too tightly to pull it off.

With a small smile, Zo shook her head. “I’ve seen you in action, remember? I know you can handle pretty much anything that comes your way.” The smile slipped away, and she dropped her gaze for a moment. “I want you home safely, Finn,” she said when she looked up again. Her voice was thick, but there were no sign of tears. “Your number one priority is staying alive.”

“My number one priority is gettingyouout of here alive,” Finn corrected. “Stay alert, don’t let your guard down, and don’t trust anyone. Not the maid who serves you lunch, not the guard who smiles when you pass him on your way to the casita. No one.”

She nodded, then Zo hugged him hard, burying her face against his throat. Finn returned the embrace every bit as tightly. No matter how many plans and contingencies were in place, there were too many players, and anything could happen to either one of them today. He didn’t want to let go of her, didn’t want to leave her alone, but in a couple of minutes, he was going to have to do both and trust this wasn’t the last time he’d have her in his arms.

Huarona Ruins

Near San Isidro, Puerto Jardin

Present Day

Finn didn’t like beingthe only unarmed man at the exchange. He didn’t like that Ramos had decided to handle the transaction himself because he didn’t trust Finn—or anyone else—with that many millions of dollars. And he for damn sure didn’t like that both Silva and Ramos had armies with them. His gut was issuing insistent warnings, but he hadn’t located what had set off his instincts, and it made him edgy as hell.

His team was here. Somewhere. Probably not too close, though, because the drug lord and the arms dealer would have men threaded throughout the rainforest on the perimeter of the ruins. Watching. Finn didn’t even have Lurch with him.

As it stood, he didn’t know why he was here. He’d been sequestered to the side, two of Ramos’ men keeping him away from the action. In essence, he’d become a bystander, and Finn didn’t understand it. Had the drug lord only needed him for the negotiations? And if so, was his presence here simply to reassure Silva?

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