Page 109 of Wicked Intention

Close enough that when he glanced over, he saw Zo assume a shooter’s stance. She held the pistol with both hands and stood in front of him. Shielding him. Fuck.

Cranking faster, he lifted the bar far enough to get one of the double doors free. He eased it open to make sure the outside was clear.

It was.

“Move, Zo,” he ordered quietly. He put himself between her and the shooting. Once she’d slipped out, Finn followed.

Now they had cover.

Finn kept them running until they were far enough away from the hacienda that he thought it unlikely they’d meet any of Ramos’ men. Now they had to reach the clearing in the rainforest before the helicopter took off without her.

A sound made him slow. Someone was up ahead. Ramos’ men? Bianchi’s? Silva’s? Giving whoever it was a wide berth wasn’t an option. Zo would miss her ride if they had to go that far around, and he wanted her out of Puerto Jardin ASAP.

Pulling Zo to a stop, Finn found a concealed spot and led her there. “Stay put. I’m going to check out who’s in front of us.”

After a hesitation, she nodded.

Zo couldn’t move soundlessly, and Finn didn’t want her tipping off the bogeys. She’d be okay for a minute or two. He eased forward, and heard the argument before he saw the group.

“We must go back and find Zofia,” Tia Izel said in Spanish. “She might need our help.”

“We will after we have you safe,” her husband told her.

“That could be too late.”

Staying behind a tree in case one of the older men decided to fire, Finn said, “Tia Izel, I have Zo. She’s okay.”

Señor Otero raised his weapon, but Tia Izel slapped his hand, and he lowered it.

“Is that you, Rowland?” Alvarez called.

“Sí.” Finn poked his head out.

“Where is Zofia?” Tia Izel demanded. “I don’t see her with you.”

“I’ll get her,” Finn said, and the woman nodded.

It only took a moment to bring Zo back. Tia Izel hurried to Zo and hugged her tightly. Zo barely got her pistol out of the way in time. Then the scolding began. “Zofia! I turned to check on you, and you’d disappeared. Where did you go?”

“I found her looting Ramos’ office,” Finn said, his tone dry.

The older woman stepped away from Zo, eyed the M4 he was carrying, and opted against hugging him. “It’s fortunate your husband watches out for you,” she admonished. “There are times I wonder if you’ve lost the sense God gave you.”

As Zo protested, Finn moved to talk to Señor Alvarez. “Where are you headed?” he asked. “Back to town?”

“Sí. With Ramos dead, no one else should have an interest in my Izel or your Zofia.”

“Probably,” Finn conceded. “I’d stay on guard, though.”

“Of course. You’re taking Zofia home?”

“I’m getting her home,” Finn corrected. “I’m going to have to stay longer to repay a few debts I incurred while Zo was in trouble.”

“Sometimes, help is expensive.”

“Sí,” Finn agreed. “We can’t stay here. You need to get Tia Izel to San Isidro, and Zo has a ride to catch to Rio Blanco.”

“Does she know she’s leaving so quickly?”

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