Page 113 of Wicked Intention

“It’s your own fault. You turned up at the condo breathing fire and treating her as if you expected her to murder me at any minute. You infuriated her enough to face off with you, and once she did, your secret was out.” Finn hid his grin by scowling. “Ski and the hellcat had cleared Zo three weeks earlier. You should have trusted their report instead of flying out with KW to interrogate her for yourself.”

“It’s called looking out for a friend,” Griff said. “And—”

Finn tuned Griff out, his gaze going to the bar’s entrance.

The woman was tall, maybe a couple inches shorter than Zo, and her pale blonde hair was bluntly cut at a point well past her shoulders. Finn had seen how much those haircuts went for in LA, and it wasn’t a ten-dollar special. She was dressed in a brown skirt which ended a couple of inches above her knees and a matching jacket with double gold buttons running up the front. She carried a purse which cost a fortune—he recognized the designer logo because his loquita had refused to pay that much for a bag. He pegged her age as late twenties, same as Zo.

The look on the woman’s face clearly said fuck you, but as she moved deeper into the bar, another expression fought for dominance. Kind of similar to someone realizing they’d stepped in dog shit.

Her presence didn’t go unnoticed, but she made the situation worse by staring at man after man, studying them. Finn’s scowl deepened. The last thing he wanted to do today was getinto a fight to save some woman dumb enough to walk in here.

“Dude, you listening?” Griff asked.

Shaking his head, Finn said, “We got trouble brewing.”

Griff turned, following his gaze. “Holy fuck, she’s hot.”

Finn shrugged. “That’s one problem. Her attitude is the other.” A lot of the mercs had decided to ignore her, but he identified the ones who remained interested. It took another scan to pick out who would be leading the pack—the alpha asshole.

“Her attitude is part of the reasonwhyshe’s hot.” Griff shook his head. “She’s dressed for a business meeting in Rio Blanco, not a merc bar in Trujillo.”

“We are two minutes away from things going to hell. Round her up and get her the fuck out of here,” he ordered. “I’ll hold them off so you can get away.”

“Copy that,” Griff said, moving before he finished speaking.

Finn pushed himself out of his chair and kept his eyes on the men he’d marked as trouble. In his peripheral vision, he saw the blonde arguing with Griff. Fuck. Why the hell was he discussing this with her? A moment later, he bent down, hoisted the woman in a fireman’s carry, and headed for the door. Finally.

Now Finn moved, blocking the pack leader and the men trailing behind him. “Dudes,” he said, “don’t you know better than to put yourself in the middle of a domestic dispute between a man and his wife?”

“They ain’t married.”

He smiled, turning on the Tom Finley bullshit. “Of course they are. Only a wife full of fury at her husband would walk intoEl Taller. Let me buy you a beer, and I’ll tell you about what set her off this time.”

Clapping a hand on the man’s shoulder, Finn applied pressure to steer him toward the bar. For a moment, the mercresisted, then with a shrug, he capitulated. As he’d expected, the rest of the mercenaries he’d been worried about followed his lead.

“Dos cervezas,” Finn said to the bartender. He didn’t draw an easy breath until the alpha asshole picked up the bottle and took a swig.

Crisis averted. He cast a quick glance at the door and hoped Griff could handle the situation. His lips quirked. Given his buddy’s reaction to her, Finn’s money was on the blonde.

Chapter Forty-Three

Los Angeles, California

6 Months Later

ZO PULLED her SUV into her parking spot, killed the engine, and with a sigh, slumped back in her seat. Dealing with Archer today had been a bigger pain in the ass than usual. He’d been full of himself since he’d finally finished cleaning up the mess Ramos had caused in Puerto Jardin. The good news was she could return to the country. The bad news was her promise to Finn still held, and he wasn’t home yet.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat. Damn, she wished she could fly down and help him, but she’d already been used against him twice. She wouldn’t let it happen a third time.

It was a bitch, though, not knowing if he was okay. There hadn’t even been one of the sporadic third-party updates in a long while.

A car started nearby, jerking Zo to alertness. She lookedaround in time to spot a Beemer back out and head toward the exit. Gathering up her purse, she took off her sunglasses and tossed them in the cupholder. She could stress out about Finn in the condo as easily as in the SUV.

After locking up, Zo headed for the elevator. Maybe Finn wished he hadn’t said he loved her. Maybe he’d changed his mind. Maybe the longer he was away, the more he wondered what he’d ever seen in her. The doors opened, and she stepped into the lift, pressing the button for her level. She shook her head. Enough with the negative thoughts.

The doors silently glided open on her floor. She’d barely set foot in the hall when she spotted a scruffy-looking man loitering near the door to her condo. Her trepidation only lasted a nanosecond. “Finn!”

Zo ran down the hall. He met her partway, and then she was in his arms. She hung on to him tightly, as if he’d disappear if she loosened her hold. Damn, she hated to cry, but the relief was so great, she couldn’t contain the tears. When she could manage to speak, she said, “You’re home!” She pressed a kiss into his throat, reassured by the strong beat of his pulse beneath her lips. “You’re home! You’re home!”

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