Page 95 of Wicked Intention

He watched Griff wend his way from the bar to the table, a bottle of beer in his left hand. “We might have to take the handle Stone Man away from you,” he said as he dropped into a chair against the other wall. “Your emotions have been written across your face since I got here.”

Because he’d been worrying about his loquita. Finn’s scowl deepened—Ramos’ men would be keeping their eyes open for slips like this. “How obvious?”

Griff shrugged. “To someone who knows you well or was watching you closely? Like neon. To everyone else, probably not too noticeable. The problem is you have men studying you pretty fucking close right now.”

“Yeah.” He took a short swig from his beer bottle. It was late, and he would have preferred a soft drink, but he’d stand out. “Where are BD and Cordy?”

“They’ll be here.” Griff rotated the beer bottle in a small circle on the tabletop. “What has you so wound up anyway?”

Finn sighed. “Zo. She’s alone at the compound.”

“If there’s one woman I wouldn’t worry about in that situation, it’s yours. She’s got more courage than most men.” Griff pushed his dark hair out of his eyes, the gesture careless.

“That’s the problem.” Finn shook his head. “When I got back to our room last night, she gave me the highlights of her day. Do you know what she did?” He didn’t wait for a response. “She decided to test how much freedom she was allowed. And once she discovered she pretty much had the run of the estate, she went looking for her Tia. And found her.”

Lips quirking up, Griff said, “Damn, that’s one resourcefulwoman. Now I know why you ignored my advice and chased after her.”

“Don’t you fucking get it?” Finn tried to dial it back, but his worry for Zo consumed him.

“No, I don’t. She located someone we want to rescue, and in a time crunch, it’s vital intel. It’s also information you might not have gotten because the dude is obviously going to be more suspicious of what you’re up to than Zo. So no, I don’t understand what your problem is.”

Finn had to unclench his jaw. “What if she sees the perfect opportunity to get herself and her Tia out of there? Do you think she’s going to sit around and wait to run it past me before taking it?”

After smothering a laugh, Griff smirked instead. “No way is that going to happen. Relax.”

“What makes you so sure of that? I know Zo better than you do.”

“Maybe, but you view her through a lens of emotion I don’t have, and I promise you she’s too smart to do something that stupid. You think she’s unaware of the perimeter security? Not a chance. She did the legwork for you. For us. She passed the intel along. She didn’t go rogue and try anything wild.”

“It was a risk to leave the suite.”

Griff took a swig from his beer before he said, “It would have been a calculated risk. She probably figured—correctly—that until the deal is finished, she needs to be breathing.”

Okay, so Griff had a point, but fuck. When it came to the people she loved, she did take chances, and she loved Tia Izel with her whole heart. Zo had been on her own for most of the day. Who knew what the hell she’d been up to in his absence?

Grimacing, Finn changed the subject. He’d make himself crazy if he couldn’t put his loquita out of his thoughts. “Why are you here, anyway? I expected Lurch.”

With a shrug of one shoulder, Griff said, “BD thought it would look more natural if you met up with a group ofbuddies. Ski’s coming, too.” He gestured vaguely with his bottle. “Lurch is over at the bar.”

“I see him.” Finn had to work to keep the growl from his voice.

“Just checking.” Griff smirked again. “Your head is on your woman, not the job.”

“Asshole,” he muttered without heat.

Griff raised his beer. “Those of us who speak the truth salute you.”

“What happened to the musketeer motto?” But Griff had managed to lighten Finn’s mood.

“I lived up to the code. Admit it, aren’t you feeling better about Zo?”

Finn didn’t have to admit anything because Lurch made it to the table with three beers. He set them down and shifted a chair so his back would be against a wall, too. Griff started to reach for one as Lurch sat. “Hands off! Those aren’t for you.”

Lurch took a bottle from the triad and raised it to his lips.

Ski and Pruitt came in, each scanning the room before ambling their direction.

“One of those mine?” Pruitt pointed to a beer when he arrived, and Lurch slid it over to him before sending the other one in Ski’s direction.

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