Page 51 of Wicked Ambition

Ayla had flown down to Puerto Jardin in a panic over her sister. She’d been off balance and filled with fear for her twin, but now she was calming down. Starting to think. Seeing things more clearly. That left him on edge. If she figured out they weren’t actually looking for Iona, she would flay him alive. That he’d lied to her, manipulated her, would make it worse.

Oz struggled to draw a full breath.

It wouldn’t matter that Baggs was heading up the search and that his team was helping on an ad hoc basis.Shewanted to look. Psychic twin links were bullshit from everything he read online, but Ayla believed in it.

Oz reached for the ignition but stopped before turning off the car. He didn’t want to wake her up yet, and with the sun beating down, it was too hot to sit without air conditioning.

Ayla Desmond was more than he expected.

He’d known she was beautiful, and the small amount of talking they’d done that night had shown she was smart and had a sense of humor that he enjoyed. What Oz hadn’t seen, hadn’t been aware of, was how fiercely loyal and protective she was. She loved her sister, and so she ignored her phobia and flew down to help her. No questions, no hesitation.

His Pollita left him off balance, searching for solid ground, and the more time he spent with her, the more Oz doubted hislife was ever going to be the same. Not because of the baby. Because of her. He’d just have to make sure she never learned he’d maneuvered her, even if it was for her own good.

Oz reached over to touch her shoulder, but before he could wake her, Ayla’s eyes opened. They were unfocused.

“Where am I?”

“We’re in San Isidro.”

She panicked. “The door is locked. Where am I?Where am I?”

Before Oz could reassure her she could open the car door at any time, Ayla continued talking.

“The walls are a pale-yellow stucco. The ceiling has wooden slats—they’re décor, not structural—and there’s a matching lattice over the window.” Her hands came up, her fingers curled. “I can’t get the lattice off. It’s attached too solidly. Where am I?”

Now Oz moved. He rested his hand lightly on Ayla’s shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Wake up, Pollita. You’re safe. Everything’s fine.”

Her gaze remained unfocused.

“Come on, Pollita. Wake up.” With more harshness, he said, “Ayla, wake up. Now.”

That did it. She blinked a few times, her eyes locking on his. “Oz?”

“It’s me. You’re safe.”

Ayla shuddered and her hand came up, wrapped around his wrist, and she gripped him. “I saw where Io was. She’s locked in a room. She can’t get out and she’s…fuzzy. Mentally fuzzy. There’s a large bed with an avocado-green blanket. The floors are wood and there’s a sconce on either side of the bed. Everything looks as if it’s high quality.”

“You told me you can’t connect when one of you is sleeping. It was a dream, Pollita.”

She tightened her grip on his wrist. “It wasn’t a dream. I know the difference between a dream and when I’m linking with Io. My sister is being held against her will and she can’t find a way to free herself.”

“Ayla—”

She cut him off. “I know you don’t believe me, but it’s the truth. I was connected to my sister, seeing through her eyes, and this is the first clue I’ve gotten.”

“Even if it is the truth, that room could be anywhere.”

Frowning, Ayla said, “Yes, but now I know Io is alive. Not picking up so much as a glimmer from her since I arrived had me scared that maybe I was too late. She didn’t realize I was reading her.” Her frown deepened. “My sister is usually three steps ahead of everyone else. Why was she slow?”

Oz didn’t want to entertain this as a real possibility, but Ayla was steadfast. Humoring her, he said, “She might have been drugged. If she’d just come around, it would explain why you described her thoughts as fuzzy.”

“Drugs.” Ayla loosened her hold on him, but she didn’t let go. “That’s why I didn’t pick up anything. If she was unconscious, of course, I wouldn’t be able to sense her.”

“That’s logical,” Oz agreed, still going along with her.

Ayla looked around. “You said we’re in San Isidro?”

“Yeah, we’re parked in front of the town’s only inn. We’ll stay here overnight. I’m going to?—”

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