Page 77 of Wicked Ambition

She unhooked her seat belt, opened the car door, and got out while he stared like an idiot. Turning off the ignition, Oz popped out of the driver’s side and hurried to catch up with her. Therewas a sidewalk, but Ayla didn’t bother to use it, walking in the street instead. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m going to rescue my sister.” She didn’t so much as glance in his direction as she continued striding back the way they came.

“The fuck you are.”

“You can either help me, or you can get out of my way, but you’re not stopping me.”

Bullshit. Oz took her arm, tugged her to a halt, and turned her to face him. “You are getting back in the car.” He used his best sergeant’s voice. “Now, Ayla. Move it.”

Not only did she ignore him, she walked around him to continue with her so-called rescue. Bending, Oz carefully lifted her into a firefighter’s carry and carted her back to the sedan. How he’d get her inside and keep her there long enough for him to get in and get rolling again was a problem he hadn’t solved yet, but he’d be damned if he’d let his woman get herself hurt.

He put her in the passenger seat without a fuss, leaned over to fasten her seat belt, and said, “If you get out of this car, I will, by God, tie you to the seat. Do you understand me?”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me. I’m going to protect you, whether you like it or not.” With a final glare, he closed her car door and rounded the hood to get behind the wheel. He was bluffing about tying her up, but apparently, Ayla believed him because she didn’t try to escape again.

Oz didn’t waste any time fastening his own seat belt, starting the ignition, and putting the car in gear. Not even his stubborn Pollita would jump out of a moving vehicle.

They were out of the subdivision before Ayla spoke again. “I don’t want to go to a hotel. Take me to your commanding officer.”

Shock kept him from reacting.

“I want to talk to BD. I know he’s your commander. I know you’re a Green Beret.”

Gettingout of the car and planning to rescue her sister on her own might have been one of the stupidest ideas Ayla had ever concocted. She didn’t do rash things like that.

While she was grateful Oz had stopped her idiocy, she was still furious with him about the lying. The subterfuge. The games.

He’d played her like a master, and she believedeverything. Oz told her he was a manipulator, and instead of taking it as a warning, she thought he was sharing personal details with her because they were growing closer. What a fool.

The fear—terror, really—came with the delay in getting to the house. SheknewIo was inside. Ayla didn’t have the slightest doubt. The question was, would she still be there when they went back?Ifthey went back. Oz’s commander needed persuading that sending his team there was worthwhile, and he was skeptical of her connection to her twin.

Of course, she was trusting Oz to actually bring her to see BD. That might be another mistake on her part. They were doing a lot of driving, but he always pulled what he called evasive maneuvers on the way to whatever their destination was.

Blinking hard, she willed the tears to dry up. She couldn’t be emotional when she talked to BD or he’d discount her arguments. Ayla needed to be calm and sound rational. She could do it. She’d spent the last seven years working in public relations. If she could persuade high level executives about how to handle a situation, she could convince an Army officer to save her sister. She hoped.

Ayla took a deep breath. Her best strategy was to focus on the benefits to the Green Berets. Luckily, Oz was quiet, keeping his attention on the ridiculous amount of traffic they were dealing with in Trujillo, and that gave her a chance to think.

Despite what she suspected was a lot of extra driving, Ayla wasn’t ready when Oz pulled to the curb in front of the pink and yellow house he’d brought her to the first day she arrived. Maybe she was still marshaling her arguments, but she couldn’t afford to waste time. Delay only left her sister in danger. She reached for the door handle.

“Stay inside the car until I come around,” Oz told her.

They didn’t run, but they were in the house quickly. The kitchen was every bit as bad as she remembered. “Do we go to the office?” she asked, keeping her tone polite.

“Ayla—” Oz stopped short. “Come on.”

They entered the dining room with the large table and the benches. The man seated there looked up as they entered. If she didn’t know he was a Green Beret, Ayla might have grabbed Oz’s hand. This man, with his dark hair and brooding intensity, left her unnerved. His gaze only rested on her for a moment before going to Oz. “Dude.”

“Later, Ski,” Oz said, not slowing as he led her through the room and into the hallway.

The door to the office was open, but Oz knocked lightly anyway and didn’t move until a voice said, “Enter.”

BD sat at the makeshift desk she recalled from the last time she’d been here. His gaze slid to her and then returned to Oz. “Care to explain to me what you’re doing here?”

Ayla wished she had a clue what kind of rank BD held, but she didn’t, and unwilling to hazard an incorrect guess, she decided not to use one. He seemed more intimidating than ever. Squaring her shoulders, she pretended he was the executivedirector of the Paladin League. If she could deal with the Queen Bitch, she could handle this man.

She stepped forward and said, “We found my sister, but there was security around the location. Oz was unwilling to leave me unprotected to investigate further.”

---