Page 90 of Wicked Intention

It was damn hard to try to appear nonchalant. How did Finn pull off this undercover stuff so easily? This small subterfuge had her heart rate up into the call-an-ambulance zone. Even her job for the Paladin League was more or less straightforward. Sure, she needed a poker face while she negotiated, but it didn’t involve any real pretense.

She made it to the door without having a heart attack.

Her hand visibly trembled as she reached for the knob, but Zo didn’t stop. It was unlocked, and she pulled it open. No one came running, guns at the ready.

Okay, then. Biting her lip, Zo stepped into the corridor, but it was deserted in both directions.Go and explore.She couldn’t make her feet move.Come on, Zo. You need to locate TiaIzel. There might only be minutes to rescue her, and knowing where she was could be the difference between escape and recapture.

Apparently, shewasallowed the run of the hacienda because the only people she saw as she roamed the second floor were a few women cleaning. They gave her nods as Zo passed them, but no one stopped her.

The bedrooms in the wing were empty, no sign of Tia Izel, and since Zo wasn’t going anywhere near the owner’s wing, she headed downstairs.

She tried to memorize her path, knowing Finn would want the information, but she wasn’t certain how much she’d be able to recall clearly. It was an enormous residence. A few minutes later, she perked up. Zo recognized where she was now.

Could she get into Al’s office? Did the disk remain in his desk drawer? Her palm tingled, and although she knew she couldn’t risk reclaiming it, she turned down the hall and attempted an amble toward the double doors. She hoped she didn’t appear as stiff as she felt because there were cameras everywhere, but she suspected she probably did.

Zo didn’t make it halfway down the hall when a guard with an assault rifle stepped into the corridor from the office and gestured with his gun. The message was clear—turn around and leave. Despite legs that had gone limp from terror, she pivoted and turned right at the first hallway she saw.

Zo was struggling to slow her pulse when she discovered an exterior door with bright sunshine streaming through the panes of glass. Another exit was helpful knowledge.

Instead of charging outside, she peered through the glass to get the lay of the land. She could see part of a guest house that seemed about five times larger than most people’s homes, a pool with a spa, and in the distance, there were tennis courts.

Since Tia Izel wasn’t in the main house, she was probablystashed in thecasita. Zo needed to see if she could get inside there and search.

No one stopped her from leaving the hacienda. As she headed toward the guest house, she realized it was even bigger than she’d believed it to be. It was L-shaped, two-stories high, and one side had a veranda with a roof over the top of it. There were tables and chairs underneath it, and as she stepped into the courtyard and saw the entire patio area, she realized someone was seated out there.

Zo gasped and started to run. “Tia!”

The older woman looked up from the book she held, put it down on the table, and stood, hurrying to meet her. Zo didn’t slow down, but she did check her out, making sure there were no signs of injury. She appeared to be fine, and then Zo was in her arms. She clung to Tia Izel, let the older woman rock her like she had when Zo was a little girl. With her Tia, she could be scared, at least for a while.

“Are you okay?” Zo asked when she could talk around the lump in her throat.

“Sí, mija, I’m fine.” Tia Izel put her hands on Zo’s shoulders and eased her back so she could look up at her. “What are you doing here?”

“Al said he’d let you go if I came with the disk.”

Tia Izel frowned. “And it didn’t work, did it? Instead, he has both of us as prisoners. You should have stayed far away from here. You should have gone home,” she scolded.

Zo put her hands over Tia Izel’s. “If Finn and I hadn’t come, Tio Luis was going to lead Señor Garcia and Señor Otero here on a rescue mission. I couldn’t let him do that.”

“Finn is here?” Tia Izel looked more hopeful.

“Sí, not at this immediate moment, but he’s with me. You and me being held here? It’s about leverage to get Finn to broker an arms deal for Al.” Her fear for her lover returned, and Zo looked over her shoulder toward the wall surrounding the estate. How long would a meeting with Henri Silva last?

Tia Izel squeezed Zo’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, mija. As I did, you picked a man with skills beyond that of a typical soldier. He can take care of himself.”

Zo nodded her head, unsurprised Tia Izel had guessed Finn’s background, but Silva was ruthless. If he knew the truth about Finn, she might never see him again. As she blinked back tears, Tia Izel moved to put an arm around her waist, giving her a squeeze.

“Come, Zofia, let’s sit. We’ll talk.” The older woman steered her toward the table she’d been sitting at when Zo had appeared.

Ceiling fans over the patio were lazily spinning; the light breeze welcome amid the heat. It was cool enough that Zo suspected some air conditioning was involved as well. Tia Izel closed her book and moved it to the other side of the table as they took seats on adjacent sides.

“How are you here? Finn is too smart to allow you to be added to Alfonso’s list of hostages.”

Her lips thinned. “It was my fault. I fell, and by the time Finn scooped me up and slung me over his shoulder, Al’s men were on us. If you want more details, you’ll have to ask Finn. I was pretty exhausted, and my memory isn’t solid.”

Zo couldn’t stop herself from glancing back toward the front of the property. How long would it take Finn to return?

Tia Izel’s hand covered hers. “He’ll be fine. Have faith in your man.”

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