Page 72 of Wicked Ambition

She wore a curly wig in a reddish-brown bob style that ended at her chin. Oz was satisfied that it disguised her well enough to prevent the mobsters from easily identifying her and the color was different enough from BD’s fiancée that no one would confuse them. She was satisfied because they’d been in and out of the wig shop in fifteen minutes.

Ayla was in her own clothes and makeup. It raised her comfort level. Not that this was why Oz had agreed to her suggestion, but she appreciated it.

Some of her satisfaction slipped as they kept driving. And driving. “What’s our plan?” she asked.

Oz cast a quick glance her way. “I was looking at some satellite views of the terrain between San Isidro and Trujillo. I spotted a section of homes that look newer, and they’re not shacks.”

“You think Io is there?”

“I don’t know. These homes aren’t estates, not like what you’d see on the north side of the city, and what you described sounded expensive. But it’s possible that these homes could be more modest but with some high-end finishes inside.”

“And I was picking up Io when we were south,” she said slowly.

He nodded, but Oz’s attention was on the traffic. “It’s worth taking a look.”

Neighborhood, he’d said. Ayla hadn’t seen any other houses when Io had been connected to her and looking out the window, but her twin’s focus was on getting the lattice off and escaping. If her sister hadn’t noticed other houses, then Ayla wouldn’t have seen them. Thankfully, they’d tested numerous parameters in their youth. This would aid her search.

It took another ten minutes of driving before she started questioning Oz’s strategy. “How are we going to search those homes for Io? It’s not as if we can go door to door, especially not with you dressed in camouflage clothing.”

“We’ll drive around,” he said. “You reach out mentally for your sister, and if you pick her up, we’ll drive slower in that area and see where you feel her the strongest.”

Her head swiveled around to gawk at him. Ayla knew Oz didn’t buy into the twin connection and he was humoring her when he entertained the possibility. This was beyond that. “Are you telling me we’re going to play a game of hot or cold with my link to Io?”

“I wouldn’t put it that way.”

Of course, he wouldn’t. But that’s what they were doing. “You realize that if Io is unconscious again, I’ll get nothing, even if we cruise past the house in which she’s imprisoned.”

Oz stopped at a red light. Traffic here seemed lighter than she was accustomed to seeing in Trujillo, but it was a more industrial area. He looked over at her, meeting her gaze evenly. “You said your sister is smart, and she knows she’s been drugged. With that information, don’t you think she’s found a way to avoid the narcotics?”

“She might not be in a position to avoid them.”

“It’s still worth a look. Maybe we’ll see something that gives us some intel.” The light turned green, and they continued south.

Since she didn’t have any better ideas on where to look, Ayla nodded. They didn’t head to the two-lane highway they’d used to travel to San Isidro. Instead, Oz turned left and took them on a different route. The road here wasn’t nearly as smooth, but it was paved, and he drove slowly enough that she wasn’t bumped around much.

Io might still be drugged, but if she was semi-conscious, Ayla could pick up on her emotions. Their empathic link had always been the most powerful. She opened herself, hoping for a glimmer of her twin.

Nothing.

Maybe they were too far away. Ayla didn’t know where the homes were located that Oz mentioned. “How far out are we?” she asked.

“Twenty minutes or so. We’ll hit a better road in a few miles and we’ll be able to drive faster.”

Oz wasn’t exaggerating. The road they turned on must have been built recently. The asphalt was fresh and there wasn’t a pothole to be seen. Ayla still had no sense of Io as they turned into the subdivision—and that’s what it was. The Puerto Jardinese version of a subdivision.

Most of the homes here were two stories with a ranch-style every once in a while. Many were brightly painted in purple, seafoam, or red while others were brown, tan, or beige. All had tile roofs, again in assorted colors. Oz was right. These weren’t estates, but from the size of the houses, this was obviously an upper-middle-class neighborhood. If what she’d picked up was correct, Io would be on the second floor.

“How big is this subdivision?”

He shrugged. “A few hundred homes, I think.”

Large enough that strangers wouldn’t be unusual. Large enough that a person might not know all their neighbors. Maybe large enough to hide her sister in an upstairs bedroom and not have anyone notice anything. And the deeper they drove, the more spacious the yards became with more distance between neighbors.

Closing her eyes, Ayla concentrated on Io.

The longer they went without her getting anything, the tighter the knot in her stomach became. Was her sister unconscious or not in this area at all?

Emotions. That was the key. Ayla was certain of it. Io would be spitting mad if she were fully aware, but what if she wasn’t? What if she was partially conscious? What other emotion could she use?

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