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Ayla had enough self-awareness to realize her mood swings were related to adrenaline, but no matter how hard she tried to curb her emotions, they continued to fluctuate wildly. She hated it, but she didn’t know how to regain control.

It didn’t help that Oziah—Oz—threw her off balance.

She couldn’t forget the night they’d spent together.

Couldn’t forget the things they’d done together.

From the way he looked at her, it was obvious he was remembering, too.

Remembering and thinking about doing it again.

At least that’s where her thoughts headed, despite her determination.

She’d told him about her twin.

Ayla hated she shared anything with him. He was a stranger. She didn’t know him, not really. They had done some talking that night, but it had been surface stuff. Nothing deep or identifying. Nothing that should give her any confidence in his honor.

For some reason, though, she trusted him.

She shouldn’t. Trusting him with her body was much different from trusting him with her sister’s safety. Her thoughts blurred again as memories of that night resurfaced, and she had to push them away.

A mercenary. She’d spent the night having wild sex with a man who was in Puerto Jardin working as a mercenary.

This was why she never—almost never—did things impulsively.

Her sister was the spontaneous one, the one who leaped without looking first. And sometimes Ayla needed to come in and pick up the pieces.

It was why she’d hopped on a plane and flown nine hours from Los Angeles to the Puerto Jardinese capital of Rio Blanco.

Io would have enjoyed the flight. She would have eaten the meals, watched a few movies, probably chatted with her seatmates, and taken a nap.

Not Ayla. She’d clutched the armrests and her stomach had been too upset to eat.

Sleeping was out of the question. Someone had to will the plane to stay in the air.

“Did your sister manage to tell you what kind of trouble she was in?” Oz asked.

Ayla forced herself to meet his gaze again, to focus on their conversation.

It wasn’t easy when her thoughts and emotions felt so fractured.

She wasn’t about to admit she was here because she had a psychic connection to her twin.

He’d think she was a lunatic. “No, I have no idea what’s going on.

None of that matters,” she added fiercely. “I’m not abandoning my sister.”

“Relax, Pollita. I’m not going to put you on a plane back home.”

He didn’t use the word yet, but Ayla heard it and glared. It amused Oz. She could see it in his eyes even if his face remained impassive. Her emotions really were all over the place, and she didn’t like it. She prided herself on being even-keeled. Damn adrenaline.

“Good, because I’d have to fly back, and I don’t want to spend more time in the air than I absolutely have to.”

His lips twitched, but Oz didn’t laugh. “Okay,” he said. “You don’t know where in Puerto Jardin your sister was when she contacted you and you don’t know what kind of trouble she’s in. What information do you have?”

Ayla frowned but told Oz the truth. “I gave you everything I know.”

His intensity level ratcheted up. “Are you telling me that you traveled all this way and what you know is that your sister was assigned to take some pictures of ruins near San Isidro and that she’s in trouble? Is that what you just told me?”

“I know. It’s not much to go on, but she’s my twin.” He continued to stare at her. “What was I going to do? Call the State Department and tell them what I just told you? They’d laugh at me. And the US doesn’t have an embassy in Puerto Jardin any longer.”

“Yeah. Shit.” He ran a hand over the back of his neck. “Let me guess. Your only plan was to head to San Isidro and ask questions.”

“If I admit that, you’ll think I’m stupid, so I’m not confirming it.”

Oz smiled and Ayla felt her stomach turn over.

He was sexy enough when he was taciturn.

The boyish grin was too much. She tightened her hands into fists to prevent herself from reaching out and running her hand along his jaw.

From the moment she’d met him, she’d been attracted—crazily attracted—and she didn’t like it any more now than she had then.

“I’m not going to call you stupid. Someone you love needs help, and there’s no one to contact to take care of the situation. Of course, you’re going to do what you can.” Oz shook his head. “Let me guess—you’re the oldest, right?”

Nodding, Ayla said, “By around ten minutes, but my sister and I have always looked out for each other.” She nearly explained why but stopped herself.

It was too personal. Sure, they’d spent the night in bed together, but in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t mean much.

For damn sure, it didn’t give her insight into his character or whether she wanted to share family things with him.

Before she could stop it, Ayla recalled the brush of his fingers over her skin, the teasing kisses, the orgasms that were so intense, she’d needed to cling to him, and the way he’d held her afterward. Her body heated and readied itself for him even though Oz hadn’t touched her.

“Can you direct me to a hotel in a safe part of the city?” she asked. There might be a slight note of panic in her voice, but if she was thinking about replaying that night with Oz, it was definitely time to get away from him.

“When we finish talking, I’ll take you to a good hotel.”

“What more is there to say?” Ayla kept her voice even with effort. The more time she spent around him, the greater the risk she’d do something idiotic. Her control was tenuous, and the adrenaline swings weren’t helping anything.

“Why don’t we sit down?” Oz suggested, gesturing toward the bench beside them.

“Why?”

He raised his eyebrows, maybe over the suspicion in her voice, but he didn’t comment on that. “Because you’re shaking, and I don’t want to pick you up off the ground.”

It was only then that Ayla realized she was trembling. “It’s the damn adrenaline.”

“I know, Ayla.” His voice was kind. “Sit down, so you don’t fall down.”

She did. “This is embarrassing,” she muttered once she was seated.

Sitting beside her, Oz said, “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s natural. Are you up to hearing a few hard facts about San Isidro, or do I need to wait?”

Ayla wanted to say of course she could hear about San Isidro, but since his voice sounded muffled, it would be a lie. Moving her head made the world spin. A warm, sick feeling filled her, radiating from her stomach outward.

She felt Oz’s arm go around her. “Breathe,” he ordered.

When Ayla regained awareness, she realized her head was between her knees. She raised it partway but didn’t sit up because things remained fuzzy. Oz still had an arm around her, and in her peripheral vision, she saw the concerned expression on his face. “I’m okay,” she said, voice a croak.

“Not yet, but you’re getting there. Keep your head down and take some deep breaths.” She hesitated. “Come on, Pollita. Put your head down again. You’re not ready to take on the world.”

He was right, so Ayla followed instructions. This was mortifying enough. Collapsing in a heap would be worse.

When her stomach settled, and all she could think about was the clean citrus scent of his soap and the warmth of Oz’s body where it touched hers, she lifted her head. This time, everything remained in focus, and Ayla sat up slowly. He helped her, his gaze fastened on her face until she was upright.

She leaned into him. Ayla made a move to straighten, but his arm tightened around her shoulders and she gave up the struggle quickly. It wasn’t weak. As soon as she returned to one hundred percent, she’d stop listing against his side.

“That was one hell of an adrenaline crash,” Oz said.

“I’ve never been in a situation this dangerous before.” Ayla remembered the gang and was glad the strength of Oz’s arm kept the fear from surging back. “Why aren’t you having any kind of reaction?”

“That wasn’t the most dangerous situation I’ve dealt with.”

Of course, it wasn’t.

After clearing her throat, she asked, “What were you going to tell me about San Isidro?”

“Are you sure you’re up for this?”

There was nothing except concern in his voice, and Ayla felt a warmth in the center of her chest. She needed to get back on track before she did something beyond leaning into his side. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Why don’t we talk as we head for the hotel?”

His scowl told her he didn’t like her suggestion. “Pollita, you nearly passed out a few minutes ago. I think you should sit a while longer.”

Ayla stood, determined to prove him wrong, but gave up and settled back on the bench. Her legs felt like overcooked noodles. “Maybe you’re right,” she conceded, but she wanted to get to the hotel and start making plans to find her sister. “Now what about San Isidro? How unsafe is it?”

Oz paused for a moment before he said, “San Isidro itself should be all right. Three elderly men live there who make sure trouble stays out of the town.”

“What’s the issue, then?” she asked when he didn’t continue.

Ayla wanted some snap to her voice, but to her ears, she sounded tired.

His arm tightened around her shoulders, pulling her more closely against his side, and her breath quickened.

She tried to force her body to stop reacting to him, but it ignored her.

“The problem,” he said slowly, “is the town’s proximity to a hacienda belonging to a drug lord. He has employees living in San Isidro. If he asks them about you and what you’re up to, they’ll have to tell him everything they know.”

“Why would a drug lord care about my sister?”

He shrugged, the movement sending shivers of delight through every cell in her body.

“He might not care about her, but he’ll definitely be curious about you and why you’re nosing around.

Senor Vargas didn’t end up running a drug cartel by ignoring things that are out of the ordinary, and an American quizzing people is definitely unusual. ”

Something Oz said earlier came to mind. “You said there were two drug lords in the area. What about the other one?”

“The other one is far enough away that he shouldn’t bother with San Isidro.” Oz shook his head. “I can’t guarantee that, though.”

There was a note in his voice that had Ayla looking at Oz more closely, trying to read him. His face gave nothing away, but she had a feeling. “What aren’t you telling me?” She didn’t buy the innocent look he gave her. “Come on, I know you’re holding something back.”

Another frown, this one etched more deeply into his face than the others.

“Senor Vargas and the rival drug lord have had skirmishes. They’re on the verge of open conflict and have been since an incident last year.

If Vargas shows too much interest in you, it could catch the other man’s attention, and he’d want to know why his rival cares about you. ”

Ayla closed her eyes briefly. This sounded like a mess, and she didn’t want to wade into the middle of it. She wouldn’t even consider it if it wasn’t Io. She and her twin had a bond. One that couldn’t be broken.

“Do you think that’s what happened to Io? That she caught the interest of one of the drug lords?”

“I don’t know, Ayla. Puerto Jardin is a disaster. She could have stumbled into any number of things that would put her at risk.” He sighed. “I guess I better tell you about the ruins she was sent to photograph.”

He stopped there, and she felt her temper rise. Pushing him, she snapped, “Are you going to share or just sit there and scowl?”

That earned her a quick look, and then he grinned. “Welcome back, Pollita. I missed that irritated tone in your voice. Now I know you’ve nearly returned to normal.”

Ayla wasn’t about to let Oz distract her. “What about the ruins?” she gritted out.

Sobering, he said, “Yeah. Senor Vargas uses the ruins for meetings sometimes. In fact, he was there just a couple of weeks ago and found someone he didn’t expect. He didn’t react well, and she ended up being held on his compound for a while.”

“And you’re just telling me this now?”

“I didn’t want to tell you at all.” There was a growl in his voice. “But you need to know that the ruins aren’t safe to visit. You need to stay as far away from Vargas as possible.”

There was more to the story, but Ayla would worry about the details later. She had a bigger question first. “How do you know so much about this drug lord?”

Oz gave her a long look before he said, “Because I used to work for Senor Vargas.”