Page 26 of Wicked Intention

“I’m not a girl.”

“But you don’t deny you’re crazy.” And damn it, he knewshe was a woman—it was why she was a major fucking distraction.

For a moment, she remained quiet. “You’re angry about the fiancée thing.”

“Angry doesn’t begin to cover it, and it’s the least of my issues with you.” He gritted his teeth, but it didn’t stop him from saying, “I told you to quit following Silva. Why the hell didn’t you listen?”

She didn’t say anything or try to free herself, and when they reached his car, Finn opened the door, gesturing for her to get in. That Zo did it without arguing made him suspicious. As he rounded the hood, Finn half expected her to pop the door and dash off, but she didn’t do that, either.

The car was sweltering, and Finn started it, cranking the air conditioning before reaching for the seat belt. “Do you want to talk at a park or in a café?”

“The café,” she said immediately, snapping her own seat belt into place. “I could use something cold on my lip.”

Instead of putting it in gear, Finn turned to her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think Silva would take his anger at me out on you.”

“I’m not blaming you.”

“I’m blaming myself.” He frowned as he studied her. “You’re going to have a bruise, in addition to the swollen lip. I can see it faintly already.” Finn gently ran his hand through the hair that had escaped her ponytail, pushing it away from her face. He left his fingers threaded there. “The asshole who hit you was the largest of the bodyguards. He could have broken your bones.”

“Lucky for me, he didn’t swing full force.”

Finn clenched his jaw hard enough to make a tic develop. “Was that the only time you were hit?”

Her hand curled around his wrist and stroked up his forearm. The caress eased some of his tension. “Yes. I might havesome marks on my arm from where he grabbed me, but other than that, they used intimidation.”

“And that’s when the fiancée claim popped up?”

Her lips curved, although the swollen side didn’t move much. “I needed a story—fast—for why I was following Silva, and it was the first thing that came to me.”

“Why didn’t you use Ramos? He has more clout with Silva than I do.”

“Al would throw me to the wolves without hesitating.”

“But you thought I would back you up?”

“I wasn’t sure. I hoped you would, but…” Her voice trailed off, and she shrugged.

Finn disentangled his hand from her hair but couldn’t stop himself from lightly running a finger over her cheek. “Why are you following Silva?”

“I couldn’t come up with another strategy.”

“No. Why the hell are you interested in Silva, to begin with?”

Zo’s face closed up. “None of your business.”

“That’s bullshit. You not only nearly screwed up my deal with Torres, you almost got us both killed today. I lied to save your ass, and you owe me for that.”

Her eyes went hard, wary. “What’s your price?”

“I want the truth about what you’re doing messing around with Jorge Torres’ second-in-command.” Something eased in her face, and Finn realized she’d thought he was going to ask for sex. “The complete truth, Zo. That’s my price. Why are you interested in Henri Silva?”

She stayed quiet long enough that he thought she was going to refuse to answer, then with a long, loud sigh, Zo said, “Marianna Castillo.”

He recognized the name but pretended he didn’t. Tom Finley wouldn’t have this information. “Who is she?”

Zo shifted, pulled out her phone, and scrolled before extending it so that he could see the screen. There was apicture of her with another woman. Her hair was brown, too, but lighter than Zo’s, and she was shorter. She had brown eyes, an olive complexion, and full lips.

With a sigh, Zo lowered the phone back to her lap. “Mari is my best friend. No, she’s more than that. Mari is the sister I never had.”