Page 67 of Wicked Intention

Alvarez looked uncertain.

“We can rescue Izel and have her home before dinner tonight,” Señor Garcia said.

“Skills deteriorate,” Finn said quietly. “I’ve been out of the game for two years, and I’m not as sharp as I was back then. When did you leave the presidential brigade?” He didn’t expect an answer, and he didn’t get one. “I have enough edge left to rescue Tia Izel. Trust me to keep my promise.”

There was a moment of silence, then Alvarez addressed Zo. “Can I believe him?”

Reluctance dripping from every word, Zo said, “Yes. If Finn makes a promise, he keeps it.” She leaned into his side, and Finn put his arm around her.

Pride and reality battled for supremacy, but then Señor Alvarez’s shoulders slumped. He suddenly looked every day of his sixty-odd years. The lines around his eyes and mouth deepened, and his hand shook as he raised it to Finn’s shoulder. “Please,” he said, “my Izel is my world. Bring her back to me.”

“I understand.” Finn hugged Zo closer. “I’ll take care of Tia Izel.”

“Fill us in on everything Ramos said,” Captain Nguyen said to Señor Alvarez.

Alvarez dropped his hand and stroked a couple of fingers across his snow-white mustache. “Ramos does not issue his own threats. He sent one of his lieutenants. Vargas.” There was nomistaking his opinion of the man. “The message was short. ‘If you wish to see your beloved wife alive again, you will have Zofia bring the disk to my hacienda. You have twenty-four hours to comply.’ I didn’t know what he was talking about, but he said Zofia would know. Do you?” he asked, looking at Zo.

“I know,” she said. “So does Finn.”

BD asked additional questions, but Alvarez didn’t know more. The man appeared defeated, scared. Finn tried to imagine being his age, and someone taking Zo. And having a younger man remind him that he no longer had the ability to keep his woman safe. Yeah, he definitely understood how Señor Alvarez felt right now.

“Winter,” Nguyen said, “escort these men back to San Isidro, and make sure they stay put.”

“Yes, sir,” Winter said.

“Zofia?” Alvarez asked.

“It’s okay, Tio Luis. Finn will bring Tia Izel to the inn, right Finn?”

“Of course,” he said.

“Zo should go with them,” the captain said.

Finn’s lips twitched as Zo rebounded to glare at BD. “If you think I’m leaving Finn, you have another—”

“Loquita,” Finn interrupted, “you are not part of this mission.” She stiffened, but he kept his arm around her. “I can’t operate if I’m worried about you the entire time.”

She huffed out a long breath, but she didn’t argue. It looked as if she wanted to, though.

He addressed BD, “Zo can’t go back to the inn. Not yet. Ramos is searching for her.”

Captain Nguyen waited until the elderly men were out of earshot before he spoke again. “What’s your plan?”

“I’m going to turn up at Ramos’ estate, tell him I’m Zo’s proxy, and then use the location of the disk to negotiate for the hostage. I’ll rely on you to keep Zo safe until we can gether back to the States.” When BD nodded, Finn looked down at his woman. “Where is the disk?”

“I don’t know.”

He put her at arms’ length. Holding her shoulders, he said, “Zofia, now is not the time to use this as a ploy to barge your way into the op.”

“It’s not a ploy. I don’t know how to tell you where it is, but I can show you. I think.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Los Angeles, California

24 Months Earlier

FINN HELPED Zo out of his Jeep, and with his hand resting lightly on the small of her back, he walked with her to the elevators. The condo’s parking garage was brightly lit, which was great for security, but the intimacy that had been building between them during the evening had largely dissipated.