Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Trujillo, Puerto Jardin

27 Months Earlier

FINN TAPPED his fingers against the steering wheel and tried to get his adrenaline under control. The streets were congested, and Silva had given him another challenging meeting time. It was an effective strategy because once again, there'd been no opportunity to do recon or to get any of his teammates in position.

Horns blared somewhere in front of him, and Finn checked the clock. He wasn't going to make it, not with this traffic. He looked around, spotted a side street with empty curb space, and inched his way forward until he could turn off the main thoroughfare. It would be faster to run the remaining distance than to drive. He couldn't be sure Silva would refuse to meet with him if he was late, but Finn wasn't taking the chance.

It only took a few minutes to cover the distance at a jog. His destination surprised him. It wasn't a café .

Silva always conducted business in a restaurant.

Did this mean Torres was present?

Taking a deep breath, Finn ran through possible scenarios. The house was behind a thick stucco wall. The wrought iron gate was open, allowing him to see that the architecture was mid-century modern. Another location that hadn't been in their intel reports. Either the reports were half-assed, or Torres kept changing his organization's habits. Either way, Finn didn't like it.

As soon as he walked through the gate, two bodyguards met him. "You know what to do, Se?or Finley," the man said.

Finn raised his hands over his head, and the pat-down commenced. These bodyguards were every bit as thorough as the pair he'd met at La Brisa Griega, and soon, he was unarmed. Again. He liked it even less this time. Torres had a rep for violence.

The interior didn't live up to the exterior, and the office they escorted him to was dirty and dated. The parquet floor was scarred and worn, the built-in shelving was old and darkened by time, and the ceiling had two banks of fluorescent lights that appeared to be a fire hazard. No one sat behind the heavy desk, and Finn looked over at the bodyguard beside him, raising one eyebrow.

"Se?or Silva will be with you shortly." The man moved to stand beside the door, his partner on the other side of the entrance. There was another door on the adjacent wall, but it was left unguarded.

The only seat was behind the desk, and Finn wasn't sure if this was a message or if the house was short on chairs. He didn't think this was a property Silva or Torres routinely used. Both men liked luxury. He'd have Pruitt check out the address, but Finn doubted it would lead anywhere.

He stood there, waiting for a while before Silva stalked in the room using the unguarded door to Finn's right. The man was angry, and Finn tensed, trying to guess what had set him off—his trip to San Isidro to see Ramos or tailing him?

The white-haired man took the seat behind the desk, carefully adjusted the cuffs of his dress shirt below his suit coat, and then leveled a hard stare at Finn. "Se?or Torres is a patient man, and you've taken advantage of his good nature."

Finn was impressed that Silva managed to say it with a straight face because no one had ever characterized Jorge Torres as good-natured . "I have business partners, Se?or Silva, and they expected me to already have a deal in place. They aren't as patient as Se?or Torres. They can't afford to be."

"I'd watch my tone of voice if I were you, Se?or Finley. You are quickly making me regret our association."

"My apologies, se?or. I sometimes forget myself in my determination to do right by my friends."

Silva's expression didn't change. Instead, he brought his hand down on the desk three times in rapid succession. Another bodyguard entered through the same door his boss had used. This guy was huge, taller than Finn by a couple of inches and clearly into body-building. He wasn't alone. He had a tight grip on a woman's arm. Zo's arm. Some of her hair had escaped from her ponytail, and her polo shirt was partially untucked from the back of her trousers, suggesting she'd struggled, but her demeanor was calm.

"Do you know this woman?" Silva asked.

It was a test. There was no way Silva had missed the way Finn had tensed when Zo had been brought into the office. In his peripheral vision, he picked up the pleading expression in her eyes, but he didn't look at her.

"I know her," Finn said, keeping his voice neutral.

"She was following me. She claims it was at your behest. Is this true?"

"It isn't, but she could have misunderstood something I said." What else had Zo told Silva, and how bad was the situation going to turn if Finn contradicted her story? He didn't know her well enough to even make a half-assed guess about other claims she might have made, and it left him feeling his way through a potential minefield. At night. Blindfolded.

"Perhaps that is because you have been following me." Silva's voice was smooth, with no sign of any emotion.

Finn shrugged. Tom Finley wouldn't admit anything, not yet, so he played dumb. "Following you? Why would I do that?"

Silva gestured toward the man holding Zo's arm, and his fist connected with her face. A red haze exploded through Finn's mind, and he took a step forward before he realized if he moved another inch, both he and Zo were dead. The men standing on either side of the door were ready to shoot.

Fisting his hands at his sides, he fought for control. It became harder when he saw blood trickling from her mouth. The bodyguard holding her knocked her hand away when she tried to wipe at it. Finn was pissed as hell, but he reined it in because there was no other choice.

But he wouldn't forget Silva giving the order or the man who decked her.

"Every time you lie to me, Se?or Finley, there will be a cost, and she will pay it. Do you understand?"

"Sí," he managed to grit out.

Silva ignored the anger in his voice. "Let's try this again. Why were you following me?"

"I didn't want you to forget that I was waiting for an answer."

"And you traveled to San Isidro and tried to meet with Se?or Ramos because…?"

Staying in character meant telling some bullshit lie, but Finn couldn't risk it. He told the cover story instead. "Just checking out a secondary market in case Se?or Torres decided to turn down my offer."

Silva stared at him for a moment. "Se?or Ramos contacted me personally to assure us he will not jeopardize a long-term association for a singular deal with a mercenary. You can be certain our other clients will tell you the same thing."

"You can't blame me for trying," he said. The note of flippancy was Tom Finley, and Finn's gut churned, worried it would set Silva off again. If he infuriated the arms dealer, it wasn't only his life on the line at the moment.

The older man's lips thinned. "I see why you asked this woman to marry you. Neither of you knows how to watch your words."

She'd claimed to be his fiancée? Years of experience kept Finn from showing his surprise, kept him from glancing over at Zo, but it was a near thing. "Her strength is one of the first things that attracted me to her."

"You call it strength? I call it disrespect." Silva shrugged, clearly putting the subject aside. "Let's discuss a few things, Se?or Finley."

Finn gestured toward Zo. "Before we do, I want her beside me." And the fuck away from the asshole. He needed her close, where it would be easier to keep her safe.

"I'll allow it." Silva nodded toward the bodyguard gripping Zo's arm.

Zo didn't waste any time pulling free and crossing the room, wiping the blood from her mouth and chin as she moved. Finn shifted her to his left side. It probably wouldn't matter because he didn't have a weapon, and there was nothing handy in the room, but he wanted his dominant arm clear.

He waited. This was Silva's show.

The man stared at them dispassionately long enough for it to feel uncomfortable, and it took a lot these days for Finn to reach that point. Zo edged closer, and before he thought it through, he slid his arm around her waist, offering her comfort.

As if that were some signal, the older man's intensity eased up. "Se?or Torres is considering your proposition, but he wants more information."

Of course, he did. It was why Finn had expected a million questions the first time he'd met with Silva. "Ask whatever you need to know."

"I want the truth," Silva admonished. "Even though she stands beside you, it doesn't mean you have carte blanche to lie."

"Understood." Finn gave Zo a squeeze. He hoped it appeared as if he were reassuring her, but it was a warning. He knew her opinion on gunrunning, and the last thing he needed was Zo to make her thoughts public. She rested her hand over his on her waist, and he took it to mean she got the message.

"What weapons are obtainable?" Silva asked

"Anything the US Army has stockpiled is open for negotiation."

"What if we'd like the M4 replacement?"

"I'd say, with all due respect, Se?or Silva, the M4 replacement isn't even a prototype yet, and I can't get you a weapon that doesn't exist."

The older man nodded and proceeded to grill him on availability, the timeline for delivery, how long the pipeline would remain open, and on and on. Zo had been tense, her muscles rigid as the questioning had started, but now she leaned into him. Finn suspected she was weary, but to the men in the room, it should appear as if she'd snuggled against his side.

At long last, the arms dealer wound down. "I will share this information with Se?or Torres. I'll be in touch when he makes his decision."

Finn inclined his head. "Any idea when?"

Silva's lips pursed briefly with displeasure. "Se?or Torres needs time to decide whether or not to work with you. I suggest you practice patience, Se?or Finley. I don't want to see you or your woman following me again. I also recommend you curtail your search for another buyer."

"I'll do as you advise," Finn said carefully. He didn't relax, but it sure seemed as if he and Zo were going to be allowed to walk out of here.

"Be aware that there will be no more warnings." Without waiting for a reply, Silva addressed one of the bodyguards behind him. "Escort Se?or Finley and his fiancée to the door, por favor ."

"Gracias , se?or. I look forward to hearing from you. Soon, I hope."

Silva frowned and made an impatient gesture with his hand. The bodyguard gave Finn a shove.

Finn put Zo in front of him as they headed for the exit, wanting his body between her and the hired gun. There was a brief pause in the courtyard as his weapons were returned, and he took the time to conceal them beneath his fatigues, but he kept her shielded the whole way. With that done, he took her hand, hanging on tightly enough to make sure she didn't pull free before moving them to the sidewalk. Without a glance back, he headed toward the street where he'd left the car, tugging Zo along with him.

When they were out of sight of the house, Zo said, "You can let go now."

"No, I can't."

"Are they following us?"

"No."

She huffed out a long breath. "Then why are you—"

Without slowing, Finn turned a glare on her. "You and I, Zofia, are going to have a chat, and if I let go of your hand, you're going to try and disappear on me. I'm in no mood to chase you down, loquita ."

"I'm not a girl."

"But you don't deny you're crazy." And damn it, he knew she 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 have some 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 a picture 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."

The answer was unexpected, but it explained things better than if she had baldly stated who Castillo was. He asked the question she was clearly waiting for. "How does she tie in to Silva?"

More silence then quietly, defiantly, Zo said, "She was Silva's mistress."

"Was his mistress, past tense?"

"Mari is missing. I came down to Puerto Jardin to look for her."

Finn tensed. "You're following Silva because you think he'll lead you to her."

She shrugged.

"Zo," Finn said quietly, leaning toward her and taking her hand. He linked their fingers, half expecting her to jerk loose. "Silva doesn't hide his mistresses when he's finished with them. If she's disappeared, she's probably dead."

Zo flinched, but she didn't try to pull free. Instead, her fingers tightened around his. "She can't be dead. I'd know if she was dead." She sounded sure, but her blue eyes were watery when she looked up at him. "Maybe she ran away."

Finn wanted to give her the reassurance she was looking for, but he couldn't lie. "Even if she took off on her own, Silva isn't going to personally search for her. He'd send his men out, and they'll find her before you can."

"I have to do something," she whispered. "Would you let one of your friends disappear without doing everything you could?"

"What does her family say?"

"Mari's parents are dead. I'm the closest thing to family she has left. If following Silva won't help me find her, what should I do instead?"

"Nothing." Her mutinous expression exasperated him. He didn't want to wound her, but she needed the truth. "No. You need to back off. If she isn't already dead, and if she did run off, Silva is going to make her pay for that. Do you want to be responsible for leading his men to her? Do you, loquita? Because when they find her, they will kill her."