was impossible to gauge while she was seated, but she appeared taller than average. Her hair was long and dark, and she was American.
He couldn’t put his finger on why he thought that, not beyond her clothing, but Finn was certain of it. Their eyes met. Locked. The distance didn’t matter.
They were light, probably blue. Fuck, he knew they were blue.
Every cell in his body went up in flames. His mind blurred even as his gaze sharpened, bringing her into focus, and the rest of the world disappeared. Her lips parted, and heat rose between them. He couldn’t look away. Didn’t want to look away.
As Finn began to push back from the table, the waiter arrived with his food, saving him from himself. He used the time it took the man to put down the plate and utensils to regain control. He didn’t know who the hell she was, only that she was trouble, and he needed to avoid her. But as soon as the waiter left, Finn looked back toward her.
She was gone.
Chapter One
Rio Blanco, Puerto Jardin
Present Day
A SHRIEK ECHOED through the Puerto Jardin government center. Zofia Parker jerked her head up from her phone, and her gaze swept the overcrowded room until she spotted the source. A toddler was being chased by his older brother, their mother in hot pursuit. She released the breath she’d been holding.
Conversations resumed, and with a grimace, Zo shoved her travel phone into her jacket pocket. She’d been having trouble concentrating even before her pulse zoomed into the triple digits. There was no way she’d be able to read now.
Chaos in the government center was normal, and a lot of people, especially those who’d driven in from the countryside, brought their children along. Usually, she could tune it out.
But not today.
She hated her antsiness. Only it wasn’t impatience making her jittery. What, though? Zo looked around the marble and mahogany room again, but no one seemed interested in her, not even the two soldiers standing guard at the entry doors.
It should relieve her, but it didn’t. Her instincts weren’t screaming, but they were whispering. Insistently. And they’d been doing it for a while now.
Zo tucked her fingers into the front pockets of her jeans to stop herself from putting a hand over the gold disk. It was hidden inside her leather jacket, and she could feel the weight of it, feel the warmth of it—there was no need to touch it.
The easy thing would be to chalk up her edginess to the relic. After all, if she were caught with it in her possession, she’d be looking at a lengthy sentence inside a Puerto Jardinese prison, and not even the United States government would be able to keep her ass out of jail.
But that was a load of bullshit.
Her job for the Paladin League was to rescue artifacts that had been looted from archaeological sites, and if necessary, smuggle them to safety. The risk of arrest wasn’t new, and while she was always aware it was there, it wasn’t something that left the hair on her nape standing on end. But it was now. Had been since she’d left her hotel…and bumped into that guy.
Maybe the two things were related. Zo examined the faces in the jam-packed room more closely, but she didn’t see the man with the scar.
That should relieve her, but it didn’t.
She checked her number against the electronic counter on the wall. There were a few people ahead of her. If she’d offered a bigger bribe, she’d be finished already, but Zo hadn’t seen the point when she’d arrived. Her flight didn’t leave Rio Blanco until this evening, and she’d be stuck killing time at the airport if she wasn’t standing around here waiting for her exit visa. Either way, she wasn’t getting out of the country any sooner.
At the moment, though, Zo wished she’d dropped the extra money. The delay was adding to her anxiety, and at least if she was out of here, she’d be moving.
The desire to touch the disk rose again, and she pushed her fingers deeper into her pockets. Of the many artifacts she’d handled, this one might be worth the most money. Solid gold, three and a half inches in diameter, and with a legend that had captivated her since she’d been a child—no wonder she was edgy.
More bullshit.
Zo wanted a reason for her nerves. If she could come up with an explanation, she’d be able to plan for contingencies. Jumping at shadows? There