Zara's POV.
"My stomach dropped. Wait… what?"
Leo's voice echoed in my ears long after he'd said it: "You're not the only one with secrets."
I blinked. Once. Twice. The wind carried the scent of salt and lies, thick and heady.
"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from cracking. My hand instinctively moved toward my hidden communicator tucked in my bikini top.
Leo looked away. The playful sparkle in his eyes? Gone. His whole face shifted — darker, edgier. Like someone had peeled off his sunny, surfer-boy mask and revealed a storm underneath.
"I mean…" he ran a hand through his hair, pacing the sand, "I know why you're really here, Zara. And no, it's not to blog about acai bowls and coconut yoga."
Shit. He turned back to me, eyes blazing. "You're here investigating the disappearances. Aren't you?" I froze.
"No need to lie," he continued. "I saw you snooping around the restricted side of the resort last night. You weren't exactly subtle."
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. He saw me?
"I didn't say anything," he added. "Because I get it. I've been investigating the same thing."
Hold up. What?!
"You're… what?" I whispered, stepping closer.
"I work for an independent intelligence unit. Off the grid. Shadow ops. We've been trailing this resort for months." He looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time. "So imagine my surprise when a 'travel blogger' showed up asking questions and charming everyone with her 'sunset reviews'."
Oh. My. God.
"So you're a spy?" I asked.
He smirked. "Let's just say I'm not your average surf instructor."
This day just kept getting weirder.
"You were my prime suspect!" I blurted out.
He laughed. "You were mine!"
We both stared at each other — and suddenly, it was funny. Like full-body laugh funny. Two spies. Undercover. Falling for each other. Suspecting each other. It was ridiculous.
But it only lasted a moment.
Then reality came crashing back.
"So what now?" I asked. "If we're both here for the same reason…"
Leo's face darkened again. "Then we've got a bigger problem. Because someone knows we're both here."
I froze.
"What do you mean?"
He lowered his voice. "My handler disappeared last night. No call, no check-in. Vanished. Just like the other women."
My skin prickled. Something cold settled in my chest.
"I think they're onto us, Zara."
Suddenly, a loud crack echoed from the trees behind us.
Gunshot?
Leo shoved me down into the sand, shielding me with his body.
"Stay down!" he hissed.
We rolled toward the rocks near the surfboards. I could hear footsteps — heavy, fast. Someone was coming. Someone who wasn't supposed to see us together.
"I've got a safe house," Leo whispered into my ear, breath hot. "We move now. You trust me?"
Did I?
No time to answer. I nodded.
He grabbed my hand, and we ran.
<<<<<
Leo's POV.
Zara was fast. She didn't ask questions, didn't trip, didn't scream — just ran. She wasn't just trained. She was dangerous. And it made me like her more.
We ducked behind a row of paddleboards as two men dressed like resort staff — but holding military-grade gear — stalked the beach. This wasn't small-time money laundering. This was serious.
"This is bigger than I thought," Zara whispered.
I nodded. "Someone's pulling strings. We need to disappear before we're the next ones."
We reached the edge of the jungle. My jeep was hidden beneath palms and shadows. I helped her in. The second I turned the ignition, gunfire exploded behind us.
Zara screamed. I floored the gas.
"Who the hell are these people?" she yelled.
I didn't answer. Because if I was right… this wasn't just a cartel.
It was something deeper. International. Possibly government-linked.
And both of us were now in too deep.
As we sped down the winding road, headlights cutting through darkness, Zara turned to me.
"Leo… if we're going to survive this — I need to know everything."
I gripped the wheel.
"You'll get the truth, Zara. But you may not like what you find."