“Been in the area a while. Checked in here this afternoon.” Edge had been doing preliminary reconnaissance, per their plan. Gage had no idea how long Mateo had been in the Yucatán—long enough, undoubtedly, to know his way around. His ability to mix with the locals was one of the things that made him so valuable.

Gage grabbed the handle of his carry-on. “Why don’t we head down to my suite? We can order some food and talk things over while Abby and I settle in.”

“Good idea,” Edge said easily. If his brother was surprised he had brought Abby on the expedition, that she would be sleeping in his bed, it didn’t show.

Gage led the way to their suite and opened the door into an airy, high-ceilinged room painted in white and the same tropical green as the lush potted palms on the red tile floors. An open-ceilinged thatched roof rose overhead, and the king-sized bed was draped with netting.

Gage flicked a glance at Abby. Tonight he would take her in this luxurious bed, but as soon as they were installed in their crowded, threadbare accommodations in Alux’ob, he would have to keep his hands off her. Not an easy task, he had discovered.

By the time they collected the luggage that had been shipped directly to the hotel and Mateo had ordered supper for all of them, it was after seven and already dark outside.

“Your text said you got the permits,” Edge said as they sat in wooden chairs around a rustic table in the corner of the suite.

“It cost us a pretty penny,” Gage said. “But if we find what we’re looking for, it’ll be worth it.”

“You think the trouble at the hotel will follow you down here?”

“I think there’s a very good chance, though once we leave for Alux’ob, it may take them a while to find us.”

“I took a look at the town,” Edge said. “The place is about as low-key as it gets, not much more than a clearing on the side of a dirt road leading into the tropical forest. There’s a cantina, the hotel—if you can call it that, the Posada Utsil—and a single-pump gas station.”

“Sounds perfect,” Gage drawled. “We won’t have to worry about tourists.”

“That’s for sure,” Edge said. He sprawled back in his chair, making the wood screech, and stretched his long legs out in front of him. “Unfortunately, we’ve got a little problem we didn’t plan on.”

“What’s that?” Gage asked.

“From what I’ve learned, there are three cartels working this area: Los Zetas, the Pacific Cartel, and the Gulf Cartel. Unfortunately for us, Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel are having territorial issues. They’re a time bomb ready to explode.”

Gage’s jaw tightened. “Just what we need.”