She huffs, but carries on walking.
“I’m sure Barrett’s given you some awful sob story about how he stumbled into this mess, but he was the one who thought a fire would solve all his problems. Even if he didn’t fully appreciate the consequences, he struck the match.Hekilled Clara’s husband, Quinn. And it was his choice to go into business with the Russians. He might act all innocent, but Barrett knows exactly what the Bratva intend to use his land for.”
Quinn presses her chin to her chest as if processing what I’ve just said, but with each step she takes, the silence drags on. I don’t know if she believes me. And I don’t know what else to do to convince her that we’re on the same side. I have to keep talking.
“Those stables Barrett had built aren’t going to be used for horses.”
Quinn’s head remains down, her expression guarded and her breathing ragged. “I know,” she grits out.
My steps falter. “And you’re still prepared to work for him?” I can’t hide the horror in my voice. “Are you telling me you’re OK with women being traded like livestock?”
Quinn’s head snaps up. There’s a mixture of anger and pain in her eyes. “Of course I’m not OK with it!”
“Then why the fuck are you still there? Damn it, Quinn, Give me something!”
With a shake of her head, she picks up her pace to get ahead of me.
I meet her stride for stride. “You can’t surely be here to take on Ilya yourself,” I say. “If you know anything about how depraved he is, you’ll know to stay away from him.”
Her voice isn’t much more than a whisper. “I can’t.”
“You can’t what?” I ask, grabbing her arm and bringing her to a stop again. I’m praying I’ve misunderstood, and that she simply means she can’t listen to any more. “Because if you’re about to tell me you’re not going to keep away from Ilya, I swear I’ll take you now and lock you up until all this over.”
“The hell you will!” she snaps, shoving me away. “The only reason I’m here is because of Ilya. Ineedto get close to him, Reid. I need to know where that bastard goes and what he does.” Her eyes shimmer as she chokes on her words. “I need to know where he takes those women because it’s the only way I’ll find out what he did to my sister!”
Her sister. The one person Quinn is doing this for. My gut twists as I take in the pain etched in her features, but I’m relieved too. My instincts were right all along. We are on the same side, and we should be working together. I’m sure as hell not letting her go through this alone.
Until now, the women my brothers and I want to free from Ilya’s clutches have been faceless victims, but to Quinn, they’re real people with real families. Her family. “Is she still alive?”
“I don’t– I don’t know,” Quinn says. “And I’m not going to find out if you and your brothers storm into town and chase him away. You’re messing everything up.” She slams her fist against my bullet-proof vest. “You need to stay away from me. Please. Just stay away.”
“I can’t do that,” I say, holding my ground as her other hand slams into my chest. She tries to push me, but I take hold of her wrists. “And I won’t.”
She struggles against me. “Why, damn it?”
“Because you need us,” I say as I feel the tremors running through her body. “And I have to help you, Quinn.I can’t explain why, other than I feel it deep in my soul. I won’t let you face Ilya alone.”
As I hold her, time around us seems to slow. As does Quinn’s breathing. Her gaze drops to my mouth. “Reid,” she whispers.
Heat rushes through my body at the sound of my name on her lips – lips that are drawn to mine. I lean in, and with our mouths almost touching, we pause for just a second. What happens next could make things very messy.
“Fuck it,” I whisper, letting go of Quinn’s wrists so I can cup her face.
My lips crash against hers and my tongue sweeps across the seam of her mouth. Quinn tilts her head to the side, giving me better access as her lips part and she lets me in. I taste the oaky tones of wine, the saltiness of tears, and something that’s just her.
I’m already addicted as I slide my hand across Quinn’s jaw, through her hair to the nape of her neck. She makes a noise that could be a curse if I wasn’t swallowing her words. She’s still fighting me, fighting us, but I hold on tighter.
I tug down the zipper of her padded jacket with my free hand, desperate to feel the body I’ve been dreaming about. Quinn’s on tiptoe as she slides her hands over my close-shaven hair until she finds enough length towards the crown that she can grab. She pulls hard. Damn hard. If she’s trying to drag my face off hers, her mouth doesn’t get the message as her tongue dances with mine.
I slip my fingers beneath her top, and Quinn hums into my mouth as my cold fingers explore her heated skin. If we weren’t standing in the middle of the street, I’d be unbuttoning her jeans, or at least trying to. There isn’t much space left for my hand to push between her stomach and my rock-hard cock.
“I need you right fucking now,” I whisper when I take my first breath.
Quinn sucks on my lower lip, gripping it between her teeth before letting go. “We can’t.”
She’s right. It’s not like she can drag me back to the small guesthouse where she’s staying. We’re going to have to be discrete until we figure out a way forward. If we can work together, Barrett can’t know about this. Even standing in the darkened street is a risk we shouldn’t be taking.
“I can get someone to pick Jake up so we can take the car. I’ll drive you anywhere you want, as long as there’s a bed at the end of it.”
