I’d already reached the same conclusion, but it’s hard hearing Ash confirm it. “Do I tell her that her sister’s probably dead?”
“She’s smart,” he says. “She’ll have figured that out for herself. But even if we could convince her that the search is futile, it could make Quinn more volatile. If it’s revenge she decides to seek, she’s liable to take more risks.”
“Do you think I should have made her leave last night?” I ask. It’s a question I’ve been torturing myself with for hours.
“Not by force. But we do need to find a way to protect her from herself. After last night, we owe her for saving your ass.”
“Technically, it was Quinn who created the situation in the first place,” Mace reminds us. “Reid was trying to stop her from walking straight into a viper’s nest.” He quirks an eyebrow at me. “Oh, sorry. Quinn’s the little viper, isn’t she?”
So much for thinking he was too focused to bother with jibes. “You were listening?”
“Wherever you stuck your earpiece, the microphone still picked up more than I was comfortable hearing.”
“You could have switched it off.”
“No need to blush,” he says. “I only tuned in for the finale, and I made sure the others didn’t overhear. Good thinking by the way.”
My neck cords. I know he’ll have a punchline prepared, but I ask anyway. “What?”
“Keeping her mouth full so she couldn’t scream when she came.”
I scan the table for something to throw at him, but it’s clear except for our coffee cups. And since I’m the one living here for the foreseeable future, I don’t want to make a mess. I’m about to hit him with an expletive instead when I catch Ash’s expression. He has a ghost of a smile, which makes Mace’s teasing almost worth it. The tension in the room eases.
“I’d feel better if I knew more about her,” Ash says. He gives Mace a warning glare in case our brother was tempted to make another derogatory remark. “Clearly she can handle a gun.”
“It was a clean shot,” Mace tells him. “She could be a fucking serial killer for all we know. Judging by the fading lump on Reid’s head, she has a predilection for violence.” His gaze flicks to me. “And you still haven’t explained exactly when she put a gun to your cock.”
I’m shaking my head. “I know you’re determined not to trust her, Mace, but this was her first kill.”
“She didn’t seem that fazed after taking the shot last night.”
A shadow crosses the room as one of our men walks past the window. We’ve tripled our security, and the small group of cabins we’ve taken over are going to be patrolled around the clock from now on.
Ash heaves out a sigh. “It could be delayed shock. We need to know how she’s coping this morning,” he says. “If her nerves are showing when Ilya’s men return to question her, she could give away her guilt without even opening her mouth.”
I check my phone. I’ve sent Quinn numerous messages, but she hasn’t replied. I’m desperate to know if she’s OK, but I’m starting to wonder if she gave me a real number. And while I don’t want to put her at risk by returning to the estate, if she doesn’t get back in touch soon, I’ll climb through her window if I have to. I’m not relegating Quinn to my fantasies just yet. I want to make more memories with her, not relive them.
“I’m going to call her.”
“Wait,” Ash says, stopping me before I can stand. “This is a call we should all be on. If Quinn’s spiraling, we need to reassure her that she has our full backing. I don’t want to waste time and resources reacting to Ilya’s attacks and Quinn’s panicked counter moves. We call the shots.”
I’m not keen to have a group discussion, but Ash is right as always. “OK, but only if Mace keeps his smart mouth shut.”
Mace doesn’t look up from his phone. “Barrett’s still in New York,” he says, not even bothering to acknowledge my warning. “Ilya is god knows where, but I can’t see any redflags to suggest he’s on his way to Poulton Springs. And our scouts have reported no new activity at the estate.” He looks at me and smiles. “You’re good to go. She should be home.”
I take a breath to steady my nerves. Despite the chaos unfolding around us, I suddenly feel like a kid about to call up his girl after their first kiss. And I’m doing it with an audience. I hit dial and put the call on speaker. It rings out.
“It’s a burner so she’ll have it on mute. She may not even have it on her if–”
“I hope there’s a reason for this call,” Quinn says, her voice cold and clear. “Because if you just want to know the color of my underwear, I’m changing my number. I’ve got better things to do than whisper sweet nothings in your ear, Reid.”
I open my mouth to speak, but Mace beats me to it. “We actually laid bets. I said red, Ash thinks they’re black, and for some reason Reid opted for virgin white.”
“Mace, for pity’s sake,” I say, sinking my head into my hands. I can feel the withering glare Quinn is inflicting on her phone right now. This isn’t going to go well.
“Oh, great. We have the whole boyband.”
“Not quite,” Ash says. He has that almost-smile again. “Hunter couldn’t make it. And I’m the one who wanted to speak to you, Quinn. You have my word that Mace’s only contribution to the discussion from this point onwards will be to advise on practicalities.” He holds Mace’s eye long enough for the message to sink in before continuing. “I’m Ash. Pleased to meet you.”
