I raise my arm again and clear my throat. “Yep, just hit my watch on the metal—” My voice cracks when I try to sayarm. God, the pain is too much.
With a growling grunt, I lean over the metal banister, peer down at the red mulch, and vomit every ounce of protein shake I guzzled before she woke up this morning. Some of it comesout my nose. I’m sure the lass will find me irresistible when she spots all the stomach contents on my damned face. Now I’ll never make her like me more than Green Guy.
You are Green Guy, you numpty.
As I grip the metal banister for my life and blink away the fuzzy haze of slowly receding pain, a soft touch lands on my shoulder. I’m too ashamed to look, but I know it’s Quinn. Her smokey-vanilla scent breaks through the protein powder, traveling straight to my gut and soothing the tumbling torrent.
She licks her lips and looks toward the group. “Bennett, could you and the other guys?—”
I wave her off and stand upright before she can finish that sentence. “I’m fine, pal!” I shout toward the group.
Someone starts walking toward us, and I see that it’s Eve.
I turn toward Quinn. “Ach, call off the cavalry, lass,” I whisper.
“Will you come back to the hotel with me and have a...a talk?”
“Fine,” I whisper. “Just make them go away.”
She puts on that blinding smile and turns toward Eve. “Thank you, but he looks a bit better now. He has more color in his cheeks.” Her bratty little fingers reach up and give my cheek a pinch. “See?”
Eve halts, and aye, I’d pay good money to have a framed picture of her face just as it is now. The entire group is busy gawking because they’ve just witnessed this wee lass reaching up and pinching the resident asshole’s cheeks. And what is the resident asshole doing?
Letting it happen.
Aye. And that’s how I know I’m in trouble.
Quinn hooks her arm through mine, but motherly concern crosses her face when she looks up at me. After pulling me to a halt with my back facing the others, she hurries to remove herjacket, then hands it to me. As discreetly as she can, she motions to my mouth and chin. She wants me to use her attire to clean the puke crust from my face. Five minutes ago, she was throwing a toddler-sized tantrum, and now...she’s making a sacrifice for my honor.
I can’t turn her down. It would hurt her pride, and Christ knows that’s a tender spot for that lass. I know another tender spot for that lass, but it’s in my heartless chest. So, I take the jacket and use it to clean up my face.
“Let’s get up to your room,” she says once I’ve tidied up. “We really need to talk.”
Those words have never meant anything good before, and I don’t think that’s about to change now. Swallowing the knot in my throat, I nod and follow her lead as she smiles and heads toward the hotel. I can’t muster a smile, but at least I can walk upright now. The pain has receded, and I’m assured by the gentle throb against my balls that my dick is still intact and is very much soft and sad.
Just like I’m going to be at the end of this assignment if I don’t find a way to overcome this obsession I have with Quinn. Either overcome it or allow it to overcome me. I don’t know which outcome terrifies me more.
Chapter Twenty-One
Quinn
I’ve almost calmed down by the time we get into his room and close the door. I’m still pissed, and I plan to hang on to that vile emotion for as long as possible, but the hurt has subsided. The memories have retreated back to their hiding places in my brain, and I can probably get through this without crying again.
Probably.
Not that I have a choice. Aven needs to know this information if I want him to have any chance of helping me.
As he closes the door and enters the room, I pace in front of the window and try to think of how to begin. I suppose the beginning is best, but I don’t know exactly where that is. Where does my story even start?
I turn to face him before I lose the nerve. “My mother disappeared from this theme park twenty years ago, and I haven’t seen her since. Desmond is somehow tied to her disappearance. He has to be.”
“Hold up, lass. How are you sure he’s Desmond? Just because he said it doesn’t make it true. Now that more people have cottoned on to your mission, some of that sensitive information could have slipped.”
“I just know, Aven.”
Aven purses his lips and nods. “Aye, that’s confirmation enough. But where does your mother factor into this?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know.” I sigh and sit on the edge of the bed. “He said my mother was the one who told him to sit in the last coaster car. That tracks because that’s the reason I wanted the last car. It was one of the last things she said to me that night.”
