“I should have thought of that, how your body is sore. I’m sorry. I also should have told you I have an annoying cat.”
“Named Cat.” She chuckled a little, and then her eyebrows narrowed, and she looked at him with a serious expression on her face. “Full disclosure?” He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that.
“Always.”
“I was also scared to go to the front door.”
That realization nearly tore Ethan in two, and the inner possessive Neanderthal wanted to break out and barricade his apartment with Quinn safely inside.
Quinn hated that she had revealed that she was scared. No doubt Ethan had already ascertained that, but admitting it was not something she was thrilled about doing. She was totally going to blame it on the blasted drugs. It made her mind tired and her mouth sloppy. Of course, it could also have something to do with the mouthwatering man who was currently standing and staring at her like he would tear apart the next person who came through the door to protect her. Yikes, the man was sexy on any given day, but all testosterone filled, he was a sight to behold. Even if she didn’t normally care for the overprotective type, it was nice to feel…feel, what exactly? Liked?
“I shouldn’t have left you here alone.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You needed to go search for Kimora. I shouldn’t be putting my own fears and worries in front of the fears and worries of Keisha, who just wants her daughter to come home. I’m ashamed to say that I forgot that was where you went.”
“You shouldn’t be ashamed. If you can distance your mind from it all and get some rest, then I say good for you.”
“I still feel like an awful person. But you’re right, I did manage to get some sleep. I guess that’s a win. At least, I slept until Cat kept meowing and woke me up. Then when I let her in, she cuddled up in the middle of the couch, taking up all the space.” Quinn rubbed the cat affectionately.
“Yeah, she is kind of a furniture hog.”
While he spoke, he walked to the kitchen and rummaged around. She angled herself so she could watch him and saw that he was getting plates and silverware. It wasn’t until that moment that she focused on the amazing smell that had filled the room. Whatever container the food had been in had managed to mask most of the delicious smell, and her mouth began to water at the aroma as Ethan walked in with two plates full of food. He set one on the coffee table in front of her and one in front of the chair that was next to the couch. Then he went into the kitchen again and came back with two tall glasses of milk
“I would offer you a beer, but I don’t think that’s a good idea with the drugs you’re on. Unfortunately, I only have milk and water to offer, and I decided milk is good for bones—broken bone and all.” His smile was wicked.
“I thought you said you didn’t have milk?”
“I stopped and got some.”
“I went through your pictures. You did an amazing job on the place.”
Without asking, he placed the plate on her lap and then sat down. She glanced at the humongous cheeseburger on her plate and then looked at his plate and immediately felt foolish when her eyes stung with tears, because he had cut her cheeseburger in half to make it easier for her to eat, and for some reason, that small gesture was enough to undo her. Blinking furiously to push back the tears that threatened, she picked up the cheeseburger and took a bite and immediately moaned. Now she wasn’t worried about tears, because when she looked up at Ethan, he was frozen with his cheeseburger halfway to his mouth, and he was staring at her.
“What?” she asked, suddenly self-conscious.
“Um, nothing.”
If her eyes weren’t deceiving her, Ethan Vanderbilt, stud-muffin-extraordinaire, was blushing. She set her cheeseburger down, and while she chewed, she reached up and rubbed her eyes. Clearly, she was exhausted. It was obvious that she needed sleep if she thought for one second that Ethan was blushing. But when she opened her eyes, she saw the same pink cheeks. Even though he was now studiously ignoring her and focusing with single-minded attention on his own food, she could still see that he was embarrassed. Over what, though?
Sweet mother above, she had moaned when she took a bite of the cheeseburger. It was an annoying habit of hers when she bit into something good; especially if she was extremely hungry, she often found herself moaning out of sheer pleasure from the food. Kara had once told her that it sounded like she was orgasming. Oh, God, had she really done that in front of him?
“You liked the pictures of the apartment, then?”
“Huh?” she asked, confused.
“The apartment?” he prompted.
Right, the pictures. She’d mentioned she was looking through the pictures before she went all food porn on them. Focus. She needed to focus on the conversation, so she didn’t look like a complete moron.
“Yeah, I mean, the pictures are awesome. But, I really am more impressed with how you rehabbed this house. You did a great job.”
“I can’t take the credit. I mean, I knew what I wanted, and I helped. But I hired people to do a lot of the work, and Caleb and his family helped quite a bit.”
“You can tell.”
“Tell that they helped? How is that?”
“I can just tell from the pictures of before and after that a lot of love was put into your home. That’s all.”
“Thank you—for noticing how much this place means to me. I know you haven’t had much time to think about it, but I really think that you should take the apartment. I actually talked to Kara about it when the renovations were complete. I was trying to figure out a way to approach you without…” He paused.
“Without what?”
“Without having you think it was a handout. I know you’re a proud person, but Kara and I both worry about you in that house by yourself. That isn’t a safe part of the city, and like you said before, you help people that have volatile relationships.” She took another bite of the cheeseburger and chewed thoughtfully for a moment before replying.
“I can’t argue with that logic. You’re right, I’m a proud person, but the time is right for me to move, if I can afford the place.”
“Well, you see, that is why I hadn’t approached you yet.” He hedged.
“What do you mean?” Her heart sunk a little because obviously, the apartment was more than she could afford.
“It’s just that Kara and I agreed that we want you to have the apartment at no charge.”
“What?” Quinn shrieked and sat up straighter and then winced, she caught that Ethan noticed the pain that had crossed her face, but she blazed on. “No charge? Are you out of your ever-loving mind? Why would you do that?”
“First, because Kara knows you deserve more than the center can pay you. Second, because you deserve a safe environment to come home to, and what better place than here where a cop lives? Not to mention, I don’t need the money. Kara and I own this place free and clear, thanks to my trust fund, a trust fund that I feel pretty strongly should be used to make the world a better place for people who have been victimized.”
“You’re crazy. You know that, right?”
“I don’t think I’m crazy at all. I just want to help people like Kara and Taylor and you.” He added the last part quietly. “We want this to be a benefit for you, since you run the center single-handedly, and I also talked to Kara about subletting the apartments to families trying to get on their feet again. The only problem is figuring out who to let have the apartments. Ideally, we would like you to help us decide who should get the apartments.”
“You mean you want me to help pick families to live here? I don’t know if I could choose. There are so many in need.”
“I know. That’s one of the reasons we haven’t done it yet, but I don’t want to drag my feet any longer. Think on it. But just know that if you move into the apartment, I won’t accept a dime from you for it.”
He quietly stood and collected their dishes. When he came back, she steered the subject away from the apartment.
&nb
sp; “Did you find Kimora’s friend?” she asked.
“No. She’s in the wind. Just like I expected her to be. Which is part of the reason I’m later getting home than I had planned.”
“I was really hoping that wasn’t the case.” A huge yawn caught her off guard, and Ethan stared at her, his eyes full of concern.
“I’m going to go get my bed ready for you.”
She opened her mouth and closed it a few times, unsure what to do with that statement.
“There is no way I’m letting you sleep on the couch. I’ll sleep on the couch tonight, and you can have my bed.”
After he walked away, she thought about how her core had tightened and warmth had spread to all the right places at the mere mention of Ethan’s bed. Oh dear, even in the shape she was in, he turned her on. She was definitely in trouble where Ethan Vanderbilt was concerned. Even if he was a bit high-handed.
Kimora was scared, and even though she was blindfolded, she could sense the room she was being held in was dark and cavernous. Her body was trembling. It was still summer, but she was frozen to the bone. Why had someone taken her, and where was she being held? She just wanted to go home. She would do anything to go home and hug her mom and listen to her brother talk back to her. Tears streamed down her face as she thought of the last words she had said to her mom, how she had snapped at her about her responsibilities to watch her brother. Kimora would do anything to take those words back. Her mother worked so hard to make ends meet, to take care of Davon and herself. It would devastate her mother to lose her only daughter, but she wouldn’t let it break her. Her mother was too strong for that.
A noise had her jumping, and she strained to hear where it was coming from. She was almost sure it was coming from in front of her, and it sounded like a door rolling up and then closing. Had someone found her? Was it the police there to rescue her? She could only hope that was the case, but when she didn’t hear someone call out, she felt the small surge of hope flicker and fade. A dragging sound had her body tensing and straining against her bindings. Then a thud, a wet sounding thud, and a whimper.
“I brought you some friends to keep you company for now. At least until we transfer you to your new home.” The male voice sounded almost remorseful. “I’m really sorry about this. You probably don’t believe me, but it can’t be helped.”
The sound of footsteps retreating and then returning while dragging something or someone else had the hair on her arms standing on end. Kimora had held on to the hope that she was going to get out of there, but when the footsteps retreated a second time and returned dragging another object that she could only assume was another person, the flicker of hope completely died. There was no chance she was getting out of wherever he had her held. At least not to go home to her mom and brother. He had said he had brought her a few friends until she was transferred to her new home. Oh, God, what did he mean? But she knew. Down deep, she knew what he meant, and it chilled her to the bone.
Paulie hated this job, hated what he was being forced to do, but the self-preservation he felt was more important to him than the three girls and one boy that he had stored in the warehouse his boss owned. If he could find a way around it, he would. For now, he had to collect five more girls and one more boy, and the order would be filled. Unfortunately, he couldn’t grab them all from Darkness Falls or they would have an even bigger target on their operation. As if it could get much bigger than it already was. He couldn’t chance it, though, so the other six teenagers would have to come from nearby Milwaukee. He only hoped that he grabbed the right ones so that they were less likely to be missed right away.
Glancing nervously at the clock, he did the math and realized he only had a couple hours until he had to be back with the order. He needed more time in order to be picky about who he grabbed. He swallowed hard. There wasn’t much he could do but grab the kids and run. Not ideal, but he would do what he had to because he was not going to end up in an unmarked grave.
Pulling the van to a stop, he watched a group of teenagers that were out way later than curfew. Grab the whole group or just a couple? It’d be hard to grab the whole group. Waiting to see if the group would break up, he was rewarded after only ten minutes when he saw two girls wave goodbye and head down the alley next to where he was parked. Now he only had to wait for the rest of the group to leave. When they lingered for a moment, he began to get discouraged, but then they, too, began to leave, walking away from the van. It was perfect, as if fate had directed him to the two girls.
He got out of the van with the stun gun and quietly followed, looking both ways before he entered the maw of the dark abyss of the alley. When he saw no one else, he picked up the pace and was on them in a matter of a couple long strides. One girl was down before the other even knew what was happening. The second girl dropped to the ground a mere few seconds later. Maybe he had used too much juice because they were out almost too easy. Shrugging, he picked one of them up. Five minutes later, he had both girls bound, gagged, and stashed in the back of the van with blankets thrown over them. Two down, four to go. If the night continued in this way, he would be back to the warehouse with his new acquisitions with time to spare.
16
Quinn woke up sweaty and confused. She’d been having a bad dream, and the awful sensation lingered, even after she blinked the sleepiness out of her eyes. She blinked a few times more until her eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room, but it still took her a full minute to remember that she was at Ethan’s place and that she was in his luxurious bed. Smiling a little, she did a full body stretch, much like a feline, and then she felt the little engine purring next to her. Cat had snuggled in by her after she had fallen asleep. Lying there, she realized she was wide awake, and there was no chance she was falling asleep anytime soon.
Thirst and an aching arm had her gently pushing back the blanket, so as not to disturb her bedmate. Her feet touched the plush rug that covered the impeccable hardwood floor. Slightly dizzy, she waited a moment before standing up to quietly search for a glass of water. Her search was short-lived when her eyes alighted on the glass of water, pain pill, and a note on the table by the bed. Turning on the bedside light, she squinted through the soft glow at the note.
I figured you might end up needing one of these and didn’t want you to have to search for it. No need to be a tough girl. Ethan
If there was anything Quinn had learned in the last day, it was that she wasn’t very tough at all. Not if judging by the fact that she wholeheartedly agreed to take the pill sitting on the table, but she knew that she wasn’t going to allow herself to take them that much longer. It wasn’t just the way they muddled her mind and her movements, but the fact that she led a fairly clean lifestyle and didn’t allow herself to even drink alcohol. She had seen too many addicts and had a healthy dose of fear of addiction.
After placing the pill in her mouth, she took a long swallow of the water and then another. It was so cold and refreshing, and the pills made her mouth so dry. After another long sip, she realized that the water was much colder than it should have been if Ethan had put it on the bedside table shortly after she had fallen asleep. Which led her to believe it hadn’t been that long ago since he had set it there. Of course, he could have just put ice in the glass, but she found that she hoped he was awake, since she couldn’t sleep. After she guzzled down the rest of the water, she tiptoed to the door. If Ethan was sleeping, she didn’t want to be the reason he woke up.
Slowly, she turned the doorknob and silently slipped out of the room. Walking as lightly as possible wasn’t all that easy when she was still slightly unsteady on her feet. Her normally graceful gait was wobbly at best, but she somehow managed to get down the hallway without crashing into the walls. Of course, it helped keeping her hand on the wall to guide her way. Before she knew what was happening, though, the wall disappeared, and she stumbled forward, her flailing limbs propelling her until she crashed into the back of the couch. Her right arm shot out and stopped her from topplin
g over the back—or worse, falling and causing more damage to her left arm. It didn’t take her long to ascertain that Ethan was not asleep and that her right hand had landed in a very precarious spot.
Embarrassment flooded her as she tried to regain her footing, but it wasn’t until she could see Ethan’s body shaking with his attempt to hide his laughter that she finally gave up and busted out laughing herself.
“So much for sneaking out of the room and not waking you up,” she said between gasping breaths for air.
“First, I heard you open the door. Second, you were far from stealth like in your trip down the hallway,” he replied after he was able to control his laughter. When she didn’t immediately respond, concern etched his face. “Are you okay?”
Was she okay? If ever she had heard a loaded question, this was the time. Physically, she was fine, other than the racing heart and the sudden pooling of heat in the middle of her legs. Because Ethan was very much nearly naked on the couch, and the blanket he had been using was covering the only part of him that appeared to be clothed, which left some, but not much, to the imagination, and currently that imagination was taking in the V of his torso and distracting her on a whole new level. It didn’t help that her hand was brushing up against something that was getting harder by the second.
“Quinn? Hey, Earth to Quinn, are you okay? You didn’t hit your wrist, did you?”
“What? Um, no, um…I just…” She was rambling but couldn’t stop herself. Staring at his chest and that blessed V had her girly parts in a frenzy. A frenzy she had never in her life felt—not once. Try as hard as she might, she couldn’t drag her eyes away from it or him. No matter how much her brain told her to look away, look away now, it wasn’t computing to her actual eyes, which were apparently paralyzed because of the kryptonite that was his abs—his washboard abs. Seriously, how much time did he put into those things?
Breaking Shadows (Darkness Falls Book 2) Page 15
