by CA Quigg
Lily gave him a low and husky laugh and patted his hand before turning her attention back to Quinn. “Hundreds of others would cut your throat for this kind of opportunity.”
“Perhaps.” Quinn pushed a manila envelope toward Lily. “She signed a contract agreeing to my terms. People who work on her wedding will get paid. Let’s not make this ugly.”
Lily set down her cup but didn’t reach for the envelope. “Ugly? Oh, you poor deluded girl. Ella’s lawyers will shred the clothes off your back. The men and women who work for Ella—me included—have degrees in skinning people alive. Our client is number one no matter what her demands. And it’s our job to make sure she gets what she wants.”
Walking away from this event could cost her everything, but rolling over and playing dead on Ella’s command wouldn’t happen. Quinn gripped her pen, willing herself not to lose her nerve.
“Even if her actions will put people on the street? Even if it puts people on the verge of bankruptcy? How do you expect Brendan to pay his bills once it’s over? The contractors to pay their staff for Christmas? Too many people depend on this.”
Lily’s eyes flickered toward Brendan. “Tell someone who gives a damn.” She stood and walked toward an oil painting depicting a garden in full bloom and ran her fingers over the peeling paint.
Quinn released the grip on the pen. “You’re an intelligent woman, surely you can see how unacceptable it is.” She pushed away from the table, her chair scraping along the floor, and stood tall. “If she refuses to pay, I’ll take everyone with me. Good luck finding someone who’ll organize her wedding with just over two days to go. She’s already getting my expertise and this castle for a pittance.”
“Lily, dear,” Brendan said, joining her by the painting. “Quinn’s right. Too many people need the money this wedding will bring. With the economy being banjaxed, there’s no way they can afford to give things for free. I can throw in a few guest rooms, but other than that… She’ll have to pay for the castle hire.”
Quinn’s heart palpitated and shifted from her chest to her throat and back again.
Lily sniffed and eyeballed Ronan. “You’re awfully quiet.”
Ronan leaned back in the chair and fiddled with Quinn’s discarded pen. “Nothing to add. If you let Ella get away with this, you should be fired for enabling a brat. What kind of woman, or girl, is she?”
“She’s the kind of woman who can demand twenty million per movie,” Lily said. “The kind of woman who has an opening weekend of over a hundred million.”
Quinn made her way to the head of the table and pressed her palms onto the polished surface. “Then she’s the kind of woman who can afford a few hundred thousand to cover the cost of her wedding. What does Kai have to say about this?”
“Kai?” Lily laughed and wheezed so hard she sounded like she might have an asthma attack. “He’s so out of it, he probably doesn’t know he’s getting married.”
“I mean it, Lily,” Quinn warned. “If she doesn’t agree to pay—as in there’d better be money in my account by midday tomorrow—I’ll walk.”
Lily sneered. “Empty threats don’t work with me. You signed a contract, too.”
“There’s nothing empty about my threats.” She mentally crossed her fingers. Russian roulette wasn’t a game she’d ever played, or ever wanted to, but Ella had forced her hand. “Another thing, I won’t fatten her bridesmaids up like sacrificial lambs.”
“And I didn’t think you had a backbone.” Lily picked some flaking red paint off the painting and rubbed it between her fingers. “I’ll talk to her. Don’t expect miracles.”
“I’m sure you’ll do what you can. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.” Holding her head high, Quinn strode from the room and pleaded with her feet not to trip over themselves. Her dramatic exit wouldn’t be as effective if she ended up on the floor.
****
Keeping his mouth shut was tough, but Quinn did a good job without his interference. He was impressed, and he wasn’t easily impressed. Lily was right, she had a backbone—one forged from steel.
When he found her, she was in the kitchen leaning against a wall with her eyes closed.
“Nice work.”
“Did it look as if I was nervous? Because I was so fucking nervous.”
“You didn’t look nervous.”
“Good.” The constant worry line between her eyebrows creased. “Let’s hope she makes Ella see some sense.”
“Listen,” he said, rubbing her biceps, “how about we get out of here for a while. Walk around the grounds… talk…”
She curled her arms around herself and shuddered. “It’s freezing. We can talk in here.”
“I’ll keep you warm.”
“And how do you plan on doing that?”
“I have my ways.”
She smiled, and all of the tension lines on her face faded. Not for the first time, her beauty took his breath away.
“I’d like to see those ways. Let’s go.”
****
“Warm enough?” Ronan asked and laughed.
Blinding snow carpeted the grounds, and their feet squeaked over the fresh covering. Quinn wrapped a scarf half way around her face until only her eyes were visible.
She nodded. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, and she curved her arm around his. Such an insignificant gesture shouldn’t make his heart jump, but it did. It was something a real couple would do, and in spite of what was happening between them, they weren’t a real couple. Although… No. Some ideas were too dumb to entertain. That was how hearts got broken, and a broken heart wasn’t something he ever wanted to experience again.
He took out his phone and checked to make sure it wasn’t on silent. Brady hadn’t been in touch since yesterday. Shane, his partner, and a few squad cars were hidden on a neighboring farm, ready to pounce. He wanted to get his meeting with Brady over with so he could stop worrying about him showing up at the castle and telling Quinn all about his connection to Ronan.
“You’ve checked your phone every minute for hours.” Quinn gave him a playful nudge. “You expecting an important call?”
“Something like that.”
“A watched phone never rings.”
“Isn’t that a watched kettle never boils.”
“Think it’s a watched pot.” She laughed. “Are we seriously talking about idioms? We’ve been sleeping together for less than a week, and we’re already boring. Next, we’ll be doing crosswords and making thousand-piece jigsaws.”
A hawk cried in the distance, and they both looked up at the mist-shrouded mountains. The place was beautiful, and it struck him how much more beautiful it was with Quinn by his side.
“I’m from a few miles down the road, but I’ve never been on the castle grounds. Passed it enough, but never came in. Sacrilegious, isn’t it?”
“You’re from Derry, right? I go there a lot. I’m sure I’ve bumped into your family a few times.”
“Probably. It’s a small place. My dad drives a taxi. You might have been in the back of his car.”
“With the way the Universe and fate works, you never know.”
“You believe in all that?”
“I think we all have lessons to learn and some things were meant to be.”
“You think we’re meant to be?”
“You’re a lesson in lies coming back to bite me in the ass. Lesson learned. Don’t lie.”
“I don’t remember biting your ass.”
She laughed, the sound muffled behind her scarf. “We’ll remedy that later.”
They came to a turret at the end of the courtyard. “Let’s go down here. The staircase leads to the dock by the lough.”
She led the way into the turret and down some rusted, winding stairs, and when they reached the bottom, Ronan swept snow from a stone bench so they could sit.
“Can you imagine living here in the old days?” Wistf
ulness filled her words. “It would’ve been like living in Winterfell.”
“I wouldn’t have taken you for a Game of Thrones fan.”
“You know nothing, Donovan.”
He rolled his eyes and groaned. “You’re hilarious. It would’ve been miserable. No heating or plumbing.”
“You’re such a romantic.” She gave him a gentle push.
Heat climbed up the back of his neck. “I am. Or I can be.” Not wanting to go down the road of romance, he changed the subject. “Tell me more about your ex. Are the police after him?” Why was he fishing for information? He should either tell her or shut up.
“They were,” she sighed. “There’s a warrant for his arrest, but they’ll never find him. He doesn’t want to be found.”
“He’ll slip up eventually. Criminals always do.” In a few hours, he’d be out of their lives for good. No way was Brady getting away with screwing Quinn over and then getting him involved. Payback would be a mother fucking bitch.
“Maybe… I’m past caring. It was a tough lesson.” She lowered her scarf to her chin and her breath puffed in front of her face. “New Year. New start. Time to let the past stay where it is. I’m done beating myself up. Rehashing every single minute. Wondering what I should’ve done differently. Wondering if it was my fault for loving him, trusting him. I was so goddamn gullible.”
“You’ll never know how sorry I am for acting like a dick.” He pulled her into him and draped an arm over her shoulder. “I’ll do what I can to make it up to you.”
“You’re right, you were a dick, and a jerk, and a jackass.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” She reached for his hand and squeezed and then looked him in the eye. “But I’m glad you’re here.”
Too much emotion and intensity filled her face. It was a look he knew well, and despite her declarations of not wanting to fall in love, she was falling for him, and he needed to set her straight. Set both of them straight.
“I like you, Quinn. But it can’t be any more than like. A relationship isn’t something I want. Baggage, y’know.”
She gave a nervous, high-pitched laugh, which sounded forced. “I’m not looking for anything either. Sorry if I gave you the impression I was. This is sex. Just sex. Good sex. Great sex. I’m using you for orgasms.”
“I like you using me for orgasms. You can use me for orgasms all you want.”
“I’ll take you up on that.”
They sat in comfortable silence wrapped in each other’s arms. He enjoyed being here with her like this. No pressure to be anyone other than who he was.
“Since I’ve spilled my guts about my woeful life,” she said, “tell me what’s stopping you from falling in love. Why don’t you want a relationship?”
He leaned forward and clasped his hands together. Did he want to tell her about Abbey, give her the whole sob story? Show her he was weak, that someone didn’t think he was good enough? Would she wonder why his girlfriend had no other choice but to cheat? Abbey’s betrayal wasn’t something he wanted to rehash or relive, and if he told Quinn, she’d get a sympathetic and pitiful look in her eyes. He didn’t want that, but he’d already lied so much. Maybe it was time to rip the Band-Aid he’d worn for the past three years off.
“She cheated. We broke up. The end.”
“I’m sorry.” Quinn reached out a gloved hand and touched his arm.
“No need for sorry. You weren’t the one I was about to propose to.”
“Oh…”
“I loved her. Would’ve given her the moon if she’d asked. But even that wouldn’t have been enough. I suppose it’s better I found out she cheated on me before I asked her to marry me.”
“What a fucking selfish bitch.” She clamped a hand over her mouth.
He laughed, but it sounded hollow. “When I found her shagging her boss in our new apartment, I called her worse. I could’ve handled it differently.”
“So you haven’t had a relationship since.”
“I prefer fun with no strings.”
“You give me orgasms. I give you no strings. We’re a good team.”
“Sounds about right.”
If he had the brains he was born with, he’d walk away before the strings became chains. Get out of Quinn’s life before he couldn’t leave. Before Brady stuck his boot in and kicked both of them where it hurt. But why walk away from someone who enjoyed sex as much as he did? Someone who challenged him and made him laugh. A few more days wouldn’t cause any permanent damage to either of them.
“I get that we both have skeletons,” she said, breaking into his thoughts, “but I’m not going to cling to your leg and beg you never to leave me.”
“That obvious?” He blew out a breath and gazed at the heavy clouds.
“Think of us as method actors. We’re supposed to be besotted with each other and now that we’re sleeping with each other, it’s believable.”
“How so?”
“It’s easy to tell when a couple’s having sex. There’s an intimacy between them, and we have that now.”
“So as well as using me for orgasms, you’re using me to make your lies more convincing?” He leaned over and nibbled the cold shell of her ear.
She screamed playfully and fought him off. “I’m not the only one who’s lying.”
Quinn tilted her head and kissed him with such tenderness he forgot everything else and focused on the sensations warming his body. She had him, and he wasn’t sure he ever wanted her to let go. So much for no baggage and no strings. She wasn’t the liar here, he was. The biggest one he’d ever met.
Her phone beeped. She broke away and dug into her coat pocket and jumped up from the bench. “Thank you, God. Ella’s agreed to pay for everything. She drunk emailed and can’t remember a thing, but she still wants me to fatten up her bridesmaids.”
“You amaze me, you know that?” He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Come on. Let’s celebrate. We can sneak up to our room and warm up.”
“What do you mean by warm up?”
“What do you think I mean?”
“You could mean drinking hot chocolate, or you could mean getting naked in front of the fire.”
“How about naked in front of the fire and hot chocolate after?”
“That sounds like a fantastic idea.”
His phone rang, and his heart stilled. “You head on up. I’ll be there in a few.”
“The phone call you’ve been waiting for?”
“Aye.”
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I’ll start warming myself up.”
“Now that’s something I’d like to see.”
“You can if you hurry.” She ran into the turret and before he answered his phone, he made sure she wasn’t within earshot.
****
A few hours later, outside the castle grounds, Ronan leaned against a stone wall dressed in running gear. The excuse he’d given Quinn about needing to exercise for a few hours was a lame one, but he needed to disappear without raising any suspicions. More lies, but he could justify these lies.
Thanks to another heavy snowfall, the cleared roads were rapidly turning white, and since Brady hadn’t contacted him in over an hour, Ronan didn’t know if he was on his way or if he’d even make it to the castle. But desperation made people do ridiculous things like drive on ice-covered roads or jump on planes and pretend to be someone’s fiancé.
Since he didn’t know from which direction Brady was coming, he continuously glanced from left to right. Who knew what kind of trouble he was walking into, but this was about saving Quinn. He smiled wryly. It seemed she’d gotten her very own wedding-planning superhero after all.
In the distance, the dim lights of a car lit up the road, and excited anticipation squeezed Ronan. Brady had taken the bait. The car drew closer. Shane, who watched from a neighboring farm, should arrive any minute.
The car slowed and
crunched to a stop, and the passenger door opened. Brady got out. An unkempt graying beard covered his jawline, his eyes were sunken and lined, and his wrinkled clothes looked as if they’d been slept in more than once. This wasn’t the man Ronan knew. The man Ronan knew had always been clean-shaven, never had a hair out of place, and wore designer suits.
A smirk filled Brady’s face. The smarmy shite would smile on the other side of his face soon enough and then on the other side of prison bars. Stale nicotine and booze oozed from his pores.
“From what I hear, you’re all loved up.” Brady leaned against the open car door.
“Where’d you hear that?”
“Friends in low places. The stupid bitch didn’t vet anyone she hired. My man was in and out in a few hours. Told me all I needed to know. A few euros gets a lot of answers.” He rubbed his hands in glee. “She’s mental in bed, isn’t she? Not as good as your sister, mind you.” He rolled his shoulders. “I can still feel her nails on me back, and I have a few scars to prove it.”
“Hell would be too good for you. You’re a piece of dirt and deserve everything that’s coming to you.” Ronan’s nostrils flared and he curled his fist. Brady would push every button to get a reaction. Pounding him into the ground would be so easy and satisfying.
“Wire the money. Otherwise, my driver will beat you to a pulp, and I’ll tell every paper that’ll listen about Quinn’s scam. How I was the one who walked away from her. How I couldn’t live with the guilt anymore.”
“How do you sleep at night?” Ronan asked.
“I close my eyes.”
“Before I do anything for you, explain why you have it in for Quinn, for me?”
He shrugged and gave a cynical, lip-twisting smile. “Two birds. One stone. She told me to get out of her life—“”
“After you told her to blackmail her clients.”
Brady shifted from foot to foot, his eyes darting all around, never settling in one place. “Would’ve been a good money maker. She sent the police after me big time. As for you, I saw a chance to fuck with you so I took it.”
