“It wasn’t anything that wasn’t true,” Alandra cracked.
Natasha grabbed her jacket from near the door. “Well, I need to get to the hospital.” She moved closer to Alandra and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. In a loud whisper she said, “Girl, your description didn’t do him justice.” She opened the door and over her shoulder asked, “Tomorrow?”
Alandra nodded.
As soon as Natasha closed the door, Quinn asked, “You okay?” He stuck his hands in his jean’s pocket noticing the way she kept rubbing her neck and moving around anxiously.
“It’s nothing.” She turned to walk away, but stopped and looked at him. “Oh, and what happened when you first arrived, won’t happen again. We can’t go back. I’ll tell you everything you want to know, and then I think it best you stay away from me.”
Chapter Eight
“That’s not going to happen.” Quinn sauntered to the coat hooks near the door. He shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the wall next to hers before taking a seat on the sofa.
Why even bother? Alandra thought. Quinn did what Quinn wanted to do and everyone else be damned. She would admit the magnetic pull between them was overwhelmingly mesmeric, and downright powerful. She wanted that kiss as much as he had, and probably would have let it go on longer had it not been for her sister. Even now, with him sitting across the room, she felt his energy, and an unexplainable pull to be near him. And those eyes: dark, intense, and full of desire, staring at her were not helping. Every fiber of her being was in sync with him, but she would not fall under his spell. She would keep her head, and draw out her enemies, and then and only then would she decide on what to do about Quinn.
“Can I get you anything?”
When he shook his head, she sat in the upholstered chair across from him. Her first thought was to apologize about falling apart on him the night before, but bringing up last night would not be a good idea. She had struggled all day with memories of his hands caressing and teasing every inch of her body into submission.
“What was in the book you took from Isabella’s house last night?” he asked, interrupting her thoughts.
Alandra released a sigh of relief. She had no idea where to start and was glad he started with that question since she had been reading the book earlier in the day. She stood and grabbed the hardback from the kitchen counter and reclaimed her seat.
“Before she died, Isabella told me a couple of things. Her exact words were: government, CIA, and trust no one. She also mentioned this book Love and Warfare, and said something about a storage unit. When we were leaving and I saw the books by the bed, I had to look through them.” She handed the book to Quinn. “It’s about a prisoner of war on the run. He’s badly injured, but stumbles into a small village where he meets a young woman who nurses him back to health. They fall in love and he promises her a forever love, but eventually betrays her. She promises to make him pay for the pain he’s caused.”
Quinn raises an eyebrow. “You’ve read it?”
“No, but I heard about it. I was hoping to find some type of clue or information, but so far nothing.”
Quinn sifted through the pages. “What did she say about the storage unit and did you find anything on her cell phone?”
Alandra shook her head. “The only thing that stood out is that there were a couple of calls made to a telephone number with a 202 area code and several to a 703 area code in the last couple of days.”
“Washington, D.C. and maybe Virginia?”
Alandra nodded. “As for the storage unit, I couldn’t make out her words, and then…she died.” Alandra sucked in a deep breath and tugged at her sweater. The past forty-eight hours seemed unbelievable. Seeing Quinn after three years of being apart, getting out of Isabella’s house only seconds before it exploded, and her and Quinn’s night of passion all seemed like a dream.
Quinn stood and grasped her hand, carefully pulling her to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his body. “We’re going to figure this out, so stop worrying.”
She closed her eyes and breathed in his woodsy scent, finding comfort in his arms. He held her for the longest time and then placed a kiss against her temple.
“Thank you,” she said and reluctantly stepped out of his arms. They both reclaimed their seats.
“So why did you go to Florida after leaving Langley, Virginia?”
He definitely came prepared with questions, Alandra thought. She laid her head against the back of the chair and stared up at the ceiling. Quinn had apparently been doing his homework. Florida seemed like a lifetime ago, a time when her life changed for the worst.
“When I left Virginia,” she said without looking at him. “I had originally planned to hide out at Harry’s place in Sperryville, but I didn’t want him wrapped up in this mess. Whoever my accuser was and those investigating me, I didn’t want them to think that Harry was anything more than my boss.”
****
Quinn always wondered if there was more to her and Harry’s relationship. She often said Harry was like a father to her, but in Quinn’s opinion, Harry didn’t look at her very daughterly.
“So what was the plan when you arrived in Miami?”
“Mexico. I had planned to get lost in Mexico.” Seeing the look on his face, she quickly added, “Not Guerrero, but Cancun. I figured I could work odd jobs, and blend in with the natives.”
Had he come back to the U.S. and she wasn’t here, he would’ve moved heaven and earth to find her. If Harry wouldn’t have told him she was dead, they would not have lost three years of their life together. Quinn still wasn’t sure what he would do to Harry when he saw him, but he definitely planned to pay him a visit.
Quinn stood and trudged around the small space. He knew the next question might send her into a tail spend like the night before, but there was still so much he didn’t know.
He leaned against the wall closest to her chair and said, “I need you to tell me everything you remember from your time in Florida, until Tzbekystan.”
****
Alandra stood and moved around the room, looking at everything, but seeing nothing. This was harder than she thought it would be. She didn’t want to relive that time in her life, but talking about it was making her do just that. She stopped at the other end of the sofa from where Quinn sat, and leaned against the back of it.
“I received a phone call, on my cell two days after I arrived in Miami.” She cleared her throat and reclaimed her seat. Her nerves were getting the best of her. If she had to suffer through this story, she needed Quinn to believe her.
“I had no idea who the caller was, and could barely understand him. The connection was terrible, but I heard him say…you needed me.”
“Did they use my name?” Quinn sat on the arm of the sofa, facing her.
She shook her head no. “They said your boyfriend needs you.”
“How did you know it wasn’t a wrong number?”
“At first I thought it might be, but when I said you have the wrong number, they sounded frustrated and said, ‘he risked his life for you wouldn’t you do the same for him if he were in trouble?’”
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I have never been so afraid in all my life. When I heard you needed me, I thought the worse. I thought you had been hurt and couldn’t talk or walk. All types of scenarios ran through my mind.” She looked away and twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, a habit that started when she was a little girl.
Quinn gently squeezed her free hand. “Go on.”
She looked at him, tears clouding her vision. Her heart swelled at the way he caressed the back of her hand, giving her strength to keep talking.
“Baby, I need you to tell me everything so we can find these people.”
“But Quinn, this is not your battle, it’s mine. I don’t want you to get hurt trying to help me clean up my mess.”
He glanced down at their joined hands and then he looked her straight in the
eyes. “When are you going to understand - your battle is my battle? You’re my wife, and whatever someone does, or has done to you, they’ve done to me. Now go on, tell me the rest.”
For the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel alone. A bottomless sense of peace washed over her and she held out hope that he really would help her find these people.
She told him about the mystery caller who instructed her to pick up a boarding pass that would be waiting for her the next morning at the hotel’s front desk, for a flight to Germany that afternoon.
“I contacted Harry and told him my plans, and it was then he told me that I’d been cleared of all accusations regarding North Korea and that I could return home once I was back in the States.”
Quinn released her hand and stood to his full height. “We’re going to have to look further into this North Korea situation. It just doesn’t make sense. One day you’re being accused of selling secrets, then a couple of days later it’s like oops we made a mistake, sorry you can move on with your life. No.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t add up.”
Alandra’s heart plummeted. Here she was, being perfectly honest with him and he doubted her story.
“I’m telling you the truth,” she muttered angrily. “Everything I’m telling you is the truth.”
He looked down at her. “And I believe you. I’m just saying that there’s something suspicious about that North Korea situation.”
She relaxed her shoulders, surprised at how much she needed and wanted Quinn’s trust.
“Tell me what happened when you got to Germany.”
“When I arrived at the airport there was a driver with a sign with my name on it, and he escorted me out of the airport.” Alandra massaged the back of her neck. “I remember handing over my bag just before getting into a dark sedan with tinted windows, but I don’t remember anything after that.”
“So you don’t know how you arrived in Tzbekystan?” Quinn leaned against the sofa. “It’s over 400 kilometers, and several hours from Germany. The country is no bigger than a dot on the map, how is it that you show up exactly where I am…at the exact time I…”
Alandra shrugged. “I don’t know. But Quinn you have to believe me. When I woke up, I was in this small village, lying on a concrete bench in a room just a little larger than this one. My hands and feet were bound. The room was dark with just enough light for me to see two armed men wearing masks standing over me. I remember initially being scared to death, but then they said they would take me to you.”
The more she shared, the more she wanted to share. She needed for him to know what she’d gone through, how afraid she was and how determined she was to get to him.
“They put me in a truck right before they blindfolded me. I remember riding for what seemed like ten minutes over a bumpy terrain, and then they dropped me near a wooded area, giving me a hand-held GPS that led me to you.”
****
Quinn stood near her, his gaze on the floor unable to look at her. For the longest time he said nothing, not trusting his voice to speak. Someone had gone to great lengths to make a statement. All this time he thought the target was her, but now he wasn’t so sure. Whoever did this not only had access to classified information, but most likely had military experience, and definitely connections with the U.S. government. Deep connections. That’s the only way they could have known where he would be. He recalled it being an unusual op from the beginning, and now it just got more suspicious.
“Quinn, please say something,” Alandra pleaded in a small voice, her teary eyes searching his. “I swear I’m telling the truth.”
“Baby, I believe you.” He pulled her roughly into his arms, holding her tighter than he probably should. He kissed the top of her head before brushing some curls away from her face. “We are going to find who did this, and I promise you, everyone involved will pay.”
****
Alandra didn’t know how long Quinn stood holding her in his strong arms, but she wasn’t going to complain. Right now, she was where she wanted to be, where she needed to be. And she wasn’t going to fight him anymore. If he wanted to help, she’d let him. He was right. Someone had to pay for what they did to her. For what they did to them.
After another kiss on top of her head, Quinn stepped back and reached for her hand. He guided her over to the sofa.
“Unfortunately, there are still some things I don’t understand,” he said.
Alandra sat down wishing they could talk about something else. She just wanted this to be over, all of it. She didn’t want to talk any more or answer any more questions. Most of all, she didn’t want to think about that time in her life.
“Baby, I know this can’t be easy, but I need to know everything or at least as much as you remember. How did you get to California? And what kept you from telling me you were still alive?”
She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths before she looked at Quinn. She couldn’t tell him the real reason she’d stayed away, at least not yet. Not until she was sure he knew how much she loved him. “I never meant to hurt you. Hindsight, maybe I should have found a way to let you know I was still alive, but Harry—”
“Harry? What in the hell does he have to do with this?”
Alandra placed her hand on Quinn’s knee, feeling tension permeate from his body. Even after all of these years, he still had a beef with Harry. There was no way he could be jealous of their relationship.
“If it weren’t for Harry and Isabella, I wouldn’t be alive.”
Quinn rubbed his forehead and then stood suddenly, pacing the the length of the room. He clenched and unclenched his jaw, but said nothing. He should be happy someone was able to get her out alive, but apparently he wasn’t.
“What role did Harry play in all of this?” Quinn finally stopped and faced her.
Alandra folded her arms across her chest, wondering what difference it made as long as she was alive. “He arranged medical care for me in Germany until I was well enough to be transported to the U.S. I don’t remember much about those first few months, but he made sure I had the best medical treatment.”
“Why?”
Alandra leaped from the sofa, her fisted hands slammed on her hips. “What do you mean why? I owe that man my life. You should be happy I had someone to look after me during that time.”
“I want to know why he told me you were dead!” Quinn’s voice rose with every word as he inched toward her. “Harry knew - if no one else knew - he knew what you meant to me. I want to know why he took it upon himself to help you these last few years, and I sure as hell want to know what he got out of it,” Quinn ground out, his face a glowering mask of rage.
“Wait a minute. I don’t think I like what you’re insinuating.” She jabbed her finger against his rock hard chest. “Are you suggesting Harry had an ulterior motive for helping me or are you accusing me of having an affair with him? What exactly are you saying here, Quinn?”
Now it was her turn to be angry. Since the day her and Quinn met she hadn’t thought of being with anyone besides him, especially not Harry. Her dad died in combat when she was still in school, so having Harry in her life filled a void. He was the closest thing she had to a father. How dare Quinn make their relationship out to be something other than what it was - platonic.
“Come on, Lan. You’re a smart woman. Don’t tell me this hasn’t crossed your mind.” Quinn’s tone was patronizing. “Why would Harry lie about you being dead – to me? Why would he lie?”
He seemed to ask the last question mainly to himself, but Alandra wasn’t sure. Harry never wanted to talk about the past, claiming it wasn’t healthy for her to think about that time in her life.
“I can imagine what your medical expenses were, especially with no health insurance. Are you telling me he covered the bill, no strings attached?”
“Quinn –”
He turned abruptly, anger now replaced with anguish. “I should have been the one caring for you - caring for my wife. But that asshole
took that away from me the day he told me you were dead.”
Alandra didn’t know what to say. Harry had always treated her with the utmost respect. As for standing by her during her recovery, she wasn’t sure what his intentions were, but she was glad he had come through. She understood why he didn’t want anyone to know she was alive since it seemed someone definitely wanted her dead, but she did think it odd that he wanted her to drop the idea of finding her killer and finding out why someone accused her of selling government secrets.
Quinn walked around her and sat on the edge of the sofa, his elbows on his knees, and his attention on his interlocked fingers. “Does Harry know you’re here?”
Alandra ambled over and sat next to him. “I didn’t tell him.” Leary of touching Quinn, she took her chances and looped her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder. When he didn’t pull away she said, “I stayed away because I thought my reappearance into your life would somehow put you in danger. I honestly believed you were better off if these people thought I was dead.”
“Because that’s what Harry told you.”
Alandra hesitated before speaking. “Yes, because he told me whoever tried to kill me might come after me again, as well as you if they found out I was alive.”
“So who knows you’ve resurfaced?”
“You … and my sister, Natasha.”
“What about the rest of your family?”
She shook her head against his shoulder. She hoped to reconnect with her other sister who lived in Europe and some friends from her past, but she didn’t want to risk putting anyone else’s life in danger.
Before either she or Quinn could say anything else, Quinn’s phone vibrated. She pulled away from him and at first it didn’t seem as if he would answer, but at the last second he pulled it out of his pocket.
“Yeah.”
He didn’t say anything for several minutes and just listened to the caller. Alandra shifted in her seat and hugged her arms around herself while she watched Quinn. There was so much she didn’t know about him. How did he spend his days now that he didn’t work for the government? Was he still a big eater and beer drinker? Based on his tight muscles and flat abs, it was no doubt he still worked out like a madman. But what she really wanted to know - was he involved with anyone? He wasn’t the type of man to be serious about one woman, yet sleep with another. But had he done that last night? She could only hope there wasn’t another woman in his life.
Rendezvous with Danger (Reunited Series) Page 9
