****
The beep of his cell phone brought Quinn awake with a start. Alert, he cast a glance at the empty room and cursed. He climbed out of bed and hurried to the kitchen where his phone vibrated and let out a blip. Snatching it up he punched a button then put it to his ear. “What?”
“Missing someone?” Kell asked.
“Not funny. Where the hell is she?”
“Standing by the road.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Just standing there?”
“Looks like she’s waiting for something. Everything go okay over there last night?”
Remembering Avery’s nightmare and how they’d slept together, which shouldn’t have happened, he said, “I’ve got it handled.”
“Want me to bring her back?”
Jaw clenched, he stared out the window at the storm front stalled in the distance. “I’ll do it.”
Kell clicked off and Quinn squeezed the phone in his fist. Before he broke it he released his grip, grabbed his keys and stalked out the front door.
Didn’t steal my truck this time.
Thick, humid air hit him, carrying the scent of rain. To the west the sky was almost black with the impending storm.
With a scowl he climbed in, slammed the door closed and maneuvered down the driveway.
A lone figure stood at the end of the narrow lane that consisted of his driveway. As Quinn slowed to a stop behind Avery, he saw her back go ramrod straight.
“What are you doing out here?” He left the truck idling and strode to her side.
She continued to stare at the deserted country road without answering.
“Avery?”
“Go away, Quinn. I’m waiting for my cab. I’m going home.” Still, she didn’t look at him. Her hands clenched at her sides.
He fought a stab of jealousy. “Cedar Falls doesn’t have a cab service.”
“I know. One is driving up from Trenton.”
Fifty miles, one-way. How did she intend to pay? Lucky for him there wasn’t a cab service in town or he’d be on his way to Manhattan right now.
“What are you doing, Avery?”
Her head snapped around. “Going home. Where I belong. I have a life to get back to. A business to run. Funerals of my own to attend.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Damn it. I have to. I can’t stay here.”
He sent her a hard look. “The IPA has targeted you and they won’t stop until you’re dead. You aren’t going anywhere.”
“You can’t force me to stay here. I didn’t hire you.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not leaving you until the threat is gone.”
To his surprise, her lower lip trembled and tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away and set her mouth in a stubborn line.
“Will you get in the truck?”
“Why are you doing this?” she burst out.
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
He took a step closer. “It’s what I do.”
Her shoulders hitched and she looked up at the sky. Quinn’s gaze ran over her profile, the bruise along her jaw he hadn’t noticed before, her gaunt cheekbones. Slender already, she looked too thin, too delicate. They’d probably fed her just enough to keep her coherent. There were a number of things that could be used as a torture device. And this woman survived all of them for three days. Then had the courage to stand up to his family and fight for him.
Something tight and uncomfortable settled in his chest, along with a healthy dose of pride. Avery Marks was one of the strongest women he had ever met. Beautiful to boot.
And engaged.
He took a mental step back. “We’re going to get rained on if we stay out here.”
Her gaze met his. “I’m not happy about this.”
“Dually noted.”
Her shoulders rose and fell with a heavy sigh. “I need to cancel my cab.”
“You can use my cell.”
She nodded before climbing in the truck. He strode around to the driver’s side and slid in next to her. They drove in silence to his cabin with the windows rolled down. The humidity building with the oncoming storm made the heat uncomfortable. After he parked, Avery got out and walked gingerly up the steps and through the screen door.
Quinn sat there for a moment, watching her. Pride held her head high and straightened her shoulders even as she limped. Stubborn will and determination kept her going. Commendable, and his fault she had no one to lean on right now. She needed family. He already knew from her file she had no other family besides her aunt, and a call would only put Avery and her aunt in danger.
His family surrounded him. Despite Ryan’s death being his fault, he knew his family would one day forgive him. He was damned lucky to have them. Even if being one short left a hole in his chest.
Before that hole engulfed him, Quinn pushed out of the truck and strode across the porch to hold the door open for Avery. Once he got her settled he would head over to his parents’ to check on them. His brothers would be in and out in shifts and Bailey was camped outside their bedroom door. Maybe he would have Kell come over to keep an eye on Avery while he was gone. That way she wouldn’t take off again.
He joined her in the kitchen. She sat at the small oak table, a frown darkening her face.
“Hungry?” he asked on his way to the fridge.
“No.”
He opened the door to find a Tupperware bowl of pasta salad, and another with barbeque chicken. God love his mom, she always packed the fridge for them while they were away. Every time they came home there was homemade food in her favorite containers just so she would get them back. Save the one who didn’t return Mom’s Tupperware.
He pulled the bowls out and set them on the counter so he could grab a couple plates. After filling them he set one in front of Avery. Her gaze landed on the plate. Indecision flashed across her face as she picked up her fork. At first she pushed food around her plate, but then she took a hesitant bite. Quinn suspected she feared her stomach would reject the food so she ate carefully.
They ate in silence for few minutes before she spoke. “What do we do now?”
Quinn rose to his feet. “When you’re ready, I need to know all the details of your kidnapping.”
Without giving her time to respond, he carried his plate to the sink. He put the leftovers back in the fridge and turned to see Avery standing behind him with her dishes. She put them in the sink with his, but didn’t turn around to face him. The set of her shoulders showed her unease.
He wanted to touch her, shoulder the pain so she didn’t have to, but he remained in place. Avery was a proud woman. He wouldn’t take what she had left.
“They came out of nowhere. Blew up the second car with a missile before we even knew what hit us. Then they shot Scott, my driver, and he died saving Macy and I.” Her breath shuddered out. “I was captured. I escaped when they transferred me. You rescued me. End of story.”
Cliffs Notes, and not the end of that story. She hid so much more. Seventy-two hours of more. Her bruises and nightmares proved it. All this did was raise more questions. Like where were they transferring her to? And why?
It took courage for her to escape. To survive. He wanted to know every detail, everything she’d locked inside.
The knowledge caught him off guard and he took a mental step back. He would not cross that line. Avery was his job. Engaged to boot. She could be no more. That was Rule Number One for the Wolff brothers. Never get involved with a charge. Not only was it stupid, it was dangerous. One distraction could get someone killed. And they sure as hell didn’t need another loss. His head needed to be in the game, not thinking about sex.
Quinn took a physical step back. Where the hell had that come from?
Avery turned around to face him. He must have looked a little spooked because her brows pulled down in a curious frown. “Quinn?”
“I have to go to my parents’ house. Kell will be here in a few minutes
.” With that he walked out the door.
****
Bewildered, Avery jumped when the front door banged shut. One minute she and Quinn discussed what happened in Azbakastan and the next his truck roared down the driveway.
Deflated, she leaned back against the counter and rubbed her aching head. She hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep. The few bites of food she’d eaten settled like a rock in her stomach. Her bodyguard had just left her alone. Wasn’t that against the—
The front door opened. Startled, she turned around to see Kell striding toward her. “That was fast,” she said. “I didn’t hear you drive up.”
“I ran over.”
She looked down at his running shoes. “You must live on the lake too?”
“Through the woods.”
“Of course.”
Anxious for something to do, Avery started stacking dishes on the counter. “I really don’t need a babysitter.”
Kell came to stand beside her. He pulled open a drawer and grabbed a towel. The fresh, woodsy scent of the outdoors drifted past her nose. She had noticed it on the plane too.
“I’m not a babysitter. I’m your personal security specialist.”
Avery filled the sink with water, fully aware Quinn had a dishwasher, but she didn’t want idle hands. Memories invaded during those times. “I thought Quinn was my bodyguard.”
“The Wolffs come as a package deal. When one of us is away the others cover. That okay with you?”
“I suppose.” She knelt down to look under the sink for dish soap. When she found a small bottle she swished it into the water and put it back.
They did the dishes in silence, with her washing and rinsing and Kell drying and putting them away. There weren’t many, so it didn’t take long. She felt like she was under the microscope with Kell’s watchful eyes and wished he would go away. His scrutiny put her on edge.
“Can I ask you a question?” Kell asked once they had finished.
Avery hung the dishcloth over the faucet to dry and shrugged. “All right.”
“Do you really believe you’re responsible for Ryan?”
Whatever she’d expected, it wasn’t that. She turned to look at him. “How can you ask me that?”
His dark eyes studied her carefully. “You didn’t put the bullet in his chest.”
“Neither did you. Or Quinn.” She was good and angry now. “How could you let him shoulder the blame? You just stood there and let him do it.” She poked him in the chest with her finger. “You should all be ashamed of yourselves, making Quinn carry that burden alone.”
The look he gave her was mixed with curiosity, admiration, and disbelief. “Don’t worry about Quinn. This is something he has to do.”
Stunned he would let his own brother suffer alone, Avery glared at him. “Says who? You? The family? What kind of messed up excuse is that?”
“Avery, calm down. I’m not arguing with you.”
She knocked his hand away from her arm. “That doesn’t make things right. I’m the one your family should hate. Not Quinn. And you should support him.”
Angry, she spun around and stalked to her bedroom. As she went she heard Kell mutter, “That’s what I’m doing.”
She slammed the door and shut him out.
Chapter Seven
Quinn stepped into his parents’ house, the invisible band around his chest clamped tight. He heard the low murmur of voices coming from the back of the house and followed the sound. Bailey came in the sliding doors as he went out. She stopped short when she saw him.
“Quinn.” She pushed him back through the door into the hallway and cast a glance over her shoulder before closing the door behind her.
Braced for a tirade, Quinn squared his shoulders. His sister wasn’t one to hide her feelings. Or her temper.
She stared at him a moment before throwing her arms around his neck in a hug. “You big, stupid oaf.”
With a frown, he returned the hug. Where was his ass chewing?
Bailey leaned away and squeezed his forearm. “Heard you took a bullet in the arm. You all right?”
“Only a scratch. What—”
She pressed a finger to his lips to silence him. “Stop right there. What you did was really stupid, big brother. I won’t let you carry this on your shoulders like you did when we were kids. What happened wasn’t your fault.” Her voice hitched on the last sentence but she refused the tears shining in her smoky gray-green eyes.
Quinn shook his head, unable to say the words. She was wrong. He’d broken his promise.
Bailey smacked his arm. “God, you’re stubborn.” She grabbed his hand and led him into the kitchen. “Sit.”
He dropped onto one of the stools at the island bar while she opened the cupboard and pulled out a glass pitcher. She set it on a colorful striped plastic serving tray and reached into the cupboard for glasses. “I wanted to talk to you alone before you do anything crazy like blame yourself for the destruction of the ozone layer or something.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Bailey turned with a stack of plastic cups sporting the same stripe pattern as the serving tray. “Yes, it is,” she said pointedly and set the glasses next to the pitcher.
He knew what she was trying to do, but it wouldn’t work. Ryan’s death was his fault. Too late to change that.
“Tell me how it happened.” The request, spoken softly, hung between them.
“Sis, no.”
Her gaze met his. “I want to know.”
“No, you don’t.”
She slapped a palm on the counter. “Damn it, Quinn, stop treating me like a child. I deserve to know.”
Quinn stared back at her. Behind her bravado, pain lingered. She hurt like the rest of them, but did she need to know this?
“You’re going to tell the others.”
He couldn’t argue with that. By ‘others’ she meant their brothers. They protected her from what they did. She didn’t need to know the danger they lived every day. Par for the course and every one of them accepted that.
When he met his sister’s gaze he saw the scared little girl who had gone missing for three days instead of a strong, independent woman. All he wanted to do was protect her now like he hadn’t when she was ten.
“How was he shot?” Bailey asked quietly.
“How do you know he was shot?”
“I didn’t.”
Quinn scrubbed a hand over his face. Damn her. She was too smart for her own good. “That was low,” he muttered.
Unrepentant, she filled the pitcher with water and reached for the tea bags on the counter behind her. “You wouldn’t tell me otherwise.” She unwrapped a tea bag and dropped it in. “Did he suffer?”
A knife lanced his chest. The kill shot had been instant. “No.” The word came out on a ragged breath.
“And you—you tried to save him?”
“I used every tool in my arsenal.” He choked on the words and cleared his throat. All his specialized medical training and he couldn’t save his brother from a single gunshot wound.
“I know you did. I just…needed to hear it.” Her gaze remained focused on her task. “Is that woman really to blame?”
“No.”
A pause. “Who is she?”
Time to walk the minefield. “Avery Marks. My charge.”
Bailey’s eyes widened. “Oh my God, Quinn. It’s her fault.”
“She didn’t fire the bullet, Bailey.”
Anger flashed across her face. “Not directly. It’s her fault Ryan was in Azbakastan in the first place.”
“That’s not fair and you know it. It’s the nature of the job. The risk is always there.”
“I can’t believe you’re defending her.” Her voice trembled with fury.
“I made the call. I’m the one who sent Ryan to his death. It’s on me, Bailey. Avery did nothing wrong.” His voice dropped to barely a whisper.
“What do you mean ‘sent him’ to his death?”
“Nothing.” He raked
a hand through his hair. “Let it go.”
“No. You tell me what you meant.”
The desperation in her voice hit him full in his chest. He understood her need to know. The plea for closure.
“Quinn.”
He lifted a hard gaze to hers. Bailey hated being left in the dark. She insisted they treat her as an equal and not as that ten-year-old girl who couldn’t defend herself. Her need to overcome that sense of powerlessness drove her to Evan so he could teach her self-defense and Jiu-Jitsu and the rest of them to share their combat skills. How could they deny her need to take back what she lost? As much as they’d wanted to shield her from this life, they eventually came to terms with it and gave their sister what she needed instead of what they needed.
“I gave the order to send Ryan and Avery to the chopper. My decision got Ryan shot because it was there they ran into trouble. I made the call and our brother is gone because of it. End of story.” He choked on the last few words and rose abruptly from his chair, almost toppling it.
Tears shone in Bailey’s eyes. “Ryan took a bullet meant for her?”
This was the minefield he navigated and he’d just stepped on an AP. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you know I did this. Not Avery.” It would be easy to put the blame on Avery. Hell, he had done it. But, when he could think more clearly he’d accepted his fate. Not hers.
“What did she do? Who is this woman? What was worth our brother’s life?” The torment in Bailey’s voice echoed through his head.
The words cut through him. He understood her anger and pain, her need to blame someone. He wouldn’t let Avery suffer for it. She suffered enough.
“Was it worth it, Quinn?”
For Avery, yes. He nodded his answer and watched Bailey withdraw, physically and emotionally.
“Explain that to Dani.” She walked out of the room.
Quinn let out a weary breath. Maybe he should go. Tackle this tomorrow. He turned to leave and stopped short when he saw his parents, Chris, and Nate standing there. Silent tears ran down his mother’s cheeks. Behind her, his dad stood tall and strong, the rock that held the family together. Anger flashed in Chris’s eyes, his hands fisted at his sides. Nate’s expression was masked.
Maximum Risk Page 8
