Blade would have liked to listen to the conversation, but so far there’d been nothing of substance. The man was yelling about projections and suppliers, but that was it.
The elevator doors closed and the car started to move.
Quinn exhaled slowly. “I almost expected him to change his mind.”
“Does he do that often?”
“It’s a control issue. So yes, he does. He likes to keep everyone in a state of uncertainty. It’s his superpower.”
He hated that he couldn’t see her eyes. “And you had no clue about any of this before you married him?”
“Nope. He’s actually quite charming when he wants to be. I kept thinking there had to be a mistake, actually. Why was he interested in me? He’s rich, he could have anyone. So why me?”
“And what conclusion have you come to?”
“That I was profoundly unlucky to attract his attention in the first place. And vulnerable. He wouldn’t have succeeded had I not been in a certain frame of mind.”
He didn’t have to ask what she meant. He knew Quinn, and he knew that even with her weight loss and success, the same uncertain girl had probably lurked within. Her parents had never given her much encouragement, and they’d always harped on her weight. So to meet a man who doted on her? Yeah, it was no wonder Halliday had succeeded.
“Do you have a prenup?”
She snorted. “Of course. I mean I’d get a substantial amount, at least I think so, but I have no claim on his businesses or the majority of his fortune.”
“He has a son with his previous wife.”
“He does. Darrin. He just graduated college a few months ago, and Hunter brought him into the company. But he has no authority over anything. He’s mostly a glorified mail boy right now, I think.”
“And how does he feel about you?”
“I don’t really know. He’s polite when we meet for events. But not overly so. Truthfully, I’m not sure he’s a fan of his father. He doesn’t go out of his way to come home for holidays or any of that.”
“He’s the heir?”
“I assume so. Hunter hired him so he could teach him the business, though I don’t think he’s taught him much of anything just yet.”
The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. Blade preceded Quinn out of the car, assessing their surroundings. There was security in the building, but his job was to be suspicious. Nothing was out of place, however, and they walked toward the exit and the car that was waiting there.
Blade handed her inside and then got in beside her.
The driver turned to them. “Where to, madam?”
“The Landmark,” she said, naming a large designer shopping mall.
Blade didn’t like the idea of going to such a big place, but it was upscale and very public. Two hours would have never been enough if they’d had to stick to Hunter’s original timeline.
The car merged into traffic, and she pressed a button to make the glass slide up between them and the driver. Blade turned to her.
“Is that a good idea?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m not going to have him spying on me while I talk to you.”
“Fair enough.” Except that Hunter was unpredictable as hell. If the driver told him she’d put the window up, he might explode. Or he might not give a fuck, so long as there was nothing else to report.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said, glasses still on her face. Still obscuring her eyes. He wanted to tear them off but he wouldn’t. That would certainly give the driver something to talk about.
“I’m glad we met up again.”
“I wish you’d stayed in touch.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“I texted you a few times and you never answered.”
“I’m sorry. I lost my phone. I didn’t have anything backed up, and I lost your number. I could have searched Facebook, I know, but I just never got around to it.” He sighed. “My job is kinda intense, Quinn. I’m gone a lot. I never know where I’ll be next, so it’s hard to stay in touch with anyone. Still, I’m sorry I didn’t try better to keep up with you.”
He kind of thought maybe, if he’d still been in her life, she wouldn’t have married Hunter Halliday. Though that was probably just a certain kind of arrogance on his part, because why wouldn’t she? It wasn’t like the two of them had ever been an item. He’d never even thought about it.
But she had. He’d known it in high school, but he hadn’t felt the same way. And not just because she was chubby. She’d been like a little sister to him back then. He’d felt protective of her, nothing more.
Besides, he hadn’t been interested in any relationships that might tie him to one place. He’d gone out with girls, but never more than a couple of times. He didn’t want to get stuck. It’d been an odd way to feel, maybe, but his parents always told him to be careful—don’t get a girl pregnant, don’t fall for your high school sweetheart, and don’t think you’ve got your life figured out before you even reach adulthood.
“I appreciate that. I wish you’d been around when I started working out. You were my best friend. My only friend really. And you weren’t there to share the journey with.”
“You started a fitness blog.”
She turned her head. “Yes, I did. I had to document my journey somewhere.”
“You brought hope to people going through the same thing.”
“How do you know that?”
“I read some of it. I wanted to know who you’d become.”
She snorted. “I became a ghost, Adam. Nothing but a ghost.”
“After you married Halliday. Not before.”
Her chin quivered. “Maybe I was always a ghost. I never felt like much else.” She shook her head suddenly. “You know what? Don’t listen to me. I shouldn’t be complaining, right? I’m married to a man who’s richer than God. Even if he’s an asshole, I’ve got more money and privilege than most people will ever have. And maybe if I tried harder…”
His blood boiled. “No. Fucking no. That’s what abused women say, Quinn. If I’d tried harder, been better, done things differently. He may not hit you, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t abused.”
She turned her head away. Her shoulders started to shake, and then she went stiff. “No,” she hissed. “No, I won’t cry.”
A horrible thought occurred to him then. Because her reaction was so extreme. “Does he hit you?” He tried to keep his voice soft, but the lump in his throat made it hoarse instead. His brain ached. His chest hurt. His heart careened like it was out of control on a slalom course.
She didn’t face him. Her entire body trembled. He could see the quivering all along the lines of her form. He wanted to crush Hunter Halliday between his fists. He wanted to hit and punch and jab and kick.
“Sometimes. Not often. I’ve learned not to provoke him.” She spun around, her damned eyes still behind the glasses. “He never punched me or anything. Just a slap here or there, when he was angry. It’s not like I’m a battered wife.”
Fucking motherfucker. Blade squeezed his eyes closed for a second. Clenched his jaw. Fixed her with a hard stare. “Quinn,” he whispered, his throat so damned tight it hurt to talk. “Honey. Jesus. If the man hits you, you’re battered. Do you understand me? There are no degrees of abuse. Anyone who thinks it’s okay to slap you around a little bit when he’s angry with you is a wife-beating motherfucker, okay? It’s not your fault, and there’s nothing you did to cause it. It’s his fault for being an abusive dick, understand?”
She nodded slowly, sucking in a breath, her nostrils flaring. “I…” She swallowed. “I want to cry right now but I won’t. I can’t. The driver. Hunter pays him to spy on me. If I get hysterical, and I will if I let the first tear fall, he’ll tell Hunter.”
“I hate that you’re in this situation. Fucking hate it.” He wanted to kill Ian Black and Colonel Mendez, and he wanted to thank them too. He was here and he hated this shit, but he had to know.
And he had to save Quinn.
There was no doubt in his mind now. He was getting the information they wanted and then he was leaving. But he wasn’t leaving without Quinn. Consequences be damned.
Quinn sucked in a few deep breaths, willing herself not to cry. She’d felt more in the past few hours with Blade—she had to think of him that way so she didn’t screw up and call him Adam in front of Hunter—than she’d let herself feel in months. Maybe longer. Quinn kept her eyes on the colorful sights of Hong Kong and worked to find her calm place again. She’d repressed so much for so long, and now she was having a hard time keeping her emotions inside.
She’d confessed that Hunter slapped her sometimes. She’d honestly convinced herself that it was her fault, that if she’d been more careful or less mouthy or something, it wouldn’t have happened. She knew he was a volatile man, so why didn’t she work harder to be less annoying to him?
But then Blade said what he had and something inside her broke free. She’d known—known—that what Hunter did to her was wrong. But she’d convinced herself that she was the one who was incorrect, the one who needed to be careful what she said or did. He was an asshole and she knew that, so why push him to the point he physically retaliated?
A smarter woman wouldn’t let it happen. That’s what she told herself. And it made her feel so stupid and inconsequential when she thought those things. She’d been convincing herself she was at fault, but Blade was right—she wasn’t. It was Hunter’s moral failing that was the problem, not hers.
They didn’t speak for the rest of the journey. Because she couldn’t. She had to get herself together before they arrived at the mall, and then she had to keep herself together for the rest of the afternoon. Hell, for longer than that.
Because she wasn’t free to be herself, and she didn’t know if she would be ever again. She was stuck, and yet Blade gave her hope. Just by being here, he gave her hope. He’d saved her in high school—could he save her again? Would he?
That was the million-dollar question. She didn’t know the answer. He was a different person now, a bodyguard in the hire of her husband, so who knew what he might do?
Except that he’d been so angry just now, when she’d confessed what Hunter did to her, that she had to believe he cared. A little bit anyway.
They reached the mall and the driver let them out near the main entrance before going to park somewhere and wait for a call to retrieve them. Blade escorted her inside, his hand against the small of her back as they went through the doors. The contact was light, but it burned into her. It was persistent, and she could do nothing but focus on his touch. It was impersonal, yet still. It made her blood sing and her heart soar and her brain hope. So damned much hope.
He stayed close to her as they walked, but he let his hand drop when they reached the more public areas of the mall. “Are you okay?” he asked softly as she tucked her sunglasses into her purse with trembling hands.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re shaking.”
“I’m nervous.”
He frowned. “Why? I’ll protect you from harm. Swear to God.”
“I know you will. It’s not that. It’s just—” Her eyes searched his. They were so serious. So concerned. Her heart skipped and flipped and her stomach fluttered. “I can’t afford to hope, Blade. I can’t think I’m going to escape somehow, that you’re going to get me out of this. I can’t want that because…” She sucked in a breath. “Because if it doesn’t happen, I think I’ll die.”
He reached for her hand. Squeezed it in his larger one. His skin was warm, rough in spots. “If you want out, I’ll get you out.”
Her heart skipped. And then her stomach dropped because what if he meant something drastic…? “I don’t want you to hurt him,” she said quickly. “I just want a divorce. My own life back. Somewhere far away from him.”
His eyes widened. Then he laughed. “Quinn, I’m not a hit man. I won’t touch a hair on Hunter Halliday’s worthless head—okay, fuck, that’s a lie. If he gives me an excuse, I’ll punch him in the damn face. But I won’t kill him. It’s not what I do.”
The relief rolling through her was palpable. “I’m glad to hear it. And I’m sorry if I thought you might, but Adam—Blade—I remember what you did to those boys that day. They weren’t in school for a week.”
“They deserved it for the shit they said to you.” He shook his head. “You hear me? They said ugly things to you and I beat their asses. Hunter Halliday hit you—you think I don’t want to fucking beat him into a pulp? I’d like to throw him off that balcony he threatened to throw me off.”
“What? He did that? Why?”
Blade laughed. “Don’t worry about it, Quinn. He said he’d throw me off if I took a shine to you.”
He heart stuttered. “Oh God. You need to be careful, Blade. If he thinks you’re getting too close to me—he’ll do something drastic.”
Blade put his hands on her arms, squeezed. She loved that he was touching her, and it also terrified her. What if someone was watching?
“Hunter Halliday is no match for me, sweetheart. None at all.”
She frowned. Then she broke free of his grasp and socked him in the arm. Lightly, but enough to get his attention. “You listen to me, you big jerk. You’re my friend. Probably my best friend ever in spite of the fact you ghosted me, and I don’t want Hunter to know anything about it. I don’t want to give him any reason to take you away from me—so don’t you go glaring at him or threatening him or anything. Just find a way to get me away from him, okay?”
His brows drew low. He looked angry and frustrated all at once. His nostrils flared. Then he nodded. “I promise you, Quinn. I won’t do anything suspicious, I won’t get myself fired—and I’m getting you out of here if it’s the last thing I do. I’ve got your back. Same as always.”
She wanted to throw her arms around him and hug him tight. But she didn’t. She took another step back, just in case, her heart hammering and her throat aching. “Let’s go shopping then. Help me find what I need for this stupid party. Then we can get back and pretend not to know one another.”
“You got it.”
Chapter Seven
Blade kept a close eye on Quinn and their surroundings, but when she was safely in a store and talking with the salesperson about what she needed, he retreated a few steps and made a call.
Ian Black answered on the second ring. “Whatcha got, pumpkin?”
Blade rolled his eyes. Black loved to push as far as he could. The man was acerbic as hell. “Nothing much. I need to disable some cameras, or tap in and redirect them. Whatever you can give me. I can’t search the premises until we do that.”
“All right. Can you put the system to sleep or take it down first? I’ll send a technician and we’ll get the job done.”
“I’m sure I can. But I’ll need the recordings reset or he’ll see that it was me.”
“No problem. How soon you need it?”
“I can probably get in there tonight.”
“We’ve got a bug on Halliday’s phone. I’ll make sure the service call is routed where we need it to go. You take it down temporarily and I’ll get control of it.”
“I’ll ping you when it’s done.”
“How’s it going so far?”
Blade watched Quinn talking to the salesgirls as they helped her choose decorations for the party. She was elegant, graceful. She’d always been graceful, even when she was overweight. She moved with a fluidity that he’d always found fascinating. She hadn’t lost it. If anything, it was more apparent now that she’d shed the extra weight. Not that a woman needed to be thin to be beautiful. She only needed to be comfortable in her own skin. Quinn hadn’t been. Now she was, and it was an awesome sight to see.
“Challenging.”
“Not sure I like the sound of that.”
Blade frowned, his gut churning as he thought about his conversation with Quinn. “Did you know that Halliday hits her? That she’s basically a prisoner in his house?”
There w
as silence on the other end for a long moment. Blade didn’t quite know what to make of that.
“I knew he wasn’t letting her go, but no, I didn’t know he hit her. Motherfucker.” The man sounded vicious. Blade liked that because it was exactly how he felt.
“Yeah, exactly.”
“You okay?”
“Not entirely. Quinn was my friend. Like a little sister to me. She doesn’t deserve what she got when she married Halliday.”
“Is she still like a little sister to you?”
Hardly. “We lost touch, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about her.”
“Hmm. So she doesn’t know what her hubby is up to?”
Blade hesitated. Did he think she had a clue? No, he didn’t. He’d considered that she could be playing him, but there was no way she was that good an actress. His Quinn had always worn her heart on her sleeve. Besides, she was too uncertain of herself to be that diabolical. She just didn’t have the confidence. Never had.
“My gut says no.”
“But you don’t know for certain?”
“No. But I trust my gut.”
“You’re compromised by your feelings for this girl.”
Blade wanted to lash out and punch something. “Maybe I am—so why the fuck did you send me? You knew what could happen.”
“Because I don’t have time for someone else to gain her trust. You are the logical choice. Don’t fuck this up, Garrison.”
“Jesus, I won’t. But I’m telling you Quinn isn’t involved. She hates that asshole. If she knew he was committing treason, she’d spill the details just so she could be free of him.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am.”
“Then get the goods and get the fuck out as soon as you can. We’ll arrest his ass and she’ll be free.”
She’d be free before that if he had anything to say about it. “Copy that.”
“Garrison,” Ian Black said before he could hang up.
HOT SEAL Target Page 5
