Under the Gun (CEP Book 3)

by Harper Bentley

  They both looked to where Gunner was talking to one of the stagehands who was showing him how the curtains worked.

  Quinn got giddy with her sister and raved along with her. “I know! Look at him!”

  “I’m happy for you, sis.”

  Quinn smiled. “Thanks, honey. So you and Sebastian are doing okay then?”

  Jodi smiled back. “Good. Really good. I know you didn’t like him at first, but he’s a good guy, Quinn. Trust me, okay?”

  “I do trust you. Just looking out for you is all.”

  “I know. But everything’s been going great. I think I’m in love.”

  Shocked, Quinn responded, “But you’re just a baby!”

  Jodi huffed. “I’m twenty-three, Quinn.”

  “Like I said! A baby!”

  Jodi rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Just be happy for me.”

  Quinn looked at her sister amazed at how grown up she’d gotten. “I am. Just be… just make sure he treats you right.”

  Saturday morning, Gunner took Quinn to the gym with him. She’d gone just to watch, but he put her to work making her first get on a treadmill with him.

  “I have to run?” she asked, mouth hanging open.

  He laughed. “No. You can walk while I run.” He turned his treadmill on and started jogging.

  “Oh, look! A TV!” she said, holding the remote and changing channels, fascinated that each machine had its own set.

  “You gonna be cute, I’ll take you to the locker room and fuck you.”

  “Promises, promises.” She giggled when he cut his eyes at her.

  She turned on her machine and started walking just as he picked up his pace. Still messing with the TV, which she figured out was a Smart TV, she hollered, “They have Netflix! I can catch up on Parks and Recreation!”

  “Quinn,” he bit out.

  She bit her lips to keep from laughing. “Sorry.”

  After his eight-mile run, which blew her mind that he ran that much, she followed him to the weight lifting area watching as he stretched before loading a bar with plates.

  “Come here,” he ordered as he lay down on a bench.

  “Uh, yeah?” she said when she got to him.

  “Want you to stand behind me while I lift. Be my spotter.”

  “What’s a spotter?” she asked.

  “Someone who makes sure you don’t drop the weights on yourself and get hurt.”

  She laughed. “Gunner. If you drop this, you’re toast ‘cause no way will I be able to lift this off you.”

  He grinned up at her. “That’s when you yell for help.”

  “Okay. It’s your neck,” she muttered as she stood over him watching as he lifted the bar ten times then put it back on the rack.

  This went on for four sets then he sat up. “Come here,” he told her and she walked around to him.

  “Yeah?”

  “Best fucking bench press session ever,” he stated.

  She frowned. “Why? ‘Cause I was here to watch your muscles get all bulge-y?”

  He snorted and looked her up and down. “First of all, your ass in those damned yoga pants. Then your tits in that tight tank top.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “Wanna know the best part, though?” he asked.

  “What?”

  “You standing over me, your pussy right in my face.” He grinned wickedly at her.

  Holy shit! Her crotch had been right in his face as she’d stood behind him!

  “You’re so perverted,” she replied with a huff.

  “You make me that way.”

  Putting her hands on her hips, she asked, “What’s next?”

  “Squats.”

  “Gunner Murphy, I am not gonna squat on your face right here in front of everyone!”

  He barked out a laugh, throwing his head back as she squinted at him. Putting his hands on her waist and pulling her between his legs, he looked up at her. “Baby, you’re too fuckin’ cute. We get back to the apartment, you’re gonna ride my face there.”

  “God, Gunner. Is that all you think about?”

  He smirked. “You dressed like that, fuck yeah.”

  She shook her head but gave him a sweet smile. “Honey, you do your workout. I’m going back to the treadmill to watch my show. But I’ll be watching you too, getting all swoony and shit over your big muscles. Let me know when you’re done.”

  She turned and walked away, putting an extra swing in her hips as she did and had to chuckle when she heard him let out a groan.

  Sunday night they had dinner at Tilly and Oz’s. While the guys watched a football game, Quinn and Tilly were in the kitchen.

  “You remember that woman I had trouble with shooting her little girl last year?”

  Quinn stirred the pasta and answered, “Yeah.”

  “The one who got mad when I took candids then she ended up loving them?”

  Quinn nodded.

  “She called today wanting me to do a family reunion shoot for her.”

  “That’s awesome!”

  “Yeah. And I’ve counted about ten of her friends who’ve come in wanting their children photographed too! I’m so glad I met her ‘cause she’s been a huge boon to my business.” Tilly laughed.

  “Me too, honey. Word of mouth is the best marketing, I tell you.”

  “I agree. So how’d it go with Gunner and Jodi meeting?” Tilly asked, cutting up chicken breasts.

  “Okay.” After a moment, Quinn noticed it’d gotten quiet. Turning she saw Tilly looking at her. “What?”

  “Just okay?”

  “Well, yeah. It was okay. I mean, Jodi loved him and he seemed to like her.”

  “Yeah, and,” Tilly prodded.

  Quinn sighed. “I can’t stand Sebastian.”

  “Uh oh. What happened?”

  “What didn’t happen is more like it meaning I just can’t make myself like him. You’ve met him. He’s an arrogant prick,” Quinn pointed out. “And that’s our Jodi, Till.”

  Quinn knew Tilly loved Jodi as if she were her own little sister, so she knew she’d be concerned.

  “Well, yeah, he was pretty full of himself. But I was assuming that’s the whole theater thing. So what happened Friday night?”

  Quinn sighed. “He wasn’t there afterward when we talked to Jodi. She said he had to go to another theater for some reason. Anyway, we decided to go out for drinks, so Jodi called him. As Gunner and I stood outside her dressing room, I could hear her arguing and when she came out, she looked like she’d been crying.”

  “Dang.”

  “Yeah. But, she’s twenty-three, Till! Has the world figured out and all.” Quinn let out a humorless huff. “So we got to the bar, having drinks, and he shows up.”

  “And?”

  “And he’d already been drinking, but that wasn’t a big deal. So Jodi introduced him to Gunner, who wasn’t impressed, I might add, and we just chatted.”

  “And? I know there’s an and.”

  Quinn laughed. “You know me so well.”

  “I do.” Tilly laughed too. “Go on.”

  “His story changed about fifteen times when Jodi would ask about where he’d been. First he was helping another casting director, then it changed to he met the guy at a bar to hash some things out for the play the guy had going and then suddenly, this casting director becomes a woman. The more he drank, the more he told on himself. I could tell Jodi was upset, so I didn’t say anything, but I’m calling her tomorrow to get some more information.”

  “Good. She’ll figure it out, though. She’s smart.”

  “I hope. But you remember when we were that age. Thought we had shit figured out.”

  Tilly chuckled. “I thought you were gonna marry Jackson.”

  “Oh, jeez. Yeah. I was in love. Thought he hung the moon.”

  “You so did. And you know, you never really told me why you broke up.”

  Quinn scrunched up her face. “I didn’t?”

  Tilly shook her head.

&nb
sp; “Huh. I thought I finally did. Well, you remember he was in med school at the time. So busy too. So one night I decided to surprise him. He’d told me he was studying so I stopped at Guido’s and got us some subs and took them to his apartment. I got there and went on in and he comes out of the bedroom looking all disheveled.”

  “Oh, shit. Was he having an affair?”

  “Yes and no,” Quinn answered with a chuckle.

  “What’s that mean?”

  “Well, you know me. Of course, that was my first suspicion. So I stomped into his bedroom but no one was there. Looked under the bed, in the closet, everywhere, nothing. I asked him what was going on and he sat me down on his bed then turned on the TV where a porn movie was playing.”

  “He was watching porn? That’s why you broke up?” Tilly put the chicken in a pan and started frying it.

  “Yes and no.”

  Tilly looked at her. “Yes and no again?”

  “It was a gay porn movie, Till.”

  “What?” Tilly’s eyes got big.

  Quinn nodded. “He told me he was confused. Didn’t know if he was gay or bisexual or what.” When Tilly started to speak, Quinn interrupted. “I would’ve told you but he swore me to secrecy. I admit, I was confused too. I loved him. So, so much. We dated for another six months after that but I always questioned things in my mind, you know? Was I what he wanted? Did he want a man instead? That kind of stuff.”

  Tilly nodded.

  “He never cheated on me. I know that because he was a good man. But eventually, it became too much. So I told him to go experiment, see if he could find what he wanted. And if it wound up being me, to give me a call and we’d go from there. He never called.”

  “Aw, honey, I’m sorry. He really was a good guy.”

  “Yeah. I did see him last year.”

  “What?”

  “At that convention in California, remember? We talked, had a drink in the bar and he told me he was married with two kids.”

  “You’re kidding,” Tilly said, frowning.

  “But he sounded completely miserable. I think he is gay but you know how his parents were. He told me he never wanted to disappoint them so he’s living the life he thinks they want him to.” Quinn shrugged.

  “Wow.”

  “Yep. It’s sad, really. I just want him to be happy whatever that might be, but he never will be if he’s living for them.”

  “True. That is sad. Poor Jackson.”

  “Yeah. Oh, and remember that Chuck guy I dated who turned out to be gay too?”

  Tilly nodded as she took the frying pan off the burner.

  “I’m hoping it’s not me. Swear to God, if I turn Gunner gay too, I’ll not be a happy camper,” Quinn said as she drained the noodles.

  Tilly burst out laughing. “You’re a nut.”

  After dinner, the guys went into the living room while Quinn and Tilly prepared dessert.

  “So, you really like him?” Tilly asked.

  “I really like him. Matter of fact, pretty sure I love him.”

  Tilly stopped cutting the lemon meringue pie and looked at her best friend. As in stared her down for a moment before tearing up.

  “Oh, my God. Are you gonna cry?”

  Tilly sniffed. “Well, yeah!”

  “Stop! You’re gonna make me cry!” Quinn said, sniffing along with her best friend.

  They both grabbed paper towels and dabbed their eyes.

  “I think it’s great, Quinn. You two have been dancing around this for over a year,” Tilly commented, swiping the towel under her eyes.

  “Yeah, well, if he wasn’t so stubborn, it could’ve happened sooner.”

  Tilly burst out laughing. “Yep. This is all on him.”

  Quinn gave her a smirk. “Damn straight,” she murmured.

  And then they took pie to their men.

  “Let me get the fucking cab,” Gunner said, pulling Quinn back from the street.

  “Honey, I’m so used to doing it myself. It’s kinda weird having a real man here wanting to do this stuff for me,” she said, stepping behind him. She’d talked him into staying at her place so she gave in easily, happy to be going there.

  “Need to fucking get used to it.”

  “God. You’re so bossy sometimes,” she whispered and rolled her eyes.

  “You’ll pay for that when we get back to your place,” he muttered over his shoulder, cutting his strikingly blue eyes at her.

  Her eyes get big as she gazed back at him. “What?”

  He raised an eyebrow as if daring her to keep going which caused shivers to run throughout her body at the thought of what he planned on doing to her when they got back.

  Holy damn, the man was captivating.

  Through both the cab and elevator rides, he didn’t touch her, just purposely drummed his fingers against his leg, which had her fidgeting the entire time so that by the time they got inside her apartment she was more than ready for what he was going to give her—that is until she saw the light flashing on her home phone. Damn it.

  “Hang on, it might be a client,” she said, looking up at him through her lashes and biting her lip. She so wanted to jump his bones right there, but duty called. Yay.

  Going to the phone, she pushed the button for the voicemail putting it on speaker.

  “Hey, Quinn, it’s Daphne. I tried your cell but kept getting sent straight to voicemail, which is what this is too, I guess, but whatever.” As she listened, Quinn got her cell from her purse to see it had died. Damn it. She plugged it into the charger as Daphne continued. “For some reason I thought you’d hear this message before the other. Don’t ask my rationale behind it. One of those quirky things. Anyway, Todd’s still healing and I think I’m gonna take this week off too. I’ve called Justine who’s shifting my patients to Gary Unruh. He owes me for taking his last year so I’m cashing in now. Okay, give me a call if you need anything! I’m off to take care of my poor husband. You know what babies men are.” She chuckled. “Oh! And I hope you’re getting things cleared up with the Edwards boy. I’m here if you need me! Bye!”

  The voicemail let her know another message was coming, but upon hearing what was said, her face went white.

  “You’re gonna die, Dr. McDonnell,” an obvious adult speaking in a little boy’s voice announced before hanging up.

  “The fuck?” Gunner growled, his face turning to stone as he stepped to the phone just as the message stopped. He pushed the button and played it again, frowning the entire time. Then looking down at her, he asked, “Your patients have access to your home phone?”

  “I-I use call forwarding in case there’s an emergency,” she explained, shaken to the core as she stood there feeling helpless.

  “Come here,” he said, clearly angry which made her hesitate. Seeing her reluctance, he softened his face then pulled her into his arms. “I’m gonna find out who the fuck’s doing this. I promise.”

  God. She couldn’t even cry. She was so tired. Tired of it all. “Why’re they doing this to me?” she whispered.

  She felt his chin on her head. “I don’t know, baby. Someone with a sick mind is the only thing I can come up with.”

  After a moment, she pulled away looking up at him, deciding she’d had enough of whomever was trying to scare her and she wasn’t going to let him make her live her life in fear anymore. She needed Gunner to take her mind off everything, but really she just…needed him. So arching a brow in challenge, she said, “I’m ready to pay now.”

  At hearing this, Gunner jerked his head back, taking all of her in, checking to make sure she was okay, she supposed. And when he seemed satisfied, he bent to give her a searing kiss that made her melt in his arms. Then picking her up, he took her to bed where he made her pay all right.

  And then he made love to her.

  Chapter 16

  “Just fucking do it,” Gunner said low into the phone.

  “Damn. Would a fucking ‘please’ hurt?”

  “Please,” Gunner corrected sa
rcastically.

  “That’s all you had to say,” Boone declared. Then he not so diplomatically added, “Fucker.”

  Shirtless, barefooted and wearing jeans, Gunner sat at the bar in the kitchen waiting to hear what Boone could find. He’d left Quinn in bed sound asleep not wanting to disturb her because God knew she had enough shit going on.

  A few moments later, Boone came back on the line. “Prepaid. Can’t trace it.”

  “Fuck. Of course. Why can’t these assholes be stupid?”

  “They eventually get stupid. Then we catch ‘em,” Boone replied.

  “I fucking hope so. Thanks, man. I owe you.”

  “I’m keeping a tally.”

  “Am I up ten to two now?” Gunner asked with a chuckle.

  “I’m up four to one, dude. I’m thinking your girl has some hot friends, so I’ll start with you hooking me up with one of them then loaning me your Camaro to take her—”

  Gunner hung up smiling at what Boone had said because he liked it; he liked it a fuckova lot.

  Your girl.

  The next morning Quinn came into the kitchen, hair in a chignon and wearing a black business pant suit, looking stunning. Jacket buttoned in front, pants crisply tailored and those fucking stilettos she wore, black with a strap across the middle. Named after some chick or something, Gunner thought, but really all he could think was how he wanted her legs wrapped around his waist and those heels digging into his back.

  “Hey,” she uttered sleepily, walking to the fridge to get her usual caffeinated water.

  So fucking cute.

  As he watched her, he knew something had shifted between them last night. What’d started off as his playing with her in bed, bringing her to the edge but not taking her over a few times had ultimately turned into full-on lovemaking by the end.

  And he did…he loved her.

  He let that feeling soak into his bones as he took her in, eyes only on her, watching her shapely lips on the bottle as she drank. Her delicate throat moving as she swallowed.

  “Fuck,” he mumbled.

  Quinn lowered her drink, the concern discernible in her features. “What’s wrong?”

  He ran a hand through his hair, still wet from his shower. “We need to go.” She turned a frown toward him, probably wondering what the hurry was. “Baby, you wanna get to work on time, we need to go now.” She kept the puzzled look as he went to her, coming in from behind and locking his arms around her waist. Then whispering in her ear, he explained, “Otherwise, I’m gonna take you back to bed and fuck you…hard.” He dropped a hand down to cup her between the legs making her moan. “You get me?”