“Quinn!”
At the sound of her name, she jolted so badly her body lurched forward. She had to remove the hand on top of her thumb and grab onto the rock to keep from falling.
When she looked up, she saw not only Wyatt, but also her brother and most of the team.
Her heart sped up a notch. “Don’t come any closer! I’m wearing a bomb. There’s not much time left before it detonates.”
Rather than listen to her, Wyatt kicked off his shoes and jumped straight into the water. She saw her brother studying the space on the rock, clearly trying to figure out whether he would fit.
He wouldn’t. She and Carter had barely fit.
She watched as Wyatt navigated his way through the water. It in no way appeared easy, even for him. And he didn’t have the rope that Carter had. Meaning, he was relying on brute strength to push himself across.
A few minutes later, Wyatt climbed onto the rock. He kneeled in front of her, his feet hanging off the edge.
Even though she wished he was away from her—even though it was dangerous as hell for him to be here—some of the terror that had been gnawing at her insides waned.
Glancing down at the vest, she noticed there were four minutes remaining. Not enough time for the two of them to get to the other side of the river and work on the bomb. Maybe enough time for Wyatt to leave. Go somewhere safe. Away from the explosive vest.
“Wyatt, you need to go! There’s not enough time.”
He studied the vest. “We need to get this thing off you.”
“No! The devise I’m holding is connected to the vest, and I can’t remove my thumb because it will explode.”
Wyatt cursed under his breath and pulled a pair of scissors from his back pocket. “Carter said he put a bomb on you. I assumed it was a vest bomb. I researched as much as I could about them on the way here. I need to cut the wire that carries the current to the detonator.”
As Wyatt continued to inspect Quinn’s chest, her heart hurt for the man. If the vest exploded, he would die. He would lose his life trying to save her.
She saw an array of emotions cross his face. Focus. Frustration. Panic.
For the first time, he wasn’t masking anything.
“Please, go back to the shore. There’s still time. I don’t want you to die, too.”
“Quinn, stop it.”
She swallowed. “I love you. So damn much. You taught me how to be happy. How to really live my life to its fullest potential. You taught me more about love than I ever would have known. Please…”
Finally, Wyatt lifted his eyes and placed his hands on either side of her head. “Quinn, stop. No one is dying. I have three minutes to figure out which color wire carries the current. I’m going to do it.”
Quinn felt raw with pain.
His attention went back to the vest, and she followed his gaze. He’d uncovered two wires. Green and black.
Suddenly, something jolted in her memory. Something Carter had said. Her mind had been so foggy with fear, she’d barely heard him. But it had been something important. Something about life. A color that signifies life…
Her brows pulled together as she tried to recall his words.
Think, Quinn! What did he say?
She sucked in a sharp breath as it hit her. Green. Green signifies life.
“Don’t cut the green!”
“What?”
One minute. There was one minute left on the timer. “Carter said that green signifies life, and that’s why he hates it.”
Wyatt shook his head. “He might have been lying.”
Quinn didn’t think so. “No. He plays games. I know his type. I’ve written about his type. You play by his rules, you live. You played by his rules, and so did I. He’s letting me live. Wyatt. Trust me.”
Wyatt placed the scissors around the black wire.
He fixed his gaze on her eyes—then cut.
Silence. No big bang. No fire. No one was dead.
She glanced down to see that the timer was now blank.
Holy heck. Had they really done it? Were they really going to live?
Wyatt’s hand covered hers. Gently, he placed his thumb beneath her thumb, and pushed it up.
Nothing happened.
Quinn’s breath came out in a whoosh.
Oh God. It was over. The nightmare was over.
The relief was so overwhelming; she felt light-headed. She was barely aware of Wyatt removing the vest from her chest and pulling her into his arms.
As her body relaxed into his, she wanted to cry. Scream. Something.
But she felt faint and weak. She needed to hold it together. At least until they were somewhere safer. Not on a rock in the middle of a dangerous river.
Wyatt pulled back, but kept a firm hold on her shoulders. “I need you to hold on to me really tight. I’m going to need two arms to work my way across the water.”
She could do that. She’d done that with Carter, even though touching him had made her feel ill.
The only problem was, now her arms felt like jelly.
Quinn pulled on every reserve of strength she had as she wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him. She pressed her head into his neck.
Wyatt stepped into the river. Her body was already numb from the cold, so she barely registered the icy water. They slowly began to wade through the river.
The water was moving fast. Faster than it had been the first time she’d crossed it. And, without the rope, Wyatt struggled a lot more than Carter had.
They’d been in the water for less than thirty seconds when Quinn heard another voice. It was faint over the deafening rapids.
Mason?
Turning her head, she saw Mason grabbing onto Wyatt. Behind her brother, she saw the rest of the guys had formed a chain from the embankment. They were all connected, each one pulling the next.
Even though there was so much manpower, the men were still straining to get everyone to the embankment.
When her body began to weaken, she gritted her teeth and held on tighter.
Just a couple more minutes, Quinn.
Along the way, she thought she might have heard Wyatt’s soothing words, but the river around her was deafening.
Blocking out the water and noise, she focused on the heat that emanated from Wyatt’s body. The thumping of his heart.
That’s when she felt the water begin to recede. Looking up, she saw Mason and Eden pulling Wyatt and her from the water.
Then they were out. But Quinn didn’t let go of Wyatt. She didn’t think she would ever be letting go.
Chapter 29
Quinn folded another shirt into the dresser. Wyatt’s dresser. Because she was officially moving into his apartment.
A week had passed since she’d had a bomb strapped to her chest. A week of recovering. Not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally.
She’d thought she was going to die. She’d been so certain that the bomb was going to kill her that when Wyatt had reached her, she’d wanted to push him right back off the rock to save him.
But she hadn’t died. Neither had Wyatt. And not a day had passed since that she didn’t feel heavy with gratitude for the fact. Although she’d had a couple of nightmares and flashbacks, she’d been doing relatively well.
Wyatt deserved a lot of the credit for that. He was like a god sent from the heavens just for her. They’d spent almost every waking moment together. There wasn’t a chance for her to feel scared because she always felt so damn protected.
The thing she probably struggled with the most was knowing that Carter got exactly what he wanted. That their organization would be one step closer to rebuilding what the guys had shut down.
She hated that. Although Wyatt didn’t admit it, she knew he had to be hating it, too. Any time she attempted to raise the topic, Wyatt brushed it off like it was no big deal. Like his old commander having the materials to create more super-soldiers was a non-issue. Wyatt would just say that he’d get the guy eventually.
Quinn had every faith that he would.
Shaking her head, she went back to the bed. Everything was now unpacked, bar one box. A box that had remained unopened since moving to Marble Falls. It was filled with her old work materials—reporter’s notebooks, articles she’d written…even some old external hard drives.
Basically, stuff she no longer needed. Stuff she should have thrown out weeks ago.
Grabbing the scissors from the top of the dresser, Quinn slid the sharp edge through the tape. She got halfway across when the scissors slipped and sliced the hand that was holding the box.
Crap.
Wincing in pain, Quinn grabbed her hand and raced to the bathroom.
As cool water ran over the cut, she let out just about every curse word in her vocabulary…which was a lot.
When warm hands touched her waist, her eyes shot up to see Wyatt standing directly behind her.
A slow smile stretched across her lips. “This feels a bit familiar.”
Quinn turned around. At the same time, Wyatt reached for the hanging hand towel. He wrapped it around her hand, applying pressure to the wound.
It was only a couple months ago when Quinn and Wyatt had been in this exact position. Her with a sliced hand, him acting as her medic. Only now she stood in his bathroom, not hers.
“Is this where you tell me the open door wasn’t an invitation?”
Quinn chuckled, remembering those exact words coming out her mouth. It was crazy how quickly things changed. How fast a new face became a familiar one.
Now she made it a habit to leave the door wide open, hoping and praying the man would take the hint to come inside.
“That only applies to strangers, and that’s not you anymore.”
Wyatt’s gaze heated. “Good. Because a door that’s been bolted shut probably wouldn’t keep me out.”
Thank God for that.
Rising to her tiptoes, Quinn wet her lips. “Promise?”
Leaning down, Wyatt paused when his lips were almost touching hers. “Promise.” Then he was kissing her.
A long, sensual kiss that had every part of her body coming to life.
A small moan escaped her lips but was swallowed by the kiss. She melted into him. Loving the feeling of him surrounding her. Touching her. Stirring a fire in her that she never wanted to dim.
Too soon they separated, but neither let go of the other.
Wyatt indicated toward the hall with his head. “Come on, let’s fix this cut before I lose all control.”
Hmm. The thought of an out-of-control Wyatt didn’t sound too bad at all.
Almost like he read her thoughts, Wyatt shook his head. “You are trouble. Come on.”
Giggling, she followed him into the living room. “Is it my fault you’re so sexy?”
Quinn took a seat on the couch while Wyatt grabbed the first-aid kit. “Not your fault at all.”
This time it was Quinn shaking her head.
Wyatt took a seat beside her. He growled softly as he inspected her hand. “Next time you want a box opened, you call me. You can’t be trusted around them.”
As much as Quinn wanted to disagree with that statement, she clearly couldn’t. “Sad but true.” She didn’t see herself as a careless person, so she didn’t know what the heck her problem was when it came to opening boxes. “Maybe I was just missing you and knew slicing my skin open would make you come back to me.”
Wyatt didn’t crack so much as a smile at her joke. “Say the word and I’m exactly where you are. No injuries required.”
Quinn’s heart swelled. “This is why I love you.”
“You love me because I ban you from opening boxes?”
“Because you care about me enough to ban me from opening boxes.”
“I’ll never understand women.” He shook his head but smiled at the same time. “Why do you have a sealed box? We moved most things over without boxes.”
“It’s work stuff. Just the usual papers I couldn’t part with. Articles saved to external hard drives. I should just put the whole thing in the trash.”
Quinn wasn’t a “keep things just in case” kind of person, so there was no need to save any of it. The only reason she still had the box was because she’d assumed she would need it again.
“What if The New York Times wants you back?”
Quinn hesitated at the question. The very fitting question, considering the call she’d had today.
Wyatt looked up from what he was doing, his brows pulling together. “They already called, didn’t they?”
Christ, the man was perceptive.
“There’s a new executive editor. He called. Today, actually. While I was on break at work. He offered me my old job back. Said he’d read some of my stories and had no idea why Darren fired me.”
Had that call come through a few short weeks ago, she would have been jumping out of her skin for joy.
Wyatt finished bandaging her hand and fixed his gaze on Quinn. “Do you want to go back?” His face was devoid of all emotion. He made it impossible for Quinn to tell what he was thinking.
Not that it mattered. It wouldn’t change what Quinn wanted to do.
“Not even a little bit.”
He studied her face, almost like he was looking for any signs of dishonesty. He wouldn’t find any.
“I actually got a better offer,” Quinn continued, already feeling the bubble of excitement at what she was about to tell him. “Mrs. Potter asked me to buy into the bakehouse. Become part owner.”
Wyatt tilted his head, a slow smile stretching across his face. “Is that so?”
“Yep. I told her I wasn’t in the financial position to do that right now but asked her to give me a year. A year to save and to learn all the ins and outs of the business. Learn the rest of her secret recipes.” Quinn shrugged. “She said yes.”
Wyatt scooped Quinn up onto his lap. “And this is what you want? To be part owner of a bakery and live in Marble Falls? To live with me? Small towns can be quiet, you know. Boring compared to New York.”
Quinn threw her head back and laughed out loud. “There is nothing boring or quiet about Marble Falls. But, even if it was just a normal small town, it wouldn’t matter. Because it’s not the drama that’s keeping me here.”
“Really?”
“Mm-hmm. It has more to do with this guy. This guy who just waltzed into my apartment not that long ago. Let me kiss him…kissed me back.” Raising a hand, she pressed it to his cheek. “He’s basically taken over my whole heart. Made me the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”
There was a twinkle in Wyatt’s eye. “Would this guy have a name?”
Wetting her lips, Quinn leaned closer. “I think I can do one better.”
Then, just like she had that day they’d first met, Quinn pressed her lips to Wyatt’s. Only this time, there was no first-kiss flutters or slow exploration.
This time, it was a kiss that stole her breath and consumed her heart. A kiss so passionate and real that she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to stop. Because the man who held her was as important as the air she breathed. Her greatest love and wildest adventure.
Wyatt waited until Quinn’s breaths evened out before sliding from beneath the sheets. Moving to the living room, he made sure each step was as silent as the last.
He didn’t want to wake her. Even though it had been a week since she’d been taken, the experience was traumatic. Sleep was important for her healing and recovery.
Taking a seat on the couch, Wyatt powered up his laptop and connected to the group chat. He was the last one to join. Staring back at him were his seven team members, as well as the eight members of Jason’s team.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“You’re right on time, Jobs,” Luca said. “Red was just telling us about his mission.”
Wyatt looked to Bodie. “You made progress, Red?”
Evie was able to track the physical location Maya’s email had been sent from. Bodie was tasked with the job of finding
her and keeping her safe.
Bodie ran a hand through his hair. “I spotted Maya a few days ago and have been watching from a distance since. She seems to have settled here in Keystone, Colorado. Got a job working at the local bar. Tomorrow I’m going to go in and meet her.”
“Do you need backup?” Eden asked.
Bodie shook his head. “I’m going to get a feel for the situation. From what I’ve seen, she’s skittish. If she’s in trouble because of Project Arma, my goal is to protect her. Make her feel safe.”
Wyatt nodded. He hated that so many lives had been harmed or destroyed because of that damn program. He also knew that Quinn felt a lot of guilt for not doing more to help Maya. If Bodie was able to help her in any way, everyone would be grateful.
“Sounds like a good plan, Red,” Mason said. “Jobs, you got any news for us?”
Wyatt leaned back. This was the main reason for the chat. “All family members have full-time protection. Evie and I hired the best security companies from around the country. All of whom remain armed at all times.”
It had been a big job for him and Evie to set that up, but worth it to add an extra layer of protection for loved ones.
“They know to remain hidden, so no family members should be alerted to what’s going on,” Wyatt added.
All fifteen men nodded.
“Is anyone worried about their family?” Wyatt asked.
“We know you’ve done your research and hired the best, Jobs,” Asher said.
He had. It didn’t mean their family members were assured safety, but it was a hell of a lot better than no one watching them.
“I still can’t believe Hylar had his own sister killed,” Oliver muttered. “We knew the man was an asshole, but that’s a whole new level of cold hearted.”
The team was silent for a moment.
Wyatt was still in shock. Everyone was. Hylar had been their commander for years. But obviously, they’d never truly known the real him.
Everything he did, just confirmed that he wasn’t redeemable.
“He’s proved yet again that there are no lines he won’t cross.”
Logan was right. The man needed to be stopped.
They’d found the cabin where Tanya had been shot, but there’d been no sign of her body. There had also been no evidence that Carter had ever been there.
Wyatt: A steamy contemporary military romance (Project Arma Book 5) Page 22