Worth the Risk (COBRA Securities Book 21)

by Velvet Vaughn

  A small light flashed in the window and danced around the room before disappearing. It seemed like forever before the engine started up and the cruiser departed.

  “That was close,” Vanessa whispered.

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you think they were looking for me?”

  “No. I think the owner of the other cabin realized someone had been inside, so he called to report a break-in.”

  “We got out of there just in time.”

  “We did.” If the owner found them in his house, he might’ve shot first and asked questions later. It reinforced his resolve to leave tomorrow no matter what.

  “What do we do now?”

  “We head out early in the morning, rain or shine, and keep going until we find a phone or a vehicle to borrow.”

  #

  After the close call with the police, Vanessa hadn’t been able to fall back asleep. She was afraid the cops would call the cabin’s owners to check if anything was missing, and they’d arrive any minute. It wasn’t like they stole anything from the first one—except food, water, soap and electricity. Oh, and gasoline for the boat. Quinn promised her that he’d send money to cover the cost once he returned home. They’d left the interior as they found it and even washed the sheets and towels. At the time, she thought Quinn was silly for wiping down all the surfaces they touched. Now she was glad he’d been overly cautious. She was wanted for assault and murder. If the cops found her prints, it would’ve added burglary and breaking and entering charges to her growing list of crimes. Soon she’d have a rap sheet as long as O. J. Simpson.

  Quinn couldn’t or wouldn’t sleep either. She knew it was because he was protecting her, and she was grateful. When she shared her concern that the owners might come to check out their house, he plotted an escape route through the window in the bedroom facing the woods. They left their packs in there on the off chance they needed to make a quick getaway.

  They ended up talking all night. Again. How was it possible to never run out of topics to discuss or tidbits to share? She’d never met anyone so easy to chat with or so interesting. Everything about him fascinated her.

  Before she knew it, it was time for them to depart. Whereas she didn’t want to leave the island or the first cabin, she was anxious to get moving now. Images of Todd lying in a hospital bed, battered and broken, constantly invaded her thoughts. If she’d let him tag along with her as he wanted, he wouldn’t have been hurt. Quinn pointed out the fault in her logic. If Todd had accompanied her, the kidnappers might’ve caught him, too. Or they could’ve decided they only needed one hostage. There were so many unknown factors and scenarios. It was better not to dwell on the might-haves or could-haves.

  They’d both showered and consumed protein bars before embarking on their journey. The dogs had been fed, too. Quinn and Kilo checked outside before motioning for her and Rocky to follow. Thankfully, it wasn’t raining, but the mud was thick as molasses, making travel a slow and messy quest. Quinn ended up carrying Rocky after only a half of a mile.

  Knowing she was the anchor holding the group back, she tried to increase her pace. Quinn never complained or prodded her to speed up. Both he and Kilo acted as if they could hike all day. She felt more like Rocky: tired, winded and wanting to be carried in Quinn’s arms.

  He held up a hand, and she stopped to follow his gaze. He’d noticed a structure well off the beaten path. It blended in with the surroundings and would’ve been impossible to see from the road. This was no shanty meth lab like the one she passed on her hike into the forest. Surrounded by an eight-foot fence with curling razor wire along the top, signs warned trespassers to back away or risk being pumped full of lead. Nice. Kilo had alerted to the presence of two Doberman Pinchers patrolling inside.

  “What do you think it is?” she asked him.

  “Not sure, but I’d guess some kind of militia compound.”

  The Pinchers spotted them and started barking. Quinn urged her forward at a rapid pace. They didn’t need to get mixed up with any armed commandos. They had enough on their plates.

  She could not wait to get out of these ominous woods. Danger lurked at every turn. Now she knew why Todd had been so adamant that she stay far away.

  The sleepless night caught up with her, and she couldn’t quit yawning. When Quinn stopped, she slammed into his backpack. “Ow,” she muttered, rubbing her nose.

  He turned around to check on her. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. Why did you stop?”

  “Look.” He pointed over his shoulder. “Civilization.”

  Hope flared and then quickly extinguished when she spotted the bait shop. She was wanted for murder. Her picture was on every television station and probably in every paper and online news source. She needed to keep a low profile.

  Quinn had the same thoughts because he said, “You wait here with Rocky. Kilo and I will go for help.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Quinn checked for traffic before he crossed the road with Kilo trotting beside him. The combination bait shop and gas station was circa nineteen fifties, but it looked clean and well-maintained. A few cars took up spaces in the parking lot. He glanced back to check on Vanessa. She waved at him from behind a tree, and for some reason, that small gesture squeezed his heart. Hard. He was in so deep he wasn’t sure he could claw his way out—wasn’t sure he even wanted to. She was the one he’d been searching for his entire life without even realizing it. They’d spent another night talking about everything and nothing. Conversation flowed, and the time spent in her company made him recognize what he’d been missing: a partner to share his life. It wasn’t fair to Traci, but he’d been merely passing time with her.

  He gave Kilo a command to wait outside while he pushed through the door. A bell tinkled merrily as he stepped inside. Two men in fishing gear sat at a table drinking coffee. They watched him suspiciously as he approached the counter. An older woman smiled at him.

  “Hello there. What can I do for you? Do you need help picking out bait?”

  “No. I was hoping I could borrow a phone. I’ve been hiking, and my cell died.” At the bottom of the lake.

  “Of course, you can.” She reached under the counter and produced an iPhone.

  “Do you know if there is Uber service around here?”

  “Ub-what?”

  “Uber or Lyft.” When she stared at him in confusion, he changed tactics. “A taxi?”

  “Oh. No, huh, there isn’t. We’re too far off the beaten path.”

  Inconvenient, but he had other options. He’d call BeBe and have her arrange a pickup.

  “Where do you need to go, son?”

  He glanced over to see a man coming out of a back room.

  “To my SUV. I left it in a parking lot a few miles away.” Actually, he had no idea how far it was from here. He’d rely on Vanessa for directions.

  “I can take you.”

  “That’s very nice of you to offer, but I wouldn’t want to trouble you. I’ve got my girlfriend and two dogs with me.”

  “As long as the dogs don’t mind riding in the back of my truck, it’s no problem. I’ve got a topper.”

  “Are you sure?” It would be a tremendous help.

  “Yes. My wife can handle the shop alone while I’m gone.”

  “Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.”

  “Here.” The woman handed him four bottles of cold water. “No charge.”

  “Thank you both for your hospitality.”

  “I’ll get my keys and meet you in front of the shop.”

  Quinn thanked them again and retrieved Kilo before jogging across the street. “I found a ride back to our vehicles.”

  He handed her one of the bottles. Twisting the cap, she took a drink. “What if they recognize me?”

  “They won’t be looking for a couple with two dogs. Will your hair fit beneath your hat?”

  “Sure.” She placed the water on the ground and removed her cap. She managed to stuff her pretty brown hair inside befo
re tugging it low on her forehead.

  “That’s good. Do you think you can give directions back to the lot where you parked your Jeep?”

  She eyed their surroundings. “I think so.”

  After giving both dogs a taste of the cold water, he took a drink and then added the bottles to his pack before shouldering it. Reaching down, he lifted Rocky with one arm and clasped Vanessa’s hand to lead her across the street. The man waited for them inside a vintage red Ford pickup. Quinn opened the tailgate and placed Rocky inside. Kilo jumped in, and he closed the gate before securing the hatch on the topper. With a hand on her back, he led Vanessa to the cab. She greeted the man, keeping her head down.

  “Thank you again for the ride. My name is Quinn, and this is my girlfriend, Renee.” He felt Vanessa stiffen beside him. He wasn’t sure if the reaction was because he introduced her as his girlfriend or that he’d used her middle name. She probably thought he didn’t know it, but he’d read it off her driver’s license the night he found her backpack in the woods.

  “Earl. Nice to meet you two. Where am I headed?”

  Vanessa guided him to the parking lot that turned out to be a good twenty miles away. Quinn instructed Earl to drop them off on the other side. It would be better if he didn’t know what vehicle they drove in the event he recognized Vanessa at some point. Plausible deniability.

  Earl tried to refuse the money Quinn handed him for gas, but Quinn insisted. Earl had gone above and beyond, and Quinn appreciated his assistance.

  He let the dogs out of the back and thanked Earl again, watching as he turned around and drove home.

  “My Jeep’s gone,” Vanessa cried. “I parked right there.”

  “The police might’ve impounded—” He reached out and grabbed Vanessa’s arm to stop her as they neared his Escalade. An SUV was parked behind it, and two people were rummaging around inside. How did they get in? COBRA Securities vehicles were impenetrable. Quinn slid off the backpack and held up a hand for Vanessa to stay put. Pulling his weapon, he signaled for Kilo. The dog darted to his side, instantly alert. They slowly approached. “Come out with your hands up. I’m armed.”

  A man backed out and spun around. “Ho, wait, Quinn. Put the gun down. It’s Gage and Kaiya.”

  His shoulders slumped in relief. He’d never been so happy to see anyone in his life. As soon as he gave Kilo the command to stand down, the dog darted over to Gage, who bent down to scratch behind his ears.

  “Thank goodness you’re here…wait, what are you doing here?”

  “You haven’t checked in for days,” Kaiya pointed out unnecessarily. He was well aware of his lack of communication. “Your sister’s going ballistic. She couldn’t reach you by phone or by tracking your watch. Reed had to practically tie her down to keep her from coming after you.”

  “Quinn? Is everything okay?”

  He turned to see Vanessa cautiously approaching with Rocky in her arms.

  “It’s okay, honey. They’re friends.” He cringed at his slip of the tongue. He hadn’t meant to say the endearment out loud. When he turned to face Gage and Kaiya, their raised eyebrows and knowing smirks told him that they heard. Damn and double damn. Clearing his throat, he made the introductions. “Vanessa Lacroix, this is Kaiya Quillen and Gage Monahan.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she said. “How did you find us?”

  “We tracked the GPS on Quinn’s Escalade,” Kaiya informed her.

  After one last lick on his hand, Kilo left Gage to greet Kaiya. Quinn indicated the dark SUV. “Rental?”

  “Yeah,” Gage confirmed. “We flew instead of driving at Hillary’s...”

  “Demand,” Kaiya finished with a teasing smile as she rubbed Kilo’s belly, much to the dog’s delight.

  “I was going to say request, but yeah, that covers it,” Gage acknowledged with a chuckle. “Actually, Hillary might’ve asked us to come, but it was Luke and Logan who sent us to track you down and provide assistance.”

  “It’s my fault Quinn couldn’t call you,” Vanessa admitted. “I dropped his phone in the lake.”

  Gage pointed to his empty wrist. “What happened to your watch?”

  Vanessa looked confused. “What about his watch?”

  “It has GPS and a distress button.” Gage lifted his in emphasis.

  She turned to him. “I don’t remember you having one.”

  He hadn’t told her about it because he didn’t want her to feel guilty. “It came off that first night when we were running through the woods.”

  Realization dawned, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. “I ripped it off when I fell, didn’t I?”

  “It doesn’t matter now. Help’s here.” He turned to Gage and Kaiya. “Did you book rooms anywhere?”

  Gage shook his head. “Not yet. We wanted to get here and reconnoiter first.”

  “We’ve got a volatile situation on our hands,” Quinn warned. “I’ll call BeBe to arrange a safe house. Can I borrow one of your phones?”

  Kaiya held hers out to him but jerked it back when he went to grab it. He quirked a brow at her. “What are you, eight?”

  “Possibly, because Hillary made me pinky-swear that I let her know the second we found you.”

  He didn’t need his pregnant sister upset. This time when he reached for the phone, Kaiya let him take it. “I’ll call her first.” He punched in her number.

  “Kaiya? Did you find him?” Hillary’s panicked voice rattled him. He hated that he’d worried her.

  “It’s me, sis.”

  “Quinn! Oh, thank God. Are you okay?”

  “Yes.”

  Her relief was swiftly replaced by anger. “Where the hell have you been, and why haven’t you checked in? We couldn’t even track your GPS. I’ve been beside myself and impossible to be around. Reed threatened to divorce me.”

  “I did not,” Reed denied in the background.

  “It’s a long story. I promise I’ll fill you in soon, but I need to make some calls. I wanted to let you know I’m okay first.”

  “Are you in danger?”

  Very astute, his sister. “Not yet,” he hedged.

  “You better call me soon.”

  “I will, and I’m sorry, Hill. I didn’t mean to upset you. Circumstances were beyond my control.”

  “I feel better now that Gage and Kaiya are with you.”

  “Yeah, me, too. Talk soon. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Next, he contacted BeBe and asked her to arrange accommodations for a few days. He wasn’t sure how long it would take to clear Vanessa’s name and expose the men and their crimes.

  “I’ve been expecting a call, so I have a house ready for you,” BeBe told him. He shook his head. She was incredible. “I’ll send the coordinates to your computer. I couldn’t get it stocked before your arrival but expect a delivery in about two hours. And don’t worry, I’ll include food for Kilo.”

  “Make it enough for two. We picked up an extra.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah, his name’s Rocky, and he’s had a rough go of it.”

  “Oh, the poor sweetie. Okay, I’ll double the order. I’m assuming since you haven’t checked in, you and your phone parted ways?”

  He chuckled. That was one way to put it. “Yeah, we did.”

  “I’ll overnight you a replacement.”

  “Thanks, BeBe. You’re the best.” He disconnected and handed Kaiya her phone. “BeBe found a house to use. You can follow us there.”

  Gage had retrieved the backpacks from where they left them when he thought someone was breaking into his SUV. Quinn stashed them in the back and then took Rocky from Vanessa’s arms so she could buckle up. Once she was settled, he handed the dog back to her. Kilo was a good traveler, but he wasn’t sure about Rocky. He could place him in the kennel in the back, but he’d probably feel safer in Vanessa’s arms. Quinn knew he did.

  He started the engine and checked the coordinates BeBe sent to his onboard GPS. “Do you recognize the area
?”

  “Yes,” Vanessa confirmed. “It’s super exclusive with a country club and golf course nearby.”

  Ten minutes later, he turned into the driveway and came to a stop in front of a set of black iron gates, realizing he didn’t have the code. Kaiya saved him by jogging up to the panel and keying in the numbers she read from her phone.

  “Thanks.”

  With a wave, she disappeared. Quinn followed the driveway through the trees until it opened up to a two-story contemporary home constructed of brick and wood. A fence surrounded the yard, which was a bonus. The dogs could run around safely. He stopped in front of a three-car garage. Kaiya held up a hand for him to wait and then disappeared inside the house. Soon the door rolled open. He angled around to reverse in, with Gage backing in beside him.

  “We should put the dogs outside until we can give them a bath,” Vanessa suggested.

  “Good thinking.” Both Kilo and Rocky were caked with mud. He glanced down at his boots. He and Vanessa were as well.

  They removed their shoes in an aptly named mudroom and walked barefoot through the house to the second level. They passed three bedrooms before coming across the master suite. He gave Vanessa the room and took the one across the hall that also featured an en suite bathroom. He’d leave it up to Gage and Kaiya to select which ones they wanted to use.

  Anxious to call Luke Colton and Logan Bradley, his shower was quick. Once he dressed, he jogged down the steps. Gage called the office and put the COBRA Securities bosses on speaker so he’d only have to explain the entire messy ordeal once.

  #

  Listening to Quinn recount the saga felt surreal, as if it happened to someone else. It seemed like ages ago that Vanessa had been crouched in the woods, waiting for a chance to free Rocky and inadvertently witnessing two men die.

  While Quinn and the two COBRA Securities agents talked, she studied them. Gage Monahan was strikingly gorgeous with jet black hair and clear, piercing sky blue eyes. He reminded her of a taller, more muscular Matt Bomer. With chiseled features and the body of an athlete, he could make millions as a male model.

  She was a little intimidated by Kaiya Quillen. Her coloring was similar to Gage—so much so they could be siblings. Her long black hair was fastened into a ponytail, and her light blue eyes sparkled. Despite her beauty, she seemed down-to-earth, and her smile was warm and genuine. She liked both of them instantly.