Risking It All for Her Boss: A Heroes for Hire novel (Entangled Ignite)

by Sharron McClellan

  “Then they can come get me,” she said, her voice rising. “I might have to be myself, but I have skills that HRS didn’t teach me. How do you think I survived in Bogotá? I was a kid, Quinn. A child when my parents died and I evaded predators every damned day, so I am reasonably sure I can avoid anyone HRS sends after me.”

  “Sit down,” Quinn snapped.

  Eva realized she’d stood somewhere along the way and was punctuating her points with a piece of half-eaten burger. She sat and tore into the meat, realizing that it might be her last meal for a while. “You get my point.”

  He nodded. “I do.”

  “So, are you going to call Temperance and tell her where I am?”

  “No.”

  “Would you tell me if you were?”

  “No.”

  “I’ll give you this much, you’re honest.”

  He shrugged.

  “Where does that leave us?” she asked.

  He sighed, running his hands through his hair, making the sable-colored strands stand on end. “You’ll need help,” he said.

  She grimaced. “I don’t need anyone’s help.”

  “Let’s put it this way, you’re going to have help.”

  “I take it that you’re talking about you?”

  He grinned.

  She’d rather have Harris. Almost. “And if I say no?”

  “I hold you here until Temperance arrives.”

  Great. Not much of a choice. “Does she give her blessing on this?”

  “Not really.”

  “What does that mean? Not really.”

  “That she’ll be pissed and we’re both putting our careers on the line. But if we succeed, then we’re gold and forgiven.”

  “And if not?”

  “We both lose our jobs, and I imagine you might spend some time in jail.”

  “We’d better succeed then. I want to visit the Smithsonian.” Her stomach full, she crumpled up the leftover wrappings and shoved them into the bag. “Where do we start?” There wasn’t much to go on with their one lead, Pauline, gone. “Hack into the HRS computers for information?”

  “No need. We have a lead. We ran the hijackers through the facial recognition databases, and it seems that one of them is ex-military. He has a sister with a townhouse outside of the city. Gretchen Nast.”

  “Harris doesn’t know about this?”

  “Nope. Neither does the DC office. Tempe didn’t tell them.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “No. Apparently, she and the East Coast V.P. are a tad competitive, and she wants to keep this quiet.”

  Finally. A break. “So we have time before she calls out the cavalry?”

  “We do. But not much. And you can bet that as soon as she’s done at the station, she’ll be on her way over to interrogate Gretchen.”

  “Then we’d better hurry.”

  …

  “I haven’t spoken to William in three years,” Gretchen Nast said as she stood in the doorway, her lips pressed tight and her arms crossed in a defensive stance. She had too much of a square jaw to be considered beautiful, but Eva had to admit that the combination of strong features coupled with waist-length, pale blond hair was striking and would make anyone envious.

  “Not a word?” Eva asked, wondering if she knew her brother also went by Andrew.

  “Not since he left the military and decided to become a mercenary.”

  So she knew what her brother did for a living? Interesting. “Is the military where he learned to fly?” Eva asked.

  Gretchen nodded.

  “Do you mind if we come in?” Quinn asked, offering Gretchen his most welcoming smile. “You may not have seen him, but any background you can give us would be helpful.”

  “Who are you with again?”

  “HRS. We’re a private firm specializing in rescue and recovery.” He held out his identification.

  “What did he do this time?”

  “Theft,” Eva volunteered.

  Gretchen hesitated, then seemed to reach a decision in her head and stepped aside. “Just for a minute.”

  “Thank you.” Quinn followed her into the living room. Although sparsely furnished, all the items in it were in pristine condition, and from what Eva could tell, they weren’t cheap. Quite the contrary, everything from the chandelier to the mahogany bookshelves against the far wall was top of the line.

  “You have wonderful taste,” Eva said.

  “Thank you.” Gretchen perched on the edge of a chair and gestured them toward a pale green, silk-covered couch. “What did he steal this time? More jewelry? If so, I can give you the name of the pawn shop he uses the most.”

  So, not his first theft? She wasn’t surprised. Of course, kidnapping was a far cry from petty larceny.

  “He stole a person,” Eva replied. “A scientist.”

  Gretchen’s eyes widened. “Are you sure? Are you sure it was William?”

  “Positive,” Quinn said. Pulling the black-and-white photo of William from his pocket, he set it on the coffee table.

  Gretchen picked it up, hands trembling. “He’s always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie. That’s why he stole things and even joined the military—for the thrill.” She set the photo down, shaking her head in disbelief.

  “Do you remember anything?” Eva pushed. “Anything at all? Something he might have said? A friend he might have mentioned?”

  Gretchen flinched. “He hasn’t called. No e-mail. Nothing.”

  Quinn handed her the photo of the other kidnapper. “How about this man? Is there anything familiar about him?”

  She gave the black-and-white an intent look. “He mentioned a co-worker named Jerry. I don’t know his last name. That might be him, but I can’t be sure. I only caught a glimpse of him once before.”

  “Where?” Eva asked.

  Gretchen hesitated.

  Eva recognized the reluctance to inform on her brother but found no sympathy for the blonde. The man was a sociopath, and the world would be a safer place with him tucked away in prison.

  When Gretchen remained silent, Quinn took her free hand and let his thumb skim her palm before he clasped it. “Please. Help us find him.”

  “Then what?”

  “If he cooperates, we might be able to leave him out of the report.”

  Eva stared at their joined hands and tried to ignore the territorial urge to punch the woman. It means nothing, she told herself. Even if it did, it’s none of my business.

  So why did it feel as if someone were squeezing her heart?

  Gretchen continued. “It’s in a seedy part of town.”

  Sounded lovely.

  “Willy likes to play poker. A lot. I had to pick him up there once when he was hurt in a brawl.”

  Beaten up for nonpayment, more likely.

  “Can you give us the address?”

  “No, but I can tell you it’s called the Marble Room and how to get there. I doubt you’ll be able to get into the back room. Even I couldn’t. They carried Willy out to me.”

  “We’ll manage,” Eva said, as Nast’s sister scribbled down directions and handed them to Quinn.

  “He won’t want to help. You’re not going to hurt him, are you?”

  “Not if we can help it,” Eva replied.

  She nodded. “Thanks. It would break my mom’s heart if he ended up in jail.”

  “I’ll do my best to keep him out of it,” Quinn said,.“And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry to be the bearer of such bad news.”

  Always playing the white knight. Was it a game or in his blood? Eva used to fantasize that his desire to save women was for her alone, but now, she knew better. She recognized the moves. The way he leaned forward, his thumb drawing tiny circles on Gretchen’s palm. The intentness of his gaze as if Gretchen were the most important woman in the world.

  Yeah, she knew the moves. How seduction was used to gain intelligence.

  But it still rankled her.

  And that it bothered her was even
more annoying.

  “Thank you,” the blonde said.

  Enough of this. Eva coughed. “We should leave.”

  “You’re welcome to stay for coffee.” Gretchen focused her gaze on Quinn. “I might remember more.”

  “Our boss is expecting us,” Eva said. Waiting to catch us and haul us back to the office.

  Quinn lingered. His eyes full of promise, he traced her jaw, cupping her cheek in his hand. “Maybe when all this is over.”

  God, he was scary good at this.

  Gretchen’s gave a small nod of defeat.

  “I promise,” Quinn said.

  Smarmy bastard.

  A small smile claimed Gretchen’s mouth, softening her features. “I’d like that.”

  What. The. Hell. Her brother was accused of kidnapping, and all the dumbass could seem to focus on was flirting with Quinn. It seemed that the genetic apple didn’t fall from the sociopathic and inappropriately acting tree.

  “Quinn.” Eva stood and fought to keep a civil smile on her lips. “We need to leave.”

  He rose. “Of course.”

  “I’ll show you out.” Gretchen looped her arm through Quinn’s.

  Eva turned away and rolled her eyes, hurrying through the living room. The sooner they found Nast and cleared her name, the soon she could get back to work and away from Quinn.

  Even now, when they were nothing more than colleagues, he still managed to bring out her insecurities. She hated that he held that much power over her while nothing she did seemed to faze him. “Thank again, Ms. Nast. We appreciate your help,” she said to the door as she flung it open and headed out.

  Quinn hesitated in the entry. Eva winced at the yearning good-byes behind her, relaxing only when the door clicked shut.

  “You’re an idiot.” She stomped down the sidewalk with her partner matching her stride.

  “I’m helping you. And you’re welcome,” he muttered.

  “By flirting?”

  “By doing what’s needed.”

  “You’re good at that, aren’t you? Doing whatever it takes to get whatever you want and not caring how it hurts people.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “You promised her you’d come back. What were you thinking? You can’t keep making promises that you can’t keep,” she mocked.

  And like that, they were talking about the past. Again. And about his broken promises to her. How he’d find a way for them to be together. That he cared for her.

  That he wouldn’t leave her.

  He tried to speak, and she waved him off. “Forget it.”

  She was a moron for letting Quinn into her head.

  A dark sedan slowed then came to a halt on the street in front of them. The side window was down, letting Eva see the petite redhead at the wheel—Temperance Smith. Her expression was anything but pleased.

  She crooked her finger at them, pointing Eva to the front seat.

  A mob of butterflies settled in Eva’s stomach, supplied by the fear that came from anticipation. The urge to run was almost overwhelming, but she swallowed hard and headed for the vehicle.

  Chapter Seven

  “We can explain,” Eva said, sliding into the front seat of the red Ford Taurus. She and Quinn had both known it was possible that Tempe would catch them at Gretchen’s, but it had seemed like an acceptable risk. Now, confronted with the V.P.’s blank expression, she wasn’t as sure. She was used to Tempe’s fury. The sarcasm. This lack of anything was new and Eva had to admit, frightening.

  “I don’t want to hear it,” Tempe said, pulling away from the curb as soon as Eva closed the door.

  “We can explain,” Quinn said from the backseat.

  “There isn’t enough explanation in the world for what you did,” Tempe said, her voice calm. Too calm. “I trusted you to take care of this, and instead, you help an agent go rogue. So until I decide what to do with you, stop talking.”

  Eva glanced back at Quinn. His expression was stoic, but his eyes told her that Tempe’s words had hit their mark.

  “What’s next?” Eva asked when the silence became too oppressive to ignore.

  “If we’re lucky, I can keep Harris from tossing you both in jail, and we can all go home.”

  “What about Felix and Pauline?”

  Tempe ignored the question and took the next exit onto River Road, heading back along the Potomac toward the city. In seconds, they raced by tree-filled parks and subdivisions that lined the highway, shooting past the Sidwell Friends campus where several presidential children had attended school.

  “I need to know,” Eva pressed. “HRS is going after them, right?”

  Tempe’s gaze flickered to the rearview mirror, side mirrors, and back to the road. “What do you think?”

  “That’s not a yes,” Eva shot back. Though she knew the answer, she found she needed to hear the words.

  Still, Tempe didn’t respond.

  “Eva’s going to be blamed for their kidnapping until they are found,” Quinn said, breaking his silence and coming to her rescue.

  As always.

  “Do you think I don’t know that?” Tempe asked, as the tendons in her neck tightened. “Of course, she’d appear a lot less guilty if she hadn’t broken out of a police station.”

  “I panicked,” Eva said.

  “You panicked?” Tempe’s cool edge snapped. “You didn’t panic. You thought you knew better than everyone else and did what you wanted. Like you always do.”

  “That’s not fair,” Eva said. She did what the company asked. Mostly. But bad guys didn’t use the HRS manual and operations weren’t always by the book.

  “What’s not fair” —Tempe air-quoted the word— “is making me chase you down. What’s not fair is doing something utterly stupid and leaving me to clean it up.”

  Tempe’s hands clenched and unclenched around the steering wheel. “So I’ll decide what’s fair. Not you.”

  “Harris has it in for her,” Quinn said. “She didn’t have a choice.”

  “And you. You are the worst.” Tempe glared at him in the mirror. “You encourage her unprofessional behavior, and when she falls on her ass, there you are, all ready to pick up the pieces.”

  She shook her head in disgust. “I hoped you two were past this.”

  She knew. Tempe knew they’d had an affair.

  Eva glanced at Quinn, but his expression was impassive. The lack of emotion was both impressive and a bit disheartening. Had their relationship meant so little that he didn’t even offer a flicker of acknowledgment?

  Tempe continued, “You want to play it that way? Fine. Here’s the deal. You can’t keep justifying Eva’s failure, and she can’t keep failing. When we fail, people die.”

  His calm demeanor snapped. “Do you think I don’t know that? I still have nightmares, but that’s why we can’t let this go. Whoever took Felix and Pauline is ruthless.”

  Quinn had nightmares? Eva could only wonder what they might include. As close as they’d been, he never spoke of past operations. If she hadn’t been so head-over-heels, she’d have seen his lack of communication for the red flag it was.

  “They have a bio weapon’s expert,” Tempe said. “Do you think I’d let this go, even if we weren’t being paid?”

  “No,” Eva said, grasping the opportunity. “And you know that Quinn and I are the best chance at recovering them and the weapon.”

  “HRS is the best chance. But not you two. Not this time.”

  “Yes, us two,” Quinn countered. “Eva knows Felix better than anyone at HRS. She was the last person to see Pauline alive. She is the connection, and while it might make her a suspect, it also makes her the best person to find Felix and his daughter.”

  “Do you really think that working together is the answer?” she asked, the question almost a challenge.

  Quinn hesitated, and Eva kept quiet. There was something else going on here, but what, she wasn’t sure.

  “Yes,” he finally replied. “I think it’s
the best chance to recover both Felix and Pauline alive before this goes any further.”

  Tempe sighed, sounding as weary as Eva. Another first. “Harris wants Eva and wants her bad. He’s not going to give up.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Eva said, wishing she’d waited for Tempe instead of running, but sitting in that tiny room, cuffed, had been too much to take. She needed to help. Not to sit around and wait for others to do her job. “Let me try. Please.”

  Tempe’s eyes narrowed. Quinn glared at Eva and mouthed “shut up.”

  He leaned forward. “We’re the most familiar with the case, and we have the most invested.”

  “Your investment also compromises you. You’re both emotionally involved. You might as well be wearing blinders,” Tempe said.

  “That’s one way to look at it, but there are two sides to everything. Commitment can be blinding, but it can also be powerful. I like to think Eva and I are both professional enough to be aware of the pitfalls and can avoid them.”

  Tempe let out a loud sigh. “Give me a minute, please.” She turned her attention to the highway. Eva tried not to fidget as the V.P. debated their fate. Would she let them go? Or were their mistakes too great to be forgiven?

  “You have forty-eight hours,” Tempe said, breaking the silence. “And don’t get in anyone’s way. Mine or Harris’s.”

  Relief was as refreshing as a wave, and Eva twisted in the seat to meet Quinn’s grin with her own. Thank you, she mouthed.

  De nada, he mouthed back, making her heart hurt.

  A silver unmarked police car—push bar on the front and a bubble light on the dash— pulled up behind them, and the pain was replaced with panic. “We have trouble,” Eva said.

  “Stay calm. Keep your head down. I’ll handle this,” Tempe replied. She rolled down the car window and outside, the gravel crunched as the policeman walked toward the driver’s side. A familiar blond head came into view beneath the brim of a policeman’s cap.

  William Nast. There was a weapon in his hand.

  “Go,” Quinn shouted. Tempe gunned the car as Nast fired, gravel spitting through the air as the wheels hit asphalt.

  Shots penetrated the back window, shattering the glass. “Get down,” Quinn yelled, but Eva had already hit the floorboard, wishing she had her weapon.