We stood around like survivors in the middle of a war zone, watching Mac as she tucked her gun away carefully and picked her way through the mess to the hotel phone. She picked it up, pressed a single button, and when her call was answered, she said, “This is Mackenzie Valentine in room four-two-oh-six. Can you send someone up with a bottle of vodka and some shot glasses please.” After a pause, she said, “Thank you,” and hung up.
“Maybe you should’ve have asked for housekeeping while you were there?” Lucy asked.
“First things first, Lucy.”
“I’m thinking that I really like you right now, Mac.”
She nodded. “Ditto.”
Sean, hands on his hips, eyed them both. “Are we finished with the love fest ladies? Because I need to ring Travis.”
Mac sighed heavily. “Just let us get a vodka shot in to brace for the next round of hell first, Sean, okay?”
Leaning down, my shaky hands grabbed hold of the Pringles, and I popped open the lid. “Chip, anyone?”
That was how Jules, the room service guy, found us when he came bearing our alcohol—standing around in the mess, munching on chips, trying to process our shock.
“Um…” Jules glanced about the room in disbelief. I thought that was a bit rich. I mean, the entire hotel was chock to the brim with rockers here for the festival. Surely we weren’t the only ones with a bit of damage?
Mac casually shifted her body so it covered the bullet hole in the wall. “So, maybe we should get housekeeping in, huh?”
He sat his tray down on the dining table and said faintly, “I’ll have someone sent up. I’d arrange another room for you but with the festival, the hotel is fully booked.”
Jules left and Lucy started pouring shots and handing them out. Sean declined and got on his phone. The three of us eyed each other silently and then downed one shot each. It stung the inside of my mouth, and I realised I must have bitten down on my cheek when my jaw cracked on the floor. I wiped at my mouth and my hand came away smeared with blood.
“Well, good news and bad news,” Sean told us as Lucy started pouring another round.
“Good news first,” said Mac.
“I got hold of Travis.”
I reached out and held tight to the chair. “That’s the good news?”
“I’m afraid so. The bad news is that they’ve arrived back at the hotel and are already on their way up.”
“Oh shit,” Lucy muttered.
“Do you think we’ve got time to do a quick clean up?” I asked and downed the next shot. When my skin grew cold and my body started to sway, I remembered I hadn’t eaten all day. Putting down the shot glass, I watched everyone come alive, racing about the room throwing bottles in bins and trying to right fallen chairs.
My teeth started to chatter. “Umm, guys?”
Suddenly they all seemed really far away as my vision narrowed.
“Shit,” I heard faintly. “I think she’s going into shock.”
“No I’m not,” I announced, both hands now gripping the chair. “I’m just peachy. I think.”
“What the hell is going on in here?” Travis yelled from the doorway.
“Maybe I’m not so good,” I mumbled.
“Quinn?” Travis called from far away.
I turned slowly. “Sorry, Travis. I think that—”
“Is that a fucking bullet hole in the goddamn wall?” came Jared’s yell.
“What?” replied Travis as Jared went for a closer inspection.
He strode towards me. “You’re bleeding.” His voice sounded panicked.
I wiped at the corner of my mouth, but he smacked my hand away. Cupping my face, he wiped at the blood. “Did someone hit you?”
“Oh, that. It’s nothing.”
He ran his eyes over me, and when the world tilted I realised that Travis was holding me and I was being carried into the bedroom.
“Does anywhere else hurt?” His voice was controlled as he laid me out on the bed, but his hands were frantic as they ran over me, examining my body for injuries. “Quinn?”
“I’m fine,” I told him, struggling to sit up.
Travis put a hand on my chest.
“It’s just…I cracked my jaw on the floor, that’s all, when I dived for the gun.”
“When you dived for the gun?” He sank to the edge of the bed and rubbed a hand over his forehead. “Jesus fuck.”
“Travis?” My teeth started chattering again as I sat up.
He turned sideways and pulled me onto his lap. “Let me just hold you for a minute, then we need to talk.”
***
“Let me get this straight. I was there. I was right there in the street when that bastard had a hold of you and you didn’t yell out?”
I nodded from my huddled ball in bed. We were back in our hotel room down the hall, and after giving Travis all the answers to his questions, I felt sick for making an absolute mess of things.
“He said he would shoot you.”
“I don’t care,” he burst out, his knuckles white from clenching his fists. “I don’t fucking care. Let him have tried. I would have ripped him apart just for touching you.” Travis gave me his back, his shoulders moving up and down as he struggled for control.
After a few beats of silence, he said softly, “You couldn’t have come to me?”
My chest ached. How could I explain so that he understood how impossibly hard it was to rip open every horrible part of you and expose it to someone, and not only that, but to drag them down into your nightmare with you?
“You don’t understand,” I finally said, the words sounding empty.
Travis turned around, tucking a strand of loose hair behind his ear before tugging his hands into his pockets. “Wow, Quinn. How will I ever understand when you keep everything tucked so tightly inside that you can’t even talk to your best friend? I’m tired of asking you to explain it to me rather than coming to me if you need help or just need me to be there. I feel like an idiot for being the last one you talk to all the time. For it having come to this for you to let me in.”
“No one thinks you’re an idiot.”
“I don’t care what anyone else thinks right now, just you, Quinn. But I can only fight for you for so long before you have to start fighting for yourself, and for us, and it hurts that you won’t even try. I know I said I’d be strong for you, and I always will be whether you want me to or not, but you have to be strong too because I need you just as much.” He paused and drew in a deep breath. “Is that such a bad thing—for us to have each other?”
My mouth was open to speak, but nothing came out.
Travis stepped back and rubbed a weary hand over his closed eyes. For the first time he was giving up. I could feel it. The ties that had somehow bound us together right from the beginning were being sliced in two. But he couldn’t give up. I needed him to not give up on me.
“Wait!” I called out to his retreating back.
He stopped.
“Don’t go. I’m sorry. I don’t know how…” I cleared my throat. “I’m scared.”
Travis turned around, his eyes, direct and green, held mine. “What are you scared of?”
I licked my lips.
He stood, waiting.
“You.”
“You’re scared of me?” Travis shook his head, looking at the floor before shifting his eyes back to me. “What have I done to make you scared of me?”
He sounded hurt and tears filled my eyes.
“Already you’re getting dragged into my shitty world, Travis, and I don’t want any of it touching you. You’re better than that. Better than me. And maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day, you’ll realise that.”
And you’ll leave…
And I won’t ever survive it because I love you.
Oh my God. I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t survive losing him.
How could I be so stupid to let myself fall in love with you?
He’d made it too easy.
As he strod
e towards me, my eyes ran over his wide shoulders, the thick veins running the length of his biceps, the hard edge in his eyes from the strain, and I knew I would do anything he asked because it was too late now. Too late to let him go and if I didn’t survive loving him, then so be it.
He crouched in front of me, resting his arms on my knees. “You wouldn’t believe me if I just told you right now that’s not true, but I’m saying it anyway—that’s bullshit. It’s not about who’s better than who. That makes no sense to me. Did you choose your start in life? Did I? If I was given your life, are you saying that would make you a better person than me?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “I know that shit you’re feeling doesn’t go away overnight. I just want you to promise to do one thing for me. Just one thing, okay?”
Leaning forward, I kissed him and took it as a good sign when he didn’t pull away. “What?”
“Promise me you’ll try.” He breathed against my mouth.
“I promise.” The words were out of my mouth before I even realised, and he smiled against my lips.
“Good.”
I nipped his lower lip gently with my teeth as I slid my hands down his back to the waistband of his pants. “I should probably talk to Mitch.”
He kissed me. “Let me take care of it. We’ll deal with this, Quinn. I don’t want you involved anymore. It’s too dangerous.”
“You can’t just—”
Travis kissed me again. “Yes. I can.”
“You can’t control me by kissing me,” I lied.
He ran his tongue along my bottom lip and slid it inside my mouth.
I moaned.
“Should I stop kissing you?”
“No.”
“Good, ‘cause I’m remembering how you kissed me last night.” He grabbed my hand and put it on the hard bulge in his pants. “And how I returned the favour, and …” He trailed off, groaning when I rubbed the straining length of him.
A tap came at the door, and I snatched my hand away. We both turned, Travis rising to his feet.
Jared stood there, phone in hand. “Mitch wants to talk to you. He’s been in touch with Melbourne’s AFP and they’re sending over a fed. They want to know what the fuck is happening with this assignment—”
“Jared!” Travis cut him off loudly, frowning.
Jared looked from Travis to me and shook his head.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Travis snatched the phone from Jared’s hand, glowering. He turned to me, his eyes softening for a moment. “Nothing, Quinn. Get some rest. I’ll be back.”
He waited for my nod before he left the room.
Jared watched his retreating back for a moment before turning to me.
“So... I haven’t been able to talk to you without big mouth or big ears around. How goes the party planning?”
Of course I’d agreed to help him plan Evie’s party after my plans to leave fell by the wayside. Thankfully he’d put me on to Carol, the office administrator at Jamieson and Valentine Consulting. Between the two of us, we’d managed to put everything together in under a week.
“All done.”
He raised his brows. “Already?”
I shrugged, a little bit smug at my efficiency. “Just waiting on numbers to get back to us.”
“So the Florence Bar is booked?”
“Uh huh, as are the caterers, the cake, and music. We’ve organised a photo booth, a stylist—”
“Stylist?”
“Yeah, to pull the look together.”
“The look?”
“Carol and I thought it might be nice to go with a vintage glamour look.”
“What the hell is vintage glamour? Wait,” he said and held up a hand, “I don’t want to know. As long as we don’t have to dress up, like in fancy dress.”
I was about to tell him he’d need to at least wear a suit, when his eyes went wide with warning and he mouthed, “Big ears,” at me just before I heard Evie say, “What’s fancy dress?”
I smothered a laugh, watching Jared lean casually against the door frame as though we’d just been discussing the weather.
“Um…just the Christmas in July party that Jettison Records is having soon,” I answered.
Jared gave me a discreet thumbs up in relief at my response. It soon turned to one of horror when she whooped with glee. “Yes! I love fancy dress,” she said, not even considering it odd that after what happened earlier, Jared would be standing in my hotel room discussing fancy dress parties with me. “We could do a cutesy couple thing, Jared.”
Jared folded his arms. “No way, baby.”
I didn’t have the heart at that moment to tell either of them that Jettison Records hadn’t mentioned anything at all about their party being fancy dress. Evie was looking too excited, and it was just a little bit funny watching Jared squirm.
She arched a brow at him and said huskily, “I’ll make it worth your while.”
Not even I could miss the heat that had his eyes turning lazy. “Oh yeah?”
I cleared my throat and Evie shifted her attention to me. “Quinn, way to go. Mac said you were the one that threw the chair.”
I shrugged modestly. “Well, I remembered Travis saying to be resourceful.” I didn’t mention that it hadn’t hit anything besides the wall.
Three weeks of being permanently attached to mostly Travis and Casey came and went. On the minus side, I didn’t really know what was going on. Travis said it was in the hands of the “proper authorities.” On the plus side, Evie’s party was keeping my mind occupied, and Travis and Casey were busy making sure I was safe at all times. It felt rude to complain about the lack of privacy. In fact, they were spending so much time shadowing me everywhere, I wasn’t sure how to repay the gesture.
When I made that particular announcement to Travis and Casey last night in the loft, Casey choked on his drink. When I’d spun around from rummaging through the bottom shelving on the fridge, I caught two sets of eyes swivel quickly from my ass to my eyes. Mine narrowed as I watched Travis bite down on a smirk.
After several slurs towards men and their levels of maturity, I finished putting together my late night sandwich and stole the remote. Satisfied with my win, I flicked until I could find the girliest, most romantic love fest on television that ever existed and revelled in Casey’s groans of “that guy’s a total wimp” and Travis huffing whenever the hero did something “unrealistic.” I admit to also revelling a little in sitting between the two of them. Both in worn faded jeans, Travis was bare chested and Casey wore a stretchy shirt that had seen better days.
Jared rang midway through the movie in a panic because Evie’s birthday party was looming the next day. Sworn to secrecy, I had to abandon the couch reluctantly.
“I’ll be back,” I warned the pair of them with narrowed eyes and a waggle of the remote which I took with me while Jared spoke in my ear.
I giggled when I turned and saw I was getting chased. My heart thumped as I darted for the kitchen. Glancing behind, I saw Travis closing in on one side, Casey on the other. At the last minute I opted for the dining area and shrieked when Travis lunged for me and missed by a millimetre.
I gasped into the phone that I was still there when Jared called my name in irritation, but the last minute indecision cost me. I squealed when a pair of strong, tanned arms circled me from behind and grabbed for the remote. I tried to hold it aloft, but was no match for the strength that had me locked down.
“Shortie.” Casey laughed in my ear as he snatched the remote easily from my hand. Breathless, I spun around and found myself only centimetres from his bright, blue eyes.
Casey jerked back. “Got it!” he whooped at Travis and took a running dive for the couch in victory.
“Dammit, Jared,” I complained down the phone breathlessly. “You just cost me the remote.”
No sooner had air filled my lungs when Travis slammed my body hard into the wall and planted his lips on mine.
“Travis, I’m on the phone,” I
breathed.
“I don’t care.” He groaned into my neck. “You’re being cute. I like you this way. It gets me hot.” Travis grabbed the phone from my ear. “She’ll call you back,” he announced and tossed my phone away.
“That was rude,” I muttered.
His grin was devious as his hand slid swiftly underneath my shirt and trekked upwards. “I’ll show you rude.”
“Guys,” Casey called out as Travis found my mouth again, gripping my thigh and tugging it around his hip as he ground his body against me. “That’s not fair.”
My face flamed as Travis grabbed hold of my hand and tugged me into his bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. He advanced slowly, and shrieking with laughter I jumped on the bed. My hand swiped a pillow and held it in a threatening stance as I bounced from one foot to the other, waiting to see which way I needed to run.
Travis paused, tilting his head at me as though changing tactics. Lowering his lids, he moved his hands to the button on his jeans. He undid one slowly, then another, and I froze when I realised he wasn’t wearing anything underneath.
My mouth went dry as his fingers slowly worked their way down until each one was undone and his jeans were tugged off. Heat slammed into me as my eyes ran over his chest, lean hips, long muscled legs, and everything in between.
“Like what you see?” he asked huskily.
“M-maybe,” I stammered.
With laughter in his eyes, Travis leaped easily onto the bed. All I could manage was to hold the pillow aloft in defence.
Travis wrenched it easily from my hands. With a toss he threw it across the room. My hand flew to my mouth, covering the shout of laughter when it hit the lamp, sending it crashing to the floor.
Ignoring it, he advanced another step towards me, his eyes falling to my mouth when I bit my lip in anticipation.
In an effort to throw him off, I came at him and we went down in a tangle of naked limbs and laughter. It soon dried up when Travis slid his mouth along my skin, his tongue tracing lazy circles along my collarbone. Within moments, my own jeans were tugged off and his hand was tracing those same lazy, maddening circles up the bare skin of my thigh. I parted my lips when his tongue demanded entrance to my mouth while his fingers grazed my panties, teasing the edges of the lace material.
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