by Vonnie Davis
“Yeah.” She scratched behind Einstein’s ears. “Or tell me to let it go, and I will, because I trust your reporter instincts.”
“Tell me everything you know. Preferably in order, but it doesn’t have to be. Our minds don’t always recall things in a precise pattern.” Becca pulled out her rubber band and fingered her long red hair into a tighter ponytail before winding the band around her tresses again. “Where do you want to start?” She held out a hand. “Do you want a can of soda and some cookies? I just made some snickerdoodles.”
“Sure. Is that why it smells so good in here. It’s the baked cinnamon and sugar.”
Einstein whined.
Becca pointed at the exuberant dog. “You get one doggie chew. No cookies.”
Cassie was sure the dog whined, “Awl, Mom.”
Cassie moved to the other end of the sofa once Becca set a plate of cookies and two cans of soda on the coffee table. Einstein stretched out on the floor and chewed his rawhide treat, although one eye stayed on the plate of home-baked treats.
“Telling you this has to be private. I’ll be sharing some of Quinn’s relationship with his dad and I’m not sure how he’ll feel about that.”
“He’s already told Wolf, hon. I don’t think you’re betraying a trust.”
Cassie started talking and Becca took notes. Cassie reached for another cookie and stared at Becca. “When Chris had me captive, he told me something.”
“Go on.”
“He said after the shitstorm happened in Chile, Quinn insisted there was a mole in DC, in either the State Department or the DEA, but that he—Chris—had been one of them all the time.”
“One of them. He used the expression ‘one of them’?”
“Yes.” Cassie shuddered at the memory. “When he pressed the barrel of his gun under my chin, he insisted Quinn had never been his friend and that being head of the team in Chile should have been Chris’s job. He claimed DB had promised it to him. That his security clearance was higher and his work experience more extensive than Quinn’s. But Buck Gallagher gave the position to Quinn. Thought the undercover involvement would make a man out of him. Now, why would he help Quinn’s career when he wouldn’t even go watch him play football in college? Does that make sense to you? Because it doesn’t to me.”
“Evidently the man’s career meant more to him than his son.” Becca glanced at her. “You’re sure Chris used the specific initials DB?”
“Believe me. I remember every word he and his brother said to me. Every disgusting word.” She gave an involuntary shudder.
Becca stopped writing and stared off. “Let me check something for a second.” She stood and opened the small middle drawer of the desk, removing a bank envelope. She dumped out a deposit slip and a check which she studied for a minute. “Did you know every man involved in your rescue was paid and paid quite well?”
“No. Quinn never mentioned it.”
“Look at the check.”
Becca handed it to Cassie who gasped at the amount. “Ten thousand dollars?”
“Now look at the account the check was drawn on.” Becca pursed her lips.
“DB Enterprises Incorporated? Holy hell!” Cassie handed the check back as if she couldn’t bear to touch it. The paper seemed dirty, somehow. “What are you thinking?”
Becca placed the check back in the envelope, returned it to the drawer and reached for another cookie before she sat. “Gut instinct? Whoever runs DB Enterprises is the real mole, or the chief mole, in the department. I’m betting he had a group of eager young men working for him, like Chris, and offered them promotions if they did whatever he ordered. Enter Mr. Gallagher, who wanted to help his son get ahead. Evidently he had more influence and used it.”
“He made sure Quinn got that assignment in Chile.”
Becca nodded. “Which could explain his anger when the mission went badly. He’d stuck his neck out to promote his son and then things went belly-up, making Mr. Gallagher look like a fool.”
“A man and his pride.”
“Oh yeah,” Becca breathed. “You don’t ever want to mess with a man’s pride. So, Quinn resigns and things are fine and dandy for a few years. Until…”
“Until Quinn sends out feelers for job openings in the State Department and the DEA. Within hours, the text arrives threatening my life.”
“Makes sense, doesn’t it?” Becca guzzled her soda.
“Yes. Yes, it does.”
Becca studied her notes. “We need to find out who this DB is. That could be a very big key.” After reaching for her can of soda, she held it partway to her mouth. “Jace has his doubts, too. He said it was like Buck knew everything about Quinn’s life, like he was keeping close track.”
“Why do that when he refused to talk to him?”
“I know. Right? It’s all weird. Jace said the old man came by the military equipment and the funds to pay them awfully fast when you consider how slowly the government moves in every other area.”
“There’s something else. When I met Quinn’s parents, I could see no family resemblance between the three of them. While Selena has deep blue eyes, they’re not like Quinn’s. Buck is tall, thin to the point of being gaunt, blond thinning hair, green eyes and a weak chin. Neither parent has a strong, square chin like Quinn or dimples. I saw zero family resemblance.”
“You think he was adopted?”
Cassie shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s like this emotional disconnect with his dad. He showed zero concern—zero, mind you—when he found out Quinn had stitches in the back of his head. Selena expressed the typical worry of a mother, but the old man could have cared less. He was rude to Quinn and I gave him a dose of attitude right back.”
Becca laughed. “I’ll just bet you did.”
“The man’s face turned beet red and his eyes all but shot shards of ice. He’s not used to being challenged. I don’t like him, nor do I care for the way he treats Quinn.” Cassie leaned forward, her arms draped over her knees. “What if Buck was the intruder in Quinn’s apartment the other night?” She glanced at Becca to gauge her reaction. “I heard Quinn talking to his dad on the phone, telling him he was taking me to the emergency room and didn’t know how long it would take the doctors to run tests and check me out. We were going to meet them that night but were both too tired after the rescue, so Quinn set up a time to meet them for breakfast. Then we argued, and Quinn went straight home. Maybe he surprised his father’s snooping.”
“You think his father could have knocked him out?” Becca’s eyes were wide with astonishment.
“When you think of a man telling his only son he is no longer his parent and he is not allowed to call him father or dad, then I think a person like that is capable of most anything.” She pointed to Becca’s notes. “Are you going to show these to Wolf?”
“Yes, honey, I am. We don’t keep secrets. Trust is a big deal with us. When we first got together, I didn’t trust men and he didn’t trust reporters. It’s taken us a lot of work to get beyond those trust issues, but we have, by being totally honest with each other. I’ll have to talk to him about all this.” She tapped her pen on the tablet.
“Quinn and I have a few issues, too, although we’re slowly talking them out.”
“Both Quinn and Wolf are alphas. They need to know they run the pack.” Becca laughed. “Even if they don’t always, we just get smart at letting them think they do. But there’s nothing like being loved by an alpha. The passion will never die. And you will always have someone in your corner, on your side. Life can be tough. Having someone standing by you all the time makes it easier and more enjoyable.
“Will you investigate these things farther?” Cassie jerked her chin toward the tablet.
“Once Wolf and I talk it over, yes. Something’s not right here. I think once I present the facts to my editor, he’s going to insist I do a full investigation. Do you think Quinn’s mother would talk to me if I called? I could begin the conversation under the guise of wedding preparations
. Ask her if she’d like to come down to help chose a venue for the service.”
“Yes, that might work. I’m betting Selena would be more open once she gets away from her iceberg husband. Becca, he even looks at Quinn as if he can’t stand him. He gives me the creeps.”
“Can you get me her number?”
“She gave it to me. I have it on my cell.” She spun through her contacts. “Here it is.” And read it off for Becca to jot down.
“This has a potential of being a case for treason. I have a friend who’s a reporter at the Washington Post who would be all over this in a heartbeat and help protect my name. That will be Wolf’s biggest concern—that I stay safe. Meanwhile, you’ll need to talk to Quinn. We can’t keep him in the cold or have him blindsided by this.”
“I agree.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Thanks to Quinn’s encouragement, Cassie reduced her hours at the beauty shop to only accommodate her regular customers who’d followed her from her shop after it was destroyed by the fire. His thinking was she’d have more time to move out of the apartment she’d shared with Sara and Misty and in with him. Plus, as he loved reminding her, she had a wedding to plan.
Even as they enjoyed their time together, tensions simmered in the background. Quinn was pissed his father had changed back to the old iron-assed Buck he’d been before Quinn’d called about the threatening text, and Cassie couldn’t seem to find the right time to bring up her suspicions about Quinn’s father.
On the other hand, his mother was thrilled to be included in the early stages of the wedding planning. Selena and Becca spoke often by phone. Cassie called her every day too. It didn’t take Selena long to confide how unhappy she was. The time had come to tell Quinn.
Determined to make tonight the night for the talk, Cassie fixed him his favorite lasagna and put it in the oven before charging back to the bathroom for a quick shower. She’d had a complete Brazilian wax earlier at the shop so he could enjoy her bald hoo…er…cunt. One way or another she’d get used to calling that part of her body by a word she’d always found offensive.
She sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing peaches and cream lotion into her skin when keys jangled in the lock.
“Angel?”
“In the bedroom.”
“Is that lasagna I smell?” Quinn stopped and leaned a shoulder against the doorway, his eyes turned a stormy blue as they took their fill. “Lasagna and a naked woman on my bed.” He slipped a pair of pink handcuffs from his pants pocket. “Only one thing could possibly make my life any better.”
“Oh no, Quinn Gallagher. You are not handcuffing me to the headboard.” Just to torment him, she shifted on the bed and raised one knee to give him a full view of her newly waxed cunt.
That slow, sexy-as-hell smile she loved so much spread, creasing his cheeks with those dimples that did it for her. He swung the handcuffs on his index finger. “Lay back angel. I’ve got a few surprises for you. Don’t you like surprises?”
“Not if they come with handcuffs.” She stuck out her lower lip, hoping he’d suck on it out of revenge for her arguing with him. Actually, why am I arguing with him?
She lay back with her hands over her head. “What kind of surprise do I get?”
“First the handcuffs or you don’t get to see.” He snapped the pink, fur-lined cuffs on her wrists and then propped a foot on the bed.
For Pete’s sake!
“New sneakers? You had to handcuff me to show off your new sneakers?”
He pranced around the bedroom, his hands in his pockets. “Hey, this is a special occasion. It’s not every day a man gets new sneaks. They reminded me of you.” He raised a leg to show one off again.
She narrowed her eyes. “Grey sneakers reminded you of me?”
“It’s the green, angel. The green trim matches your eyes. Now, spread your legs.”
Her knees pushed together. “No.”
Quinn made a tsking noise. The man was certainly in a playful mood. “Gee, too bad. I had another surprise or two to show you, but your legs have to be spread first.”
She rolled her eyes. Damn fool man.
He reached a hand behind his shoulders and tugged off his shirt. Then he sat on the edge of the bed and untied his new sneakers. He glanced toward her, one eyebrow cocked. “I’m still not seeing that pretty bald cunt. Guess I’ll put the handcuff key and the other surprise in the desk drawer.” He sauntered toward the bedroom door. “In case you’ve forgotten, the desk is in the living room.
“I know where the damn desk is. I just dusted it the other day.” Still, she spread her legs, thinking of how she would get revenge. “Okay, hot lips, I’m showing off what you want to see.”
He stopped but did not look at her.
“And what is that object called?” The tone of his voice brooked no room for error. He wanted to hear her use that word.
“It’s called a hootchie-cunt.”
His shoulders shook with laughter. Did she know how to get to her man, or what?
Quinn slowly turned. “Being alpha in this marriage is going to be a constant battle with you, isn’t it?”
She spread her legs wider. “Well, if you don’t think you can handle it. I guess I’ve learned how to give awesome head for nothing.”
He shucked his pants and briefs, removing two items before tossing the clothes on the floor. Then he crawled onto the bed between her legs, lowered his head and ran his tongue along her slit.
She moaned his name. Maybe the man did know some cool games to play. He ran his tongue around her clit a couple of times. Make that hot games, because she was definitely getting more heated with every stroke of his very talented tongue. When he drew her pleasure button into his mouth and sucked on it, she screamed his name in climax, while he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her to him until her spasms ceased.
“Are you ready to finish playing the game now?” His gaze slowly rose to lock on hers. “I’ve got something in each hand.” He opened one. “In this one is the key for the handcuffs, and I promise to massage your arms to get the circulation going again. So, choosing the key has its benefits.” He held up his other closed hand. “In this one is something that stops the circulation forever. It’s called an engagement ring.” He rose onto his knees and placed both hands behind his back, switching the contents from one hand to the other. Then he presented both at his naked waist, a pleased-as-hell smile brightening his features. “Chose one, angel.”
Oh, no, he’s not getting ahead of me.
“But I can’t pick a hand with both of mine restrained. You’ll have to open the handcuffs so I can touch the hand I think has the diamond hidden in it.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Jace warned me about you. Just tell me left or right.”
She had him now. “Left.”
He uncurled his fingers and a key rested against his palm.
“But that’s your left. I meant my left. Besides, do you want to tell everyone you slipped a diamond on my finger while you had me handcuffed to the headboard?”
His sexy grin spread again and he tilted his head. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I do. Our kids will love the story.” He kissed the square diamond set in a band of smaller diamonds before slipping it onto her finger. “See how nice it looks on your hand?”
“It’s gorgeous. The most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen.”
He used the key to unlock the handcuffs, massaging and kissing every finger, as well as her wrist until her circulation returned.
“You sure know how to propose to a girl.” She winked. “Tie her to the bed and then slide on the ring.”
Still, she’d taken it under false pretenses. How could she explain she was having his father investigated? What a mess she’d made of things and, in the end, she’d probably hurt the only man she’d ever loved.
He held her close, his lips near her ear. “I’ve never made love to a woman wearing an engagement ring. I’m betting it would be phenomenal.” He kissed her long and slow, h
is tongue sweeping the inside of her mouth. His finger dipped between the bald folds of her pussy. “What do we call this?”
“A hootchie-cunt?”
He pinched her labia, the corners of his delectable mouth twitching. “I can see someone needs her ass paddled.”
He wouldn’t dare!
Before he decided to put that crazy idea into action, she made up her mind to be honest. “We have to talk about something I’ve done. I’ve been trying to work up the courage to tell you for two days. To my credit, I’ve been busy packing, moving and unpacking. The timing never seemed right.”
He rolled onto his side and tucked her to him, her head on his shoulder and his hand cupping her ass. “Tell me, angel.”
“I remembered some things Chris said to me at that warehouse.”
He tensed, which was never a good sign. “And you’re just now going to tell me?”
Oh God, here comes the explosion. When she told him, he would go batshit crazy on her. “I went to Becca and discussed them with her because I wasn’t sure if what he said was anything important or if I was just overreacting.”
He released her, sat and glared. “So, what you’re telling me is, her opinion is more valuable than mine.”
“No. No, not at all. I mean, I know it seems that way, but she’s a reporter—”
“Fuckin’ A it seems that way.” He stood and jerked on his boxers. “You come to me with every problem you have.” He jammed one leg at a time into his jeans. “Every motherfucking problem, otherwise, what good am I to you?”
He yanked his shirt back on. His new sneakers he kicked aside, and he stepped into his motorcycle boots.
“Where are you going?” The thought of his riding the Harley when he was so pissed scared her.
“To Becca’s. To find out what my future wife couldn’t share with me.” He charged out of the door, slamming it behind him.
Cassie slipped into her robe and called Becca to warn her one pissed-off man was on his way to her house. She’d have more company tonight than she expected.
****