Quinn Security

by Dee Bridgnorth

  “What are you going to build?” he asked him.

  “You’ll understand once the permits reach your desk, Sheriff,” he told him.

  “Like I mentioned to Eddie here,” Rick began, “I stripped your name out of the police database and all of the cases against you have been dropped. I’d like to get back to my life now.”

  “Oh, is that why you think I’ve invited you out here?” Dante challenged.

  If Dante thought that this had been an invitation he was out of his mind. Everything Rick had been doing for him had been entirely against his own will.

  He gritted his teeth, however, and asked, “What can I do for you?”

  “My greatest threat is Lucy Cooper,” Dante stated, and in an instant Rick did not like where he presumed this was headed. “We need to take her out.”

  Rick swallowed hard and fixed a poker face onto his expression to hide his immense worry. As he did, his stomach twisted into sour knots and he felt his heartrate skyrocket.

  “I got a taste for how you might accomplish it,” Dante told him.

  “How I might accomplish it?” Rick shot back, alarmed.

  Eddie reminded him, “You’re close with Shane, which means you have easy access to all of the Quinns. If you can get to Kaleb, you can get to Lucy.”

  “You’re also close with that sneaky little professor, if I’m not mistaken,” Dante pointed out. “I know from experience that all we have to do is pierce Lucy’s heart and utter some Latin words and she’ll either die or be stripped of her powers forever.”

  Eddie clarified, “You get the professor on board and carry the hit out. We need it done immediately.”

  “I’m not asking you, Sheriff,” Dante warned.

  Rick didn’t especially appreciate how the dark lord had said his title as though Rick being the sheriff was some kind of joke.

  “Once Lucy is out of the way,” he went on, “the Quinns will have no way to battle me. We’ll then take the town by force, kill off their clan, and have Devil’s Fist to ourselves once and for all.”

  Their dark eyes were fixed on him and Rick knew that they wanted his verbal confirmation that he would carry out this murderous plan. It made him sick, but he nodded.

  “Good,” said Dante. “Let me know the second it’s done. In the meantime, I believe I’ve found a worthy woman.” He grinned, looking more wicked than ever, and all Rick could do was thank God that his precious Whitney was safe now that she’d united with Shane Quinn.

  If he hadn’t been terrified to learn the truth, he might have asked Dante who this woman was, but instead he opted to do what he could to get the hell out of there.

  “I’ll be on my way then,” he said.

  “Do not disappoint me,” Dante warned.

  Rick assured him, “I wouldn’t dream of it,” even though it was a stone-cold lie.

  He turned and started back along the trail, walking as quickly as he could to escape.

  ***

  Dean doubted there was any water left in all of Wyoming, that’s how long Elizabeth had taken in the shower.

  Night had fallen over the Fist in the span of time it had taken for Elizabeth to do whatever the hell it was that she’d been doing in the bedroom. At least she couldn’t complain about the bedsheets, Dean had changed them during the forty-five minutes or so she’d been wasting the town’s water supply.

  He had drunk nearly the entire pot of coffee he’d made and was hunting through the refrigerator to figure out what he might like to cook for dinner when she finally emerged from the bedroom. They could always go over to Angel’s Food, not that he thought he should be presumptuous. It was no guarantee that she’d like to have dinner with him and the sentiment was two-way.

  He sensed her filling the entryway of the kitchen and turned.

  He froze.

  She was stunning. Her blonde hair was swept up in some kind of hairdo that looked both braided and spilling off the top of her head. Her lips were red and her eyes were dark and dramatic, the emerald green hue of her iris’ piercing like never before, but all of that was nothing compared to the slinky red dress that clung to her every curve.

  “What’s the occasion?” he managed to ask, thanking God he hadn’t gotten too tongue tied to talk.

  “I have a prior commitment,” she informed him.

  His heart didn’t so much sink as swell with sudden rage, Dante Alighieri surging to the forefront of his mind.

  “Tell me it’s not with Dante,” he demanded.

  The coy smile she returned was enough of a confirmation that his worst fears were still in the hot throes of coming true.

  “What did I tell you about him?”

  “What can I say?” she innocently responded. “He’s very persuasive.”

  “He’s very dangerous,” Dean shot back. “And he doesn’t know that you’re here. I hope you kept it that way.”

  “What, are you worried I asked him to pick me up here?”

  “Knowing you, I wouldn’t put it past you,” he grumbled.

  “You don’t know me at all.”

  “I have a pretty good idea,” he maintained. Her expression shifted and since Dean had been getting better at reading her face, he was able to guess exactly what she was thinking. “Oh, no. You think I’m going to drive you to your date?”

  “Would you?”

  “Are you crazy?”

  “Well, you just told me you don’t want me to propose the alternative,” she smartly reminded him.

  “There is a third option,” he scoffed. “It’s called don’t go out with him.”

  “Jealous?”

  He snorted a laugh and hated that she’d hit the nail on the head, but insisted, “I’m not jealous. I’m concerned.”

  “Oh, relax,” she sang as she click-clacked her way into the living room, drawing his attention to the black stiletto heels she was wearing.

  Christ, she looked good.

  Dante would eat her alive.

  Dean followed after her and as she lowered her slender figure onto the leather armchair next to his couch, he reminded her, “It’s bad enough you sold land to him. You dodged a serious bullet. I’m not going to let you spend any more time with him.”

  “You’re not going to let me?” she questioned, fully incited.

  “You heard me.”

  “I’ll have you know, I’m venturing into a real estate deal with Dante. I’ll be working with him quite a bit and I regret to inform you, you won’t have a damn thing to say about it.”

  “I have a lot to say about it,” he promised her. “What real estate venture?”

  “That burned down store,” she proudly told him. “Dante is going to buy and rebuild it.”

  “And you’re helping him?”

  She smiled and crossed her long legs, which caused the high slit in the side of her red dress to fall open.

  Dean willed himself not to glance down at her perfect leg.

  “Aren’t you glad I’ll be staying in town?” she asked him, but he wasn’t fooled by her mock innocent tone.

  Before he could answer with a series of hot objections, her cell phone began vibrating from the black clutch in her hand.

  Quickly, she tapped the LCD screen, a huge grin having spread across her face, and said in a breathy, sultry voice, “Hello there.”

  Dean was left standing and looking on. He shook his head and keenly overheard every word coming through the line, engaging his sharp werewolf hearing.

  Dante’s smooth voice came deep through the receiver, “Elizabeth, darling, would you be available for dinner in a half hour?”

  Beaming with excitement, she said, “Of course, where can I meet you?”

  “I wouldn’t dream of asking you to drive,” he assured her. “Where can I pick you up?”

  “No,” Dean barked and she quickly covered the mouthpiece and shushed him.

  “That’s sweet of you, Dante,” she said. “But it’s no problem for my driver to drop me off.”

  Dean didn�
�t like the sound of that.

  Dante’s response was too low for Dean to hear. Elizabeth returned her cell phone into her black clutch purse and asked him, “How long will it take to get to Angel’s Food?”

  He laughed. “You are way too dressed up for Angel’s Food.”

  Frowning, she snapped, “I look amazing.”

  “That might be true,” he allowed. “But if you go to the diner dressed like that, people are going to stare at you the entire time.”

  “People always stare at me the entire time. I’m gorgeous,” she told him frankly. “And I asked you a question.”

  “Ten minutes, tops.”

  She let out an easy breath, settling into the arm chair. After a moment of thoughtful consideration, she asked, “Do you think he should take me to a nicer establishment?”

  “In the Fist? There are no nicer establishments.”

  “See? That’s exactly why Dante wants to develop this town. I’m all for it, if you ask me.”

  “I didn’t,” he told her dryly. “You should’ve just inherited the land and left it be like your father had done and his father before him.”

  She settled her piercing green gaze on him. Dean didn’t like being studied from across the room, but her eyes never left him as he sat on the couch.

  “How do you know the land has been in my family that long? As far as I know, my dad bought it. He didn’t inherit it.”

  “That’s impossible,” Dean assured her. “We’ve been calling the acreage the old Halsey land for centuries.”

  “How would you know?” she challenged. “You’re barely thirty.”

  If only she knew how old Dean really was…

  “Unlike wherever it is that you come from—”

  “Los Angeles,” she informed him. “Ever heard of it?”

  “People around here pass information down from generation to generation. My grandmother has known of the old Halsey land for ages, and trust me, she’s way older than your father lived to be.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “She just turned one hundred last month.”

  “Oh,” she allowed. “Yes, that’s older than my father.” After another brief moment of consideration, Elizabeth dropped her antagonistic tone and earnestly asked, “How long do you think the land was owned by the Halseys?”

  Given Grandmother’s Sasha’s real age, Dean approximated, “At least five hundred years.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “That’s impossible.”

  “Is it?” he questioned.

  “Well, perhaps, I’m not sure. Neither of us has any way of knowing.”

  “The point is, you should have left well enough alone.”

  “I’m getting really sick and tired of you making these grand, sweeping statements that are nothing but vague and unsubstantiated.”

  “You want substantiated?” he hotly returned. “I’ll give you substantiated. My oldest brother’s wife was abducted by Dante. Yeah, that’s right,” he drove home when she looked stunned. “Her name is Reece and Dante lured her out there and threw her in a cage. He tried similar with my other brother’s girl, Whitney. We have reason to believe he killed the parents of yet another of my brothers’ girlfriends. He shot me, but I already told you that. The police can’t stop him because he’s got the entire department in his dirty pocket. And you want to have dinner with him?”

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t see how any of that could possibly be true.”

  “You don’t know anything about Devil’s Fist or what really goes on here. You should’ve stayed in Los Angeles where you belong.”

  “And yet here I am,” she pointed out, “in your cabin where I’ll be sleeping in your bed.”

  “What’s your point?”

  “What’s yours?”

  He snorted a laugh.

  “You think it’s so funny, but I know your type,” she quickly informed him.

  “Oh, yeah? What’s my type?”

  “You have a chip on your shoulder against wealthy, successful men, which is why you try every trick in the book to bed wealthy women like myself.”

  That really made him laugh. “I’m not trying to bed you.”

  “Oh?”

  “Look, lady, you’re the one who was all over me at the bar last night!” he reminded her, losing his temper but not caring. “You’re the one to muscled your way into my cabin—”

  “I most certainly did not!”

  “If anyone is hitting on anyone in this situation, it’s you!”

  “Well,” she huffed, jumping to her high heeled feet. “Perhaps Mr. Alighieri will have room for me and I can just stay with him for the remainder of my trip!”

  As she marched towards the door, Dean cut her off at the pass and stared down into her big, green eyes, both of their chests rising and falling, as adrenaline coursed through their veins.

  “You may drive me to Angel’s Food now,” she permitted him.

  The next thing he knew, he was grabbing her, one strong arm wrapping her slender waist, his large hand scooping the nape of her neck. He got a hold of himself before he could crush his mouth against hers.

  He had taken her breath away, though. Her red lips had gaped open and her eyes were wide and staring. Their mouths were so close, close enough to kiss, but he didn’t lean in.

  His mind was reeling, the wolf inside of him having almost won, but he wasn’t going to make her right about him.

  Gradually, he released her and stepped back, neither of them having ever broken the intense eye contact holding them together.

  Elizabeth’s chest was rising and falling, her supple breasts beneath the thin, silky material of her red dress looking delicious enough to eat. He indulged himself for only a moment, drinking in the sight of her, then he turned for the door.

  “Come on. You don’t want to be late.”

  Chapter Six

  ELIZABETH

  “You look stunning!”

  So do you! thought Elizabeth as she neared him on the sidewalk outside of Angel’s Food. She took careful strides in her black stiletto heels, being sure to sway her hips and ooze for him as much as possible.

  He smelled incredible as well as he took both of her hands in his and eased in to plant a light peck on her cheek, like sandalwood and spices.

  “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you there aren’t any restaurant options in town,” he mentioned as he led her towards the entrance door of the diner.

  As she stepped inside, she glanced over her shoulder at Dean, who was glaring at her from behind the wheel of his idling truck. Thank God, he had parked across the street and hadn’t walked her over. Ordinarily, she would’ve insisted he be a gentleman and do just that, but she didn’t want Dante to know how she’d gotten into town. Another close brush with a fist fight would not be the perfect way to start this date.

  She couldn’t deny she liked ruffling Dean’s feathers, and seeing precisely how jealous he was had given her a warm, satisfied feeling, though it wasn’t lost on her that it was a bit cruel. So what? Had Dean asked her out? No, he had acted as though treating her in the manner she deserved to be treated was laughable.

  It was her pleasure to meet Dante for a dinner date and if she wanted anything this evening, it was to put Dean Quinn out of her mind.

  “I reserved a booth for two,” he reminded the waitress at the hostess stand. “Alighieri.”

  “We don’t take reservations,” the dehydrated-looking brunette informed him. “It’ll be a few minutes.”

  Dante didn’t seem pleased but he remained polite as they watched the waitress start through the diner and help one of the bus boys clear a vacant table.

  “As soon as I build my casino,” he began explaining to Elizabeth, “this town will finally have the appropriate establishments to meet the high standards of classy women like yourself. Did I tell you I love your dress?”

  “You did, thank you,” she smiled as she leaned into him a bit more.

  She quite enjoyed being on Dante Alighieri’
s arm, but it was hardly as muscular and hard as Dean’s. But Dean was still a boy by all accounts. Dante was a real man, and a bit on the older side, which Elizabeth had always considered a good sign. He looked like a regal and dashing fifty or perhaps fifty-five. His hair was raven black, but had a salt and pepper texture, and his complexion was handsome. What did Dean have to offer? Bad boy good looks? His cabin was practically a bachelor pad and she was certain he didn’t own a single suit.

  Soon the waitress returned and led them through the restaurant to a clean booth. Dante helped Elizabeth to ease onto the red vinyl seat and then he sat across from her.

  “I know the cook,” he commented.

  “Oh?”

  “Her name is Angel Mercer and though this is a diner, I must say she has talent. Might I recommend your entre?”

  “Please do,” she agreed. She hoped he would order everything so that she wouldn’t have to touch the giant laminated menu that the waitress had set down for her on the table. It looked sticky.

  As their date got under way, Dante ordering and asking the waitress to uncork the bottle of wine he had brought and Elizabeth flirting her way through light conversation, she found it impossible not to think about Dean Quinn…

  …and the way he had grabbed her like that.

  God, it had been intense. She’d never felt such strength. She had nearly gone weak in the knees feeling those sculpted arms of his wrap around her. He had taken her very breath away and yet, he’d stopped short of kissing her.

  What had stopped him?

  Perhaps it was for the best. At the very least, she would have been furious if he’d smooshed her lipstick all over her mouth and mussed her up. But, on the other hand, if he had, she knew she would’ve let him take her, fully, wouldn’t she have?

  It had been hot. That’s all she knew. It was like an animal had emerged from inside of him and he’d acted on pure impulse. It was more than a turn-on to have seen her effect on him. He had literally lost himself, lost all control of himself, and had taken her roughly in his arms.