LITMIR.BIZ

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be sure. And anyway, the fact that she’d had to do so tonight was on him.

      He had to get her back to civilization. She needed care and counseling.

      Quinn was beyond care and counseling—and his only concern in this life was one thing: getting Bree to safety.

      He lifted her chin to look into her beautiful green eyes—sad, grief-stricken eyes. They stabbed his heart, broke it open. She wanted to cry. He could see her eyes shimmering with emotion.

      Quinn wanted to draw her into his arms and comfort her. Make the bad men go away. If only they lived in a world where they could be together and Quinn wouldn’t bring her harm or pain, and hey, as long as he was wishing, why not wish for Steve to be alive, too?

      She blinked and moved away from his touch. In her eyes, her expression, he saw the same fire and determination he knew he’d eventually find there—it stirred back to life. Good. That was much better than seeing her defeated.

      The last time he’d seen Bree in Coldwater Bay and looked in her eyes, he’d been holding her brother Steve’s body. His best friend. The man had drowned in a boating accident. Quinn had been on the boat with him. Though he hadn’t been charged, he’d held himself responsible, and so had Bree, he was sure. She hadn’t said as much, but he knew. He’d taken one look in her eyes then and seen the massive hurt and utter disappointment. It had cut him to the soul.

      After being the sole survivor of the car accident that had killed his parents when he was a teenager, what had he been thinking to believe he could ever be close to or love someone? It would all turn to death and ash. That’s why he’d taken off again, even leaving his sisters behind.

      But he’d tried. Oh, he’d tried with Bree. The second time he tried—after he’d returned from his military service—he’d actually let himself love her. Then her brother had drowned. Quinn had known at that moment that he didn’t deserve to love or to live a life filled with love. He’d been too afraid that even if he tried, tragedy would strike again. And now it appeared he definitely brought that death and danger with him.

      He’d thought he could never look in her eyes again. So he’d left. He’d found the darkest place, a place he knew he would never be tempted to love, and he’d joined the DEA to fight another kind of war—the drug war.

      The evil he’d experienced there made him feel dirty. Soiled. He wanted to wipe himself clean but he couldn’t get away. The darkness, the evil had followed him here to hurt Bree.

      What had he been thinking to come back to Coldwater Bay?

      His dangerous and dark job had gotten the best of him. And suddenly, the question burned and he had to know the answer. “You do believe me about why the men are after me, don’t you?”

      “I want to, Quinn. But why not go to your superiors? Why not tell someone in the DEA—they could protect you.”

      “Because someone on the inside is dirty. I don’t know everyone involved and I have to know who I can trust first. I was trying to find that out when my cover was suddenly blown and the leader of the group I infiltrated sent hitmen to kill me.” He squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to imagine what those men would do to Bree if they got to her.

      Because of him.

       Why, God?

      “So you just left your job?”

      He nodded. “I’m hiding from the good guys and the bad guys. I can’t tell which is which.”

      She frowned. “So you, what—just thought you could hide here forever?”

      Not forever. “I just had to get away. Let things die down. Figure out who I could trust. I shouldn’t have come anywhere near Coldwater Bay. But I didn’t know where to go. I knew I couldn’t go running back to Aunt Debby or bring danger to my family. But I ended up near home anyway.” He’d thought he was discreet enough, hiding out in the wilderness, not contacting his family. But on his supply runs in town, he would spend time at an internet café and search for information, anything to help. Maybe that had been too risky, and he’d been located because of his activities.

      “I guess something about Coldwater Bay just drew you back.” A smile from her?

      That surprised him.

      “I guess so. I never meant to bring danger to you.” Despite his efforts to stay away, he found himself looking in her eyes again, and her gaze swept his heart up into her current. “Bree—” What? What could he possibly say to make it all better? “We should be safe here for a few hours at least. You don’t need to try to protect me. You can’t put me into protective custody. That wouldn’t be a good idea for either of us. I’ll get you to safety and then I need to disappear again.”

      He wouldn’t think his words, his promise to disappear, would surprise her. After all, he’d done just that at least twice with her. But her jaw hung open while she processed his words.

      “If anyone asks,” he continued, “you never saw me. Do you understand?”

      A loud snap resounded.

      Someone had just triggered one of Quinn’s booby traps.

       FOUR

      “What was that?” Bree asked.

      Quinn pressed a finger to his lips.

      Bree held perfectly still. Quinn’s reaction could mean only one thing—the men had somehow found them.

      She fought the overwhelming urge to hyperventilate. Hadn’t she just ridden half the night on Quinn’s back to escape?

      Quinn moved like a predatory big cat, making no sound in pursuit of his prey. And that was just it—he was being hunted. They were being hunted together now. But his actions made it appear that he was the one doing the hunting. Maybe he could end this and they could stop running and call for help.

      Her eyes darted around the camper. Did he have a communication device here? A cell or a satphone? She didn’t spot anything, nor could she bring herself to get up and search. At the moment, fear had paralyzed her. Come to think of it, it was probably safer not to stand, anyway. If she knew what was good for her, she would drop to the floor. Quietly, of course. Those men could spray this camper with bullets—demolish it completely.

      A moment later, Quinn snuffed out the small lamp and utter darkness engulfed her.

      Quinn! She wanted to call his name but feared making the slightest sound. A cool draft hit her. Goose bumps crawled over her.

      And just like that...she knew she was alone inside the camper.

      No warmth emanated from another body. No slight intake of breath. None of that sensation of another presence. Just the slightest shift in the air, the atmosphere.

      How had he escaped the camper without her knowing? Through another opening besides the door? And he’d just left her here? She shouldn’t be so surprised.

      She fisted her hands. Held back her anger and disappointment. She should be relieved he could enter and exit that quietly. That he had prepared for just this situation and had it all figured out. And why not? He’d been here long enough to plan for this moment. All that time, without reaching out or letting any of the people who cared about him know he was here.

      As for her, she hadn’t expected any of this so couldn’t have planned for it. Like the rushing river that had tried to take her down and under and carry her away, she’d been out of control, and had to force her way up for breath. Had to make her way to the riverbank. She felt completely out of her depth here, but she was determined to force her way out of this. She had a family waiting for her on the other side of the wilderness and unlike some people, she would do everything in her power to go home to the people she loved. That meant standing up and taking action.

      Right

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