SUV pulling out of the parking lot so quickly, he didn’t have time for any doubts. All he could think of was his hands around Travis’ neck.
“I can’t believe this,” Quinn muttered as she walked around her apartment, chewing her thumbnail down to a stub.
“Quinn, you need to relax. I told you, most likely, if they find him they’ll turn him in to the authorities.”
She twisted her head around to glare at Mara. After calling her best friend in a moment of sheer panic, Mara had dropped everything to come over immediately. Right now, Mara was sitting on Quinn’s couch, acting as if she didn’t have a care in the world. It didn’t seem to matter to her that Rick was breaking his promise or that his men— including her husband— were about to commit murder.
“How can I relax?” Quinn walked into the kitchen to grab something to eat. She opened the refrigerator and without looking at the contents, slammed it shut in disgust. “Don’t you care that they’re hunting down a man in a populated city in the middle of the day?”
“Come here, sit next to me.” Mara patted the couch cushion.
She pouted, but did as her friend said, dropping dramatically onto the seat.
“It’s no different from what the police do, Quinn. They’re following leads to find a criminal. That’s all.”
“It’s vigilantism and you know it.”
“Only if they harm him.” Mara shifted to face her. “Honestly, I’m surprised you feel this way, Quinn.” Mara covered Quinn’s hand with hers. “I would think you’d want him gone for good. I’ve known my husband a long time, known what he does for almost as long… these guys, they don’t take the job lightly and they aren’t bad men. They do only what has to be done— no more, no less.”
Her heart ached from the opposing feelings inside her. One side wanted him dead and buried six feet under so he could never hurt her again. The other side couldn’t imagine hunting a person down and killing him like an animal. “To want that would make me no better than Travis, Mara. That’s not me. I can’t explain it. I hate him— so much.” She swiped at a single tear that escaped from her tired eyes. “But I couldn’t live with myself, with the guilt, of killing someone or knowing I was turning the other way while someone is murdered.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “If there’s one thing I learned while I was with Travis, it’s that I’ll never make that mistake again. I won’t be with a man who will hurt others or kill in cold blood.”
“Quinn,” Mara said in a kind voice, “you know what Rick does. You know what they do here. Clint, Dane, Ben—”
She shook her head. “I had this same conversation with Rick. Flying into a war zone, taking out an enemy or rescuing hostages… it’s not the same and you know it.”
Mara sighed, releasing her hand so he could sit back on the couch. “I can understand that. Let me assure you that Rick is not a bad man. He is not Travis . No matter what happens today, you’re the only person I’ve ever seen him care about. Don’t let this…” she gestured frantically with her hands, “this thing ruin what you have with him.”
Quinn copied her friend’s posture, leaning back into the cushions. She closed her eyes, desperate to put all of this behind her.
Am I wrong? Should I want Travis dead?
The thing was, as guilty as it made her feel, part of her did want Travis dead. Just not by Rick’s hand. Not murder. Maybe Travis would drive off the road and his car would burst into flames. That would make this entire thing go away painlessly. Well, for her anyway, not Travis.
Smiling, Quinn wished for exactly that.
Chapter 7
Hours later, after Mara had gone home, Quinn was curled up on a chair in Mack’s office, reading a book while Mack sat in front of his laptop. She had started to doze off when Tucker poked his head in.
“Mack—”
He stopped short when he
“I can’t believe this,” Quinn muttered as she walked around her apartment, chewing her thumbnail down to a stub.
“Quinn, you need to relax. I told you, most likely, if they find him they’ll turn him in to the authorities.”
She twisted her head around to glare at Mara. After calling her best friend in a moment of sheer panic, Mara had dropped everything to come over immediately. Right now, Mara was sitting on Quinn’s couch, acting as if she didn’t have a care in the world. It didn’t seem to matter to her that Rick was breaking his promise or that his men— including her husband— were about to commit murder.
“How can I relax?” Quinn walked into the kitchen to grab something to eat. She opened the refrigerator and without looking at the contents, slammed it shut in disgust. “Don’t you care that they’re hunting down a man in a populated city in the middle of the day?”
“Come here, sit next to me.” Mara patted the couch cushion.
She pouted, but did as her friend said, dropping dramatically onto the seat.
“It’s no different from what the police do, Quinn. They’re following leads to find a criminal. That’s all.”
“It’s vigilantism and you know it.”
“Only if they harm him.” Mara shifted to face her. “Honestly, I’m surprised you feel this way, Quinn.” Mara covered Quinn’s hand with hers. “I would think you’d want him gone for good. I’ve known my husband a long time, known what he does for almost as long… these guys, they don’t take the job lightly and they aren’t bad men. They do only what has to be done— no more, no less.”
Her heart ached from the opposing feelings inside her. One side wanted him dead and buried six feet under so he could never hurt her again. The other side couldn’t imagine hunting a person down and killing him like an animal. “To want that would make me no better than Travis, Mara. That’s not me. I can’t explain it. I hate him— so much.” She swiped at a single tear that escaped from her tired eyes. “But I couldn’t live with myself, with the guilt, of killing someone or knowing I was turning the other way while someone is murdered.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “If there’s one thing I learned while I was with Travis, it’s that I’ll never make that mistake again. I won’t be with a man who will hurt others or kill in cold blood.”
“Quinn,” Mara said in a kind voice, “you know what Rick does. You know what they do here. Clint, Dane, Ben—”
She shook her head. “I had this same conversation with Rick. Flying into a war zone, taking out an enemy or rescuing hostages… it’s not the same and you know it.”
Mara sighed, releasing her hand so he could sit back on the couch. “I can understand that. Let me assure you that Rick is not a bad man. He is not Travis . No matter what happens today, you’re the only person I’ve ever seen him care about. Don’t let this…” she gestured frantically with her hands, “this thing ruin what you have with him.”
Quinn copied her friend’s posture, leaning back into the cushions. She closed her eyes, desperate to put all of this behind her.
Am I wrong? Should I want Travis dead?
The thing was, as guilty as it made her feel, part of her did want Travis dead. Just not by Rick’s hand. Not murder. Maybe Travis would drive off the road and his car would burst into flames. That would make this entire thing go away painlessly. Well, for her anyway, not Travis.
Smiling, Quinn wished for exactly that.
Chapter 7
Hours later, after Mara had gone home, Quinn was curled up on a chair in Mack’s office, reading a book while Mack sat in front of his laptop. She had started to doze off when Tucker poked his head in.
“Mack—”
He stopped short when he
Similar Books
