Page 196 of Quinlan

And I fucking laugh. A warm, short laugh. A laugh that says I love this woman so goddamn much.

Damien’s laughing too, an easy laugh as he pins her to his chest.

Our homicidal woman.

Liam—who’s moved to close our half-circle of three—smiles. Huffs a laugh that takes me aback just as much as the sound of my own laugh.

Ridiculous, I know. Being happy because he’s happy.

Nothing to do about it.

“As hot as it is, the idea of you going all Kill Bill on my behalf…” I pry Quinlan’s fingers off the black handle. “You’re not killing anyone.”

She makes me work for it, I’ll give her that. Liam stands at her side, gripping her chin and tilting her face to him. Damien slides his hand beneath the waistband of her leggings, rubbing her clit.

“Cheaters,” our captive gasps. Her grip on the knife loosens, and I take it from her.

“We would never.” The knife clinks onto the counter. My lips go to Quinlan’s cheek, lingering there, then move her ear.

“You know what I meant.” Her indignant huff is adorable as fuck.

“As I was saying.” My breath on her has Quinlan’s soft skin prickling. Or maybe it’s Damien’s fingers doing that to her.Could be Liam sucking on her bottom lip. Or all three of us together. “You won’t need this knife. We won’t let you kill anyone. You don’t need that.”

“You won’tletme do anything.” Liam parts his lips, going in for a kiss. She’s quick to twist her head to me. “Iwantto do it.”

I’m harder in my jeans than I was a second ago, my mouth watering to taste her. Her confidence is addictive.

“I want—Damien!”

“What?” He rubs her clit faster, her tight leggings posing no obstacle for him. “I’m being good, listening to you.”

“You’re being an asshole,” she groans. Straightens her spine and strokes my cheek. Fuck, she’s gentle. “I want to be there for you. Kill them with you.”Gasp. “I’ll be fine after that, promise. You don’t have to worry about me.”

For the past eighteen years, Quinlan has been a caged flower. And Rex stole the sun from her. He never cared for what she wanted out of life. Never took care of his dad. Never helped around with Quinlan’s mom.

But we do. We take care of her parents without her knowing.

We give her freedom, even when we lock her up here.

She could do anything. Say anything. And she chose to say this.

I want to be there for you. Kill them with you.

I pull back, taking her face in my palms. Damien, without me saying so, stops rubbing her.

“You’re serious,” I murmur. It’s the same tone I used when I realized Quinlan cried for me. When I was stunned to see that despite the tears, she didn’t pity me.

“I always am.”

“Anne will be here in a few hours.” Depending on what her boss will want to do with the news our reporter is leaking to Chicago’s marketing firms this very minute.

We told him to do that. Prepare the vultures to lure in Langford’s big accounts when the article airs on national TV. They’ll run from Joseph’s company before PR and damage control could convince them otherwise.

Joseph won’t be alive to witness his life’s work burning to the ground. But I will.

So yeah, Anne might be busy.

So will we.

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