Page 24 of Crossing Quinn

With one twirl of my finger, the flames became fireballs again and chased after the thugs. I grinned. My special fireballs wouldn’t stop until they caught the slavers.

“If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Quinn’s harsh voice declared.

I spun around. Whoa! Quinn was even bigger in person. He could give my father a run for his money in the big, scary, badass department. “How did you find me?”

Quinn gestured at the burning spaceport. “Kinda hard to miss this.”

“You immediately thought I was responsible?”

“Yeah. You’re a lot like my sister, Kaylee. Wherever she goes, chaos soon follows. Believe me, I’ve had a lot of experience in cleaning up her messes. Which is why Zarek sent me after you.”

“I’m not your sister.”

Quinn’s hot gaze roved over my body. “No. You’re not.”

My nipples perked up. Should I kiss him now or wait? I gave myself a mental head thunk. Had I lost my mind? The jerk wanted to take me to Tanith. Too bad he was so drekking sexy.

“Zarek is anxiously awaiting your arrival on Tanith,” Quinn stated.

“I hate to disappoint the Overlord, but you’re not taking me anywhere.”

Quinn smiled. “I do enjoy a challenge.”

“So do I.”

Clio scooted up my body and draped a tentacle around my shoulders. “Who he?”

“This is Quinn. Say hello.”

“Hello,”Clio responded politely.

His expression one of stunned disbelief, Quinn exclaimed, “That’s a Katanic shapeshifter.”

“You’re not as dumb as you look.”

“And you’ve got a smart mouth.”

I noticed the tiny tic in Quinn’s jaw and hid a smile. “My uncle thinks that too. Go figure.”

Grim amusement came and went in Quinn’s eyes. “You attract baby critters just like Kaylee. What are the odds?”

“Clio’s not a critter. She’s an intelligent life-form that can assume different shapes,” I remarked.

“I stand corrected. Clio is smart as the blazes, has the appetite of a velociraptor, and is immensely powerful.” Quinn reached out to touch Clio.

She ducked behind my head and peered warily at the warlord. “He friend?”

“Not exactly. More like a frenemy.”

“Want me eat him?

“Hmmm. Let me think.”

His tone one of utter exasperation, Quinn said, “You and your mother are fucking nuts.”

“You know me so well. By your tone, I’d say you have my mother on your ship?”

“I do. She took one look at me, screamed liked a banshee and keeled over. I put her in my holding cell for safe keeping.”

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