Page 34 of Dirty Ex-Mas
“What the hell is going on, Quinn?” Reed’s voice comes through loud and clear.
“Quinn, put Reed on the phone,” Mack demands.
“No!” I glare at Mack through the rearview mirror, he avoids my gaze, but moves to lean between the two front seats so I can hear the phone better.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Quinn replies.
“Good girl!” I call out.
“Daria? I could use some . . . advice.”
“I know, Quinn. I’m so sorry!” I yell in the phone's direction. “I’m thinking. Give me a second.”
“Quinn, where are you?” Mack asks.
“I’m at the house where the party is, upstairs.”
“Which is where I brought her after I found her with a gun ready to shoot David Tremblay.” Reed’s voice is filled with accusation.
“Quinn, tell Reed to hang tight. I will call you back in two minutes.” Mack disconnects the call.
“Why did you do that? If Reed has her, is he going to arrest her?” I can’t help but feel panic. My friend is not cut out for this. “I knew this was a bad plan.”
“Yeah, well, you went along with it anyway, so . . .” Mack tosses the phone in the center console cup holder where we can both reach it if need be. “Okay,” he continues, “here’s what we’ll do. Cancel heading to the brothel address dipshit gave us.” He thumbs in David’s direction. “We’re going to the safe house instead. I’ll call Reed back and tell him only what he absolutely needs to know.”
“Which is what?”
“ThatIplanted Quinn as a distraction so I could get to Tremblay. And she knew nothing else.Youare just my getaway driver. And the gun has blanks because I didn’t want anyone hurt. It’s enough of the truth to be plausible and the number of things I’ll admit to will satisfy him.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. I’ll call him back and have him bring Quinn to meet us. I got this, Dar. I know this plan was flawed, but I promise you I won’t let anything happen to Quinn, okay?” He touches my shoulder as he says this. I turn my head to look at him.
God, that face of his, it’s so tragically beautiful.
I nod and return my attention to the road. We’re about ten miles from a safe house that Mack has access to, where he can question David more thoroughly, and we can meet up with Reed and Quinn. I have no reason to doubt Mack, or his ability to keep Quinn safe, I never have, so I won’t start now.
He calls Quinn back and tells Reed where to bring her and that he’ll explain everything once they arrive. True to what Mack predicted, Reed seems placated and agrees to not bring Quinn in until they meet. I’m so proud of Quinn for not caving and telling Reed the entire plan. Had you asked me before today if she would have been capable of keeping anything from Reed, I would have said no.
I only hope she can keep it together until we get to her.
16
Reed
It took every ounce of strength in my body to resist Quinn when she tried to kiss me. We were alone in a room with a bed, and she was rubbing on me and kissing me and all I wanted to do was throw her down and fuck her until neither of us could see straight. But I stopped myself. I know she’s keeping something from me. And I don’t believe that she wanted to shoot David because their break-up upset her.
I look at her now, sitting in the passenger seat next to me as we head out to meet Mack and Daria. The slit in her dress is open to her thigh, making me want to slip my hand through it, spread her legs, and touch her through her panties. I don’t know what it is about her tonight, whether it’s the dress or the gun, maybe her attitude, but I am hot for her. I usually run at a slow burn for her anyway, but this is something else altogether.
I exit the highway and take surface streets to the back road that will lead us to the safe house. She shivers next to me.
“Cold?”
“A little.”
I reach in the back seat and grab my jacket, handing it to her. She brings it up to her nose and sniffs it before slipping it on. The bottom of the coat covers a decent part of her exposed thigh. Which is disappointing, but for the best.
“Why didn’t you kiss me?” Quinn turns to look at me. “Back there, when I tried. I know you wanted to.”
