Page 90 of Parker

Without another word, Victor turned to leave. He was halfway between her and the door when a loud blast shook the entire building.

The table jiggled, a splash of hot coffee burning her hand as it spilled over the jostling rim. Quinn gasped, instinctively pulling her hand to her chest, and just like that…a very specific memory of Parker filled her mind’s eye.

He’d been standing in Delta Team’s safe house kitchen, fixing coffee and talking on the phone. She’d stopped at the room’s entrance, too entranced by the breathtaking man to look away.

Eventually, she’d managed to find her voice and had greeted him with a soft salutation. And that’s whenhe’dbeen the one to fall under a spell.

Just as she’d done with him, Parker had stared at her from across the room. The expression on his face had been that of wonder and awe… The exact same things she’d been feeling when she’d been watching him.

Quinn could see it now. She could finally admit what, buried in the back of her head she’d already known…that was it. That was the moment she realized she was in love.

Only she’d fought it. Tooth and nail, heart and soul…Quinn had spent those first few days denying even the slightest inkling of that fluttery feeling that had threatened to consume her.

It was like being stuck on a never-ending roller coaster, her emotions pingponging back and forth between excitement and anger. Fear and denial. And so much lust she’d nearly gone insane with need.

But then he’d surprised her with that horrible, wonderful idea. They’d talked…argued…and then…

They’d made love.

You have to make it through this, Quinn. You have to survive so you can tell him how you feel. A person deserves to know when they are loved.

“What the hell?”

Victor’s alarmed voice snapped Quinn back to her current situation. The slight stinging in her reddened hand reminding her of the nearby explosion.

Parker!

Instinctively, she turned toward the door. Was it possible? Had he gotten her message? Was he here?

Hope like no other bloomed inside her chest, but…

What if it’s not him? What if one of this man’s enemies tracked him down, and they’ve come for their own revenge?

“You okay, Boss?” Dickhead Dick barged into the room.

“I’m fine. What the fuck was that?”

“Explosion. Sounded like it was coming from the west end of the building.”

“Go see what it is.”

“What about her?” The big jerk looked her way.

“Let me worry about that. Now go. Call as soon as you know what the fuck just happened.”

“Yes, Sir.”

The other man turned and left as Victor marched angrily toward her. In a flash, Quinn was back in her kitchen…and her attacker was closing in.

She focused on her periphery. There was no bottle of wine handy this time, but there was something almost as good.

Quinn’s gaze shot back to the man heading in her direction. Just like in her kitchen that night, she forced her mind to clear and her breathing to calm. And when Victor was standing in the exact right spot…

In one fluid motion, she grabbed the cup and flung its steaming contents straight at the man’s face.

“Ah!” Victor’s hands flew to his face, his eyes squeezed tightly as he screamed and writhed in pain.

Run!

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