Quinn Foxworth didn’t even blink when they came out of her bedroom together when he arrived the next morning. Oddly, he just looked at Cutter, who looked…well, smug.
“You’ll be at an even dozen before long,” Quinn said to the dog, who wagged his tail happily.
Mandy had no idea what that meant, but she was sure Quinn wasn’t surprised.
That makes one of us.
She almost smiled at her own thought, despite the throbbing in her arm. Funny to realize now it still hurt. Adam had made love to her with such exquisite care that her body had been swamped with so much pleasure she had hardly felt her arm at all.
But barely two weeks ago, she could never have imagined she could feel that way. At all, let alone about him. Or the way she felt now, with him sitting protectively beside her on her couch as they faced a grim-looking Quinn. And she knew by the look Adam had worn when they’d awakened wrapped in each other’s arms after some much-needed sleep, that he was still having trouble believing it.
She understood. She was reeling a bit herself, both with the newness of it and her own self-recriminations, and she guessed the feeling was a lot stronger for him. No wonder he’d been so doubtful.
She would just have to see to it that those doubts were wiped away. And she was wrapped up in thinking about just how many ways she could think of to do that when Quinn’s voice penetrated the pleasurable fog.
“—wanted to stay down South a bit longer,” Quinn was saying. “Something about fixing up a surprise for them for when they get back from their honeymoon. Knowing her, I can only imagine.”
She realized he was explaining where Hayley was and pulled herself back to the moment. “It must be nice for her, her brother marrying her best friend.”
Quinn nodded. “Walker’s a good man. One of the best. And I think they’ll work well together,” he said practically, making Mandy smile.
“Speaking of working,” Adam said, “you didn’t chew on Liam too hard, did you?”
Quinn lifted a brow at him. “All Foxworth ever asks is that you learn and correct.”
“It happened so fast he’d have had to be in the driveway to get to the guy before Cutter did,” Adam said.
“And before you,” Mandy said, liking the way Adam stood up for the young Foxworth operative.
“So I heard,” Quinn said, looking at Adam approvingly.
“It was Cutter’s warning,” Adam said, as if loath—or unable—to take any credit for himself. Something else to work on.
“What he’s here for,” Quinn said, reaching to scratch behind the right ear of the dog now sitting at his feet. “Among other things.” The intimidating man looked as if he were on the verge of a smile.
“Other things?” Mandy asked, feeling compelled by that almost smile.
“He’s…quite the matchmaker.”
She blinked. Glanced at Adam, who was suddenly studying the dog as if he’d never seen him before.
“You’re serious,” Mandy said to Quinn.
“Afraid so,” Quinn said, sounding a bit rueful.
Mandy laughed. “I know Hayley said he got you and her together.”
“For which he earned carrots for life. But that was just the beginning.”
“Get Hayley’s brother together with her best friend?” Adam said, his tone clearly joking.
“Yes.” There wasn’t a trace of laughter in Quinn’s tone. “And a string of others, including Liam and his lady.”
As if he’d heard, Liam stepped into the house. He didn’t look as if he were missing anything crucial, or even particularly downcast, so Mandy guessed Quinn had meant what he’d said about not chewing on him. She had the feeling he usually meant exactly what he said.
“What have you got on our latest visitor?” Quinn asked.
“For hire,” Liam said. “Dunbar says he’s been held on suspicion at least three times on the other side, but they’ve never been able to get proof that would hold up in court.”
“And not talking, I assume,” Adam said sourly.
“Not a word. He lawyered up—some creepy lowlife from the city—instantly. So he knows the drill.”
“Weapon of choice?” Quinn asked.
“What he used. He didn’t have a knife on him,” Liam said, and Mandy realized Quinn had been wondering if he’d been the same man as the other night, just using a different weapon this time.
This time.
And belatedly it swept over her again, that knowledge that someone was seriously trying to kill her. A shudder went through her. Instantly, Adam’s arm was around her.
“Wish Rafe was here,” Liam muttered.
“But he’s not,” Quinn said levelly. “So we deal.”
Mandy wondered about this Rafe she’d heard about, and why his presence would make such a difference. But before she could ask, Quinn went on briskly.
“Way I see it, we’re down to two options. First, and preferable, a safe house. Far enough away they won’t find you. And, hopefully, out of their zone of influence, where they won’t know any…hired help like your recent visitors.”
“You mean run,” Mandy said, calmly enough considering everything in her was rebelling against the idea.
“I prefer to think of it as living to fight another day,” Quinn said mildly.
“And living to find out who’s really behind it all,” Adam added.
“That, too,” Quinn agreed.
She considered this. Held Quinn’s gaze. “Is this a protect the helpless female thing, or would you tell a man the same thing?”
“In your position, yes I would tell a man the same,” Quinn said, so levelly she couldn’t doubt him. “And I have. First choice is always keep the client safe.”
“Why do I get the feeling there’s a however attached to that?” Adam asked, sounding none too happy about it.
“The however is the second option. Which,” Quinn added rather pointedly as he looked at Mandy, “I’m only considering because of who you both are. A trained officer—” he waved off Adam’s apparently instinctive protest. Yes, that was something that definitely needed a lot of work. “And,” Quinn continued, “a far from helpless female.”
Adam sighed at the brush-off, but nodded at the latter, adding, “And the daughter of a brave cop who taught her a lot.”
“That, too,” Quinn agreed.
Mandy shifted her gaze to Adam. He seemed glum but resigned. His eyes met hers, and she realized with a jolt of certainty that he hated the idea of her risking herself, and was fighting his own innate instincts to let her make her own choice. As for why he hated the idea, over and above what any sane person would, she had her hopes, but this wasn’t the time. For now, it was enough that he wasn’t demanding she stand down.
Mollified, she looked back at Quinn.
“Go ahead. What’s the second option?”
Quinn grimaced slightly. “The one you suggested a while back.”
Her eyes widened. “Let them think I’m alone? Unprotected?”
“Change your mind, I hope?” Adam asked. His tone told her how deep that hope was.
“I… No, I just… Will they buy that? Whoever it is?”
“They might,” Adam said. “After we took down this last guy. Whoever’s behind it might believe we—or you—are deluded into thinking you’re safe now that he’s in custody.”
Slowly, she nodded. “Enough to let down my guard, so to speak?”
“Exactly,” Quinn said.
“I’m not leaving her,” Adam said firmly.
Quinn lifted a brow at him. “I assumed. So we’ll make a show of packing up and leaving.”
“But how do we do that and not really leave her unprotected?”
“Working on it,” Quinn said. “Liam, we’ll need the night gear and long guns.”
The young Texan nodded as if this was the kind of order he got every day, and left.
“Sounds like you have an arsenal,” she said.
“We’ve got a selection,” Quinn said.
“Surprising, on this side of the mountains,” Adam said.
Quinn’s mouth quirked. “Maybe less than you think. But it also helps that the government pretty much lets us alone.”
Mandy laughed. “I would think so, after you took down the governor.”
Adam blinked, his gaze shifting to Quinn. “That was you guys?”
“Brett Dunbar, mainly. We just helped, and handled the fallout.” He smiled then. “Well, still handling some of it, but yes, it did earn us a bit of ‘leave them alone’ status in a place where they normally can’t help themselves.”
Mandy couldn’t help smiling, so often had her father said something similar. She glanced at Adam, and he, too, was smiling wryly. “Talk about keeping a low profile,” he said.
“We can work best when the world doesn’t know who we are.”
“And you have no urge for glory,” Mandy said, letting all the respect she felt into her voice.
“Not a whit,” Quinn said cheerfully. He looked at Adam. “I’ll take Cutter, openly, but I’ll send him back to you the back way.”
She looked at the dog, then back to Quinn. “He’ll do that?”
“And if anyone’s watching they’ll never see him. He can move like a wolf when he needs to, and he understands the word stealth.” Quinn looked at Adam then. “My guess is it will take whoever a bit to regroup, so you’re probably good until at least tonight. But we’ll be in place before then.”
Adam only nodded. But Mandy frowned. “But won’t they think I’m still under guard if Adam’s here?”
She felt Adam stiffen slightly beside her, but before she could say any more Quinn just grinned at Adam.
“You just keep looking at her with that love-struck expression, and everyone will make their own assumptions,” he said.
Adam lowered his gaze suddenly, but he didn’t deny it. And that made her feel…well, she wasn’t sure what the name for it was, since she’d never been here before.
With a great show of packing up—which consisted mainly of rearranging stuff in the back of his SUV since he’d never really unpacked—and loading up Cutter, who didn’t appear happy at all about the situation, Quinn left to help Liam. Likely, Adam said, to get night vision gear to go with the rifles they’d be switching to.
“They are certainly equipped,” she said.
Adam nodded. “We may not have their sniper, but I’m guessing those two are pretty good.”
Mandy blinked. “Sniper? They have a sniper?”
“I’m guessing it’s the missing Rafe.”
“The one Hayley said was after a mole?”
He nodded. Mandy looked in the direction Quinn had gone. “Wow.”
“Exactly.”
She turned back to look at him. He was watching her, intently, as if memorizing her.
“I’ve been thinking,” she said.
She saw the flicker of humor she’d hoped for flash in his eyes. “Uh-oh.”
She smiled, wide enough to confirm he was allowed her father’s response. Right now, she’d allow this man just about anything.
“We should probably work on that image we’re presenting,” she said, her smile teasing now.
“Oh?”
“Yes,” she said, and leaned in to kiss him.
His response was everything she could have hoped for. His arms came around her, warm, solid, strong. His injury didn’t matter here, he was still able to hold her close against him, which was exactly where she wanted to be. He deepened the kiss, which made her forget all about putting on an image for anybody who might be watching. She thought only of him, the heat of him, the feel of him and the way her body responded to him so swiftly and fiercely.
And when the sound of a vehicle passing—her neighbor down the street—broke them apart, she needed that strong support because she was a bit wobbly. And nosy Mr. Inskip would have the entire neighborhood talking within five minutes, she was sure.
She didn’t care. Welcomed it, in fact. Adam was hers, and she wanted the world to know it.
They’d lingered so long outside that it was only a moment after they went back in that they heard a polite scratch at the back door. Adam went, and sure enough it was Cutter, clearly happy to be back on duty.
Mandy had never taken up his food and water bowls, so she simply checked them. And smiled, both happily and wistfully at how the house seemed complete again.
As if she and Adam and Cutter were a family.