Chapter Five
Max dialed the gallery, but the answering service stayed on.
Did Quinn forget to turn it off? He tried her cell phone, but it was the same.
Unease slid down his spine, a gut instinct he relied on to save his own ass.
Now, his gut was screaming something wasn’t right.
He drove as fast as he could back to the gallery.
The entire trip had been a waste of time because Savage seemed to know he was being tailed and disappeared.
Not one speck of dust remained of his vanishing act.
When he pulled into the parking lot, he was relieved at first when he spotted Quinn’s car.
That relief was short lived when he took another glance and saw the extensive damage.
Her windows were busted. Her lights were smashed.
The door and the hood seemed to have been beaten by something heavy.
Only one person had a vendetta against Quinn.
Bryan whatever-the-fuck-his-last-name-was, was a dead man.
He tried to disassociate so he would be clearheaded if Quinn was hurt, or worse.
He pulled out his gun and kept it down at his side as he moved quickly to the back door.
Only to notice it had been pried open.
He kept his back to the wall but leaned in enough to see if Bryan was still inside.
He saw no one. Cautiously, leading with his gun, he headed up the stairs, checking around corners.
Nothing. No one. Not even Quinn. Her desk was a mess.
Papers everywhere, with the stapler lying on the floor.
He was about to head to the showroom floor when he saw some blood on the closed bathroom door.
The logical step would be to secure the area, but he wasn’t thinking logically.
He was thinking he had to get to Quinn. Had to make sure she was alive.
The thought that she might not be kicked him in the gut.
Pocketing his gun, he tried the handle, but it was locked.
“Quinn?” he called out. “Can you hear me, baby? Quinn! Open the door.”
He thought he heard something, and desperation gripped him.
“Back up, Quinn.”
Then he lifted a foot and kicked the door open. She lay on the ground like a marionette with her strings cut. He rushed over and turned her, and that’s when he saw her cut cheek and swollen face. Her eye had already swelled shut.
“Quinn, baby, wake up.” Cuddling her close, he dug his cell out of his pocket and called his medic. “Get here now with your bag.”
He disconnected the call and sat with her in his arms. Her one good eye cracked open.
“There you are,” he murmured. “I have help on the way.”
“He hit me,” she whispered, whimpering a little.
“I know, baby. I’ll deal with him later. Right now, just stay awake for me.”
It seemed to take fucking forever before his medic arrived and he called out to him from the bathroom. He backed away to allow him to examine her wound and check her eyes for a concussion. After a few minutes, he rose and stepped into the office to speak with him.
“It looks worse than it is,” his medic reported. “Her cheek isn’t fractured but she might be a little concussed. I’m going to recommend that she goes to the hospital.”
“No,” she said, sitting up with her back against the wall.
Max frowned at her. “Quinn.”
“No,” she insisted. “I don’t like hospitals.”
“Then she’s going to need someone to take care of her,” the medic said.
Max knew all the reasons he had been pushing her aside just went up in smoke. “She’ll be with me. I’ll take care of her.”
“She can sleep, but if she starts to slur her words, develops a bad headache, has dizziness, weakness, or seizures, she absolutely needs to go to the ER.”
“All right,” Max replied. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”
He shook Max’s hand. “Yeah, anytime.”
With a curt nod, the medic left. Once more, Max knelt beside her.
“My knight in shining armor,” she mumbled.
“You know I’m gonna kill him, right?”
She sighed. “Just beat him up real bad for me. I don’t want you to go to jail.”
He moved some hair off her forehead. “Baby, I won’t go to jail because they’d never find him.”
“Good.” She touched her cheek and her face crumpled. “I trusted him. I had him in my place. Oh, God. He’s going to show up at my apartment, isn’t he?”
Max took hold of her hands. “He won’t if he knows what’s good for him. Regardless, you’re going to stay with me. Okay?”
She slumped against him. “I’m so tired.”
“Let’s get you into a bed so you can rest.” He stood and then bent down to sweep her up into his arms. She weighed hardly anything. “We need to fatten you up a little.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest. His heart gave a quick, fluttery sensation in his chest, and he wondered what the hell that was.
Heart palpitation? Stress? Anger issues?
Probably all three, except when he glanced down at Quinn resting trustingly in his arms, a warm flush filled him.
All his senses finely attuned to her every movement.
His dick certainly didn’t catch the message she was hurt because it strained behind his zipper.
He’d always found Quinn attractive, and constantly reminded himself she could never fit into his life. She obeyed all the laws. Never stepped a toe out of line. Never even had a speeding ticket. Of course he’d done a background check on her, and she was one of those unicorns—a good person.
He left the gallery behind. Not concerned in the slightest about phones, clients, or whatever the fuck else he was forgetting. All that mattered in that moment, was the woman in his arms. For a moment, he even forgot about destroying Savage, so that made her the deadliest person alive.
****
Quinn knew he lived in Marina Del Rey. His condo was one of those sultry high-rises with an amazing view over the ocean, and equipped with all the amenities of the price tag it carried. He parked underground in his assigned spot and she reached for the door, intending to get out.
“Wait,” he said. “Let me come around.”
“I can walk.”
“Quinn,” he said firmly. “Do this for me.”
She nodded and relaxed, watching as he came around to her side and opened her door.
He bent and lifted her securely, and her breath hitched as she stared up at him.
She’d always thought he was attractive, but being this close, she saw the intensity of his eyes.
His chiseled jaw lined with stubble. Cheekbones both elegant and bold.
The narrowing of his eyes, and the anger oozing from every pore exuded strength.
Power. With him, she believed nothing could hurt her.
They stepped into the elevator car and he looked down at her.
She was immediately captivated. He had eyes like sapphires—big, beautiful gems that watched her every move.
Instinctively, she knew this moment changed their relationship.
An awareness reflected back. No longer boss and employee, but something more.
Something she wasn’t sure she was ready for but couldn’t deny.
His gaze settled on her mouth, and he slowly lowered his face toward her.
She waited, breath held, anticipation tingling over every nerve.
Lower, closer, she felt his breath on her lips.
Then the private elevator came to a smooth stop and the door opened.
For a moment, she was disoriented. A man waited by the door and he gave Max a head bow like he was a subordinate, but Quinn had never seen the man before.
Max punched in a code and then had his iris scanned, which immediately opened the door.
Confusion filled her as he carried her through the foyer and into a spacious den before placing her on the sofa.
“Who’s that man out there?” she asked.
“This building provides around-the-clock security,” he answered, but did not elaborate. Somehow that didn’t seem to make sense, but her head was too fuzzy to think clearly.
“I’ll get you a put into the system tomorrow so you’ll have access,” he told her as he headed to the bar and poured himself two fingers of something amber colored from the decanter. Whiskey? Bourbon? Guess it didn’t really matter.
“Is that necessary?”
He tossed back the amber alcohol and sat the tumbler down with a sharp click. “You know it is.”
“What do you—”
“Don’t play dumb.”
She gave a small nod.
“Good,” he said. “Like I said, I’ll get you added to security so you have access.”
“You don’t use keys?”
“Keys are for normal people, and I’m anything but.”
“Right,” she murmured. This was a side of Max she’d never seen before. A bite to his presence that seemed darker. Or maybe arrogant was the more appropriate vibe. An edge of danger and mystery replacing what used to be easygoing and straightforward.
The white marble foyer opened to a den with walls painted cream, a color barely there, and trimmed with white.
Paintings ranged from classical lines to modern chic and blended tastefully.
A few sculptures sat back in the corners, women in various poses, a nod to the female form.
Five steps up from the den brought another level, separated by a rail.
A prominent glass-topped table dominated the room with papers strewn about.
Exactly what one would think a rich art collector’s home would look like.
He waved around carelessly with one hand.
“This is the den, that’s the bar. Feel free to help yourself to the booze.
That door over there is my office and is strictly off limits.
Down the hall and to the right is the kitchen, dining room, and the fun room.
You’ll find the TV and various other technology-oriented amusements. Upstairs are the bedrooms.”
The quick, bland tour of his home gave her brain a much-needed breather from his overwhelming aura. He disappeared for a moment and then came back carrying a glass of water and two little brown pills.
“Here,” he said, holding out the drink and medication. “Some ibuprofen. Should help with pain and swelling.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. She took the pills and swallowed them down. “You have a lovely home.”
He glanced around as if seeing it for the first time. “I suppose.”
“Look, Max, I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I find somewhere new to live.”
He lifted her chin with a finger. “You’re under my protection now, Quinn.”
“Bryan probably won’t attack me again,” she reasoned.
“Don’t be one of those women who excuses the man in her life that beats her.”
“I-I’m not,” she stammered.
“And don’t lie to yourself or to me,” he admonished. “I don’t trust Bryan, and I refuse to let him off the hook for hurting you. For now, though, let’s get you to your room so you can rest. Okay?”
She nodded, and he picked her up bridal-style to head upstairs. He wasn’t even breathing heavily when he arrived at the bedroom door. He indicated she should turn on the light and when she flipped the switch, she saw sage green walls, thick carpet and a window with sheer curtains.
“I hope this room is okay,” he said.
“It’s beautiful.”
He placed her on the bed. “Bathroom is through the door. Are you hungry? I can make something for you.”
A yawn hit her. “No, I’m just extremely exhausted. This day has worn me out.”
“Okay. Get some rest and I’ll see you in the morning. Remember, you’re safe here,”
She nodded. “Good night, Max.”