Page 17 of Dangerous Affair (The Phoenix Three #2)

Q uinn considered her answer. If he were any other man, she’d tell him because that was the way it was, because it was her choice, and she didn’t owe anyone an explanation. To explain, she’d have to share her past, talk about Aiden. But Liam wasn’t any other man, and she wanted him to understand.

She glanced at her watch. They had all night to look for the thumb drive, and she sensed this was an important conversation to have.

“You know what, it’s wine time.” She didn’t want to talk about this while they stood in her photography room at her worktable, looking for Jasper’s thumb drive…

thinking of Jasper. “Let’s go sit out on the patio. ”

“Is this a diversion tactic?”

“No.” She held out her hand, and he took it. “I’m going to bare my soul. I just need a peaceful setting and a glass of wine while I do it.”

“All right, then. Lead on.”

He was so easy to get along with…now anyway. She knew how that could change if feelings became involved. It was always the woman who was expected to change her life for her man. Even her mother had.

“White or red?” she asked when they reached the kitchen. “Or maybe you’d like something stronger? Dad’s bar is in the butler’s pantry if you want to check out what he has.”

“I’ll have what you’re having, but I’ve never seen a butler’s pantry, so I need to check it out.”

She gestured to the door past the refrigerator.

“It’s right over there.” After he walked by her, she took a moment to appreciate the rear view.

His T-shirt wasn’t so tight that his muscles stretched the fabric, but they were there.

Broad shoulders, a tapered waist, a mouthwatering butt, and long legs made for a very sexy man.

That wasn’t even taking into account his face, those blue eyes, and that black hair.

“Yummy, yummy, yummy,” she murmured after he disappeared into the pantry.

Hopefully, he would be agreeable to a brief fling with the condition that there would be absolutely no feelings involved and they would go their separate ways when their time was up.

She ignored the little pang in her chest at the thought of walking away from Liam.

She took a bottle of Pinot Grigio, her favorite wine, from the wine cooler and poured each of them a glass.

Was she really going to dredge up memories that still had the power to hurt?

After everything went down with Aiden, she’d promised herself never again would she let a man hurt her the way he had.

Walls had been erected, and she’d been perfectly happy with life after Aiden.

Aiden had been her first and only love. Although she saw nothing wrong with consensual sex, she was selective and cautious, but she wished she could have a do-over on the last one. She’d like to bleach her brain of any memory of Jasper.

Liam stepped out of the butler’s pantry. “If I ever build a house, it’s going to have one of these.”

She grinned. “Most people want a big walk-in closet or a pool. You just want a pantry.”

“Not just any pantry.” He took the glass of wine she offered. “One like that.”

“Let’s take our drinks outside.” She started walking toward the sliding door to the patio.

“Can we sit on the front porch instead? I think that swing has my name on it.”

“Sure. It’s Dad’s favorite place to sit in the morning with his cup of coffee.” She flipped the switch to turn on the ceiling fans as they walked out.

“Ah, this is nice,” he said after they were seated.

She tucked her feet under her so he could push the swing with his long legs. The breeze from the ceiling fans kept it from being too hot, and as he rocked them, she closed her eyes, inhaling the sweet scent of her dad’s roses. It was good to be home.

“You’re beautiful,” he softly said.

She opened her eyes to see his gaze on her, and she smiled. “Thank you.”

“Talk to me, Quinn. Why don’t you do relationships?”

“Why do you want to know?” She’d kind of hoped he would forget that was why they’d taken a break from looking for Jasper’s thumb drive. The weight of his question settled between them, and she wished she hadn’t said she’d give him an answer.

“Because I…” He glanced away for a moment before his gaze returned to hers. “I like you, and I think maybe we could have something good between us. Suppose we don’t give it a name? We just spend some time together, see how it goes. Would you say yes to that?”

“I’d be more likely to agree to a short fling.” If she was ever tempted to be in a relationship again, it would be with him. “Relationships don’t work for me because—”

Liam’s phone chimed. He pulled it from his pocket and turned the screen toward her, showing her it was Cooper calling. “Whatcha got for me?” As he listened, his eyes locked on her. “I’m with Quinn now. I’m going to put you on speaker.”

“Hi, Quinn,” Cooper said.

“Do you have my purse? Oh, and hi.”

“I’m sorry to say that I don’t have it. We’ve got a problem. Garrison’s dead. Murdered, and—”

“What?” Jasper was dead? Murdered?

“Do you have any details?” Liam asked.

“When I got to the cabin, I found him on the floor, shot in the back of his head, execution style.”

Quinn gasped. “Oh, my God.” She was furious with Jasper, regretted every moment she spent with him, but she’d never wish that for him. What in the world had he gotten into? What had caused him to kidnap her, chain her up, and in the end get himself killed?

“It gets worse. I have your suitcase, Quinn, but your purse was nowhere to be found.”

Her heart fell to her stomach. “What does that mean?”

Liam took her hand and squeezed. “It’s not good. Whoever shot Garrison has your purse, knows who you are.”

“I think I’m going to be sick.” Liam tugged on her hand, pulling her against him. She tucked into him, wishing she could stay wrapped in his arms where she knew she’d be safe.

“Are the police aware?” Liam asked.

“Not yet. I’ll make an anonymous call to the local police telling them where to find Garrison as soon as I get back to town. His phone and wallet aren’t on him, so I assume whoever took your purse took them, too. I’m going to wipe down anywhere I think your prints might be, Quinn.”

“Why not just tell the police I was there?” She didn’t kill him. “I could tell them what happened.”

“For one, the Hope Corner police department won’t have the experience to deal with something like this,” Liam said.

“They’ll want you to go there, and that’s not going to happen.

We don’t know who killed Garrison. Was it someone local?

Someone who might have an in with the police?

We won’t risk it.” A fierce light entered his eyes. “I won’t risk you.”

“He’s right,” Cooper said.

“So, what do we do?” How in God’s name did she end up in the middle of a murder? She never bothered anyone. She just wanted to take pictures of children who needed a helping hand.

“We find that thumb drive, see who Garrison was trying to blackmail and what he had on them. We find out who killed him and how they’re involved.

Then we fix it and make you safe. Bring in the proper authorities when we know what we’re dealing with.

Probably the FBI. Until then, I’m not leaving your side. ”

Her stomach settled a little, knowing he would keep her safe, but still… She was scared, really scared. She didn’t want to ask the question in her mind, but she had to. “Does whoever has my purse think I have the thumb drive?”

Liam nodded. “We have to assume that’s what they think.”

And they knew where she lived. “We have to find it. Right now.”

“I’m going to nose around here a little,” Cooper said. “See what kind of vibes I can pick up. Keep in touch.”

“Will do, and be careful.” Liam slipped his phone back into his pocket. “We’re not staying here tonight after all. I’m going to get my weapons bag from the car, then let’s go see if we can find that thumb drive so we can get out of here.”

She waited on the porch for him, and once they were inside, he locked the door while she went to the alarm and set it.

Once that was done, she leaned against the wall.

“What if you weren’t here? I’d be by myself, not knowing what happened after I left the cabin.

I wouldn’t know someone was looking for me.

” What she really wanted to do was crawl into the bed and pull the covers over her head.

He dropped the bag to the floor, then wrapped his arms around her. “I am here, so don’t even go down that road. You couldn’t find anyone better to have your back than the three of us. And I meant it when I said I’m not leaving your side until this is over.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. She buried her face against his chest. “How did I end up in the middle of a murder?” She stepped away from him. “Come on. Let’s find that damn thumb drive.” She still wasn’t sure she had it.

Back in her office, he set his bag on the sofa. He opened it, took out a holster that he clipped to his belt, then he brought out a gun, slipping it into the holster. At her raised brows, he said, “Best we be prepared for trouble.”

“I hate this, but you’re right. I’ll get mine out of the gun safe and keep it near me.”

“Probably not a bad idea.”

It gave her the warm fuzzies that he didn’t balk at her also arming herself.

She’d told him she knew how to use a gun, and he didn’t question her, just trusted that she wasn’t blowing smoke.

He came and stood next to her as she took everything out of her large camera bag, and at the bottom, where she’d hurriedly tossed her own accessories, was one black thumb drive.

“That’s it?” Liam asked.

“I think so. I don’t have any black ones.

” She didn’t know how she felt about actually having it.

A part of her wished she’d never touched it, but if whatever was on it showed why children were getting sick?

She would be able to do something about it.

At the very least, she could make sure the right someone or agency was made aware.

“Let’s see what’s on it,” Liam said.

“In a way, I don’t want to even know, but I guess we need to.” She took the thumb drive to her desk computer, logged in, and then slipped the drive into the port.

“It’s the only way we’ll find out what Garrison got involved in.”

She frowned at what they were seeing. “What in the world?”