Page 37 of Dangerous Affair (The Phoenix Three #2)

“T hey passed the exit for Hope Corner without getting off,” Liam said as he tracked Quinn’s phone.

“How far behind are we?” Grayson asked.

They were speeding and making up the lost time now, and he hoped they didn’t get stopped.

Considering the number of weapons in the car, it would take a lot of explaining.

The Range Rover had a top-of-the-line built-in radar detector, so hopefully they’d have adequate warning to avoid getting stopped.

“Where the hell is he taking her?”

“You have considered the possibility that the deputy tossed the phone in the bed of a passing pickup truck, right?” Cooper said. “That we’re on a wild-goose chase?”

Liam turned and glared at him. “Don’t even go there. If that phone’s not with her…” He couldn’t let himself think that they had no clue where she was.

Cooper raised his hands. “Don’t shoot the messenger, brother, but it’s something we need to consider. What’s Plan B if we catch up with the phone and it’s not with Quinn?”

“We could make a detour to Hope Corner and talk to the sheriff,” Grayson said. “He might know where his deputy has a hidey-hole. That would also let us get a bead on Sheriff Lamott, determine if he’s a part of this.” Grayson glanced at him. “It’s your call.”

Liam closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath.

It was an almost impossible decision to make.

What was the right one? Was the phone still with her?

What if it wasn’t? He opened his mind to that place inside him that he’d learned to trust, that had kept him alive on dangerous operations.

Every instinct he had said the phone was still with her.

“We follow the phone. Think about it. If the deputy had found it, he most likely would have destroyed it. That’s what people tend to do.” Although not a religious man, he sent a prayer to the Man above that he’d made the right decision. And just keep her safe until I can get to her.

“We’ll find her,” Grayson said as he pressed down on the gas pedal, picking up speed.

They would, but would it be in time?

“So, it’s serious, you and Quinn,” Cooper asked.

“On my part.”

“Not on hers? Could’ve fooled me.”

“How so?” Cooper hadn’t been around the last few days, so he’d missed the blowup of any relationship Liam had hoped for with her. He was going to rescue her, and then he’d do as she wished and send her on her way. It was going to hurt to lose her, but he’d do it for her.

“The way she would look at you, like she had real feelings for you. What happened?”

“Based on prior experiences, she has it in her head that men and the career she loves don’t mix.”

“You have to show her it will be different with you.”

If only.

“Move over, dude,” Grayson grouched when a car in the passing lane stayed at the same speed as the car next to it.

He flashed his lights, and the car finally moved into the right lane.

“There’s always hope, Liam. Look at me and Harlow.

She was adamant that as soon as she had her son back it was over for us.

She lasted a week, and now we’re getting married. ”

“I guess anything could happen.” But he didn’t believe it. Harlow didn’t have a career that took her all over the world, a career that she’d learned the hard way that men couldn’t deal with. Quinn was wrong about that. He could, but she wasn’t going to give him a chance to show her.

“What’d you do with Ruby?” Grayson asked Cooper.

“She’s at your house, playing with Tyler and Einstein.”

Grayson sighed. “Now Tyler’s going to want a dog.”

As the two of them talked about Cooper’s new dog, Liam stared out the window, a battle brewing in him. He would respect Quinn’s condition for their fling, but that wouldn’t stop him from feeling angry that she refused to give them a chance.

“You still following Quinn’s whereabouts?” Grayson asked.

Right. Get your mind on the mission, O’Rourke.

He pulled up the tracking app and frowned.

“They exited the highway about five minutes ago, now heading west. We’ve gained forty minutes on them.

” He gave Grayson the exit number. They were still forty minutes behind.

Anything could happen in forty minutes. He pushed that thought out of his mind.

Finding her safe and unharmed was the only acceptable ending to this operation.

He kept his gaze on the tracking app, following the moving dot that was Quinn’s phone.

“Looks like they’re out in the country now.

” Where was he taking her? Twenty minutes later, the dot stopped moving.

“Coop, pull up Google Maps.” He held up his phone so Cooper could see the coordinates for where the phone was. “See what’s there.”

“Lakeside Estates. Stand by a minute. I’ll do a search for that area.”

“They’re still not moving,” Liam said as he watched his phone screen.

“Lakeside Estates is a community of million-dollar-and-up homes.”

“What the hell are they doing there?” That didn’t make any sense. Unless… “This is close to the capital. Do we know where Senator Hanson has a home?”

“Let me see if I can find out,” Cooper said.

If anyone could, it was Cooper. He could tease information out of a computer that would make a hacker jealous.

“They’re still at the same location. We’re thirty minutes from the exit, then about twenty from where her phone is.

” He refused to consider that the phone wasn’t with her.

If it wasn’t, then he’d made a big mistake in insisting they drive instead of taking the helicopter.

“Got it,” Cooper said. “Hanson has a condo in DC and a home in Lakeside Estates.”

“Bingo. It is surprising that he’d risk bringing her to his home.”

“I’m thinking he’s arrogant enough to think no one will ever know she was there,” Grayson said.

All he cared about was getting to her, and they’d just confirmed they weren’t on a wild-goose chase. He blew out a relieved breath. “Does he think no one will come looking for her?”

“He’s desperate to get that thumb drive,” Cooper said.

Desperate enough to hurt her? They finally exited the highway and were soon on a two-lane country road. They’d be at the location in twenty minutes. Hang in there, Quinn. We’re almost there.