Page 40 of Dangerous Affair (The Phoenix Three #2)

Q uinn’s heart hammered against her chest. Each breath a struggle.

Her terror that she was going to be raped sent panic racing through her.

She tried to scream but fear paralyzed her voice.

The deputy wrapped one hand around her throat, squeezing his fingers, choking her.

He reached down with his other hand, unbuttoned his jeans, and pulled his zipper down.

He rocked against her, and she could feel his erection pushing into her. No! She wasn’t going to let him do this to her. When he put his fingers on the button of her jeans to snap it open, she spit in his face.

“You little bitch.” He let go of her throat and put his hand over her mouth.

She bit his finger.

“You want it rough, bitch, I’ll give you rough.” He pushed her T-shirt up. “What the hell is this?” He grabbed her phone, pulling it out of her bra.

Oh, God. He’d found it. She couldn’t let him destroy it.

Not only would she lose the recording, but Liam wouldn’t be able to find her.

She fought him like a wild animal, beating her fists on every part of him she could reach.

When she dug her nails into his cheek and scraped down, shredding his skin, he roared in anger and hit her on the side of her head.

The pain in her ear was excruciating, and white stars danced behind her eyelids. Tears burned her eyes.

Taking him by surprise, she was able to snatch her phone out of his hand and toss it across the floor. It was safe for now, but unless she could somehow overpower him, he’d still destroy it. After he finished with her.

He laughed. “The more you fight me, the more I’m going to enjoy fucking you.

So, go ahead. Do your best, bitch.” He wrapped his hand around her throat again.

“Every time you move, I’m going to squeeze harder.

” He reached between them and pushed his jeans and underwear down, exposing himself.

Then he pulled the zipper of her jeans down.

“Get off me!” she screamed.

He laughed again. Then he crashed his mouth down on hers and forced his tongue into her mouth.

She tried to bite it off, tasted his blood. Felt victorious when he yanked his mouth away from hers. The fury in his eyes terrified her more than anything he’d done to her by now. He was going to seriously hurt her. He raised his fist, and she squeezed her eyes shut, anticipating the blow.

It never came.

His weight left her, and another voice roared out in rage. “I’m going to kill you.”

Liam? Afraid she was hallucinating that he was here, she kept her eyes closed. She couldn’t bear not seeing him if she opened them. Then the sound of fists hitting flesh and the deputy grunting in pain filled the room. She wasn’t imagining Liam was here.

She opened her eyes, and for a woman who abhorred violence, she felt nothing but relief and gratitude at the sight of Liam battering the deputy with blow after blow, his fists connecting with the man’s face with sickening thuds.

“Hey. You’re going to be okay.”

She tore her gaze from Liam at hearing the soft voice. Cooper was squatting down next to her, and when he gently pulled her T-shirt back down, covering her exposed breast, she was unable to stop the tears.

“Where are you hurt?”

“I—I’m o-okay.” She tried to sit up.

“Just stay where you are for a minute. Let’s make sure you really are okay.”

“That’s enough,” a different voice said.

She turned her head back to Liam. Grayson was pulling him off the deputy, who was out cold. She looked at Cooper again. “You’re all here.”

He smiled. “Of course we are. You matter to Liam, so you matter to us. Did he…hmm—” His gaze slid down to her unbuttoned jeans.

“No, y’all got here in time.”

“Really glad to hear that.”

“He hit me on the side of my head, and my ear is ringing. My hand hurts a little where I fell on it. Other than that, I really am okay. He stuck his tongue in my mouth, and I tried to bite it off.”

Cooper laughed. “You go, girl.”

“He hit you?”

She turned her head to the other side to see the most beautiful face in the world. Her Liam. “Yes, but I think you paid him back for that. Hello.”

“Hey. I was afraid we’d be too late.”

“I knew you’d find me.” The truth of those words hit her, and she lifted her hand to his face. “I’m sorry for the things I said. I know you’re not like Aiden.”

He put his hand over hers. “We have some talking to do, but right now, we have to take care of things here.”

“My phone.” She pointed to where it had landed against the wall. “There’s some good stuff recorded on it. Help me sit up.” He slipped his arm under her back, supporting her as she rose.

Grayson was putting the cuffs the deputy had taken off her on him. Once the man was secured, Grayson put his foot on the deputy’s back. “Don’t move.”

“Is Jasper okay?” At Liam’s narrowed eyes, she said, “I don’t like him, but I don’t want to see him dead.”

Grayson leaned over Jasper. “He’s fine, just out cold. What happened to him?”

“Deputy Dog happened.”

Liam grinned. “Deputy Dog?”

“Fits him, don’t you think?”

She looked at Liam, and they both laughed, which was amazing, really, after what had almost happened to her. “Thank you for coming for me,” she whispered.

“I’ll always come for you, Quinn.”

Cooper handed her phone to her. “Guys, you have to listen to this.” She opened her phone and played the recording. “Is that who I think it is?” she asked when it finished.

“Where did you get that?” Liam asked.

She told them about being taken to a house and about the man wearing a mask. “I just had the feeling it was Senator Hanson even though I couldn’t see his face.”

“It was his house you were at, so it was likely him,” Liam said while Grayson called someone on his phone.

“You need to get down here ASAP, Sean. Bring a team with you…” Grayson eyed the two men on the floor. “And a few handcuffs.” He gave whoever Sean was their location. “Trust me, you’ll want to personally handle this one. We’ll wait for you here.”

Grayson slipped his phone back into his pocket. “He’ll be here in two hours, so we have to hunker down until then.”

“Who’s Sean?” she asked him.

“The assistant director in charge of the FBI.”

“Wow, go big or go home.”

“I’m going to go get the car,” Liam said. “Quinn will be more comfortable waiting in it than in here. It’s filthy in here and it stinks.”

She wanted to grab his hand and beg him not to leave her.

Cooper stood. “I’ll get it. You stay with her.” He glanced at her and winked.

While they waited, and although she’d told him she was okay, Liam had insisted she get checked out.

Two EMTs had shown up and, after examining her, determined that she didn’t have a concussion and her hand wasn’t broken.

The verdict was just to keep an eye on her, and if anything changed to take her to the hospital.

By that evening, she was exhausted and just wanted a shower to get the dirt off, and then she wanted to crawl into bed with Liam and have him curl around her and keep her safe while she slept.

She’d been questioned by Sean—who she’d liked a lot—for two hours before he was satisfied that he had all he needed from her.

He’d shown her a photo of Senator Hanson.

She’d recognized his eyes and had positively identified him as the man who’d questioned her.

She gave Sean proof that she was in his house by describing his office.

She was so tired that she only half listened as Sean outlined the plan to arrest Senator Hanson and the men who had destroyed her father’s house.

Jasper and Deputy Dog had already been taken away by two of his special agents.

Honestly, she didn’t really care anymore what happened from here on out.

She’d done her job of bringing attention to the illegal dumping of chemicals into a lake children played in.

The senator was going down, and that was all that mattered.

“Time to go home,” Liam said, waking her up.

Sean had sat in the car to question her, and after he’d finished and left, she’d fallen asleep. “Yes, home please. Your home.”

“Our home someday, I’m hoping.”

She sleepily smiled. “Maybe.”

He was still in the back seat with her when she heard the engine start. She noted that Cooper was driving. “Where’s Grayson?”

“Staying behind with Sean,” Liam said. “You’ve had a long day. Go to sleep.”

“Okay.” She toppled over onto Liam’s lap and went to sleep.

The next morning, she awoke in Liam’s bed with him curled around her just like she’d wished for.

She didn’t remember arriving home and barely remembered his taking her into the shower with him and gently washing her.

She peeked under the covers to see that she had one of his T-shirts and her panties on.

She smiled. Liam O’Rourke was a good man.

“Make me a promise,” Liam’s sleep-laced voice said from behind her.

“If I can.”

“Don’t go and get kidnapped again, okay? My heart can’t take another one.”

She rolled over to face him. “I’ll do my best, but maybe I’m too much trouble.”

He grinned. “You do have a way of making life interesting.” His eyes turned serious. “Is it too soon to tell you that I love you, Quinn Sullivan?”

Well then. Her heart did a happy bounce, but she wasn’t ready to say it back. Not yet. “Maybe a little too soon.” She traced her thumb over his bottom lip. “Keep those words handy, though. I think I’ll need to hear them before too long.”

“They’ll be on the tip of my tongue, ready to say them as soon as you’re ready to hear them. Just say when.”

“Speaking of tongues. Mine is missing yours.”

“Is it now? Let’s remedy that.” He leaned in and captured her mouth in a soft, lingering kiss.

Then his tongue found hers, and she sighed from the pure pleasure of being with Liam.

And when he made love to her, softly and beautifully, she floated away on the feel of him, the taste of him, the scent of him.

Maybe she was in love.