Page 32 of His Forgotten Colton Fiancee

Anger flashed in his dark gaze. “That’s not how it works, sweetheart. You have to be methodical and pick through every single part, otherwise you miss critical evidence. A tiny fragment can be a crucial clue. What will help us is if you remember something. Anything, about whatyou saw prior to the blast.”

“Nothing yet.” She yawned. “I’m tired.”

“Sleep, honey,” he soothed. “Rest will help you recover. I’ll stay here with you for a while.”

Quinn dozed off. Real sleep was impossible, with the nurses checking on her, the sounds from the hallway. She awoke a few minutes later, feeling hungry. Lunchtime soon. But she kept her eyes closed because it was easierthan opening them and facing the reality of this horrid fogginess.

And then she heard West’s deep voice, close to her bed.

“Yeah, Mike, I’m at the hospital. There’s a witness. Quinn Colton. She survived.”

Quinn strained to listen as his boots scraped the floor, indicating he walked farther away from the bed.

She caught snatches of conversation.Suspect.Unsub.And a word that madegooseflesh spring out on her bare arms.

Autopsy.

Tia had died in the same incident that caused her amnesia.

Who was Mike? Another FBI agent? Quinn’s suspicions rose. But she kept her eyes firmly shut.

Boot heels shuffled closer to the bed. No conversation. Maybe he was listening. Then he spoke in his deep, confident voice, quiet, but she could overhear every word.

“My loyaltyis to the Bureau, damn it, Mike.”

Silence, and then he raised his voice. Angry. Biting.

“I don’t know if the Coltons are hiding Demi. Shane admitted to hearing from her a while back. If Quinn has information on her sister, she hasn’t shared it with me. She sure as hell won’t share it now because she’s lost her memory from the explosion. You have to give me more time.”

Her stomach pitchedand roiled. Oh God. What was this man doing? Investigating her family? Was West searching for Demi and thought she knew something?

And remembered nothing now?

She remembered that kiss. Smoldering, passionate, making her toes tingle and her blood race. Clearly, there existed a hot attraction between her and West. The man was smoking.

And he had a wonderful, tight butt beneath the bluejeans he wore.

But was he her lover because he loved her? Or was he trying to coax out information about Demi?

Confusion filled her. It seemed much easier to deal with individuals like Austin, gloomy as he was. Austin was simple and straightforward.

No attraction there. No subterfuge, either.

“Goodbye, Mike. I’ll be in touch.”

Sounds of West walking away. Quinn kept her eyesshut.

She felt the soothing brush of warm, firm lips against her forehead. “You sleep, honey. I’m going for a cup of java juice. Be right back.”

The door opened and closed. She was alone.

Quinn fiddled with the remote for the television and turned it on, flipping through channels. There, someone at a desk talking about the news. Something about Congress. An interview with a politicianwith a big, wide smile talking about improving things.

Right. She changed the channel.

Local news. They mentioned the bomb blast at the real estate office. Quinn squinted at the television, not sure if her dizzy spell was from the head injury or the fear curdling in her veins.

Because the film they showed of the wreckage looked horrible. Shattered glass, yellow crime scene tape everywhere,bits and pieces of wreckage.