Page 13

Quinn

I’m broken and torn.

I’ve never in my whole damn life felt a rush of emotion like this. Ever .

My knees are banged up from collapsing into myself. And the tears… they won’t stop coming.

Dad’s okay. He’s right across from me, and it takes every fiber of my body to resist running over there and hugging him. There wasn’t much doubt in my heart… because Silver seemed truthful. But to have confirmation?

My God. I’ll do anything for him to trust me now. Nothing else matters. I have to get Dad to safety…

I look up to Silver, who’s pacing around speaking with a fake Russian accent. Who would’ve freakin’ thought? The man’s an actor after all. No wonder he’s so close to the movie business.

Quiet, Quinn. Not a peep.

“I’ll say it a thousand times if I have to—keep her safe when the Russians turn on one another. Don’t let her get stuck in the crossfire,” Dad says, and my heart melts a little more.

“To think pig man still asks me to do police work where his own men should.” Aros clicks his tongue. “Have he no faith in other pig men?”

“I’m still here, aren’t I?” He swings his arms outward.

It’s here after I wipe my tears, I see it. Dad has small bandages on his face and week-old bruises. I notice glistening in the spots where his wounds are. Not only did Silver rescue him, he cared for the old bear too.

More tears come.

He’s literally an older, hotter, darker Batman. A vigilante only for me.

My eyes follow him in a whole new light. So freakin’ mysterious… but there’s goodness in him.

I get up to my feet, and when my jacket scrunches slightly, I freeze.

My dad’s blindfolded head turns to face exactly where I am. “Someone else here?”

“Always, pig man.” Silver glares at me. “In case you try anything funny, da? ”

He’s talking to both of us, but I hope he can see in my eyes it was an honest mistake. I take a deep breath and just remain in one spot, in my lion socks, leggings, and noisy jacket not meant for a stealth operation. Probably should’ve planned better there. I’m learning, I guess.

“I see. Well, my faith is in your honesty now, Vosikof. If the PD hasn’t tracked me down yet, I’m lost.”

“Quite right,” Silver says.

“Tell me… how’d you guys pull it off? There’re cameras on every block, in front of every house.” Dad snorts. “How’d Patrovski get me out of sight?”

“Only top dogs involved know that,” Silver says.

“Keeping secrets still… good. That means I have a chance of making it out of this alive.”

Both he and Silver chuckle. In a different world, they would get along, I think. Picturing them eating dinner beside one another, with me next to Silver, throwing harmless jabs… it sends a tingle into my belly.

I’m being an idiot. Something like that can never be. Especially now.

Emotions are villainous today. They come barreling through me like a wraith, causing me to cup my hand over my mouth and sob silently again.

Silver notices my dismay and speeds up the conversation, pretending he came to ask about any other details he may have heard while the men were beating him back in some warehouse.

Once he’s satisfied, Silver tells Dad to hang tight, and carefully cuffs his hands behind his back and checks the ropes tying him to the chair.

On his way toward me, I hold out my hand, in desperate need of comfort, and he gently takes it. We head up slowly as I blow a silent kiss in Dad’s direction.

I’ll see you soon, Dad. Promise.

Once the heavy door closes out all sound below, I let it all out.

I haven’t cried in years. Not like this, anyway.

Mom and Jana, my older sister, always said I was a pretty crier.

I don’t know why that makes me laugh through the tears, but it does for a second.

I’m pissed at my mom for leaving Dad over his work obsessions.

Always have been. But Jesus, I could use her embrace now… cold as it was.

To my shock, two massive arms drape over me. I notice the suit jacket hanging on the chair in the dining room.

“What’s this, Silver?” I place both my wet hands flat on his chest, dirtying his white shirt.

“You’re crazy if you think I’d let you ruin a Tom Ford suit.”

I laugh, and a dribble of snot comes out. “Hope the shirt is okay to toss, though.” I rest my head on his muscular chest, his unflexed pec like a pillow. God, he’s warm, and perfect, and he saved my father .

Squeezing him tight tells the whole story. I’m in his debt.

“You’ll let him go, won’t you?” I peer up at him, showing a softer side no one’s ever seen.

“I’m in trouble, Quinn,” his voice rattles. “Deep, deep trouble.”

My heart twists. “What do you mean?”

He looks down on me, his hard eyes softening ever so slightly. It’s the same look he gave me after our kiss in the shed.

“Have you ever known you’re on the wrong path, but feel helpless to stop yourself?”

My face scrunches. All of that soft warmth cools. “Are you saying I’m the wrong path?”

“No, kid. I’m saying I finally found the right one.” He leans in and gives me a soft kiss, which I accept as another fire log of warmth. “It’s just going to be bloody.”

“Can you stop talking in riddles?” I scrunch his shirt. “I get it. You’re old and wise. But I’m tough as nails.”

“Oh really?” He cackles.

I wipe the snot from my nose. “Yeah. Just caught me on a bad week.”

“Uh huh.” He breaks the embrace and moves to the kitchen sink. Dabbing a paper towel and trying to blot the eyeshadow off his shirt makes him scoff. “You going to stop flailing now that you’ve seen him?”

I nod, and I’m about to ask him the obvious next question, but he holds up a finger to shush me. “I’m not a fucking dog—”

He smiles at my spiciness. “I’m going to release him, kid. You have my word.”

My smile is uncontrollable. It’s big and goofy—something I keep hidden from the masses. But he broke it out of me. This ghostly king of a man.

“You just have to give me time. I have to work out the particulars, and cause the least amount of damage on all fronts.”

“I can do that. The big guy hasn’t lost a pound down there.” I walk up to him with a spring in my step, and wrap my arms around him, pressing my face on the clean side of his shirt.

“Wh— dammit! ” He throws the paper towel, and I just smile into his muscly chest.

“You took good care of him. Vitamin E, bandages, food, fresh clothes. Think I didn’t notice?” I speak with my eyes closed, feeling his body tense from embarrassment. “You’re not as dark as you think, Silver.”

“The naivety of a child,” he says.

“The grumpiness of an old fart,” I reply. “See? We can both say random vague things.”

I stay in his arms for longer than he likes… but eventually? He hugs me back.

xxx

On the way back from the stage house where Dad’s being held, Silver makes a stop at the one closest to my house.

Against his wishes, I sneak my way back into the shed where we shared our first kiss.

What can I say? It has sentimental value now.

He’s gathering supplies inside the house for God knows what. And I’ll just… reminisce.

I glance at the sample wine bottles sitting in a crate and think of maybe twisting one open again. Silver’s probably having a fit anyway since I’m not sitting at the kitchen table where I’m supposed to be.

The doorknob rattles, making me gasp like I did the first time he scared the crap out of me.

“Why did I know you’d be in here?” he growls.

“Good guess?”

“You covered your footprints.” He takes a step closer to me.

“I’m learning.” I step back, holding his eyes.

“Get the hell back to your place, before those rookies start getting suspicious.”

I shake my head, and he knows why…

There’s a silent moment where we just stare at each other. Then, for the first time, we both lean in at once. It’s fast. It’s perfect. The rush of ecstasy just from our lips pressing together slows us both so we can savor it.

God he tastes good.

The way he touches the tip of my chin to curve me to the perfect position makes me melt where I stand.

I gasp when he pulls away, forgetting how to breathe.

No. Not again.

We’re both silent as I lean backward on the table, my hands gripping the ledge as I watch him unravel me with his eyes.

I was wrong… he isn’t going to stop—

He takes hold of the jacket, keeping eyes on mine, scanning my lips as he pulls it down my arms to fall to the floor.

This is what I’ve been missing. Those college boyfriends… rookie cops… didn’t they know I just wanted to be taken ?

As he lifts my shirt over my head, my neck is all blotchy. My nipples automatically harden beneath my bra from the cold air, and when he goes to unzip my jeans, I stop him.

It won’t be that easy. You’ll have to give me something too.

I push off from the table, going in for another kiss—but his finger over my mouth stops me. My eyes dart in confusion, brow furrowed. I try to bite his finger so I can wrap my lips around it and suck on it, but he grabs my face by the jaw with that iron grip of his.

“ You wait, ” he whispers, and my knees nearly buckle.

His other hand already zips the fly of my jeans down, then when he releases my face, he yanks them down with both hands, leaving my skin scratching from the sudden move.

He’s on one knee for me now—and my obsessive brain sees another life where a smoking hot mobster is proposing to a police princess.

The spell is broken when he tugs off one boot to find one of my overly fuzzy lion socks again. He smirks and shakes his head, then rips that off too.

I’m freezing everywhere but my thighs now, completely naked save for the scarf around my neck.

Is it bad I want him to choke me with it?

Yeah, it’s bad.

This whole thing’s bad. I’m in a fucking shed, with a madman, doing— oh!

His lips press against my inner thigh, visible breath steaming from his mouth as he moves to the other one, slowly pushing my legs open as I lean my bare ass onto the wooden table. I definitely got a splinter just now, and yet, I don’t even feel it.

“This is wrong,” he growls, kissing farther up.