He’d seen a lot of transitions in life, but this was one that really got him curious. He stole a sideways look at her, worried that he’d really pushed her today. But nobody could have known that this asshole would have ended up flying out a window. The fact that it happened in front of her just added to the trauma. He was quiet but ever watchful. He didn’t think that she was in any immediate danger, but, as Dracon and his buddies had gone to extreme lengths once, there was no way to know if they would try it again.
The fact that he was here with her now and that they were obviously being watched—given the gloating phone calls Quinn had had today—also wasn’t necessarily indicative of whether they were looking at her for now. Quinn just couldn’t take the chance. Inside her apartment, he stopped at the entrance and turned to study the entire layout. The hallway had multiple doors on both sides, like maybe a dozen apartments were on each floor. The apartment she was in itself had a chain on the door at the top and a double lock. But he doubted that she ever used it, although he couldn’t be sure—after what she’d been through. “Do you use the locks?”
“Every night,” she said quietly.
He nodded. “Good, don’t change that now.”
“Am I really in danger?”
“You were originally chained up so that these men could pick you up,” he murmured. “I would guess initially for leverage with Bullard. However, with him out of the picture for now, I don’t know what their plans might be at present. I still need to sweep your apartment.”
She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, when he said, “The fact that that happened once, I can’t be sure that they haven’t decided that you should be picked up again.”
“But that was before, so they could use me as bait for Bullard. They came up with a different plan and threw Dracon out of the sky instead.”
“Exactly,” he said, “and I get that, from your perspective, it means that this should all be over, but I can’t be so sure. They only got rid of Dracon because they now have you. Theoretically.” He circled the living room, then did a second sweep. “May I?” he asked, as he pointed to bedroom.
“Fine.” She frowned at that. “I would do a lot not to be a prisoner again,” she said, wrapping her arms around her chest. Hell, she’d do anything to not feel so vulnerable again.
“And I wouldn’t want to see that ever happen either,” he said quietly, making his methodical two sweeps in her bedroom, now veering off into the bathroom. “But again I can’t guarantee it one way or the other.”
She nodded slowly. “Would this have happened regardless of whether I had contacted Bullard this last month?”
“I don’t know,” he said, now entering her kitchen, checking all the nooks and crannies twice. He even looked in the AC vents. “We have to deal with the fact that an element here wants to bring down the whole team. I don’t know whether they’re still cleaning up or they’ve got something planned for all of us or they’re just waiting.”
“I think they’re waiting to see if we find Bullard.”
“I wouldn’t be at all surprised,” he said. “If you think about it, they don’t have to do the dirty work then, do they?”
“So they’re just keeping an eye on the compound? If you find Bullard, then they’ll come after you again?”
“And likely finding Dracon was just one more step in my world,” he said. “That may be all it took.”
“Interesting,” she murmured. “So we don’t know if anybody cares if I’m around or not.”
“I don’t know that,” he said. “What I can tell you is that the phone call means they were watching Dracon’s apartment.”
“And the fact that I went there,” she said, her skin paling, “means they now know that I’m back in the picture.”
“Yes.”
She glared at him. “Because you brought that on.”
“Yes,” he said, “and just because I did that does not mean that you weren’t part of the picture in the first place.”
Her shoulders sagged again, as she turned to walk to the window and looked out.
Izzie was on the fourth floor, and no other buildings were right in front of her, for which Quinn was grateful. The last thing he wanted to think about was a sniper scenario, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it anyway. “What about work? What are you doing for work these days?”
She gave a half cry. “I originally thought I’d be a business major. Got my MBA even, but I’m working as a graphic artist from home,” she said. “I use the office through there.” She motioned toward a closed door he thought to be a closet before. He walked over and took a quick look. “So this looks safe enough,” he said. “I don’t see anything from the window here.”
“No,” she said. “If that means anything, I don’t know.”
He smiled and said, “It’s all important.”
“Is it though?” she asked. “These guys arranged to throw him out the window.”
He could see that she was hung up on that factor. “They also arranged to blow Bullard out of a plane. We have to get them.”
“I can’t believe that you haven’t yet,” she said, turning to look at him. “I thought Bullard’s men were the be-all and end-all in this industry.”
“Well, we’d like to think so,” he said, “but we’ve been sidetracked by an awful lot of other scenarios pulling us back. And Bullard hasn’t been gone all that long.”
“No, not all that long,” she said for emphasis, “just long enough.”
He nodded slowly. “We get that,” Quinn said, “and I understand that you’re upset, but it would be nice if we could keep this to a constructive talk.”
She gave a half laugh. “Who cares?” she said, throwing herself down on the couch. Then she looked at him and waved her hand. “You can leave now.”
“I was thinking about it,” he said, “and now I’m not so sure.” He walked over and sat down in the chair across from her, thrumming his fingers on the arm of it.
“I don’t think anything you can say will make any difference,” she stated.
“Maybe not,” he said, “but the fact of the matter is, we do have some issues going on right now.”
“And again, you are down to such simple words.”
“I’m not trying to,” he said, “but it’s obvious that we have a problem.”
“I’m staying here.”
He looked at her and nodded. “In that case,” he said, “I’ll stay here too.”
She stared at him. “No, no, no, no, that’s not what I meant.”
“Well, I am responsible for you seeing that guy fly out the window. I could have left you behind when Ryland and I met up with Dracon. I just thought you would be better off with us and would be better off if you went there and saw what a piss ass he was.”
“And you were right,” she said, “but that doesn’t mean I needed to see the rest.”
“Exactly,” he murmured. “So the best answer is that we just stay here. I’ll send Ryland back to the compound. And I’ll stay here overnight.”