Deadly Intent (Linked Inc. Book 1) (11 page)

Chapter
19

Collin slowed his horse over the ridge toward his favorite spot by the cliffs. The moon was high in the evening sky, and the stars twinkled in a cosmic dance. If tonight was her last night, he’d give her a night she’d always remember to replace the curse and the death.

Holding out his arm, he helped her down before dismounting.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered into the night.

“It’s my favorite spot.” It was the perfect place for what he had to say.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her with the passion of a warrior returning from battle. In some ways he was. The lass had crumbled every stone around his heart. She’d conquered the beast and given him back more than the emerald. She’d given him…hope.

Collin slowed the perusal of her tongue and kissed her tender lips, memorizing every detail about this moment and her.

“Stay with me, Quinn. Donae leave.”

“Collin, I’ve got to go. I’ve put off my responsibilities long enough. It’s time for me to get back to the real world and step out of the fantasy.” She stared up into his eyes with a pleading gaze as if she truly wanted him to understand.

“I…”

She held her finger to his lips and quickly replaced them with her mouth. Her actions wouldn’t silence him from what he had to say. Collin ran his fingers through her red hair and pulled the ponytail free as he kissed her. Her red tresses danced on the breeze, wild and untamed like the woman in his arms. Breaking the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers. “I love you.”

She smiled up at him with sadness in her eyes. “Then show me.”

“Aye. I plan to do just that.” Collin slipped two blankets out of the saddlebag and laid them out on the ground, turning to find Quinn had already kicked off her shoes and was working the buttons on her blouse.

Collin stilled her hands and laid her down, covering her with his body. He kissed her lips and moved down her silky skin as he slid each button free. They had all night, and he planned to use every moment showing her exactly what she meant to him.

They lay naked beneath the moonlight, Quinn against his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair, their bodies only partially covered by the extra blanket. She raised her head and smiled up at him.

“This is perfect.”

“You’re perfect.”

She ran her fingers over his chest, tracing the contours of his muscles and then laid her head back down. “I won’t forget you.”   

“How could you?” He smiled down at her. “You’re probably carrying my bairn.”

Her chuckle rang out as she rolled off him. “Not likely, handsome. I’m on the pill, but if I ever have a kid, you’d be the front runner for baby daddy.”

“Glad to know I’m in the running.” Collin rolled and settled between her sweet thighs. “Maybe you need a reminder of what I have to offer.”

“I think you’re right.”

Her smile brightened his world as her heels dug into his ass, pushing him into her sweet channel. He took his time pleasing her, searing this moment into her memory and his. Quinn Thatcher didn’t know it yet, but her reluctance drove his determination. He’d let her leave, but never for good. This wasn’t the end of them. There would never be an end if he had his say. It was just a matter of figuring out how to convince her to see things his way. No amount of water or distance could break the bond they were forming. She’d see it soon enough.         

Her stomach grumbled as the hour passed, and he finally decided they both needed sustenance to maintain their strength. They were in for a long night, and the night was just beginning.

“It’s time for food and part two of my plan.” He slid the blanket free and slipped back into his clothes. As she dressed, he took his fill, memorizing her creamy flesh and planning to kiss every inch.

“You mean your plan didn’t just include seducing me?”

‘I think you were the seducer, luv.” Collin winked, then packed up the blankets and mounted the horse. “I just picked the locale.”

Collin led the horse in a walk to ease the tender flesh between her thighs. 

They’d rounded the corner toward the castle when Quinn pointed to the sky. “Is that smoke?”

“Aye.” Collin jabbed his heels into the horse, making Quinn’s hold tighten around his waist. They broke through the clearing to find that it wasn’t the castle on fire but the caretaker’s house.

“Oh God,” she whispered.

Garth stood outside swatting the flames with blankets as the horse jolted to a stop. Smoke rose into the night sky as flames grew. The air was thick with soot, covering the surrounding leaves. Collin helped her down and climbed off.

“Quinn, go alert the staff. They know what to do.”

Collin yanked the blankets out of the satchel and doused them in the horse’s water from the barn and returned to help in the battle.

Chapter
20

Quinn ran as fast as she could and burst into the kitchen to startle several people.

“Garth…fire.” She’d no more said the words while trying to catch her breath than Mavis, Angus, and the staff flew past her.  She’d turned to follow when a hand landed on her arm.

“No, Quinn. Help me get the extra extinguishers. They’re in all of the second story rooms,” Abigail said and led Quinn out of the kitchen and toward the stairs.

She raced behind her up the stairs toward her room, but Abigail disappeared into the door before Quinn’s. She hurried inside, scanning the room in search of an extinguisher. The smell of kerosene made her nose twitch and pause. A pool of liquid sat on top of the dresser, and Quinn slid her finger through it and brought it up to her nose. She’d been right. Kerosene.  

Quinn spun around to find Abigail standing in the doorway with a gun in her hand pointed at Quinn’s chest. “You ruined everything.”

She shook her head, not understanding Abigail's words. “What are you talking about?”

“You killed Ramsey. He was going to take me away from here with the money and treasures he stole.”

Anger ripped through Quinn’s body. This little bitch had been in on it. “You set the fire?”

A devious smile formed on Abigail's lips. “Garth was easy. He never suspected a thing. I knew Collin was going to take you to the cliff. It’s where he took me.”

Quinn swallowed hard around Abigail’s lies. “He turned down Margarete. Why should I believe he’d ever love a sadistic bitch like you?”

Abigail pulled a lighter out of her pocket and flicked the Bic. “I hope you burn in hell.”

“I’ll be sure and save you a spot.”

Abigail tossed the flame onto the kerosene-soaked dresser and eased out of the room, keeping the barrel of the gun trained on Quinn’s chest. She pulled the door closed, and Quinn heard a lock click into place.

This wasn’t happening. She wasn’t dying in this room. She ran to the door and tried to turn the knob. It didn’t budge. She covered her mouth with her shirt and hurried into the bathroom, looking for anything she could use to put out the fire. There was nothing.

Quinn ran to the window and pried it open, taking in a breath of fresh air. The fire at Garth’s still raged on. She yelled, yet no one heard her voice.

Covering her mouth, she glanced furiously around the room. Her gaze landed on the bed and moved to the curtains. “I did it once. I can do it again.”

She yanked the covers and the window linens free and made quick work tying them together. She had to get out before fire caught her makeshift rope on fire.

She tied one end to the steel bed frame and tossed the extra out of the window.  Wrapping her arms around the linens, she climbed up onto the windowsill and eased herself out.

“Nice and slow.” She replayed the words Collin had used and tried not to look down.

“Fire,” she screamed at the top of her lungs as she held on for dear life and cleared the second story. If she fell now, at least she wouldn’t die, but it would hurt like hell.

“Quinn.” Collin’s voice filled her with relief.

“There’s a fire in my room,” she hollered and eased another step down the wall. Her foot slipped, and she dangled, held by nothing more than the puny muscles in her arm. She screamed again.

“Quinn, let go. I’ll catch you.”

Sweat beaded her brow as she glanced down at him. He was still too far away. If he tried, he might miss.

White foam came pouring down on her from above. Someone was in the room putting out the fire. Thank God, the linens holding her life wouldn’t burn.

Her arms burned as she hung on, trying to get another footing.

“Quinn, let go.”

Quinn glanced down again to see a crowd had formed below. Abigail stood in the distance behind the crowd with a gun pointed directly at Quinn.

“Gun,” Quinn screamed the moment the maid fired. A searing pain sliced through her ass. The sudden impact made her lose her grip, and she fell.

Collin caught her. How he’d managed with an injury himself was beyond her. They were both going to need a doctor. The crowd parted as he carried her through the courtyard. He paused at where Garth had Abigail restrained with her hands behind her back.

“Abigail was working with Ramsey, and she set Garth’s place on fire in an attempt to keep everyone busy while she killed me,” Quinn said as her vision blurred. No way was she passing out in front of them.

“Contain her and call the police. Have them charge her with arson and attempted murder.”

He started walking past them, and Quinn glanced over his shoulder and hollered out, “Don’t forget conspiracy to commit theft.” Collin’s face doubled before her eyes. “I’m about to pass out.”

“I’ve got you, Quinn.”

“You saved me.” Her words came out a whisper before her world went dark.

Chapter
21

Collin held Quinn in the back of the car while Angus drove to the hospital. The front of his jeans was covered in blood from holding her in his lap, but he didn’t care. He should have never let her out of his sight. He scooted out with her still in his arms. His own shirt was covered in blood from the stitches he’d torn catching her and carrying her, yet he pushed through the pain and walked with her in his arms directly into the emergency room.

The eyes of the nurse behind the counter widened as she hurried to open the restricted door to let them pass. She guided Collin to one of the rooms, where he carefully laid Quinn down on her side. “She was shot in the arse.”

“Doctor,” the nurse hollered as she left the room.

The next three hours passed as slow as molasses. Collin had spent the time being lectured about ruining his stitches as he was being patched up. He had sent Angus to the castle for fresh clothes and had changed. The rest of the time, he spent pacing in the waiting room.

He’d just changed when Ian showed up. He patted Collin’s back and sat down beside him.

“Just say the word if you need me to come over and help protect Quinn.”

Ian’s words would have angered Collin any other day, but the truth was he was doing a poor job at keeping her safe. He’d been too caught up in the passion between them to even consider Ramsey had an accomplice.

“Abigail was working with Ramsey,” Collin muttered and ran a hand through his hair.

“The maid?” he asked.

“Yeah. She burned down Garth’s house and set Quinn’s room on fire before locking her inside. Quinn escaped out the window.”

“Good Lord, Collin. I don’t know how you’re going to talk Quinn into stayin’ after all that.”

“She already told me she’s no’.” His answer felt like a vise grip around his heart. “She’s leaving in the morning.”

“That’s going to be one uncomfortable flight.”

“Aye.”

The doctor walked into the waiting room and lowered the mask covering his mouth.

“How is she?” Collin asked as his heart worked overtime thumping against his ribcage.

“She’s fine. We’ve removed the bullet and stitched her up.”

“Can I see her?”

“Sure. She’s a little loopy from the drugs, but you can see her.”

Collin followed the doctor down the hall and into recovery. Quinn was lying on her stomach. Her red hair covered the pillow.

“She shot me in the arse.”

Collin’s lips twisted into a smile at Quinn’s attempted Scottish accent.

“That she did, luv.”

“Scotland is just like flowers. They both want me to die.”

“That wasnae Scotland, Quinn. That was Ramsey and Abigail. You cannae condemn a whole country for the actions of two crazy psychopaths. I bet you attract them everywhere you go.”

“Don’t forget the ghosts.” She pointed to the empty corner of the room.

“Which ghosts came to visit?” Collin asked around his smile.

“All of them,” she said, pointing again. “Redbeard, Ian’s white-haired relative, Gwinnie.” She paused and looked at Collin. “Who, by the way, was the one responsible for giving your emerald away to Clarence’s ascendants. She was trying to help the poor.” Quinn turned her gaze back to the corner. “Clarence, go sing your opera to someone else.”

“Do you want me to call your pilot and delay your flight home?”

“Nooooo.” Her eyes widened as she lifted her swaying head. “I have to goooo.” She held out her hand and let it drop over the edge of the bed. “Collin, get me out of here.”

“I cannae do that, Quinn, until the doctor releases you,” Collin said, moving closer to her. He stroked her hair. “I’ll get you to the airport. Just try and get some rest.”

She nodded, and her eyes fell shut.

Collin spent the next hour in her room, sending away every bouquet that they attempted to deliver. He called Angus and had him inform the pilot what was going on in an attempt to explain to her family. The constable, also a friend of Collin’s, had stopped by to take his statement about the fire and Abigail. He told Collin they’d found a storage unit that Ramsey was using to hide the stolen belongings.

The hospital released Quinn a few hours later, after she’d created a fuss and the drugs had left her system. Getting her home was somewhat of a challenge with her trying to sit. She ended up laying her head in Collin’s lap while Angus drove.

His room and hers were filled with smoke from the fire and were being aired out, so they both stayed in one of the guestrooms on the first floor after she insisted on somewhere with an easier escape.

The morning would come early for both of them, so he held her in his arms all night long, unable to sleep. He listened to the sound of her breaths and stared at the ceiling. This wasn’t how he’d envisioned their last night together.

“You’re thinking too loud,” she mumbled and lifted her head to look into his eyes.

“Sorry.” He kissed her lips. “I was just thinking. Do you really have to go back?”

“Collin, we both know I do.”

“Why? What is so pressing that you need to return? It’s no’ like we donae have ghosts in Scotland. You could stay here. Work from here, or hell, donae work at all. None of it matters except you and me being together. I love you, Quinn, and you love me too. That should mean something.”

“It did. It does. I have to go back. I could never walk out on my family; I’m a partner for cripes sake; just like I could never ask you to abandon your home. Face it, Collin. We’re from two very different worlds.”

“Quinn, we can make it work. We’ve survived everything that was thrown at us. We can survive the small issue of distance.”

“I have to go home.” She rested her head against his chest.

“Will you come back?” Collin was almost afraid to ask, not wanting to hear her say no.

“I’ll try.”