Quinn’s inner alarm went off, his eyes popping open, head turning this way and that to try and figure out what had set it off. He couldn’t see anything but that didn’t mean there wasn’t something there, but what?

Shaking his head, he sighed. He was being stupid, he was on his own estate, surrounded for miles by his own land, there was nothing to be worried about. Nerves. That was all it was. With everything that had happened over the last few days it was understandable. Especially for someone like him who was OCD in the extreme. Hell, he’d thrown his clothes down onto the ground earlier and left them lying there. Something that would normally have him shaking and anxious all on its own. Yes, that was probably it.

Gently moving Amaya, he rose, and picked up the discarded clothing before folding it neatly and placing it on a chair. There, all done. Taking a deep breath, he was about to rejoin Amaya when he felt another shiver run up his spine, a noise from behind him causing him to spin around, fangs out as he knew for certain there was a threat in the area. What it was he had no idea but he knew there was one.

“Amaya, baby, wake up,” he whispered, but she didn’t hear him. She was out cold. Damn. “Amaya, wake up.” He tried again, stepping over, reaching down and just as he was about to shake her another voice broke the silence sending a slither of fear for his Bloodmate up his spine.

“What a delightful scene we have here. Well, it would be if you’d stuck to the fucking rules. But you didn’t, did you?”

Quinn turned to see a man straight from Hell. He had to be because he’d put him there. He’d killed him. He had. How was it possible he now stood before him? And he wasn’t alone, he had a group of men around him so he couldn’t be a fucking ghost. What was going on? Quinn opened his mouth to ask that very question but the apparition held up his hand, halting him.

“No, you don’t get to speak, not yet.” He moved toward him. “You’re a dirty murdering bastard. You think you can get away with what you did?”

This time Quinn didn’t wait for permission. Who the fuck was this guy? He’d killed him. He had. “What the hell is going on here? I killed you. I tore your fucking head from your shoulders so what the fuck?”

He laughed, a cold, harsh laugh that lasted all of two seconds before his eyes landed back on Quinn’s. “No, you idiot. You didn’t. You made the biggest mistake of your life.”

“Quinn? What’s happening?” Amaya’s sleepy voice asked from behind him and his heart sped up, his hand shooting out behind him.

“Stay back, baby.”

“No, don’t, come join us, after all you belonged to me first and this fucker here didn’t pay me, so I say you still belong to me.”

“What?” Quinn leaned forward, a sick feeling in his gut as an idea began to form in his brain. Oh shit, surely not?

“You killed my brother, some mistake, huh? Especially for a Russian. Families mean a lot to us, especially my baby brother who I turned so long ago. We’ve been together for such a long time and you ripped his fucking head off and you didn’t pay me for her. So, Mister Fucking Alexander, what do you think is going to happen here?”

Quinn’s heart sank so far, he wasn’t sure if it still existed inside him. He knew all right. Zorin Igoravich had come seeking revenge and that ended only one way. With him dead and possibly Amaya too, or worse, with the Russian taking her for his own. Fuck. He couldn’t allow that. Not Amaya.

“How much?” Quinn stalled, his hand behind his back, motioning for Amaya to move away. Praying she’d take heed.

“How much? For what? For her? For my loss of face? For my brother’s life?”

“All of it.” Quinn held out his hands. “You tell me and I’ll make it happen.”

“You cannot be serious,” Igoravich snarled. “You can’t pay me for what you’ve done.”

“I am and I can,” Quinn parlayed. “Five billion pounds.”

He saw the moment the figure hit, his eyes squinting as he saw the pounds transferring into other currencies and his body language relaxed if only slightly. So Quinn waited, letting it sink in. “What did you say?”

“I said, five billion pounds. I can do that, British currency, anywhere you want it sent.”

“You are lying,” Igoravich scoffed, looking at the men around him. “You can’t get that amount.”

“I’m not lying and I can, you let Amaya go, right now and I’ll pay you seven billion. She walks away, this minute, and I’ll pay you seven billion. You give me the details of the Cayman account. I can have the money wired there within the hour.”

“No!” Amaya leaped from the bed, the sheet wrapped around her. Thank fuck. If she’d appeared naked he’d have had a heart attack. “I’m not leaving you here.”

“Be quiet!” he snapped, not daring to look at her. If he did she’d see the lie in his eyes.

“How can I trust you?”

“I’m staying right here with you, aren’t I? When she’s gone all you need to do is give me your phone and I’ll log onto my bank and start the transfer. For that sum of money, it will take some time to go through security checks, but that’s to be expected for such a large amount. I assume you’re familiar with these checks for sums over a billion pounds?”

He knew for a fact the man wouldn’t be, and that he was talking nonsense, but it was all stalling tactics. If he could get Amaya away safely, then she could get help. Hopefully in time.

“Of course I’m aware,” Igoravich snorted. “Go, before I change my mind.”

This time Quinn did look at her. “Go, Amaya, please.”

She saw the plea in his eyes and she knew what he wanted, needed, her to do. She leapt into his arms, kissed him quickly and then jumped down, turned and ran for all she was worth. Her legs pumped so fast she was gone from his view within moments. He tried to figure out how long it would take her to get back to the main house, probably a good fifteen or twenty minutes, then she’d have to locate Ace or Thorne, and they’d have to get men together and get back here. Och, he’d be fine. They’d get here in plenty of time. Sure they would.

He had nothing to worry about. Nothing at all.

And he sure as hell didn’t, because as Igoravich reached in to pull his phone out there was a flurry of movement behind him and his men and the unmistakable roar of a tiger. What the fuck?

“What’s that?” Zorin snarled looking at Quinn with a ferocious look that told him he was out for blood.

“That sounds like the cavalry to me.” Quinn smirked as all hell broke loose, his thighs bunched as he soared forward and attacked the man who was a mirror image of the one he’d killed in Hong Kong.

The fight was longer and bloodier than the previous one had been, but the outcome just the same. Quinn the victor with an Igoravich lying dead at his feet before turning to a pile of ash and floating away with a gust of wind. His brave Amaya had helped, her Tiger biting and clawing whenever and wherever it could, even though he’d yelled at her to stay back. It seemed she was determined to stick by his side no matter the danger.

Thorne, Ace and his men made short work of the rest of Zorin’s men, some giving up without a punch being thrown at all, and they were trussed up and waiting to be handed over to The Directive. Jana had been pleased about that, not so pleased that Zorin Igoravich had, once again, slipped her net.

Thorne explained it had taken Jana and the team some time to realize that it hadn’t been Zorin that Quinn had killed in Hong Kong, and that he was, in fact, on his way to exact revenge. When she’d found out and tried to contact him, he’d not answered because he’d left his phone in his other suit in his haste to change for the party. And Thorne had been busy having fun. It had been touch and go, but luckily, things had turned out in their favor.

So here they were, sitting on the back patio, drinks in hand with the party still in full swing inside with nobody there any the wiser of what had happened.

“I’m starving. Thorne, could you go get me a burger?” Amaya asked as she snuggled against Quinn, a glass of whisky in her hand.

“You’re hungry? After what you’ve just went through?”

“Sure am, in fact could you make that two . . . no three, please.” She smiled at him as he rose. “And cake, bring me cake too.”

“Cake and burgers?” Quinn quirked a brow.

“Sure, what’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, nothing at all. After tonight you can have whatever you want, darling, anything at all.”

“Good to know.” Amaya turned and kissed his cheek. “I’ll have chocolate covered strawberries for breakfast tomorrow then.”

Quinn’s head fell back, laughter bubbling up and out, Ace joining and so did Amaya. That was how Thorne found them when he returned with her food. All three sitting laughing their heads off.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, handing her plate over.

“Nothing.” Quinn settled down. “Nothing at all. I’m just the happiest man alive, my friend.”