Chapter 11
Mackenzie’s asleep in my bed.
Last night hadn’t been completely about desire.
Undeniably, he had a passion for this woman, but it was much more than lust. Quinn stood staring down at Mackenzie, unable to tear his gaze away from her. She was peaceful, eyes closed her chest rising and falling evenly.
Somehow, she looked innocent.
And more than anything in the world, he wanted to defend her. Instead, Quinn had managed to place her in even more danger. Last night, Harold could’ve murdered her.
History had almost repeated itself.
I’ve gotta end this. Soon.
He dragged himself out of the bedroom and made a pot of coffee. And then paced a circle in the kitchen while it percolated. Things were seriously screwed up. Their mission had gone sideways, and he’d gotten involved with Mackenzie.
Fuck it all to hell and back.
His life had been complicated for years, but this was ridiculous.
Quinn took a sip of coffee and indulged in an old-fashioned guilt trip, one of his own making. His carelessness had real implications for Mackenzie. Harold knew she was in on this, and there’s no way he’d allow her to survive.
“What are you thinking about?”
He blinked, whirling around.
Quinn hadn’t even heard her walk in the room. Some soldier. I should be more aware of my surroundings.
“Nothing much. I thought you were asleep.”
“I was until,” she said, pulling out her phone, “I got a text from Storm.”
“What does it say?”
“Tag, you’re it.” Mackenzie read the words off the screen. “I guess, he’s done listening in on them.”
He gaped at her. “Harold and Lupita didn’t run last night?”
“Nope.”
“So, he didn’t figure it out.” He scratched his chin. “I thought for sure, he’d check for bugs and shut this thing down.” It was a stroke of luck, but it still made Quinn uneasy. This wasn’t like Harold at all. He should’ve done another sweep last night, and then gotten the hell out of there.
“I guess we got lucky.”
“Yeah.” Quinn grabbed a mug and poured her a cup of coffee. He added half and half, and one packet of sugar, just the way she liked it. When he handed it to Mackenzie, their fingers brushed.
They both inhaled sharply.
Once she took it from him, Quinn backed off before he did something even more stupid. An awkward silence settled over them as they drank their coffee.
Finally, Mackenzie placed an earbud in and then rolled her eyes.
“God help me.”
“What?”
“They’re at it again. You’d think Harold would be coming up with another evil plan.”
“Unless he already has. Maybe this is a celebratory fuck?”
She bit her lower lip and the sexual tension rocketed in the room. Quinn could have kicked himself as soon as the words came out of his mouth. They hadn’t talked about what happened between them or what it meant.
Her eyes rounded. “Are you serious?”
“About what?”
“People celebrating victories with…” Mackenzie sucked in a breath and didn’t finish the sentence.
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to be more specific.” Quinn couldn’t resist teasing her. Actually, I can’t resist her. Period. End of story. “What was that last part?”
“Sex.”
Her face blushed a lovely shade of pink.
What is it about redheads? Such pale skin.
“If we get out of this thing alive, I’ll show you.”
The damage was already done, right? No point in denying myself now.
Besides, the odds of them surviving this, were slim to none. Harold had been threatened and he’d ask the cartel for back up.
“Should we have a talk about last night?”
“Definitely, but not right now. We’ve got a job to do.” Quinn had to focus on the situation until it was resolved.
She put the earbud back in, but Quinn shook his head.
“Why don’t you put it on speaker?”
“Fine. But are you sure you wanna hear this?”
Quinn liked the effect the sounds had on Mackenzie. He was more interested in watching her reaction, than listening to Harold climax.
“Absolutely.”
She switched the speakers on and the room was flooded with the sounds of lovemaking.
Quinn stared at Mackenzie, unable to look away.
***
Oh, my God. We’re idiots.
Mack groaned. How could I not notice sooner?
Maybe because you’ve been paying more attention to Quinn, then Harold.
Truthfully, she couldn’t help herself.
He’d been giving her bedroom eyes all morning. All she could think about was making love until they both passed out.
Quinn and Mack were in the living room, curled up on the couch. They’d spent the better part of an hour catching the Harold and Lupita porn performance, but they’d missed something super obvious.
"What?" Quinn frowned.
“Shut up and listen.”
He groaned. “What do you think we’ve been doing for the past hour?”
“Now!” She was in no mood for sass.
Quinn stopped talking and listened intently while she waited for him to catch up.
“Fuck me. I should’ve seen this comin’.” He slammed a hand on the table. “Harold found the recordin’ devices and put on a show.”
“Yeah, we’ve been listening to a tape on a loop. And if I’m not mistaken, it just restarted.”
Quinn jumped up and grabbed his gun. “They must’ve slipped out late last night or early this morning and they could be anywhere by now.”
And now she felt guilty for shirking her duty.
“We should’ve worked last night.”
“Hey, we’re both to blame.” Quinn tossed Mack her cell phone. “You might as well tell the team what happened.”
“I’m on it.” Mack texted Storm and let him know what happened. In response, she got a slew of four-letter words.
“Let’s go over there and see if we can find any clues as to where they went.”
Quinn entered the place first. The door had been unlocked, which was a terrible sign. Harold’s SUV and Lupita’s cars were gone, too. They should’ve had eyes on the place this morning.
Mack followed him inside. They both had their weapons drawn, in case this was a trap.
But the place was deserted.
Once they were confident the scene was secure, Quinn and Mack explored the house.
“Fuck. They left their cell phones.” Quinn pointed to the coffee table. They’d taken out the batteries, along with the SIM cards and everything had been smashed to pieces. “We don’t have any way of tracking them.”
Mack went through the bedroom.
“I located the device.” She found an MP 3 player, on the nightstand right by the lamp. Mack switched it off. “Oh, and her closet’s empty. Apparently, Lupita isn’t coming back.”
“There’s no sign of Harold’s shit either. They definitely bugged out.” Mack found Quinn pacing back and forth in the living room. “We’ve gotta think this through and come up with a plan. Where would they go? Texas?”
“Or maybe they’d wait for you in the crawl space, where you didn’t think to check.”
When Mack whirled around she saw Harold standing there, holding a shotgun. Lupita was right behind him, and she was armed too.
Evidently, Lupita wasn’t an innocent bystander after all.
In fact, Mack thought Lupita was his cartel contact.
“Let Mackenzie go,” Quinn said. “I’m the one you really want.”
“Well, aren’t you all heroic?” Harold drawled.
“No!” Mack cried. “Take me. Leave him alone.”
“Isn’t that sweet? You’re willing to die for each other.” Harold made a gagging sound. “But you can save your breath. You’re both coming with us. Now.”
***
“Don’t do this,” Quinn said.
They were in the middle of nowhere.
Harold and Lupita had blindfolded them and put Quinn and Mackenzie in the trunk of his SUV. On the trip over, Quinn had been listening for clues as to where they were being taken. Near as he could figure, they were out in the country somewhere, in an abandoned home. Judging by the spider webs, and the skittering sounds of creatures behind the walls, this place hadn’t been occupied for years.
In other words, it was the perfect place to torture someone.
“Actually, I need to take care of both of you.” Harold smiled smugly as if he’d already won.
Quinn and Mackenzie were duct taped to chairs, while Harold paced a circle around them. Mackenzie was quiet, studying the wall. She hadn’t said a word in an hour, and he was starting to worry. He couldn’t tell if she was losing it or trying to come up with a plan of her own.
“You don’t have to do this, Harold. What if you turned yourself in? Made a deal.”
Quinn doubted Harold would go along with it, but he was desperate to save Mackenzie’s life. And Quinn wanted to keep him talking, while he formulated a plan. There had to be a way out of this, he just needed to find it.
“The hell I don’t. I should’ve tracked you down years ago.”
“You had no idea I was alive until recently. How did you find out by the way?”
“Luck, believe it or not. One of my agents was vacationing in the area and ran into you at the store.” He laughed. “Fate is a fickle bitch, isn’t she?”
Harold wasn’t wrong. How fucked up was that?
“Fine, you have me. You don’t need Mackenzie.”
“Both of you are a threat.”
It was time to wipe the smug look off his face. “Speakin’ of threats, I have all kinds of files on you. If somethin’ happens to me, they’ll be released.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“Try me.” It was a lie.
Quinn didn’t know who he could trust. He’d tucked the records away in three or four safety deposit boxes under aliases. Quinn refused to store all the information in one location, in case one of them was compromised. And he hadn’t shared the details with anyone.
Being mistrustful backfired on him in a big way.
“I’ll take my chances.” Harold crossed his arms over his chest. “So, you’ve been spying on me all these years.”
“Yeah, I know all kinds of sordid secrets.”
He shrugged. “We all have them.”
“If I were you, I’d run now.” Mackenzie shocked them all by speaking up. She was glaring at Lupita.
“Why would I?” Lupita asked.
“My team’s gonna be looking for us.”
Harold and Lupita had gotten rid of their cell phones and earpieces, but they must’ve figured out what happened to them. With any luck, they were already on their way here.
Although, Quinn wasn’t too hopeful. These days, the only luck, he had was shitty.
“They have no idea where you are.” Lupita glanced at Harold for confirmation and he nodded.
Mackenzie scoffed. “Hmph. I thought you were like me, but we couldn’t be more different.”
“You thought I was pathetic, like you?” Lupita raised her chin. “That Harold was using me.”
Mackenzie rolled her eyes. “He is using you, but you’re too stupid to realize it.”
Quinn shot her a look, trying to communicate with his eyes alone. Don’t piss them off.
But she ignored him. “You’re his cartel contact, aren’t you?”
Lupita hesitated a moment. “Hmm, well, you won’t be getting out of here anyway. So, what does it matter? Yes, I report back to the cartel.”
“Why would you help them?” Quinn asked. “They’re destroyin’ your country.”
“In exchange for my services they’re paying for my college.”
Quinn snorted. “Yeah, with blood money.”
“You think I don’t know what they do? Do you have any idea what my life’s been like growing up in cartel territory? How many people I’ve loved have been murdered?” Lupita clutched the gun. “I was the smartest girl in my school, and I saw the opportunity to make something of myself, to get out of that godforsaken place, so I took it.”
There were some areas in Mexico, which were entirely controlled by the cartels. They bribed local leaders and operated with impunity. No one opposed them.
Quinn couldn’t blame her for running away, but she was a fool for helping those pricks. One day, it would catch up with her. She’d no longer be useful, and they’d view her as a liability.
And then they’d “deal” with her, too.
“But you’ll never be free of them.” Mackenzie’s lips curled with contempt. “Don’t you see? They own you for the rest of your life.”
“I know what this is really about.” Harold chuckled.
“Oh?” Mackenzie raised a brow. “Enlighten me.”
“I do believe you’re jealous.” He wrapped an arm around Lupita, and then tipped her head back for a kiss, putting on a show.
Funny.
Quinn guessed it was Harold, who had trouble letting go. It made sense. Mackenzie had gotten rid of him, not the other way around. She was the one who got away, the girl who rejected him.
When he was finished, Harold stared at Mackenzie, assessing her reaction.
“Admit it, you miss this. Miss me.”
What the actual fuck? Quinn was about ready to put his fist through Harold’s face.
Mackenzie tossed her hair back. “You’re delusional.”
Once again, Quinn tried to silently communicate with her. Unfortunately, she wasn’t listening. Unless she wanted to provoke them? Maybe it was part of her plan.
“And you,” Mackenzie said, shaking her head at Lupita. “You’re the one who’s pathetic. I almost feel sorry for you.”
“I dare you to say it again.” Lupita pushed the barrel of the gun, against Mackenzie’s forehead.
Mackenzie met the woman’s gaze without flinching, almost pushing her to pull the trigger. It was either the bravest thing Quinn had ever seen, or the most foolish. He couldn’t decide.
“Easy now,” Harold said, grasping Lupita’s wrist. She stepped back, releasing her hold on the gun. He took it from her and put it in his back pocket. “Don’t let her get to you.”
Lupita gritted her teeth. “I just…”
“I know,” Harold soothed, kissing her forehead. “Why don’t you go outside and get some fresh air? Let me handle them for a while.”
After a second’s hesitation, she nodded.
Mackenzie winked at him behind their backs and mouthed, one down, two to go.
He almost laughed. She’d gotten one of their captor’s out of the room. It would make escaping this mess a bit easier.
Oh, Mackenzie, I could kiss you.
Once Lupita had gone outside, Harold turned his attention to Mack.
“Do you remember the time we went to Virginia Beach?” Harold asked.
She nodded but didn’t comment.
“Ever think about how we made love on the beach, late at night, behind the sand dune?” Harold’s voice got lower, as though he were trying to be seductive.
He stood behind her, leaning down to rub her shoulders, smell her hair. Mackenzie shut her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, as though she were trying to calm herself down.
“Enough!” Quinn struggled in his bonds. “So, help me, if you—”
“Shut the fuck up. You aren’t going anywhere and we both know it.”
He knelt in front of her, placing a hand on her thigh. “Tell me. How was he in the sack?”
She grimaced. “Harold, don’t.”
“Don’t what? Remind you of what we had?” His hand trailed up the inside of her leg. “Admit, you still think about me from time to time. Maybe when you’re alone, stroking that silky pussy of yours.”
“Don’t touch her!” Quinn roared, rocking back and forth, trying to tip the rickety old chair over. It might break from the force of his body weight. “You can have my life for hers. It’s an even trade.”
Harold chuckled. “And then what? Mack blabs to the papers and I end up in prison?”
“Don’t do this, Quinn.” Mack shook her head. “Do you hear me?”
“You can’t bargain your way out of this.” Harold sneered. “Neither one of you is walking out of here. I just have to decide which one of you goes first.” He tapped his chin, as though considering his options. “Quinn first, and then Mack, I think.” He leered at her. “And if you’re a good girl, I’ll give you something to remember me by, before I take you out.”
Just then, Quinn tipped the chair over, and the legs smashed against the ground. He tried to break free of the duct tape, but it clung to his skin. Before he could unstick himself, Harold stood over him with the gun.
“Let’s get this over with.” Harold pressed the barrel right between Quinn’s eyes.
“No!” Mackenzie sobbed.
“Before you pull the trigger,” Quinn gritted out. “You’re gonna answer my question.”
“What do you want to know?” Harold asked, with a sneer.
“Who did you order to kill Karen?”
Harold shrugged. “I guess it doesn’t matter now. I might as well tell you. Mike Sloan. He was one of my brand-new border agents at the time.”
Mike Sloan. Quinn knew the name. He glanced at Mackenzie and she nodded. It was the man Annie had shot in the car. He closed his eyes for a second. At least the bastard who’d pulled the trigger had been punished.
“Harold, please don’t hurt him,” Mackenzie begged. Tears trickled down her cheeks. Her face was red, her eyes swollen. “I’ll do anything.”
“No, don’t cry,” Quinn soothed. “It’s gonna be okay, Mackenzie.”
“Trust me,” Harold said with a foul little chuckle. “You’re gonna do everything I ask, before we’re done here today, but I won’t spare your little boyfriend.”
I can do this. Quinn sucked in a breath.
At the very least, Quinn wouldn’t die in a cell.
He’d much rather be dead than locked away forever. And he was going to a better place if God saw fit to let him in. Mack had told him so once.
Quinn tuned out Harold and focused on Mackenzie. She was the only thing in the world he cared about her, and he wanted one last look at her. He wanted her to be the last person he saw.
“Tell me about Heaven, Mackenzie. What’s paradise supposed to be like?”
She shook her head. “Quinn, I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. Tell me. Talk to me.” Quinn smiled at her. “Please?”
She cleared her throat. “It’s beautiful. You’re surrounded by people you lost, the ones you loved.”
“Karen?”
“Yes. You’ll see her again.”
“Think she’ll forgive me? Assumin’ they let me in.”
“Of course, she will. And they’re gonna let you in.”
“Even if you have to kick up a fuss, huh?”
“Yeah.” She laughed through her tears. “We’ll be together soon. You and me. I’ll be right behind you.”
Harold raised the gun.
But there was a thwacking sound and Harold grunted in pain. He dropped the gun and fell to his knees, blood welled under his shirt, staining it.
Someone had shot him.
***
Mack was stunned.
Harold stumbled to his feet, running for the door, but another shot nailed him in the leg. Crying out in agony, Harold clutched his injured thigh. Another shot hit the opposite leg and he fell to the floor.
“What the fuck happened?” Quinn glanced at Mack.
“Nox.” She started to laugh.
“Then I’m gonna finish this, before he does.” Spurred by adrenaline, Quinn wrenched the tape off, grabbed the gun and got to his feet, standing over Harold. “Tell me you’re sorry.”
“I am.” His eyes were wide, frightened.
Quinn had a white-knuckled grip in the gun. “I don’t believe you. You lie like most people breathe and I think you’d tell me anything I wanna hear if it meant savin’ your own worthless hide.”
“Quinn, wait, don’t do this,” Mack tugged at her bonds, but she couldn’t get free. “We need him alive.”
“Why should this waste of space get to live?” His nostrils flared.
“Because Harold’s going to use his position to get you a pardon and then drop any other charges, the feds can bring against you. And then he’s going to turn himself in. Isn’t that, right, Harold?”
Mack would much rather see Harold get a lighter sentence, if it meant Quinn could go free. He’d suffered enough for his crimes.
Wide-eyed, Harold nodded. “I can help you, if—”
“Shut up. I don’t wanna hear any more of your bullshit. I don’t give a damn about me. The only thing I’ve ever wanted is for him to pay for what he did.”
“Quinn, no. Look at me. Talk to me,” Mack said.
But he wasn’t even looking at her.
Mack tried to reason with Quinn again. “He’ll be arrested, and it will be in all the papers, all over the talk shows. Harold will be publicly humiliated, and his career will be over, and then he’ll face a jury of his peers. More than likely, he’ll be put away for the rest of his days.”
Harold, the coward, was crouching on the floor, sniveling. Seeing him brought so low was therapeutic. Mack was looking forward to the trial. She hoped it was televised. Hell, she might even make some popcorn.
“It isn’t enough. He’ll still be alive,” Quinn gestures with the gun and she feared it might go off. “Karen is dead! They tortured her for hours, maybe days, before they murdered her. Tell me, how is this fair?”
“It isn’t, but it’s not supposed to be, Quinn. You’re getting justice, not vengeance. There’s a huge difference between the two. I know you’ve been living as an outlaw for several years, but there is still an FBI agent inside of you, buried deep inside. And he knows the difference between right and wrong. Killing Harold is wrong.”
Quinn swallowed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. He wasn’t hearing a word she said. He had Harold in his crosshairs, and he wasn’t about to back down.
Maybe trying to save Quinn from himself, was impossible. He’d already made up his mind a long time ago.
Sirens wailed in the distance.
“Quinn? Do you hear that? The police are almost here. Just put the weapon down and we’ll figure this out. You won’t have to go back to jail.” And maybe we can be together?
But Quinn pulled the trigger, nailing Harold right between the eyes. Blood spattered her skin. It was hot and sticky.
“No!” Mack shouted. “What did you do?”
“I’m sorry, Mackenzie, but he had to die.”
The sirens got closer. It sounded like they were down the street.
“Quinn, listen to me, you’ve gotta run. Now.”
He wasn’t paying any attention to her. Quinn was staring at Harold, a feral expression on his face, with the gun clenched tight in his fist.
“Please, Quinn!” she begged. “They’ll take you back into custody.”
And then Quinn placed the barrel against his own temple.
“Quinn! No! What are you doing?”
He turned toward her, a faraway look in his eyes. Would he rather be dead than taken back to jail?
“Mackenzie, I love you.”
“Then don’t do this. Please!”
“I can’t run anymore, Mackenzie.” His shoulders hunched. “I’m so tired.”
The next few moments happened in slow motion.
Huck’s voice echoed in the hallway, announcing his presence. There was a loud series of knocks on the door, and then the police busted into the place.
Quinn stared at her for what felt like hours. He gripped the gun, his finger resting on the trigger.
“Please don’t!” No, I can’t watch him die. Sobbing, she pulled at the tape, trying to get free. “I love you, Quinn.”
Quinn froze.
“There, I said it. Please don’t leave me.”
With a muttered curse, Quinn tossed the weapon and got down on his knees.
And the cops arrested him.