Chapter 6
The shooter whistled, looking her up and down. “Well, hello there, Mack. I didn’t know you were such a looker. Your picture didn’t do you justice. Maybe I’ve been a touch too hasty.”
Mack swallowed her fear. “About what? Killing me?”
She was shivering, backed into a corner, pressed into the cold tile. Her panties and trousers were hanging around her ankles. She’d never been more vulnerable. Or afraid.
The shooter was a handsome man with red hair and green eyes. He was tall, maybe six feet, with an athletic build.
Why can’t people’s insides match their outsides? I like my murders ugly.
“Nothing’s gonna change the outcome, Mack, but there ain’t no reason why we can’t have some fun first.”
Fun? Was he going to rape her before he murdered her? He had a Glock in his hand. and rubbed the barrel of the gun over her breasts. It was a caress and a threat all in one.
“You have me at a disadvantage.” Her voice echoed in the room. “What’s your name?”
“Aw, it don’t matter none.”
Fine, I’ll call you Ginger. It gave all redheads a bad name.
Pull yourself together, Mack, and get out of this mess. What are the facts? What do you know? What can you use to your advantage?
Hmm. Judging by the accent, he was Southern. Probably in the FBI. And she was willing to bet money, Alan had sent this guy after her. Clearly, Alan was in cahoots with Harold.
Quinn was right. I should’ve been more careful. It’s like she stuck her hand into a lion’s mouth and didn’t expect it to bite her.
A terrible thought occurred to her. “Where’s my friend?” Oh, God. Did he kill Annie?
“The brunette?”
Mack nodded.
“I knocked her out. Don’t worry, she’s sleepin’ it off in the back seat. Besides, you should be more concerned about your own pretty little neck.”
“Alan sent you, didn’t he?”
He grinned. “They sent me to take care of you, but I think you and I are gonna go somewhere private with your friend.” Ginger smacked his lips. “We’ll have us a party.”
Mack shuddered. No, stop it. Focus. Don’t give into your fear.
“And who’s they? Who are we talking about?”
“Look at you, putting on a brave face, pretending to be Nancy Drew.” And then Ginger pushed his hand between her legs, cupping her sex.
Mack couldn’t help it, she screamed.
“Shut the fuck up.” He slapped a hand over her mouth.
“Don’t do this,” she muttered against his hand.
“We need to get the fuck out of here.”
The next thing she knew, they were marching outside.
Ginger had instructed Mack to pull up her pants, and he had a gun shoved into her ribcage. She frantically thought of a way to escape, but every scenario ended up with her being shot in the gut and left for dead.
In the parking lot, there was a family hopping out of a van—a mother, a father, and two little girls. The children were dressed in pajamas and they were so sleepy, they swayed on their feet.
“Don’t even think of callin’ out for help,” her abductor whispered. “I’ll kill them all, even the little kids.”
“I won’t.” They were civilians and she wouldn’t risk their lives.
“Evenin’ folks. Y’all have a nice night,” Ginger called, using all of his country boy charm.
He shoved her into his SUV and sure enough, Annie was passed out on the back seat. Since Ginger didn’t object, Mack felt for a pulse. She was relieved to find Annie had a steady, even heartbeat.
Ginger started up the engine and took off. The trees and grass whizzed by the car as Mack frantically searched for landmarks, trying to orient herself.
He drove them off the highway until he found a wooded area. It was an out of the way sort of place where you might dispose of a body. Her mind was spinning, trying to come up with a solution, but her thoughts were scattered. Fear made it difficult to think.
“Come here, bitch.” As soon as Ginger turned off the engine, he unzipped his fly, and grabbed a fistful of her hair. He yanked Mack hard, shoving her face toward his crotch.
“Stop! Don’t do this.”
“Quit pitchin’ a fit. We both know you’ll enjoy this.”
She shook her head, squirming in his hold.
“Don’t act innocent. From what I heard, you were Harold’s whore.” With that, he shoved his cock into her mouth.
Mack didn’t even think about the consequences. Instinctively, she bit down.
“Mother fucker!” He tugged at her hair, pulling several strands out, but she locked her jaw down.
Ginger pulled out his gun. “I’m gonna—”
But he didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence.
There was a loud bang, which left her ears ringing. And then Ginger groaned, slumping down on top of her.
Mack shoved his heavy body off of her, and scrambled out from underneath him, gasping for breath. Her heart was hammering, pressing up against her ribcage.
She touched her wet hair, to find it covered in blood. Mack stared at it, disbelieving. This couldn’t be real life.
What the hell is going on?
She looked over to see Annie holding a gun in the back seat, and her eyes were wild.
“Oh my God. Annie, are you okay?”
Annie gulped. “No, are you?”
“Hell no.”
“I just woke up and found him on top of you. I didn’t even think about it.”
“Where’d you get the gun?”
Annie sneered at the dead man. “Genius here, had a spare on the floorboard. I guess he figured I wouldn’t wake up for a while.” She touched the base of her skull, wincing. “I can see why. He hit me pretty hard, but I should be fine.”
Mack nodded absently. There was so much to consider, and Mack couldn’t even think straight.
“What the hell are we gonna do?” Annie asked, but Mack barely registered the words.
“Mack?”
She blinked. “What?”
“Did you hear me?”
“Sorry. No. What were you saying?”
“Should we call the police?”
Mack frowned. “And tell them we killed an FBI agent? This is Virginia. We’ll get the death penalty.”
“Was he an agent?”
“I think so. Let’s make sure.” Mack fumbled around in the man’s pockets of his suit and pulled out a badge.
“Holy shit. Agent Mike Sloan.”
“No. This can’t be happening.” Annie shut her eyes.
“He hast to be working for the cartel, too. But we can’t prove it. Not yet, anyway.” She sucked in a breath. Speaking of IDs. “Dammit. My purse is back at the rest stop. We have to go back for it.”
Unless someone already stole it.
“And we have to catch our flight.”
Oh no. She’d forgotten all about getting to Reagan International on time. She checked the clock in the car.
“We’ve got a little over two hours. Come on, we need to hustle.”
They had a body and car to dispose of, a purse to retrieve, and evidence to get rid of in the bathrooms.
This is gonna be a long night.
***
Please let this be a nightmare.
Mack kept repeating the words to herself, like a mantra. This was too bizarre to be real.
When they arrived in Kentucky once more, Annie went back to her house, the one she shared with West. And Mack continued on to HQ by herself. The place was quiet when she got in the door. No one would be up for a couple of hours. She considered going up to her room, but she didn’t really want to be alone.
Mack briefly considered waking somebody up, so she could talk this out.
The problem was, everyone else was already partnered up. West had Annie, King had Savvy, Zane had Ellie, Nox had Maeve, Storm had Lucy. More than likely, her teammates were sleeping beside their significant others, which made her feel the third wheel.
Yes, but Quinn’s in the holding cell.
Nope, not an option.
Oh, yes, it is. And right now, you need someone who knows what you’re going through.
Before she could second guess herself, Mack went to the cell and opened it. She found Quinn lying on his side, sound asleep. His breaths were slow and even and the sound alone made her relax. She didn’t have the heart to wake him.
Maybe I’ll curl up beside him and we can talk tomorrow.
Mack slipped off her shoes and crawled in beside him. Somehow, she managed to fit on the narrow bed. Unfortunately, she woke him up.
“Mack?’ he asked sleepily. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m okay. We’ll talk tomorrow morning.”
Instead, he sat up and pulled her into his lap.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
“It’s nothing.” Mack should’ve pushed him away, but being held felt so nice, comforting. She couldn’t find the strength to resist.
“Mackenzie, please.”
Before she could stop herself, the words tumbled out. Mack knew she probably shouldn’t tell him what happened, especially when it came to the murder part. He could use it against her, and yet he’s the one person she wanted to tell most. Quinn listened patiently while she blurted everything out, the meeting with Alan, and the encounter with the rogue FBI agent.
“Fuck,” Quinn said succinctly.
Mack nodded. What else is there to say? Platitudes were pointless. Tonight, she’d been involved in the murder of a federal agent. She and Annie would get the death penalty if anyone found out.
His hands roamed all over her, as though he were inspecting Mack, making sure she was alright. Somehow, Mack got the feeling Quinn was even more rattled by the situation than she was.
“Did he…? Are you…?”
“He didn’t rape me.” Although, he would have if Annie hadn’t stopped him. She’d gotten lucky. This could’ve ended very differently. Mike might’ve been spent the evening burying Annie and Mack in the woods instead.
He closed his eyes. “I shouldn’t have involved you.”
“Harold pulled me into this mess. Not you.”
Quinn looked doubtful. “Well, I’m sorry anyway.”
“You asked me earlier if I believed you, and now I do.” Mack ran a hand through her red curls. She’d cleaned blood out of the strands in the bathroom. Her hair had been sticky, matted with the stuff.
And I can still smell it. The metallic scent was everywhere, choking her. Or maybe you’re going crazy.
What if someone had caught them? What if they’d overlooked some piece of evidence? Or what if a cop had confronted her on the scene?
Would she be sitting in a police precinct now? Or burying another body in a shallow grave? Mack had done terrible things this evening.
Maybe I’m not such a good person after all.
“Did you check their security feeds?”
“Yeah, Annie took care of the cameras and I didn’t see the night manager.” At night, sometimes there was only one crew working on a rest area. They must’ve been stationed on the other side of the highway.
“You did the right thing.”
“No, I murdered a federal agent.”
“Annie did. Not you.”
“Same difference.”
“Mack, he was tryin’ to rape you.” His fists clenched. “I’m almost disappointed the prick is dead. I’d like to get my hands on him.”
“It’s done. We made sure the body will never be found.” With any luck, scavengers would take care of the evidence.
Quinn rubbed her back. “I’m sorry.”
She sighed. “And I’m sorry for coming in here like this.”
“Don’t be. I don’t mind.”
Mack knew she should get off his lap. Touching him was even better than she’d imagined, but this wasn’t appropriate.
“I should head upstairs so we can both get some sleep.” Mack made a half-hearted attempt to get up, but he seized her arm.
Quinn kissed her forehead and their eyes locked.
“No, you should definitely stay.”
Biting her lower lip, Mack rested her head against his chest once more. But she still felt jumpy.
“What happens now?” Quinn asked. “Does your team spring into action, ready to save the day?”
Hmph. He made them sound like superheroes.
“We’ll talk it over tomorrow and come up with a plan.”
Quinn grunted. “I already have a plan, they just need to get on board.”
“Yeah, that’s not how they work.”
“We’ll see.”
***
Quinn knew he had to keep her talking.
Mack was distraught. She needed to calm down, focus on something else. He’d been in trouble for years and if he hadn’t found a way to manage the stress, he would’ve eaten his gun a long time ago.
Quinn rubbed her back and he could feel the muscles relax under his palms as she rested against him. He tried not to think about how right it felt to hold her. He’d pictured it for weeks and here she was, in his arms, like a gift from the heavens.
And he tried not to think about how much he wanted to touch her. And not just platonically.
Quinn needed to hear her little gasping moans as he kissed the hollow of her throat. He wanted to drag his tongue along the length of her collarbones.
She’d been through enough tonight and Mackenzie deserved a gentleman, a man of honor. Since he was neither one of those things, Quinn would have to fake it.
“Tell me about yourself,” he said hoarsely.
She shrugged. “There isn’t much to know. You’re the mysterious one.”
“Yes, but I’m curious about you.” And he was.
Mackenzie was his favorite subject. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. Frankly, he didn’t want to.
“What do you want to know?”
“Tell me about your family.” He picked the first subject that came to mind. The important thing was, to keep her talking.
“I have two older brothers, but I haven’t seen them in years. And my parents are divorced. It happened when I was in high school.” Mack said it matter-of-factly.
“I’m sorry.” Quinn hadn’t grown up in a loving home, and he imagined losing one was much worse than not having one to begin with.
“Yeah, me too, but they couldn’t work things out. All they did was fight.”
“Did they remarry?”
“Yup, I’ve got a stepdad and a stepmom, plus three half-siblings.”
“Are you close to them?”
Mackenzie shook her head. “There’s too big of an age difference. I’ve been on my own, more or less, since I left for college. Although, I see them on holidays.”
Hmm. She was largely all alone in the world, like him.
“Who did you live with?”
“My brothers went to stay with my dad and his new wife. And I was left with my mom and her new husband.” She made a face.
“You didn’t like your stepdad, huh?”
“He was kind of controlling. Larry never met a schedule he didn’t like.”
“Let’s see.” Quinn tapped his chin. “Who does that remind me of?”
She scowled. “Shut up.”
“I didn’t make a comment.”
“Your face did. I’m not that scheduled.”
Oh, yes, she was.
He’d never met a woman more in need of spontaneity. Mackenzie needed to break out of her routines, let her wild side out to play.
“And what about your father?” he asked.
She shrugged. “We don’t have much of a relationship. Dad spent most of his time with the boys, hunting, fishing, and camping. I didn’t do any of those things.” Mack huffed a breath. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this.”
Quinn knew why. She was feeling more vulnerable than usual. She needed a connection with someone.
“Are you and your mom close?”
“No, she died a couple of years ago.” She glanced away.
“How?”
“Mom had diabetes, and there were some complications.”
“I’m sorry.” Fuck. He’d been hoping to relax her, not bring up awful memories.
“Me, too. At least I’ll see her again one day.”
“You believe in life after death?”
She raised her brows. “Yeah, don’t you?”
Quinn wanted to believe in the afterlife, especially after Karen’s death, but he wasn’t sure. He’d never even set foot in a church. And, assuming if heaven and hell really did exist, there’s no guarantee Quinn would walk through those pearly gates. More than likely, he’d be going downtown.
“The verdict’s still out for me.”
“With all the terrible things I’ve witnessed on the job, the more strongly I believe in absolutes, good and evil exist. I’ve seen them with my own eyes.”
Mack sounded so sure of herself. Part of him wanted to believe her. It would be a relief to have an all-powerful celestial being on his side.
“Let’s get back to your family.” They were getting off topic. “What happened after your mom was gone?”
“Things with my stepdad were terrible. My mom was like a referee, and we haven’t spoken in years.”
“Why? Did you guys have a blowout?”
“Yeah, when he kept my mom’s engagement ring.”
“The one your father gave her?”
“No, mom left it to me in her will. I’m talking about her other ring.”
“Didn’t your stepfather buy it for her?” Quinn had a feeling he was missing something.
“Yeah, but she had her mom’s and grandmother’s stones placed on either side of the diamond he gave her.”
Understanding dawned. “So, it’s a family heirloom.”
“Yeah. He had every right to keep her ring, but not the other two. And I know it sounds petty to bring it up, but it bothers me.” She took in a ragged breath. “After she died, little details became important. My stepfather asked me to go through her things, her clothing and her toiletries. It was hard to throw anything out. Everything seemed precious because that’s all she left behind.” Mackenzie rubbed her ring finger. “And I wanted a little piece of her, I could keep with me always, a daily reminder.”
“No, it’s not petty.” Quinn cupped her face.
Mackenzie gave him a watery smile.
“I could steal it for you.”
She snickered, caught off guard. “You would?”
Quinn wanted to make her laugh again. He loved the sound.
“Of course. Say the word, and it’s yours.” The truth was, He turned to theft to fund his enterprise, but Quinn had a knack for it. No, more than that. He loved stealing. It gave him a high, made him feel all powerful.
“I’ll think it over.”
No, she wouldn’t. Mackenzie was much too ethical.
Mackenzie bit her lip. “At least my mother wasn’t around for this.”
“For what?”
“My fall from grace.”
“It was Harold’s fault, not yours.”
“You don’t even know what happened.”
“I don’t know everything, but I’m familiar with Harold and what he did to you.”
Her eyes were wide and wary. “How?”
“Like I said, I’ve been investigatin’ him. Did you tell your family what happened?” Quinn asked.
Mackenzie was an overachiever, a go-getter, and losing her position with the agency had probably been devastating.
“No, not the whole story.” Mackenzie lifted a shoulder. “I was too embarrassed.”
“Why?”
“Because I screwed up. I did the wrong thing.”
“Maybe, but you’re human and we fuck up from time to time.” He’d embraced his inner dark side a long time ago, and Quinn had never looked back.
“I don’t. Not often.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Why don’t we get some rest?”
Mackenzie snuggled down beside him. Quinn tried his damnedest not to get used to this, having her in his arms.
This wouldn’t last. It couldn’t.
***
“What’s Robin Hood doing in here?” Nox asked.
Mackenzie glared at her teammate. “If we’re coming up with a plan, he needs to be in on it.”
Quinn tried and failed not to look too smug. They were sitting in the conference room again. Only this time, he wasn’t handcuffed.
Things are definitely looking up.
West pointed to Quinn. “And how do we know he didn’t hire someone to follow you?”
“Because I was locked in a jail cell?” Quinn lifted his chin. “I had no idea where she was goin’.”
Mackenzie backed him up. “He’s right, West. I didn’t give Quinn any details.”
“And not to be nit-picky but y’all have been holdin’ me against my will, which is a felony, but you don’t see me bitchin’ about it, do you?”
Nox sneered. “You’re welcome to call up the feds and snitch on us, if you like.”
Clearly, they hated him. And the feeling was mutual. Mackenzie was the only one, he gave a damn about.
Hmm, and maybe Annie wasn’t so terrible.
After all, she’d saved Mackenzie. During the prison transport, she’d been decent to him as well. But the rest of them could go fuck themselves.
“Quinn isn’t a suspect. We need to know more about Harold.” Mackenzie glanced at Storm. “Can you dig up some dirt on him?”
But Storm was staring at Quinn. Hard. “Are you wearing my shirt?”
Quinn snickered. “I didn’t take it. Mackenzie gave it to me.”
Storm’s eyes bugged out. “What the crap, Mack?”
“He needed something to wear, and we can fight about it later. For now, answer the question.”
Storm cracked his knuckles. “Don’t worry, I’m gonna get all up in his financials. If he’s got any dark money, I’m gonna find it.”
Zane glowered. “Do you have to use a creepy voice?”
Storm made a face. “Uh, yeah, it’s dark money.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “Stop sayin’ dark money and explain it for the rest of us.”
“People running for office can have anonymous donors create a 501C to fund their operations. Supposedly, they can’t collude with the candidates, but they clearly do anyhow. Regardless, the money trail is nearly untraceable. It’s the perfect set-up for bribes.”
“The cartel could create one then?” Quinn asked.
“Absolutely.” Storm rubbed his hands together. “But don’t worry, I’ve got ways of tracking things down.”
“Someone like Harold is protected, by his office and a lot of powerful people. If you want to go after him, you're gonna need information. Lots of it.” Mackenzie had said the group would decide, but Quinn wanted to push them in the right direction. “And once his campaign for Senate kicks off, it will be even more difficult to bring him down.”
“So, what do you recommend?” Mackenzie asked.
“Surveillance. It just so happens, he's staying with a woman in Lexington.” Quinn had more than one reason for coming to the Bluegrass State. “According to my sources anyway.”
“Excellent. We need to get eyes on Harold,” Annie said.
“Who is she?” West asked. “This mystery woman.”
“I ain’t sure, but she’s probably his mistress.”
Mackenzie tensed.
And Quinn cursed under his breath. Was she embarrassed? Or did she have feelings for the dickhead?
“Mack, you know the man. Does he screw around on his wife?” West asked.
Mackenzie cleared her throat. “From what I understand, he's had a lot of them over the years. And he hasn't been very discreet about his affairs.”
“So, what?” Zane asked. “His wife doesn't care?
“From what I gather, it's more of a business relationship, than a personal one.” Mackenzie shifted in her chair. “They might have been in love a long time ago, but that's no longer the case.”
“Okay then,” Quinn said, moving this along. “How does this work?”
“Easy. I’ll sneak into his girlfriend's place and plant some bugs,” Storm said. “We have a limited budget, so I won’t be able to do a video feed, but you'll get the audio.”
“And what if he finds the listening devices?” King stroked his beard. “Because let’s face it, our missions never go smoothly.”
“He probably swept her place, when he got there.” Harold was cautious, but not paranoid. Quinn had been studying the man’s behavior for years. “I doubt he'd do it again.”
“Peachy,” West drawled, fixing Quinn with a dead-eyed stare. “We’ve got a plan. But what’s your endgame?”
Quinn met his gaze evenly. “I want to expose corruption at the FBI. I’ve been keeping files for years.”
“And what about Harold?”
“He should to go to jail, of course.” It was a lie. Karen hadn’t gotten the benefit of a judge and jury. She’d been tortured and executed. Harold deserved the same sentence.
“Fucking fantastic. We’re all agreed, Harold needs to go to the pokey. But who’s gonna spy on them?” Nox asked.
“I am.” There was no way Quinn was going to sit this one out. He wanted to finish this, one way or another.
Nox glowered “Fuck that.”
Everyone glanced at West, waiting for him to speak like he was a wise man sitting on a mountaintop or something. Quinn had been a solo act for years and working with others made him twitchy. He liked calling the shots, making his own decisions.
Teamwork is a bunch of bullshit.
“Since this is his operation, I tend to agree,” West said. “But one of our people has to go along with you.”
Mackenzie raised her hand. “I volunteer.”
There was a chorus of curse words around the table.
Mackenzie spoke up before they could say anything. “This isn't the first time I've done a surveillance. Besides, he's trying to kill me, too. I have a vested interest in this operation.”
Annie turned pleading eyes on West. “How does this make any sense? The two people he's trying to kill we're gonna send after him?”
“I don't want any of you to get hurt,” Mackenzie said before West could respond. “Quinn and I already have targets on our backs. There's no way I’m risking anyone else's life.”
Enough of this. Quinn needed to shut this crazy talk down.
“And I refuse to put you at risk again. You nearly died last night.”
“The keyword is nearly.”
“Mackenzie, my world is dangerous. Unpredictable. I can't keep you safe. You should stay here where you’ll be protected.”
She visibly bristled.
Oh hell. I fucked up.
Her lips thinned. “Lucky for you, I'm a former FBI agent. I don't need anyone to defend me.”
“You’re not invincible.” Quinn glanced around the room for support. He found none.
“Invincible? No. But I am capable.”
“Karen thought she could handle it, too. She was wrong.”
Her nostrils flared. “I’m not Karen and I didn’t ask for your protection.”
“Too damn bad. You’ve got it anyway.” He gestured to everyone else. “Let one of them take the risk.”
“Why?” she asked.
Because I don’t give a flyin’ fuck if somethin’ happens to one of them. But Quinn knew better than to say anything.
“Why, Quinn? Tell me.”
“Why aren’t y’all agreein’ with me?” Quinn asked the team. They’d fallen silent, watching the argument. He’d thought at least one of them would back him up, but they were all stone-faced and disapproving.
“Because she already made up her mind,” Nox drawled. “And you’re a damn fool if you think you can change it.”
One glance at Mackenzie confirmed it. She was pissed on an epic scale.
Oh shit.