Chapter Twenty-Five
The smell of mildew and dirt assaulted his nose, and Quinn felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Wolf’s hackles rose, and it let out a soft snarl as it sensed the other Lycan's presence.
“Don’t move, don’t make a sound,” the Lycan said. “Step back.”
Quinn wanted to fight, but looking over at Selena, he knew it was best to cooperate with this bastard. “All right buddy, don’t get an itchy trigger finger.” He tried to grab Selena’s hand to put her behind him, but the other Lycan shook his head and shoved the barrel of the gun at his nose. “No. Leave her alone.” He swung the gun at Selena, and Quinn’s alarm bells went off. If Selena got even a so much as a scratch, he was going to tear this asshole apart.
“Walk over there and sit down on your hands on the couch,” the Lycan instructed.
“Go ahead, kitten,” Quinn said. “Do what he says.”
Selena’s face was ashen, but she followed him, backing up to the couch without turning around. Good girl. You never give your back to a Lycan. “Who the fuck are you and what do you want?”
“I’ll let the boss tell you,” he said with a wicked grin, turning his gun back to Quinn. “In fact, she’s here.”
She?
The Lycan kept his gun trained on Quinn but walked aside. A figure stepped up from behind him.
“You.”
“Yes, me,” Carla Martin said, her red-painted lips curling into a sardonic smile. She walked in regally in her pink Chanel suit and perfectly coiffed hair. “Oh Quinn, why couldn’t you have died those other two times? Now we’re going to leave a mess.”
“Those weren’t accidents,” Selena said from where she sat.
Carla turned to her. “She’s a smart one, your girlfriend. Too bad she’s going to have to die along with you.”
“You bitch!” Quinn shouted. “Let her go. I’m the one you want.”
She tsked. “Uh uh, Quinn. Do you think I’m stupid? Yes, I want you dead, but you were too stubborn to die. Now your lovely girlfriend will have to die along with you. We can’t leave any witnesses, now, can we?” She turned to her accomplice. “What do you think, Paul? Murder-suicide? Fire? Maybe we’ll toss their bodies off the roof.”
“Why?” Quinn asked. “Wasn’t it enough that my father didn’t want me? The two of you want me totally gone?”
Carla laughed. “You stupid boy. Your father doesn’t even know you exist. I made sure of that,” she sneered. “I’m not blind! I saw what was going on between Jacob and that whore, Anna. But I was willing to let it go, as long as they were discreet. It’s hard to find good help, after all. But when she became pregnant, right when he was about to be elected to Congress, well, I couldn’t let that little slut ruin his chances! So, I paid her off, told her to go away. I reasoned with her that Jacob couldn’t risk having the knowledge of a love child leak out to the press. It would ruin him! I suppose the money didn't last long. I was surprised she didn't come sniffing back for more, though she was always a proud one, that Anna." Hate filled her eyes and made her face scrunch up. "I was prepared to deal with her, but not with you.”
“I told you I wasn’t interested in getting to know him,” Quinn said. “Look, we can work this out. I promise, I won’t breathe a word to anyone, just leave us alone.”
“I would have, except I did a little digging to find out who you are.” Carla stepped forward, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor. “You should have stayed in Portland. You’re too close to us here in New York. Too close to the Alpha.”
“Which is why you should just leave us alone,” Quinn said. “We won’t say anything.”
“Not good enough.” She retrieved something from her purse. A small vial. “Belladonna. Benign to humans, but lethal to Lycans. You’ll drink this or Paul here,” she motioned to her companion, who then trained his gun on Selena, “will shoot her.”
“You’ll kill her anyway,” Quinn spat.
“But at least you won’t have to watch,” she said. “See? I can be merciful.”
“No!” Selena cried. “Don’t kill him!”
“Why do you want us dead?” Quinn asked.
“Because I hate you. You and your whore mother. I’m glad she’s dead! I thought she was just some plaything, a little distraction, and I let Jacob have her. But, when she became pregnant with you after a few months, after we’d tried for years, well I couldn’t have that!” Carla’s eyes were wild now, and Quinn could sense the broken she-wolf inside her. Probably years of emotional torture and then watching another Lycan bear her husband’s pup had pushed her over the edge. “I didn’t have the pleasure of seeing your mother die, though I’d thought about it. Now, I’m going to watch you take your last breath.”
“No!” Selena jumped up from the couch and ran towards Carla.
“Selena!” Quinn cried as Wolf instantly burst from his skin, landing on all fours in front of Carla. A gunshot rang out, and the smell of blood tinged the air. Wolf let out a howl and leaped toward Paul, who still had his arm stretched out, the gun from his hand smelling of powder and ash. They fell in a flurry of limbs and fur. The other Lycan was already starting to shift, but Wolf’s massive teeth sank into his neck, blood spurting everywhere and slowing him down.
Wolf turned his head, spying Selena’s prone figure on the floor and blood flowing from her shoulder. The animal let out a snarl and turned its attention to Carla.
“No,” she pleaded, backing away.
Wolf let out a loud growl, trying to assert its dominance over her. Not that it needed to. Carla’s she-wolf was cowering in fear, unable to shift or protect her.
“P-p-p-lease!”
But her cries fell on deaf ears. Wolf stalked her to a corner, licking its lips, anticipating the kill. She would pay for killing his mate.
“Quinn …W-w-olf … no …”
Selena? Wolf’s ears perked up and turned its massive head. There she was. Mate. Walking toward them. Her shoulder was all bloody, but she wasn't wincing in pain.
Selena stopped and dropped her hand to his head, running her fingers through the soft fur. “It’s all right, Wolf. I’m fine.” She placed her hand over her belly. “We both are.”
Wolf let out a whine and rubbed its nose on her stomach. With a soft cry, it gave their body back to Quinn. As he recovered from the change and lay on the floor, Quinn reached out, seeking confirmation that Selena was okay.
“I’m fine, Quinn,” she cooed, grabbing his hand and giving it a firm grip.
He got to his knees and then wrapped his arms around Selena’s waist. “You’re alive,” he whispered over and over again. “I thought …”
“Me, too.” She ran her fingers through his hair. “The bullet got me in the shoulder, but it went through and the wound closed up. Quinn, I really am your True Mate. And I’m having your baby.”
Quinn held her tighter and kissed her belly. “I love you. I thought I’d lost you.”
Selena helped him get to his feet. “I’m here, Quinn. I’m here.”
He breathed a sigh of relief, then stood up and wrapped her in his arms. He looked over at Paul, who was lying very still. Carla, on the other hand, had sunk to the floor, her hair disheveled and legs tucked under her, still cowering in fear.
“Let’s call Killian and the others,” Quinn said. “We have trash to take care of.”