Quin awoke to his arms searching the bed beside him. His hand hit cool sheets. Vanessa was gone—had been gone for a while, apparently.
Maybe she got up early to shower? He sat up, listening with his supernatural skills. No, she wasn’t in the suite.
Dread sat heavy in his gut.
Then he noticed a piece of paper on her pillow. A note. She’d left him a godsdamned Dear John note.
He snatched it, crumbled it without reading it, acting out in his anger and disappointment.
Shit. His thick fingers carefully opened it, curiosity getting the best of him.
Q,
Thank you for the past four days. I am forever grateful to you. I’ll never forget it.
Vanessa
That’s it? Thanks for the fucking? She didn’t even have the decency to say it to his face?
His jaw clenched with fury over her skulking out while he was asleep. Like he was just some random lay. Had it meant nothing to her?
Quin told himself, if Vanessa felt anything for him, she wouldn’t have left in this way. His heart, already damaged, tore wide open.
This time, it was worse.
He threw the note against the wall and jumped out of bed. The beast was uncaged, becoming unglued, and it wanted to act out.
He couldn’t stomach sticking his dick in anyone right now, so he looked around for something to destroy. He grabbed her pillow, her sweet vanilla scent clinging to it, and ripped it apart.
Feathers flew into the air. He glared at the bed, where he’d loved her with everything he had, and began tearing at the blankets and sheets.
He would destroy the memories. Bury them beside Josette’s.
He grunted as he angrily slashed and scratched the materials covered in vanilla. Quin was too out of control to hear Eriq enter the suite.
Eriq felt for his brother, knowing why he was so upset. He’d been notified by security when Vanessa left, as he’d commanded them to do.
Amelia had been in the control room at the time, and asked Eriq to come in. She’d said he needed to see part of the footage.
Eriq, who was with a female he didn’t want to leave, put it off. As long as Quin was safe, Eriq would deal with it later.
The head of security called Eriq again when he noticed Quin acting so out of character. He hadn’t turned off the feed to the suite. Thank gods, or else Eriq wouldn’t have known Quin’s reaction to waking up alone.
He put his hand on Quin’s shoulder when he didn’t respond to his voice.
Quin whirled around, almost attacked whomever had disturbed him. Eriq. It was Eriq.
Quin was out of breath, breathing like a bull gone mad. He looked around at the mess he’d made, embarrassed Eriq was witness to his meltdown.
“Fuck!” Quin yelled.
“I won’t ask if you’re okay, seeing as you’re obviously not.”
“I’m good now.”
“No, you’re not.”
Quin rolled his eyes.
“I said I’m good, E.”
Eriq let his eyes roam around the room, which was covered in feathers and scraps of material. At least he hadn’t resorted to breaking the furniture.
“Wanna talk about it?”
“Nope,” Quin clipped, going into the closet to get some sweatpants and a t-shirt.
“You sure?” Eriq inquired, following his brother.
“Why are you here?” Quin asked, evading the question.
“Security called. The feed was still live, and they were concerned.”
Damn. Quin forgot about telling Eriq to watch the cameras.
“Tell them to turn them off. It’s fine now.”
Eriq crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway of the walk-in closet. Thankfully, Quin was now covered.
“Put on some shoes,” he told Q. “I want to show you something.”
“I’m going home.”
Quin needed to be alone. He was going home to down a fifth of whiskey and sleep for days. Maybe it would dull the pain.
“Nope. I need you to come with me first, Q. I promise this is important.”
Eriq wasn’t one to bullshit his siblings. What he said, he meant. Quin really wasn’t interested, but if Eriq needed him, he would go.
“Five minutes,” he reluctantly agreed.
“Follow me, my man. I promise it will be worth it.”
Quin followed Eriq down the hall. He scowled once they got to the control room.
“Eriq—”
“Nope. You will give this five minutes of your time. Understood? I swear I’ll call Mom if you don’t.”
Nope, no way in hell was Quin willing to deal with his mother. Eriq knew it, too.
“Fine,” he grumbled.
Eriq went to one of the monitors and typed on the keyboard below it. Quin stood behind him, worried something bad had happened in the club while he was occupied with … her.
“Amelia called me around 4 a.m. and asked for me to come in. I was busy, so I politely declined once she assured me you were safe.”
Eriq pointed to the monitor, which was paused on an image of Quin’s suite.
“This is why she called.”
Quin’s form was passed out on the bed. Vanessa was standing over him, her arm in the air as if reaching for him.
Quin didn’t know if he could deal with seeing the evidence of her walking out.
Seeing Q’s distress, Eriq said, “Just watch. Please.”
He hit play.
Quin watched Vanessa run the back of her hand along his cheek lovingly. She wiped at her eyes and nose with the other.
Crying. She was crying.
“Goodbye, Quin. I—I love you,” she sobbed quietly. If he hadn’t been an immortal, he wouldn’t have picked it up.
He sank down into the roller chair. I love you. His Little Fawn loved him.
“Then why in the hell did she leave?”
A tickling under his eye had him reaching up to rub it away. It was wet.
Eriq watched Quin’s eyes glass over with emotion. He didn’t know why Vanessa bolted, but he had a good idea.
“Q, did you tell her about Josette?”
“Yes.”
Eriq grinned. His brother was in love. He never spoke about his past. Ever. Nothing else could have gotten him to open up to Vanessa.
“Then I think you have your answer.”
Quin shook his head.
“Think about it. You told her about the redheaded succubus you despise, who altered the way you live your life, the reason you refuse to screw redheads. Or succubi. Vanessa is a redheaded succubus. One who is in love with you. Connect the dots, Q.”
Quin closed his eyes.
“Shit,” he mumbled.
“Yeah. Now get off your ass and go get her.”
Quin’s eyes opened. Eriq was holding out a piece of paper.
“What’s that?”
“Her home address. You want it or not?”