Rendezvous with Danger (Reunited Series) (26 page)

“Need a distraction. Lan’s too close.” After the way she reacted the other night with the gunfire, Quinn would prefer that she not be anywhere near Vance when he shot him, but this couldn’t wait. And with Vance’s military training, Quinn knew he had only one shot to get this right. He spotted Malik five yards southeast of the hole, hidden behind tall grass and brush. A few more long strides and Vance would be at the front edge of the grave’s opening.

“Let her go, Vance. It’s over,” Malik called out.

Vance swung around and Alandra slipped from his grasp, his gun arm straight out in front of him ready to shoot. Vance moved his arm back and forth, searching in every direction as if trying to determine where the voice came from.

“Show yourself,” Vance yelled out.

“I’ll show you alright.” Quinn pulled the trigger, shooting Vance in the wrist first and then in his leg. The gun flew out of Vance’s hand and he collapsed to the ground. Even from hundreds of yards away, Quinn could hear him howling in pain.

Quinn ran down the hill, his gun in hand. By the time he got to the bottom Malik was standing over Vance, his weapon hovering near Vance’s head.

“Leave him. He’s mine,” Quinn barked. He hurried over to Alandra who was lying face down on the ground.

A frigid wave of fear crashed over Quinn and he dropped to his knees. “Lan, baby…”
God please let her be okay.
He eased her onto her back, her body limp and her breathing ragged. His heart pounded loudly against his chest as he used the bottom of his shirt to wipe mud and grass off her face. He couldn’t lose her. It would kill him if he had to go through that type of pain again.

“Lan?” He noted the gash on the side of her head and then he ran his hands up and down her body to make sure she wasn’t hurt anywhere else. He lifted her head and patted her cheek, her face cold and damp against his touch. “Come on, baby. I need you to open your eyes,” he said repeatedly, his emotions making him choke on each word.

 Her eyes fluttered partially open and she glanced around in a haze until she zoned in on him. “
Quinn
.”

Relief flooded Quinn’s body and it was taking everything he had not to break down. To see those beautiful eyes staring back at him almost did him in.

“My God, baby, what did he do to you?” He held her close, placing kisses on her forehead, on her cheek and then on her lips. Relief flooded his body and unfamiliar tears pooled in his eyes, but he swiped them away before they had a chance to fall.

“Muscle…relaxer.” She started crying. “I’m…sorry.”

“Shhh, it’s okay. I’m going to get you out of here.” He swept her into his arms, not wanting to let her go, but he had to tend to some unfinished business. He handed her to Malik.

“Nooo,” she cried.

Quinn’s gut twisted tighter at her frantic cry. “Baby, I’m right here,” he assured her, kissing her lips. “I just have to take care of something.”

When Malik had Alandra out of earshot, Quinn took a few deep breaths and pulled out his Glock. He stood over Vance, curled up on the ground, blood streaming from his body but he was still alive. This was the man who had ruined his and Alandra’s life. Shooting him would be too easy. Quinn wanted him to suffer the way he and Alandra had suffered for the last three years.

He holstered his gun and dropped down to the ground. Pent up anger coursed through his veins from days of stress and he took it out on Vance’s body. Sending blow after blow to his face, to his neck and to his gut, making sure he added extra pressure to his gun wounds. Backing every punch with as much power as he could muster, Quinn didn’t let up until his knuckles burned.

Vance stopped moving but he was still alive and struggling to breath. Quinn staggered to a standing position and pulled out his gun.

“Your ass had a death wish the day you tried to kill her in Tzbekystan, but to try it twice? You don’t deserve to live.”

“Just ki…kill me,” Vance spat out.

“If you insist.”

Two weeks later

“What are you thinking about?” Quinn asked Alandra. She leaned against him, her back against his chest. She had physically recovered from the drama of the last few weeks, but it would take time for her to heal emotionally and mentally. They stood on the balcony of their overwater bungalow in Bora Bora, gazing out over the turquoise lagoon, shallow waves splashing against the stilts that were holding their bungalow upright. Breathtaking was the only word to describe the tropical paradise with its majestic views.  

“I’m thinking that I will never tire of our new surroundings. Who gets to wake up to this?” Alandra spread her arms out, palms up to the sky. “It’s like we’re all alone in a heavenly paradise, surrounded by the bluest water I have ever seen in my life and Mount Otemanu is right in front of us, piercing the sky above. This is unbelievable,” she said breathlessly.

Quinn chuckled.

She turned and wrapped her arms around his waist. He held her close and she melded against his hard body, as they swayed to the soft jazz sifting through the outdoor speakers.

“Are you still okay with us disappearing and starting a new life here?”

“I’m more than okay with it as long as I’m with you.” She leaned back and looked into his eyes. “What about you?”

He pushed her windblown curls away from her face. “I feel the same. When I found you at Harry’s place, I vowed then that I was never living another day without you.” The emotional turmoil that embraced him when he found her didn’t release him until they landed in Bora, Bora. It was like a thousand pound weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Alandra grasped his hands. “I’m glad we agreed not to turn Harry in regarding the insurance fraud or the money in Switzerland.”

“Yeah, it was best to just walk away.”

“I know I said it before, but I never meant to hurt you,” Alandra said. “I will never lie to you again.”

“I’m the one who should be apologizing. I tried like hell to keep my operative life separate from my personal life, but I failed you. Baby, I swear I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you, and I will always keep you safe.”

“And I plan to do the same for you. My only concern - I’ve pulled you away from your family and friends. Natasha is the only one besides your friends who knew I was alive, but you…”

He placed his large hands on either side of her face. “This will be my last time saying this.
You
are my family. My life was nothing without you. As for everyone else in our life, I’ll miss them, but we’ll see them again.”

Alandra rested her head against his chest.

“You understand why we couldn’t stay in the States right?” He lifted her chin to look into her eyes. He wanted to make sure she understood and that there were no regrets. “I don’t want us to have to always be looking over our shoulders.”

“I know, and for the first time in a long time I feel free. There’s a peace within me that I haven’t felt in years.”

Quinn reached for her hand, bringing it to his lips. “I know what you mean.” Still holding her hand, he stared into her eyes and brought her forefinger into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the tip, and paid the same homage to the next one.

“
Quinn
,” Alandra moan breathlessly when he released her hand and pulled her closer, placing a trail of kisses from behind her ear, down along her neck and onto her bare shoulder.

“Why don’t we go back inside,” Quinn said against her warm skin. “There are a few other places on your body that I’d like to explore.”

“Mmm, I love it when you talk dirty,
Papi
.”

The End

About the Author

Bestselling author, Sharon C. Cooper, lives in Atlanta with her husband and enjoys reading, writing, and rainy days. She writes sweet and contemporary romance, as well as romantic suspense. Sharon is a Pro member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), a member of Georgia Romance Writers (GRW), and a member of the Page a Day Writers Group. To read more about Sharon and her novels, visit
www.sharoncooper.net

Other Titles by Sharon C. Cooper:

Something New (“Edgy” Sweet Romance)

Best Woman for the Job (Short Story - Contemporary Romance)

Blue Roses (Romantic Suspense)

Secret Rendezvous (Prequel to Rendezvous with Danger – Romantic Suspense)

****

Coming Summer 2013

The Jenkins Family Series

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Connect with Sharon Online:

Website:
http://sharoncooper.net

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[email protected]

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https://twitter.com/#!/Sharon_Cooper1

Subscribe to her blog:
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http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5823574.Sharon_C_Cooper

Book Excerpt

From
Blue Roses
, Book 1 of the Reunited Series

“Man, where are you?”

“I’m on my way.” Tyler Hollister pinned his cell phone between his shoulder and his ear as he fumbled for his keys on his way out of the dentist office.

“You were supposed to be here a half-an-hour ago.”

“Q, I’m sorry. Is the meeting over?”

“Nah, but I don’t know how much longer I can stall for you.”

Tyler glanced at his Breguet watch and hurried to his truck. He knew how much Quinn, his best friend and business partner hated meetings. “Okay, give me ten minutes. My appointment took longer than I thought, but I’m ...
damn
, I’d know that sexy walk anywhere.” He stopped in his tracks when his eyes zoned in on the beautiful woman on the other side of the street.

“What? Ty, dude what’s up?”

He continued to observe as she made her way to the middle of the semi-crowded block in downtown Milwaukee weaving around people along the way. True to form, she caught the eye of a few guys passing. Tyler chuckled when they turned and enjoyed one more view once she’d passed. She always did have that effect on men. It wasn’t until she stopped to throw something in the trash, that he knew for sure it was her. Dallas Marcel, his ex-girlfriend.

“Q, I’ll call you back.” He disconnected not giving Quinn a chance to respond, and shoved the phone into his pocket. Tyler moved in her direction, stepping around a broken orange and white road barrier sign that was lying in the center of the sidewalk.

He stole a quick glance at Dallas as she came to a stop at the corner to wait for the light to change. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to say hello, he leaned against the brick building to his right, ensuring that she would have to walk past him once the light turned green.

Still gorgeous
. Tall, fierce, and dressed to the nines. He loved it when she wore her long, thick hair piled high on top of her head, the way she had it now, with a few curly tendrils hanging down. The look complimented her perfectly sculpted face and revealed her long, sexy neck.

He cursed under his breath and looked away. He didn’t want to still be attracted to the most bullheaded woman he’d ever met. Too independent for her own good, but one of the best investment managers in Chicago, she was a woman on a mission. Her goal in life, or as he saw it, obsession, was to make partner at her firm – which was why she turned down his marriage proposal. According to her, she didn’t have room in her life for a
serious
relationship, despite the fact that they were perfect together, in every way.

“She threw what we had away, so why am I standing here just to say hello?” He mumbled and slipped a piece of gum into his mouth, not understanding his need to see her again.

His cell phone chirped twice signaling a text message, and he pulled it out of his pocket, and scanned the screen.
No need to come - postponed the rest of the meeting until next week. Headed to Bradley Rd. to check on the guys.

Good. One less meeting.
Tyler deposited his cell into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and adjusted his tie. As a real estate developer, it seemed most of his days were spent in meetings, reading over contracts, or dealing with building inspectors.

He pushed away from the building and rolled his shoulders just as the light turned green, and Dallas stepped off the curb. Finally, he’d be face-to-face with the woman he’d tried hard to forget, but couldn’t stop thinking about. He took a few steps when suddenly their eyes met, and a sensuous light passed between them. All of the sexual energy, passion and love he once felt for her came rushing back to the surface, and his heart hammered double-time in response.
Damn
. 

Dallas’s pace slowed, but she continued across the street, her magnetic brown eyes held his attention, immobilizing him. Less than twenty feet from him and it was as if he were seeing her for the first time. A raging fire grew in the pit of his stomach, his hands ached to touch her, and all it had taken was that one look.
This is not cool.
He quickly pulled his eyes away and looked everywhere but at her, feeling the need to regroup.
I’m supposed to be over her.

After a long cleansing breath, he looked up again just in time to see a car barreling toward her.

“Oh shit. Watch out!” he shouted, and then sprinted in her direction.

Screeeeechhhhhh! Boom!

“Nooo!” He yelled as her body bounced off the hood of the car. He slid to a stop before he reached the corner, shock kept him from moving forward. It wasn’t until the four-door dark sedan sped away in the opposite direction that he moved into action.

“Excuse me, excuse me.” He pushed his way through the swarm of people. An icy fear crawled up his spine when he saw her lifeless body on the hard pavement, a puddle of blood   painted the ground near her head. “Oh my God,” he whispered and fell to his knees. “Dallas. Baby…” He caressed her cheek, afraid to move her. His heart pounded against his chest, and beads of sweat surfaced on his forehead as panic rioted within him. “Get some help over here!”