Deadly Lies (Deadly #3)(89)

“How did this happen?” Max demanded. “Quinlan—shit, there has to be an explanation.” He pushed away from her and shoved to his feet. “I’m not just going to sit here while he’s hunted down.”

“Max, wait!” But he was already heading for the door. Sam hurried after him. “You don’t even know where to look!”

He glanced back at her. “Everyone is hunting him. If he did this—” a deep, gulping breath, “don’t you think somebody might shoot first and question him later? Don’t you?”

If Quinlan came out armed, yes.

“I can get him to turn himself in. Whatever’s happened, whatever twisted mess he’s involved in, I can help him.”

Sam could only shake her head. Max was willing to risk everything for Quinlan. Family—a bond that wouldn’t break.

“What if you can’t?” She grabbed his arm and held on tight. “They tried to kill you, don’t you understand that? The dose they gave you—”

“Donnelley gave me—”

“Was too strong!” She nearly shouted at him, her fingers digging into his. “Your heart nearly stopped beating! Jesus, Max, you almost died! If I hadn’t found you and got you to the hospital…” No, no, she wouldn’t go there, wouldn’t. “They left you to die.”

His body stiffened. “All along, every damn step of the way, you’ve suspected him, haven’t you?”

Not always. “He had a lot of debt. He knew all the victims.”

“That doesn’t mean—”

“No, it doesn’t.” Circumstantial. “But he was there when Donnelley drugged you. Right there, and he left you on the floor to die.”

Their gazes held, and she saw the horrible struggle in his gaze. He didn’t want to believe it, didn’t want to think his stepbrother could be a killer. But she also saw that part of him—yes, part of him could see the darkness in Quinlan. Part of him suspected the truth, had suspected for a while now.

“The SSD will find him,” she promised. They’d found her. “They’re searching all of your stepfather’s properties now and all of the properties linked to the victims. Any place you can think of, they’ve searched.” Her shoulders straightened. This was the hard part. Hell, it was all hard. “And I can’t let you get in the way of the investigation.”

His eyes narrowed at that.

Sam wouldn’t back down. Not even for him. “My assignment is to watch you, to protect you, and to make sure you don’t hinder the investigation.” By tipping off your brother.

“Is that why you brought me here?” he demanded, and there was a bite to his words that she hadn’t heard before, at least not directed toward her. “To keep me busy so I wouldn’t get in anyone’s way?”

Anger boiled inside her. “I didn’t make love with you because I needed to keep you distracted.”

“Oh? Then why did you?” And then he was grabbing her, his hands hard on her arms as he lifted her up on her toes. “Why the first night? Why me?”

Because you’d been the most dangerous, go to hell-looking man in the room. “I needed you.”

“You didn’t know me.”

And that had been one of the reasons why. Someone who didn’t know her. Didn’t know her past.

“You were running scared,” he said, voice deeper, “and you ran to me.”

Then. She didn’t deny his words. Maybe that was answer enough for him.

“Why now, baby? I know your secrets.” A rough smile twisted his lips. “Is it the case? Because Hyde orders you to—”

She wrenched away from him. “Hyde doesn’t order me to screw anyone.” Stay close to him.

“He said to stay close though, right? Dante gave that order to you the first day in my house. And you’ve been staying close… because you want to show ’em you can handle the job? Handle anything that comes at you when—”

“No, dammit!” Her voice tore across his. “I’ve been staying because I wanted to be with you!”

Time to stop being afraid. “Max, I’m not with you because of the case. I’m with you because you’re the only man I want.” A stranger to satisfy the dark need—at first. But then he’d become so much more.

“You know me,” Sam told him. “Inside and out, you know me, like no one else ever has before.” All the dark places, the fears. He knew it all, and still wanted her.

Not a victim. Not with him. And she’d be damned if she’d be one ever again.

His phone rang then, a low vibration. She wet her lips. “Max, I just…”

He yanked the phone out of his back pocket and glanced down at the screen. “Donnelley.”





CHAPTER Seventeen


Do you want to see your brother again?” The voice was a rasp, surrounded by a crackle of static.

“Donnelley, you bastard, what do you want?” Max’s fingers tightened around the phone.

A laugh. “Everything.”

Samantha had her phone out. She’d moved away from him, and he heard her whispering urgently to someone.

“Where’s Quinlan?”

Another husky laugh. “Your agents think he’s a killer, don’t they?”