Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark #2)(47)

And that made him f*cking perfect.

I may be going to Moscow, to the den of the Red Wolverine, but I went with armed men whom I trusted with my life.

My cell phone rang in my pocket. I grabbed it with one hand, nodding at Franco to go and fulfil his orders.

“Mercer,” I snapped.

Frederick came back into the lounge and gave me the thumbs-up sign. The tightness in my chest unwound a little. His approval for smashing the reputation of Moineau Holdings meant more than I wanted to admit. Who knew what we would be able to salvage from the rubble once this was all over.

Once it got out that I accepted women as bribes, my true contacts would dry up. And when the knowledge that I let those women go and I was on the war path for the f*cktards who sold them to me landed on evil ears, I was painting a massive bull’s-eye on my back.

“Frederick just told me you’re heading to Russia. I must advise you that our intel won’t back you up if anything goes wrong. Think carefully, Quincy. We can’t help you if you leave our protection.”

The chief of police, also a close confidant, lectured me. The same man who encouraged me to see how deep my emotions went for Tess. The same man who told me he wouldn’t arrest me if I decided to keep Tess indefinitely.

I didn’t like that he gave me double standards—I didn’t deserve it.

I swallowed back the curses I wanted to throw. His heart was in a good place. “I won’t do anything stupid, Dubois.”

He chuckled. “I don’t believe that for a second. But I had to call and say my piece. Just…just promise me you won’t put your life on the line for one woman.”

My finger twitched on the hang up button. “She’s more than just one woman, Dubois.” She’s my life.

Silence reigned before the police chief sighed. “In that case, you have our backing. If and when the newspapers get wind of what you’ve done, I’ll try and issue a gag order to the best of my ability.”

“Merci.” I hung up before he could sprout some other bullshit wisdom. I didn’t need wisdom at a time like this. I needed a semi-automatic and a rocket launcher.

Pressing the number on speed-dial, I called Hans, who lived on standby to fly my G650 private jet. He answered on the first ring.

“Arrange a flight plan to Moscow. Leaving in sixty minutes. I’ll see you soon.” I hung up, watching the commotion in the room. Soon this would all be over, and Tess would be safely back with me. That moment seemed too distant to contemplate. I couldn’t imagine ever feeling human again until I had her back in my bed.

My phone rang. I answered it on autopilot. “Quoi?” What?

“Master, please give me some news. Any news! Have you found her yet?” Suzette’s sweet voice came down the phone, high with panic. I regretted telling her yesterday. She’d caught me off guard, complaining I hadn’t given her instructions for dinner, asking if Tess and I were returning home that night.

I snapped and told her of course I wouldn’t be f*cking coming home that night or any night, not while Tess was stolen and in danger. That just opened a huge barrel of f*cking problems.

“You have to let me work, Suzette. I’ll call you the moment I’ve got her.”

A sniff came down the line followed by a hard-edged promise. “You find her, and you make those bastards pay. She belongs with us. Find her quickly.”

I couldn’t speak; my throat snapped closed.

Tess touched all our lives, and we’d all be ruined if she never returned.

There was nothing I could say. Nothing I wanted to say. I just grunted and hung up.

*****

Half an hour later, we pulled up at the private wing of the airport. I went to open the car door but paused. Turning to Frederick, I said, “You’ve done more than enough, Roux. Go home to Angelique.” I slapped him on the shoulder in gratitude. In all honesty, I didn’t know what I would’ve done if he hadn’t been there that first afternoon. My migraine rendered me incapacitated while he orchestrated a worldwide manhunt.

“I’m coming. No questions or arguments.” He smiled. “I told you; I want to meet the woman who wrapped you around her little finger.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t expect you to give any more than you already have.”

He nodded, glancing out the window. “I know. But you’d do the same for me. I keep putting myself in your shoes, and it’s a f*cking painful place to be, Q. I love Angelique, we’ve been together for ten years, and the thought of suddenly being without her…it’s excruciating.”

I shifted uncomfortably. “That’s why you should go home to her. I don’t want to be the reason why you don’t return.”

His forehead furrowed as his temper filled the car. “I’m coming. Shut up.”

There was nothing else I could do. I’d tried to protect him—this wasn’t his battle, but I wasn’t going to waste time or resources by arguing. I shrugged and exited the car.

Franco stood by the plane steps, giving me a hard grin. “Don’t worry. She was strong enough to stand up to you. She’s strong enough to stand up to whoever took her.”

A proud smile tainted my sorrow-tugged mouth. “She’s the strongest woman I know.” Memories of whipping her, f*cking her, heated my blood. Throughout everything I did to her, she never broke. I had to hold faith that she’d remain strong.