Never Surrender Read online

  “No, what? You didn’t bring me here for her? Then why is she here? Look at her all over your boyfriend. How could you have her for a friend? She’s filth.” Angel squeezed Maggie’s arm tightly.

  Maggie couldn’t drag her gaze from the scene she witnessed. When Felice climbed into the car and it came down the driveway, Maggie and Angel ducked farther back into the shadows.

  Maggie looked at the girl. “How do you know her?”

  “From the club.”

  “I never saw her.”

  “No, she’d show up to spend time with the boss after you’d left for the night.”

  “Paulie?” Maggie asked in disbelief. Paulie and Felice together? Never.

  “No. The big boss. Conrad. You know, the good-looking one.”

  Maggie’s vision swam, and she heard Angel’s words from a distance. Bile pooled in her throat. It all made some sort of sick sense now. When she was interstate, there was never a problem with the operation. She reported to Inspector Roberts, and all her Intel was acted upon. It was only the last few weeks, since just before coming back to Brisbane, that Maggie had begun to feel something wasn’t quite right. “How long had she been hanging around the club?”

  “Three weeks maybe. I’m not sure.” Angel shrugged. “The first time she came in, she was with two other guys. They flashed their badges.”

  “Are you positive?”

  “I was working the main cabaret floor serving drinks. I saw them talk to Paulie, and he took them to Conrad. The two guys came back and waited at the bar and were given all the drinks they wanted. She was away for quite a while. So yeah, I’m positive.”

  “Where was I?”

  “Home, probably.”

  Maggie paced to the driveway. She wanted to go up there. Not to confront Quinn with what she’d seen, but to set into motion the end of this nightmare. Quinn was Maggie’s ally. He wouldn’t do anything against her, so if Felice was here with any sort of incriminating evidence against her, he wouldn’t act on it until they’d talked. That was his makeup. He was loyal to those he cared about, and she believed, deep in her heart, that he cared for her still. He would see this nightmare through with her. That only left one question. Why was that bitch all over him?

  A dark sedan with windows down and music pumping cruised past their hiding spot then turned into the driveway.

  Maggie recognized Cooper behind the wheel. When Angel started to take off after the car, Maggie grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “We’ll wait and watch for a bit longer.”

  Angel huffed and scuffed her sneaker into the dirt. A vehicle sat parked a few houses down the road. Maggie couldn’t see anyone.

  A big four-wheel-drive vehicle cruised toward them. Maggie, still behind the azalea bush, recognized James in the passenger seat as it turned into the drive. After a few minutes she turned to Angel. “Let’s go.”

  As Maggie trudged up the driveway, her thoughts were yanked in so many directions, even the scent of honeysuckle on the cool morning air didn’t help her focus. She wanted to storm up the steps, crash the front door back on its hinges, grab Quinn, and kiss that bitch, Felice, right out of his senses.

  She ground her teeth. Why are you stressing over a stupid kiss when you’ve got all this other crap going on? Prioritize. She shoved the vision of Felice all over Quinn from her mind. “Get over it,” she muttered, following Angel up the stairs.

  The door was flung open the minute Angel knocked.

  He stood before her. All male. All serious.

  All Quinn.

  Maggie drank him in, ignoring the stony, flat glare and the grim mouth.

  “Where in hell have you been?” he barked, the words chips of ice.

  Their gazes clashed. “Running for our lives. Thanks for asking,” she snapped back.

  “You should have waited.”

  “Bit hard when the number one thug from the De’lisle rocks up.” She tilted her chin.

  “I’ve been looking for you for hours.”

  “And we’ve been finding our way here.” Her fingers curled with the urge to slap him. “Back off, Quinn. I’m not in the mood.”

  He stepped close enough that his scent filled her. “I was worried.”

  “Really?” Maggie widened her eyes in feigned amazement. “I’d never have guessed. Can I come in?”

  His golden eyes were less shadowed when he stepped back and finally allowed her to follow Angel, who’d flown through the door the minute it had opened.

  Maggie’s gaze searched the room. “Where is everyone?”

  “James and Lydia are in the family room, Oliver is with his grandparents, and Cooper’s writing up a report in the office.”

  Maggie stalked past, but a big hand gripped her arm and pulled her around. Her brow arched. There was no time for further reaction, because she was suddenly in Quinn’s arms, crushed against his massive chest. Before she could draw a breath, his lips were against hers.

  He kissed her as if he was starving for her, long, wet, and desperate, then withdrew just enough to leave a whisper of space between them. “Sorry. When I couldn’t find you, my mind dredged up every crazy, bad scenario. It was…hard. I hated not being able to help you. Or James.”

  Maggie softened in his embrace. “Is he okay?”

  “Slight concussion. He discharged himself from the hospital.”

  “I should never have involved them. I—”

  A growl rumbled deep in his throat. “Woman!”

  Maggie grinned. “What?”

  “Shut up and kiss me.”

  It was definitely an order, so she did.

  A huff of disapproval sounded nearby. “Get a room,” Angel said.

  “Let them be.” Cooper issued the rebuke in a firm tone, but the intimacy was shattered.

  Maggie eased away from Quinn and turned, but he hooked his arm around her waist and hauled her close. His muscled chest pressed against her shoulder blades, and his torso singed her spine.

  Pull away. But she didn’t. Maggie reveled in the impression of his body, savoring the knowledge that he wanted this connection. She wanted it to go on forever, but it couldn’t.

  “Hi, Cooper. Glad to see you’re okay.” She inched away from Quinn. This time he let her go, but his fingers still clasped hers.

  Cooper nodded. “You, too.”

  They walked into the family room.

  “Maggie, finally.” Lydia rushed over and wrapped her in a hug.

  James stood behind his wife. “Where have you been?”

  Cooper lifted the lid from a plastic container on the table. “Are you lot hungry? My wife sent muffins.”

  “I’m starved,” Angel said as she finished exploring the room and went back to shadowing Cooper.

  “I’ll make coffee.” Quinn released Maggie’s fingers and headed for the island counter.

  “I’ll help.” Lydia followed Quinn.

  Maggie stood in the middle of the room battling an urge to scream. She covered her face with her hands and sucked in a couple of deep breaths until it passed. When she dropped her hands, Quinn was staring at her.

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “Better make that a big pot of superstrong brew. I have something to tell you.”

  Maggie faced Angel. “Love, I need you to go into the other room and listen to some music or watch a movie.”

  Fear shadowed Angel’s face. “You’re not going to leave?”

  Maggie smiled to reassure her. “Not until later. Okay?”

  Angel nodded, snagged a muffin, and after another quick glance at Maggie, strolled into the media room and slid the doors closed behind her.

  They sat around the table, each with a huge mug of coffee before them.

  “Spit it out, Maggie, before you shatter that mug,” Quinn said.

  Maggie fished the ring out of her jeans pocket and placed it on the table. “This is Angel’s.”

  No one said anything.

  “Quinn, the other night you asked if Angel was a plant.” H
e nodded.

  “Seems like she is. Inadvertently, but still a plant.” Maggie pointed to the destroyed piece of jewelry. “And that’s what they used to find her.”

  “A ring broken into three pieces?” Quinn teased.

  Her lips twitched. “No, the transmitter that was inside.”

  Maggie saw Quinn exchange a glance with James before James picked it up and held it between his fingers.

  “It’s not transmitting. Not anymore,” Maggie told him.

  “How do you know?” James asked.

  “Because we’re here. I examined the ring when Angel gave it to me. Apparently, the claw holding the sapphire in place never used to be loose. There was nothing wrong with the ring until it went missing for a few days at the club. She was so happy to have it back, she never bothered about it.”

  Maggie rose and paced around the room. “I had a way of controlling the situation in the palm of my hand, but because I’d promised that kid I’d protect her, I smashed it. I knew if they found us, I wouldn’t be able to do a damned thing to stop them killing her. I didn’t want to come straight back here in case somehow it was still sending a signal and it leads them here to your home, but I didn’t know what else to do.” She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked back the tears burning to escape.

  Quinn stood and walked to her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his arms. “You did the right thing.”

  Maggie sniffed. “So why do I feel so bad?” She pulled away and faced James. “Can it be fixed?”

  James examined it. “I work with a company that can have a look at it. I’ll call them.”

  “Maggie,” Lydia’s spoke softly. “Cooper wants to ask you something.”

  “What?” Maggie faced Cooper.

  He cleared his throat. “I want to take Angel home with me. My twins are her age and about her size. She should fit their clothes. Be a normal teenager for a while.” He looked up with a hopeful expression on his face. “What do you reckon?”

  Maggie was dumbstruck. “She’s my responsibility.”

  “I’m not disputing that, it’s—”

  Maggie shook her head. “I don’t want anyone else involved.”

  “Already am.”

  Quinn reached out and gently took Maggie’s hand in his. “A few hours away from the pressure she’s under will be good for her.”

  Maggie thought about it. Angel didn’t have the ring anymore, so they wouldn’t be able to track her. They should all be safe.

  “Maggie?” Quinn prompted giving her fingers a little squeeze, and a huge hand touched her hip.

  Shivers feathered her spine. She released the breath she’d involuntarily held. “James, can we beef up security at Cooper’s?”

  “I’ll organize that.”

  Maggie gnawed her lip. “Okay. Maybe she does need some normal time.” She tried to make it sound like the truth and not an excuse to have some time alone with Quinn.

  Cooper gave a broad smile. “I’ll take care of her as if she’s my own.” He gave a broad smile. “Trust me, being the father of teenage girls, I can handle anything.” Another smile had his eyes sparkling. “And if I can’t, Gemma can.”

  “Your wife’s okay with this?”

  “It was her suggestion.”

  Maggie sucked in a deep breath, hoping like hell she’d made the right decision. “Okay, she can go with you, as long as you accept the extra security measures we’ll put into place.”

  “No worries.”

  “Now that’s settled, pass me one of those muffins. I’m starving.” Maggie reached across the table.

  Angel rejoined them, the strain melting from her features when Maggie filled her in with what would happen. As she watched Cooper interact with Angel and heard Angel laugh, Maggie accepted she’d done the right thing.

  An hour later, with the extra safety measures completed, Maggie and Quinn stood together on the drive until Cooper’s car was out of sight. “I can’t believe I let her go,” Maggie lamented as they walked back inside.

  “She’s going to be fine,” Quinn said.

  James strode out to meet them. “I’ve been talking to the electronics company,” James said. “They’ve told me to come straight over. Lydia’s going to drive.”

  “Are you up to this? You’ve just gotten out of the hospital. Lord, you can’t even bring your baby home!” With three sets of eyes boring into her, she wanted to cut and run. Instead, Maggie squared her jaw and met James’s stare.

  “This is not your fault,” he insisted. “Quinn was right in sending you to me. I couldn’t let those bastards find that kid and take her back. It goes against everything I believe in.” He motioned toward his wife, who smiled. “Lydia agrees.”

  James continued. “As for our son, we chose to leave him with his capable, caring grandparents, because we want to help bring down that sex-slave gang, help you clear your name, let you get back to living your life.” He picked up the car keys and threw them to Lydia. “Let’s go.

  “’Bye, Maggie,” Lydia said. “Try to rest while we’re gone. We’ll work it out. See you when we get back.”

  Quinn shut the door after saying good-bye to James and Lydia. He armed the security alarms and walked back to Maggie. “Now that we’re alone, we can bring each other up to speed.” He sat opposite her. “There have been some developments since last night.”

  Her heart thudded harder. Was this ever going to end? Her brows drew together. “Do you think the cops have this place under surveillance?”

  Quinn’s brow arched. “No. There are security cameras all around the property. James has another security firm doing drive-bys. There’s nothing unusual going on. Why?”

  “I’m worried Angel and Cooper could have been followed.” She closed her eyes briefly. “I saw Felice here. And she’s a cop.” Maggie balanced on the edge of her seat, waiting to see his reaction to her words.

  Quinn’s gaze didn’t waver.

  “I saw the kiss,” Maggie blurted then wanted to bite her tongue off.

  Quinn barely hesitated before reaching across the table and grasping her hand. “I know she’s your friend and has been for years.” He looked directly into her eyes. “But, Maggie, she’s a narcissistic bitch who believes she’s irresistible. I had to practically pry her off me.” He shuddered.

  “So you don’t find her attractive?”

  His laughter was incredulous. “You’re kidding, right?” He sobered. “Maggie, you’re the only woman for me.”

  “Really?” For some reason she couldn’t hide the doubt.

  “You’re tall enough to kiss without getting a crick in my neck.” He smiled and squeezed her fingers. “I like strong, capable women. Not simpering, senseless bimbos. Frankly, I wouldn’t trust Felice as far as I could throw her.”

  “Why was she here?”

  “Besides trying to seduce me?”

  Maggie rolled her eyes.

  He laughed. “Fishing.”

  “For what?”

  “For whom, you mean.”

  “Me,” she stated.

  Quinn raised his brow. “You’re not surprised?”

  Maggie relaxed back in her seat. “I would have been, if Angel hadn’t spilled the beans on her.

  The strident ring of the phone ended the conversation. As Quinn went to answer it, Maggie slipped her shoes off, moved to the sofa, and watched him while he spoke. Emotions flickered in the depths of his eyes. Concern had his usual honey gaze darkening, but then he smiled, and the darkness faded, leaving only a brilliant, golden hue.

  He replaced the receiver. “That was Lydia. They’ve checked out the transmitter. According to the technician, he can at least repair it well enough to be somewhat useful.” Quinn walked to the couch and dropped down to settle at her side, taking her hand.

  “Good,” Maggie whispered under her breath and squeezed Quinn’s fingers. “What are the developments you mentioned earlier?” she asked.

  “The night watchman at the club.” Quinn kept h
is voice neutral.

  “George?”

  Quinn nodded. “Ballistics are back on the bullet.” He hesitated, but at Maggie’s nod, he continued. “According to Felice, it came from your gun.”

  Maggie pushed to her feet and paced the room.

  “How did they get my gun?”

  Quinn shrugged. “I have no idea.”

  “I handed it in before I left. It’s locked in the gun room at HQ. I was issued with a Luger when I arrived in Melbourne, and I never used it. Which one was used?”

  Another shrug. “All I know is what she said.”

  “Lying cow.”

  “No argument from me,” Quinn said. “But we need proof, and I don’t think that’s going to be easy to find.”

  “But we will find it,” Maggie insisted.

  “Damn right!”

  Maggie sank down beside him on the sofa. “So officially I’m still the number one suspect for George’s murder and for feeding false information to my superior officer. “Anything else?”

  “That’s about it.” He reached over, grabbed her arms, and dragged her closer.

  She tensed for a second before leaning into his hard body, and his side singed hers wherever it touched. She sucked in a deep breath and looked up at him. His eyes were red rimmed and worried. This was tough on him, too. Closure. They needed closure. All they had to do was work out how they were going to get it.

  She tucked her hand into his strong and determined grip and rested against him, peace and contentment seeping into her. She knew he’d never let her down, but there was so much to work out, so many questions still unanswered. And she still had to tell him the truth about her relationship with Conrad.

  When Maggie dozed off, Quinn pulled her fully into his arms and somehow managed to maneuver both of them so they lay lengthways on the sofa. Her hair was soft under his stroking fingers. “We’ll sort this mess out, and then we’ll sort our mess out,” he promised the sleeping beauty in his arms. But for now the alarms were armed, so no one could get in without them knowing, and the woman he loved lay curled up in his embrace.

  He drifted off to sleep feeling almost relaxed.