Chapter 14

CHAPTER14

“Jesus Christ,” Quinn muttered as she watched him rub his hands roughly down his face as she sat there, considering him for a moment before she shifted her attention back to the movie that was proving to be very informative.

She watched as Kevin Costner’s character raced across the stage in slow motion and pushed Whitney Houston’s character out of the way seconds before everything went to hell. For several minutes, Bailey sat there, enjoying the lovely bowl of popcorn that Quinn was kind enough to make for her as she finished watching The Bodyguard, which she’d chosen for research purposes, and when it was done…

“So, I have questions,” Bailey said as she shifted her attention back to the man who’d been glaring at her since she’d announced her movie selection.

“Don’t,” Quinn bit out as he leveled a look of warning that she chose to ignore.

Nodding as though the warning worked for her, Bailey pointed to the television as she said, “Start talking.”

“It’s a movie,” the man who’d moved on to rubbing his temples with his fingertips bit out.

“And yet, I still have questions,” Bailey said, watching him as she popped another piece of popcorn in her mouth while she waited for him to get on with it.

When he only glared at her, she decided to take pity on him and make this easier for him. “He was paid three thousand dollars a week in that movie. How much is my brother paying you to protect me?”

“More to make sure that they never find your body,” Quinn said as he dropped his hands away.

“Understandable,” Bailey murmured as she moved on with her interrogation. “How are your knife-throwing skills?”

“As much as I’d love to finish this conversation, I need to check the perimeter,” Quinn said with a heavy sigh as he stood up and-

Narrowed his eyes when she got to her feet with a murmured, “I love checking the perimeter.”

That was followed by sending him a hopeful smile as she moved to place the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table, only to rethink the move when his eyes narrowed dangerously on her. Clearing her throat, Bailey murmured, “I’ll just go put this on the kitchen counter and get my shoes on.”

“You’re not going,” Quinn said firmly with a pointed look back at the couch.

“I see,” Bailey murmured as she followed his gaze as she debated the best way to handle this.

She could point out that he was supposed to be protecting her, but since they both knew that she really didn’t think that she really needed protection, he wouldn’t buy it. He had the house wired with an alarm system, security cameras in the house and around it, as well as sensors on the driveway and around the house and would know the second that anyone set foot on the property. That, and he could be back here in under two minutes, something that she found out the other day when he was doing a perimeter check and she’d decided to enjoy a lovely cup of coffee while he was gone.

Before she’d managed to take a sip, Quinn was there, plucking the cup that was giving off a delicious aroma out of her hand and taking a sip while he considered her. He didn’t say anything, but then again, he didn’t need to, not when she knew what that look in his eye meant. That had been followed by her clearing her throat, murmuring, “Excuse me,” and returning to the bed where she went with a hopeful look that quickly died away and had her grumbling as she flopped down onto her side and resigned herself to spending the rest of the day in bed.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Quinn said as he moved to grab his phone off the coffee table, only to go still at her next words.

“If you think that’s a good idea…” Bailey said, letting her words trail off as she let her gaze shift to that locked footlocker by the wall and-

“You really are a pain in the ass,” Quinn said, reaching up to pinch the ridge of his nose.

“I’ll just go grab my shoes,” Bailey said with a satisfied sigh as she made her way to the closet where she kept her things even as she debated whether she should change out of her plaid pajama pants only to decide against it since it would only give the man that was glaring at her again a chance to ditch her.

Since that wouldn’t work for her, Bailey made quick work of pulling off the comfy socks that she’d helped herself to from his bag, pulled on a pair of her socks, followed by her sneakers, and once she was done, she turned around and debated her next question. Deciding that she’d start with his knife-throwing skills, she opened her mouth and-

“No talking,” Quinn said with a look of warning as he double-checked his gun before placing it back in its holster. She opened her mouth to argue, only to close it when gray eyes narrowed on her, deciding that she probably shouldn’t push her luck.

* * *

“It’s just that,”the small woman that had pouted until he let her climb onto his back so that he could carry her began with a heartfelt sigh while Quinn cut through the woods, resigned to his fate, “I really can’t help but wonder about those knife throwing abilities of yours.”

“What did I tell you that I would do if you started interrogating me again?” Quinn asked as he adjusted his hold around her legs while he made his way down a small incline.

“That you would tie me to a tree and leave me as an offering to the first ravenous bear that came by,” Bailey said, not really sounding all that concerned as she propped her chin onto his shoulder and released another heartfelt sigh. “I’m afraid that I’m really going to need an answer.”

“You really are a pain in the ass,” Quinn bit out as he carried her over a small stream and back up an incline.

“A pain in the ass that’s going to need an answer,” Bailey pointed out.

He should dump her in that stream, Quinn thought as he glanced back over his shoulder and-

“I still can’t swim,” Bailey murmured, correctly guessing where his thoughts had gone as he felt her shrug against his back.

“Believe it or not, I already figured that out,” Quinn drawled as he carried her through the woods.

“And those knife-throwing skills that might come in handy?”

“I thought you didn’t need a bodyguard,” Quinn reminded her as he made his way back to the old trail that led back to the house.

“I don’t, but I still like knowing my safety options,” Bailey murmured while he checked the woods and trail, looking for any signs that they had company.

“Fine. I can throw a knife,” he admitted, hoping that it would be enough to get her to-

“Have you ever had to save one of your clients before?” came the immediate question that let him know that she wasn’t planning on dropping this anytime soon.

Sighing heavily, Quinn said, “Yes.”

“Have you ever lost a client before?”

“No.”

“Why aren’t you wearing a bulletproof vest?” Bailey asked as he felt her pull her hand back and-

Forced him to bite back a groan when she ran her hand over his chest to make sure, leaving him to wonder if he’d lost his fucking mind.

“Because you’d only take that as a challenge,” he drawled, only to feel his lips twitch when she murmured, “I really would.”

“Ever been shot?” came the question that he should have seen coming.

“Yes,” he said, sighing heavily as he headed back towards the house.

“Where?”

“Right shoulder, abdomen, and thigh,” Quinn said, hoping it would be enough to-

“Is that why you left the Marines?”

-make him fucking sigh.

“No, it was time to move on,” Quinn said as he spotted the small cabin through the woods.

“That answer’s vague,” Bailey pointed out.

“It’s the only answer that you’re going to get,” Quinn said, deciding to cut across the woods instead since it would get them to the cabin faster.

Bailey was quiet for a moment and he could honestly say that he’d never been more thankful for anything in his life. He adjusted his hold around her legs and-

“You have no idea why you left, do you?”

No, he didn’t and that was the problem.