Broken Promises (The Brianna Lane Series) (22 page)

I cringed at the accusation he threw at me. “You didn’t seem to complain when you had your hands all over me . . . your tongue in my mouth,” I retorted, resorting to being as crass as he was.

“Well, of course I reacted. Like any man, I have no problem taking what is freely offered.” He leered at me, grabbing me around the waist. For the second time that night I found myself in his tight embrace, my body reacting as though there was no danger.

Ignoring the audience he had, Quinn pushed me back up against the wall, reaching to release himself so he could finish what we had started earlier. This time the fog of lust was absent, and I squirmed to get free.

“Shush . . .” Quinn crooned. “Settle down and relax. You know how much you want this. I can feel the way your body screams for mine.”

“Let me go,” I begged, trying to pull myself away from him, my temper surfacing. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t change. You’ve turned into an animal.”

“Quit your squirming,” Quinn commanded, his grip tightening as his eyes flashed with anger. I swallowed a cry of pain as he reached behind my head and tugged on my hair, exposing my neck. “Then again if you wanted it rough, baby, all you needed to do was ask.” He leaned in, his mouth open and ready to reclaim my lips. Instead he trailed his tongue up the column of my neck. My breath hitched when I heard Liam yell my name.

Startled, Quinn and I looked up at the same time to see him storming toward us, outrage burning in his eyes.

“You have until the count of three to let her go before I beat the living hell out of you. One . . . two . . .” Liam’s voice never wavered, his jaw muscle twitching. There was no doubt in my mind he was serious. If Quinn didn’t let me go, there was going to be a battle of epic proportions.

Quinn stood there, my neck still exposed, quickly assessing the change in circumstances. He’d already experienced blows with Liam—who was the same height and build as Quinn, so the odds were pretty even. Both were fueled with different incentives—one protecting me—the other protecting what was his. As I watched Liam, I hoped Quinn was smart enough to realize he’d been outmaneuvered.

With another slight tug to my hair and a look that told me this was far from over, Quinn quickly leaned forward. “Next time, sweetheart,” he whispered, slapping my behind.

There was a sudden
swoosh
in the air and Quinn went flying backward. He hit the wall with a groan, momentarily stunned. Within seconds, however, he was roaring forward and swinging punches at a furious Liam.

I screamed, the intensity of their fight scaring me. Both were taking heavy blows, but the altercation was suddenly over as Quinn hit Liam so hard, it caused him to crumple to the ground. He stepped closer, his foot poised to strike Liam in the ribs.

“Enough!” I cried, launching myself at Quinn. “Enough. Enough. Enough. Who the hell are you?” I pummeled his chest with my fists.

“No one threatens me, Bri.”

“You can’t act like this. This isn’t who you are. I don’t want to save a monster. I want to save the man I love!” Tears flowed down my cheeks and I ignored them.

Quinn seized my hands, stilling them. “When are you going to listen? I don’t want saving. I don’t need saving.” In a burst of frustration, he pushed me away, and I stumbled to the ground. “I think I’ve been patient enough. Are you coming with me, or do I need to drag you by your hair?” Liam’s groan interrupted my response. I looked over at my fallen friend and Quinn began laughing. “I see how it is. Who do you save? Me or him?” Quinn stood over me, his body casting a shadow.

“I want to save you,” I answered.

“Then come.” He extended his hand, and I hesitated. Liam began stirring, slowly trying to bring himself into a sitting position. It was my fault he’d been hurt, and I felt responsible in making sure he was okay.

“I can’t,” I whispered. “Give me time to find a way to break the charm’s claim over you.”

Crouching beside me, Quinn looked into my eyes. “You’ll learn to obey me . . . the easy or hard way. Both are fine with me. Now get up so we can leave.” He was angry and I tried not to flinch when he snapped his arm out, not to hit, but grab hold of my chin. My reaction didn’t go unnoticed.

“You’re wise to fear me.” There was a glimmer of approval on his face. “I won’t hurt you if you do what I ask. Remember that.”

“Get away from her.” The command was low, but full of menace. Liam was staring at Quinn and he didn’t bother wiping away the blood that trickled down the side of his temple.

Ignoring him, Quinn stood. “Time to go.”

Suddenly he fell to the ground, his muscles convulsing as Liam lowered the Taser. Volts of electricity streamed into his body from the wires that shot from the device. It happened so quickly but it solved the problem. I was safe again.

“For once I agree with him,” Liam said, looking at Quinn. “Time to go!”

He didn’t have to tell me twice. Without looking back, I ran from the alleyway and followed Liam back to headquarters with no stopping or talking.

I waited until we were back at my room before I turned to Liam.

“I was on my way to you when I saw strangers. I was hiding when he found me.” I knew I was rambling, but I was embarrassed. “I’m so sorry.”

He gestured for me to stop. “Whatever, Bri. I don’t want to talk about this. If you want to make out with your psycho boyfriend, then by all means have at it. Just warn me next time. I’ll make sure not to interrupt.”

“It’s not like that,” I argued. “Please, don’t be angry.”

“I’m not angry. I’m disappointed, and I’m sore.” Liam wiped the side of his mouth with his t-shirt. “Damn, that stings.”

“I feel really bad.” I stepped closer but hesitated.

“I know.” He grunted, turning to leave. “Just in case you didn’t know, your boyfriend’s an asshole.”

“I thought he was a douche?” My attempt at humor was feeble, but I was grateful to see the slight smile on Liam’s face.

“That too.” He paused, resting his hand against the frame. “Did he hurt you?”

“Not physically. Just my heart,” I admitted. “I’ve never known him to be so mean.”

Liam looked thoughtful. “Guess you have a lot to think about then.” Drawing in a deep breath, I nodded.

Most people would tell me to walk away. Abusive partners were never tolerated and before all this, I’d wholeheartedly agree. There was never an excuse for cruelty—no reason for someone to strike out at another.

But.

The word haunted me.
But
Quinn wasn’t violent by nature.
But
he was under the influence of something supernatural.
But
I knew I could find a way to bring him back.
But . . . but . . . but.
It was the buts that finally helped me make my decision.

Chapter Twenty Three

“You up for an excursion?” I looked up from my bed to see Lacey grinning at the door. “We’re heading over to the library for something so I told Liam I’d come by and get you.”

Sitting up, I quickly slipped my feet into my shoes. “Sounds good to me. I can’t relax so I’m just staring at the ceiling anyway.” I grabbed my jacket.

“Yeah, me too. It’s hard to sleep when you know what’s going on outside.” Waiting for me, Lacey shoved her hands in her pockets. “Maybe the walk will wear you out enough.”

I shrugged in response, following her down the stairs to the outside alleyway. Seeing Liam and Marshall waiting for us on the street, I waved hello and smiled in return.

“Lacey says we’re going to the city library? How come?” I fell in beside Liam and we began travelling in the direction.

“Noah wants us to gather a few books he stashed there a while ago. We have a pretty good one at our old headquarters but couldn’t bring them with us. Something’s better than nothing.”

“Makes sense.” I nodded before we fell into silence. It had become our pattern whenever we patrolled together to do it quietly—the last thing we wanted was to draw attention to ourselves.

It was thirty minutes before we arrived. Fighting had become more and more visible and it’d taken some initiative on our part to get around altercations. There were some close calls and I sighed with relief when the large city building came into sight.

“Okay, here’s what we’ll do. Lacey and I will gather the titles Noah mentioned, while Marshall, you keep watch outside.” Liam said when we stopped.

“What do you want me to do?” I asked, unsure of how I could help.

“Stay by the librarian’s desk and watch. If you see anything, let me or Marshall know. I don’t know what’s happening in there, but it shouldn’t take too long . . . in and out.”

With everyone receiving their assignments, we split up, and I followed behind Liam and Lacey into the library. It was like a ghost town—empty tables and chairs, discarded books and bags. The only sound I could hear was the humming of computers and the overhead fluorescent lights. Squeezing her hand briefly, Lacey mouthed to be careful and I nodded. From what I could see we were alone, but I knew how quickly things could change.

I stood to the right of the circulation desk, my back to the wall. One of the things Penshurst prided itself on was its state of the art library and as I looked about, it felt like I was coming home. The smell of thousands of books hit me all at once. I took in a deep breath, reveling a little in the memories that eagerly followed. One in particular . . .

It was after much discussion, Quinn had decided to enroll in the local university and earn his Bachelors in English Literature. One of the many things we had in common was our deep love for the written word, even though our tastes in genres differed.

We were big believers in exploring our passions, and his goal was eventually being able to teach, maybe one day even write his own novel. He was gifted, so to me, it was a no brainer. I loved the look in his eyes and the excitement that bubbled out of him whenever he got onto one of his tangents—debating the classics as well as the newest releases.

We spent many nights here, him pouring over his textbooks while I devoured my latest romance. Whenever we were feeling somewhat scandalous, we’d hide in the deepest parts of the library, amongst the rarely visited shelves and make out. So far we hadn’t been caught which made it all the more arousing—making this one of our favorite places to spend time in.

A pulse of hot desire shot through me as I remembered the last steamy moment Quinn and I had shared only a few days ago. We’d come for one of his late night study sessions, finals were approaching and he’d wanted to prepare.

It had been an exceptionally long night and I’d struggled with how easily distracted I was. Looking over at Quinn once and a while and seeing him deep in thought, or furiously taking notes, I’d tried refocusing on the book I was reading. For some reason I was having a hard time connecting with the characters and I let out the occasional deep sigh of boredom.

When it became obvious my attempts were proving futile, I tried entertaining myself with people observing. It never ceased to amaze me the things other patrons would do when they thought no one was watching.

That night there were a group of teenage girls who kept staring in a certain direction before breaking out in a mass of giggles, earning a stern look from the librarian. It was fun watching them as they flounced their hair around, and after discovering the object of their flirtatious behavior—I agreed the guy was pretty cute.

It took some time and careful studying before I realized he was completely oblivious to it all. I pointed it out to Quinn, asking him whether he’d been that clueless and he grinned, whispering he probably had been. Turning back to the desks, I continued observing patrons, but I gradually grew tired of that as well, focusing my attention on my favorite subject—Quinn.

I couldn’t help but smile whenever I looked at him. My stomach would dip knowing he was mine and that in a city of millions, we’d found each other. I sincerely, deeply, loved him. I couldn’t get enough of him and it humbled me that he felt the same.

He sat at the small desk, surrounded by his course textbooks with pages of notes scattered around. Depending on what he was working on, he’d either tap his pencil to some random beat, or his brows tensed while he studied a particularly difficult prose. My favorite was how he bit on his bottom lip, using his tongue to quickly moisten it before nipping his lip again with his teeth.

After telling him how amazing I thought his shaggy styled hair looked, Quinn had chosen not to cut it. His almost black hair fell lightly across his eyes, causing him to frequently toss his head to the side so he could see. Every now and then it would become stubborn and he would lean back, stretching out his muscles before trying to tame it with his fingers.

He made my heart melt—the unassuming way he held himself that screamed sex appeal. Gazing at him that night, it wasn’t long before I needed to touch him. I wanted my hands exploring every inch of his chest because I knew the kind of body hiding underneath his clothes. More importantly I knew the way his muscles flexed and tensed as he moved—the image stoking my already building desire.

Sensing a change in the mood, he looked up and stared at me questioningly. I squirmed in my seat, showing him how restless I was. A smile spread across his face and he tapped his pencil on his work, mouthing that I needed to stop because he was working. Not giving up so easily, I began twisting my hair, wrapping it around my finger before releasing it. I watched Quinn stiffen in his chair as he caught the scent of my shampoo. I knew I was fighting dirty because if there was one thing that drove him crazy, it was my hair. I just didn’t care.

I tilted my head back and ran my fingers slowly through the mass, teasing the strands so it gave a hint of wildness. I heard him groan softly as he struggled to keep focused on his schoolwork, but I could see him watching me from the corner of his eyes.

My lips curled into my own smile as I lazily got up, making sure I stretched—languidly moving my body in a way that showed off my curves before walking in the direction of our favorite stacks. I let my fingertips trace their way across his desk before stopping right beside him. Leaning in close, I whispered softly that I was much more interesting than his stuffy texts.