Forbidden Touch by Paula Graves

Author:Paula Graves [Graves, Paula]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: love_detective
Published: 2013-08-22T07:41:38+00:00

Chapter Ten

Maddox checked the locks on the French doors. He didn't normally lock up, his house was secluded from his nearest neighbors, and he had little anyone would want to take.

He'd gotten lax since leaving his former life behind. Now he had to relearn everything he'd forgotten-and fast. He sat on the sofa and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the rain forest. Insects singing in the jungle beyond the French doors. The whisper of the ceiling fan as it stirred the humid air. Rain tapping on the glass panes of the doors and windows. The pounding cadence of his heart.

A soft thud from behind the closed bedroom door jerked him to attention. His eyes snapping open, he crossed to the closed door and listened. There was another faint thump, then silence.

"Iris?"

A flutter of movement filtered from the other side of the door. He heard a muffled whimper, his heart rate doubling. He turned the doorknob. It rattled uselessly in his hand. Locked.

A loud crash jolted his nerves. He drew the Beretta he'd retrieved from the hotel dresser before he and Iris had left, stepped back and kicked at the door, splintering the wood. Three kicks later, the door broke open to reveal two shadowy figures struggling in the darkened bedroom. Leveling the Beretta, Maddox flicked on the light.

The shadows froze, two sets of eyes turning toward him. Iris's gaze widened, and she slammed her head back, smashing the mouth of her captor, taking advantage of his distraction.

Letting out a string of curses, Quinn loosened his grip, and Iris jerked free, dashing to Maddox's side.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. "Go into the living room. Iris"

Her lingers closed around his arm. "What's he doing here?"

Quinn wiped his bloody lip with the back of his hand, his gaze never wavering from Maddox's. A glint of humor lightened his hazel eyes. "Did you teach her that move. Heller?"

Rage burned a hole in Maddox's gut. He forced it back, struggling for control. "What the hell are you doing, Quinn?"

"Quinn who?' Iris's voice was still close behind him,

"I told you to go to the living room. Iris."

"You didn't tell her?" Alexander Quinn took a step forward, looking surprised.

Maddox twitched the gun. "I didn't say you could move."

Quinn halted in the middle of the bedroom.

"Somebody tell me what's going on-now." Iris demanded.

Quinn arched an eyebrow at Maddox. "Go ahead, Maddox. Tell her who I am. Tell her how you know me."

A muscle knotted in Maddox'sjaw. He took a deep breath to keep from launching himself at Quinn. "Go to hell."

"Fine." Iris said. "The Mariposa police can sort it out."

"I wouldn't do that" Quinn said.

"Well. I'm not you." Iris said, stepping forward to stand next to Maddox. "And you have a gun pointed at your heart. So I get to call the shots here."

"Actually, Heller has the gun. He gets to call the shots." Quinn corrected, looking back at Maddox. "What's it going to be, Heller? In the mood for an international incident?"

Maddox gritted his teeth and slowly lowered the gun.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.