I’ve told you, I want to see you. I’d like you to stay here with me. This is your home, too, if you’d like it to be.”
“Black Jack would roll in his grave if he knew I was living here.”
Quinn’s words echoed in her head as she worked to settle her mother. “And you don’t see any connection between your mother’s recent return to your life and the attacks on you?”
Was her mother really behind what was happening to her?
Montana tugged on one of the sleeves, pushing the doubts to the side. Her mother may be any number of things—things that pained her in a way she could never have imagined—but mastermind behind some setup to kill her only daughter?
Montana just couldn’t fathom it.
The material of the jacket fell away sharply from the emaciated shoulders as Montana continued what she could only hope were soothing words. “Daddy would be happy to know you have a home.”
“I have a home.”
Tamping down on the urge to scream in frustration that a city shelter wasn’t a home, Montana gently tugged on the other sleeve.
And fought the tears that pricked the backs of her eyes in hot jabs.
Her mother was skin and bones. Literally.
“What did you do with the money I gave you? For food.”
“Gave it to Bobby and Celia. They needed it more.”
Bobby and Celia likely shoved every last cent of it right into their veins, but Montana bit down on the criticism as it sprang to her tongue. Their previous visits had been all too short, and she had learned quickly that agitating her mother was a sure method for ending them even more prematurely.
“It’s cold tonight, Mom. Will you stay with me?”
“Can’t. I only came to warn you. And I told you to call me Eirene. I’m not worthy of the word ‘Mom.’”
The words pierced her heart, but Montana ignored the sharp stabs of pain as she led her mother across the room to a large leather couch that rested against the far wall.
Not for the first time, hopeless questions spun through her thoughts, leaving only an aching emptiness in their wake. What could possibly have brought Eirene Grant to this state?
Terrified, mad and alone.
And why had she ever left her husband and daughter in the first place?
Ignoring her lifetime wish for what might have been, Montana forced brisk efficiency into her tone. “I’ll be the judge of that.” She reached for a blanket and draped it around her mother—Eirene—before settling her into a sitting position. “Warn me about what?”
“He’s rising in power. Don’t you feel it?”
“Who? Who’s rising in power? You never tell me who.”
“The one who puts you in danger.”
“Mom. I’m not in danger.” Even as she said the words, Montana couldn’t keep the chill from her skin, couldn’t stop the cold fingers that sent shivers down her spine.
“I tell you the truth.”
Montana patted the blanket-wrapped arm. “I know you do. I know.”
“But now he’s here to help you. To take care of you.”
“He who? The one rising in power?”
On an agitated head shake, Eirene leaned closer and Montana felt her mother’s long, thin fingers close around the skin of her forearms. Her mother’s grip was surprisingly strong for someone who looked so frail. “The only one who can protect you. The one I asked for.”
“Mom? Who?”
“Quinn.”
Montana felt her muscles stiffen, her mother’s words even more effective at freezing her in place than whatever had happened to her up on the dais earlier at the hotel.
“Quinn?”
Eirene’s blue eyes were bright with certainty. “Quinn Tanner, the Taurus Warrior. He’ll save you. I know it.”
Fuck, he was losing his touch. How the hell had he walked out of a meet like he’d been hit with a two-by-four? He’d been doing this for far too long to get tripped up by anything.
And he’d known far too many women in his very long life to let one mortal heiress make him feel like a horny teenager.
Quinn drained the last drop of his scotch as the heavy
“Black Jack would roll in his grave if he knew I was living here.”
Quinn’s words echoed in her head as she worked to settle her mother. “And you don’t see any connection between your mother’s recent return to your life and the attacks on you?”
Was her mother really behind what was happening to her?
Montana tugged on one of the sleeves, pushing the doubts to the side. Her mother may be any number of things—things that pained her in a way she could never have imagined—but mastermind behind some setup to kill her only daughter?
Montana just couldn’t fathom it.
The material of the jacket fell away sharply from the emaciated shoulders as Montana continued what she could only hope were soothing words. “Daddy would be happy to know you have a home.”
“I have a home.”
Tamping down on the urge to scream in frustration that a city shelter wasn’t a home, Montana gently tugged on the other sleeve.
And fought the tears that pricked the backs of her eyes in hot jabs.
Her mother was skin and bones. Literally.
“What did you do with the money I gave you? For food.”
“Gave it to Bobby and Celia. They needed it more.”
Bobby and Celia likely shoved every last cent of it right into their veins, but Montana bit down on the criticism as it sprang to her tongue. Their previous visits had been all too short, and she had learned quickly that agitating her mother was a sure method for ending them even more prematurely.
“It’s cold tonight, Mom. Will you stay with me?”
“Can’t. I only came to warn you. And I told you to call me Eirene. I’m not worthy of the word ‘Mom.’”
The words pierced her heart, but Montana ignored the sharp stabs of pain as she led her mother across the room to a large leather couch that rested against the far wall.
Not for the first time, hopeless questions spun through her thoughts, leaving only an aching emptiness in their wake. What could possibly have brought Eirene Grant to this state?
Terrified, mad and alone.
And why had she ever left her husband and daughter in the first place?
Ignoring her lifetime wish for what might have been, Montana forced brisk efficiency into her tone. “I’ll be the judge of that.” She reached for a blanket and draped it around her mother—Eirene—before settling her into a sitting position. “Warn me about what?”
“He’s rising in power. Don’t you feel it?”
“Who? Who’s rising in power? You never tell me who.”
“The one who puts you in danger.”
“Mom. I’m not in danger.” Even as she said the words, Montana couldn’t keep the chill from her skin, couldn’t stop the cold fingers that sent shivers down her spine.
“I tell you the truth.”
Montana patted the blanket-wrapped arm. “I know you do. I know.”
“But now he’s here to help you. To take care of you.”
“He who? The one rising in power?”
On an agitated head shake, Eirene leaned closer and Montana felt her mother’s long, thin fingers close around the skin of her forearms. Her mother’s grip was surprisingly strong for someone who looked so frail. “The only one who can protect you. The one I asked for.”
“Mom? Who?”
“Quinn.”
Montana felt her muscles stiffen, her mother’s words even more effective at freezing her in place than whatever had happened to her up on the dais earlier at the hotel.
“Quinn?”
Eirene’s blue eyes were bright with certainty. “Quinn Tanner, the Taurus Warrior. He’ll save you. I know it.”
Fuck, he was losing his touch. How the hell had he walked out of a meet like he’d been hit with a two-by-four? He’d been doing this for far too long to get tripped up by anything.
And he’d known far too many women in his very long life to let one mortal heiress make him feel like a horny teenager.
Quinn drained the last drop of his scotch as the heavy
Similar Books
