Quin was safe. Or … at least he should have been.
Why hadn't they gathered Quin into the net, though? Why wasn't he in some kind of safe house, getting questions answered? Being reunited with loved ones? She'd thought-
"Candy? Are you still there?"
"Yeah." She had to get it together. Now. "Sorry. I drank way too much last night and I'm still a little hungover."
"I know. I saw." With sympathy, he added, "You had no choice but to drink, and I had no choice-"
"It's okay." Quin had to play along, or he'd be hurt. She got that. "So I don't have a job?"
"You truly do not remember?"
"I remember I got hired." Without any real despondence, she added, "Bummer that the job is gone."
He drew a breath, then shattered what remained of her cool composure. "Do you think I could see you, Candy?"
Oh, no, no, no.
"See me?"
"We could meet somewhere. And … talk. I can tell you about the raid, explain all that has happened. I could even help you find another job. A better job."
She needed a viable excuse, and she needed it fast. She needed a plan even more. "Umm … "
"It is important that I speak to you," he stressed, and a certain strain sounded in his tone. A strain of desperation. "I … I need your help."
"Okay, yeah, I'll try." To stall for time, she asked, "Will you give me a number where I can reach you?"
Another long pause and more shuffling. "The best that I can do is a pay phone. Will that work?"
"Sure." She snatched a pen and paper from her purse. "Where is the phone?"
"It is in the south side, by the gravel pit. Away from the bar." He read the phone number to her.
Not a great neighborhood, but she was familiar with it, so that was a plus. Was he hiding out there? Or setting up an ambush?
She could scope out the area, find the best way in and out of the locale, all the side streets and dead ends. And using the program Jackson had given her, it'd be easy enough to check up on Quin's info.
She pressed him, asking more questions. "Is it by a business? Someplace that'll make it easier for me to find it?"
"There is a pawn shop. Harry's Hocks." He drew an audible breath. "You cannot miss it."
"When?"
"Today," he suggested in a rush. "Right now, even."
"Sorry, no can do." She wanted to help him, but she wasn't a fool. "I already have other plans."
He fell silent for such a long time that she thought he might have hung up. Then he asked, "Tomorrow, then?"
"Sure, I can probably do that." Somehow she'd figure it out. "What time?"
"Noon."
Because he hadn't taken a single moment to think about it, Arizona knew he'd already had that time specified to him.
But by who?
Knowing he was pressured made up her mind more than anything else could have. Guessing how Spencer and Jackson, even Dare and Trace, were likely to react, Arizona closed her eyes. "I'll be there. And, Quin?" Even though he wouldn't understand, she said, "Don't worry too much, okay?"
She waited, but he didn't answer. The phone died with a soft but deafening click.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"YOU DID WELL."
Relief made him shaky. Slowly, Quin sank down onto the park bench. If only she could have made it tonight … waiting was hell. Worse than hell.
Tomorrow seemed a very, very long time away.
"Quin, Quin. Don't look so worried. This is all working out beautifully. Better than I had hoped, even."
Quin nodded. Actually, it had been easier than he had expected, too. Candy was either very foolish or foolishly brave. He didn't know which.
"She's perfect and you know it. Perfect! You saw her."
Yes, he had seen her. Very different from the others. Somehow … stronger. Almost defiant.
But she would not be strong enough or defiant enough for what would happen.
Impatience cramped his muscles. He put his head back and closed his eyes. Tomorrow.
He would wait, and tomorrow would come.
And then it would all be over.
* * *
SPENCER PEELED Marla's hand away from his chest. Again. "Did you try calling someone?" Someone else. Someone other than him.
"Who?" She appealed to him with big eyes and a lost expression. "The storms caused so much of a mess all over, everyone is busy."
Cocking a brow, Spencer stepped around her and out to the porch. Humid air washed over his bare chest. Dark clouds continued to roll across the sky.
Well, hell. Trees were down, branches and debris everywhere. And sure enough, a massive limb lay across Marla's driveway and the path to her porch.
He ran a hand over his head. He'd heard the rainfall in the middle of the night, but he'd been so enthralled watching Arizona sleep, so caught up in the pleasure of having her close, in his bed, that he hadn't realized …
As if she'd read his mind, Marla said, "I guess you were too busy to notice?"
Ignoring the innuendo, he turned back to her. "Actually, yeah. Late night and all." He stepped out of reach when she leaned toward him. "It was barely raining when I got to bed."
Jealousy sharpened her tone. "Not alone?"
"Not your business," he corrected as gently as he could. But hell, he'd slept with her, more than once, so he felt like a complete bastard for being so brusque with her now. "Marla, listen-"
She went all tearful in a heartbeat. "I'm sorry, Spencer." Bordering on desperate, she leaned closer to him. "I don't know what I did to turn you away."
God, he hated these types of confrontations. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"I thought we were getting along great. I thought things were good between us."
"It was never like that." His own frustration ripened. "I made that clear up front."
From the doorway, Arizona said, "Yeah, well, apparently not clear enough."
Both he and Marla swiveled around to see Arizona lounging in the door frame, dressed in her shirt and shorts, tangled hair around her face, her gaze direct, challenging and a little … sympathetic.
For Marla.
It surprised Spencer, seeing that level of compassion; such a contrast to her balls-to-the-wall, take-no-prisoners attitude about most issues.
It also pleased him.
Arizona had such capacity for caring, and that had probably made her past abuse that much worse.
Right now, though, her presence would only complicate the awkward situation even more. "Back inside, Arizona."
"Screw you, too," she replied with no animus at all and stepped farther out to the porch. She sent him a sardonic smile. "You don't give me orders."
Wide-eyed and uncertain, Marla edged closer to Spencer's side. "I, ah … "
"Men can be such dicks, huh?"
Since Marla appeared ready to faint over the easy way Arizona insulted him, Spencer said, "You're not helping, Arizona."
"Was I supposed to help?" She made a rude sound-and stopped directly in front of Marla. "Why are you here?"
Arm limp, Marla pointed at her house. "Tree limb."
"Yeah? What tree limb?"
Spencer scrubbed both hands over his face. "There were storms last night. You," he said, stressing the word, "were too hammered to hear them." He didn't bother telling her that he'd been oblivious, as well. "They blew half the damn tree into her yard and one really big limb is blocking her driveway and front walkway."
"I was pretty drunk," she confirmed to Marla, then she went to the edge of the porch to survey the damage.
In her short shorts and the soft T-shirt, she made a real sight leaning there on his railing. A breeze lifted her silky ebony hair. It tumbled down her back toward that perfect rear.
He was staring at her ass, a little lost, when she whistled.
"Holy cow. You can't even get your car out with that blocking the way, can you?"
"Ah … no."
Arizona turned back to Marla. "So what'd you want Spencer to do about it?"
Poor Marla looked from Arizona to Spencer and back again. "Help move it?"
"You aren't sure?"
Still uneasy, Marla swallowed. "I really don't know. I've never had it happen before. But I know it's too big for me to take care of on my own."
Evaluating things, Arizona eyed Marla up and down, then looked at the limb again. "Probably." She cocked a brow. "You got a chain saw, Spence?"
So now he was Spence again? "Sure." He strolled over to join her at the railing. "Doesn't every guy?"
That made her laugh. "Every guy with a house and big trees in his yard." Close to his side, aligning herself with him, Arizona leaned back on the railing and addressed Marla. "We were just about to grab some cake and coffee. And in a few hours we have to head out to see friends."