Extraction Point (Ricochet #3) by Heather C. Leigh Page A

to sound calm and levelheaded when what he wanted to do was to start screaming. “Jail isn’t a guarantee, doll. There’s always a loophole for criminals to skate through. And him? Being a sheriff’s deputy? It’s likely he would get a much lighter sentence, if he were sentenced at all. There’s no documented evidence of any of your abuse. You’re the only eyewitness to your kidnapping. A jury wouldn’t convict without proof.”
    “Please, Rick.” Quinn’s red-ringed eyes begged him to understand. But he didn’t. Not even close.
    “I can’t, doll. I need to do this.” Anger so deep it actually surprised him with its intensity, boiled up from somewhere deep inside his core. “You’re asking the impossible. I—” Shit, was he really going to do this now? “I didn’t want to say it like this. Damn.” He rubbed a hand down his face. “I love you, Quinn. I can’t let him hurt you again.”
    Quinn flung herself off the bed and at Rick, wrapping her arms around his neck, hanging on for dear life.
    “I’m begging you, Rick. I love you too. So much. Don’t become like him. I don’t know if I can stand it if you murder him.”
    Exasperated, Rick unwound her arms. “It’s not murder, Quinn! He’s a fucking animal and needs to be taken out!” The significance of the declarations they just exchanged was being swept away in a ridiculous argument.
    She shook her head back and forth, her eyes closed. “No. No. I can’t, Rick. I can’t be with a murderer.” Her breath was stilted, going in and out unevenly.
    He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Rage and resentment boiled up in his gut. This time, he couldn’t contain himself.
    “I have news for you, doll… I am a murderer! I’ve killed so many people, I’ve lost count! One more piece of shit won’t change that!”
    “It might not change you, Rick. But it will change me .” Quinn took a step back, looking at Rick like her heart was breaking. Unconsciously, she swiped at a tear that ran down her cheek. “Your work isn’t the same. This is personal, not an order, not a government operation… it’s born of hate and revenge. It’s murder and you know it. I won’t look at you the same, not ever again. All I’ll see is how you took your vengeance and became the judge, jury, and executioner. I can’t love someone like that. That was Travis, using anger as his motivation to do unspeakable things, and I won’t make that mistake again.” Her words came out as a sob at the end.
    An icy fear slid down Rick’s spine, spreading goose bumps all over his skin. Quinn was serious. She would leave him over this, even if she loved him. If he took revenge on that bastard, he’d lose the only woman he’d ever loved. It was unbelievably fucking unfair.
    “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me. I want to protect you.”
    “So protect me.” More tears ran down her face as she waited for his decision. Did he lose her or lose his chance at Travis?
    He huffed in incredulity, raking a hand through his hair. She had him by the balls and he despised how it felt, but no matter what he thought he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her any further. “Fine. But I’m telling you I don’t like it. It goes against everything I am.”
    “No, Rick. You’re a good man. An honest man. Not a twisted psycho like Travis.” She must have caught on to the doubt he felt at her words because she reached for his hands, clasping them in hers. “Promise me, Rick. Promise you won’t kill him.”
    “Christ, Quinn. I said I wouldn’t do it, alright?” He was thoroughly exasperated by this conversation.
    “Promise,” she whispered, releasing his hands to lift hers up to his face, softly scraping her fingers over his day-old beard.
    Ignoring every impulse, every natural instinct in his body to hunt down Travis and tear him to pieces, Rick reluctantly agreed, nearly growling out his response. “I promise.”
    “Thank you.” Her hands tugged, urging him down to meet