Murphy's Law by Lori Foster Page B

don’t?”
    That bemused him. “I don’t know. I didn’t mean—”
    â€œLet me tell you something. Elton Pascal is a certifiable maniac. A murderer, a villain, a conscienceless bastard. He’s not only killed people, he beat May’s brother to a pulp. And he threatened to get May and anyone else important to Jude. Trust me, I want nothing to do with him.” Except that she did want to see him behind bars, where he couldn’t further threaten May or the family May loved so much.
    â€œGlad to hear it, but I didn’t mean—”
    â€œDid you know that he fancied himself in love with the woman he murdered? But the poor girl was infatuated with Jude, so Elton blew her up, along with Jude’s driver, and deliberately framed Jude. When Jude managed a ‘not guilty’ verdict, Elton started dogging him, doing everything he could to make Jude miserable. That’s how he ended up in Ohio. He pegged Tim for a pawn right away.”
    â€œI suppose he knew Tim was May’s brother?”
    â€œYeah, and even though May didn’t realize it, everyone else knew Jude wanted her. Elton made it easy for Tim to borrow fifty thousand dollars from him.”
    Quinton whistled.
    â€œRight. And when Tim couldn’t pay it back, Elton gave him the option of killing Jude for him, to even the debt.”
    â€œJesus.” Quinton looked more alarmed than ever. “Tim agreed to that?”
    She shrugged. “It took a sound beating to motivate Tim to Elton’s way of thinking.” It amazed Ashley that Quinton made no move to set her down. He held her as if she weighed nothing, as if he enjoyed chatting with her in just such a position. “But Elton hadn’t counted on the fact that Tim would go crying straight to May.”
    â€œBecause Tim expects May to fix all his problems?”
    â€œYep. And May, not being a dummy, went straight to Jude.”
    Quinton broke into a grin. “I can only imagine how Jamison took it.”
    â€œI think he used it as an opportunity to get closer to May.”
    â€œThat’s what I would have done. But he would have wanted to protect her anyway.”
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œThe way I want to protect you.”
    â€œYou just ran that one full circle, didn’t you?” He gave her an unashamed grin—which Ashley returned. “Well, genius, so did I. You see, I saw Elton’s handiwork firsthand after he’d pulverized Tim. Trust me, I’m aware of just how ruthless he can be, which is why I went to Flint to ask him to walk me out.”
    â€œYou did?”
    â€œI keep telling you I’m not a dummy. I figured as night guard, Flint might as well earn his pay. But that’s when he told me he was going to see me to my car anyway. He just wouldn’t say why, or who put him up to it.”
    To defuse her annoyance, Quinton brushed his thumb over her cheek. “I’m glad you’re being cautious.”
    â€œWhy would you assume I wouldn’t be? I don’t have a death wish. You have to trust me to take care of myself, all right?”
    He shrugged. “I’ll promise to try, but that’s the best I can do.”
    â€œQuinton…”
    His hand opened on the side of her face, and his tone became guttural with some unnamed emotion. “I can’t bear the thought of anything happening to you.”
    Wow. He looked…really serious and sincere, and that was so far beyond what she was accustomed to, it unnerved her. Without even meaning to, she resorted to the ingrained defenses of a credible laugh and a hint of sarcasm.
    â€œIf that’s how you feel, then maybe you better put me down before your suit gets wrinkled and we end up late to the show. Jude will strangle me for sure if I mess up the big day. I’ve never seen a man so anxious to get legal with a woman.”
    For the longest time Quinton looked at her, into her, as if searching her