Page 54 of Operation Protector
“Steps,” Quinn said. “If it looks like she’s escalating, we’ll take advantage of Ali’s offer and station people at her place, for a quick response.” He gave Colby a wry smile. “Sorry it can’t be you, because if she spotted you over there…”
“Yeah, I get it. Not happy, but I get it.”
“If I were you, I’d much rather be with Ali too,” Quinn said, with no trace of joking in his demeanor. Colby looked away quickly, wondering just how much he’d betrayed without realizing. Probably would be hard to miss how he kept…looking at her.
Quinn went on as if he hadn’t noticed. “Next option, or maybe simultaneous, would probably be Gavin. He’s already digging into all the custody paperwork, and letting her know he’s connected should make her take care. Then if necessary, involving Carly.”
“And if Liz goes completely off the rails?”
“Then it’s all hands on deck, and no holds barred, and a few other metaphors.”
“They own a lot of properties in a lot of places,” he warned. “And she’s always threatening to take Grace to one of them, where I’ll never find her.”
“But I will,” came a voice from behind them. Liam was walking into the hangar. “I’ve already got quite a list. They’regood at hiding things behind fake corporate names, but not that good.”
“You’re just better at finding than they are at hiding,” Quinn said with a grin at his operative.
Colby stared at the two men. “You’re already finding the places she might go?”
“Too bad their attempts to buy a piece of that island fell through. That would have been a good place to run to. With that nice private jet they’ve got hangared over on the other side.”
Colby was staring at the guy now, who just grinned back at him. Was their access that good, or was he one of those hacker types who could get…anything online?
Liam went on. “But they’ve still got some properties that would be possible places to hide out.” He shifted his gaze to his boss. “Only two on the list where we don’t have someone who owes Foxworth to call on.”
“All right,” Quinn said. “Give me the locations and I’ll see what I can find.”
“Owes Foxworth?” Colby asked.
Quinn looked at him. “That’s what we meant, before. When we help someone, the only payment we ask is that you help us help someone else down the line.” He lifted a brow at Colby. “Which means when all this is done and settled and Grace is safe, we may be calling you some day.”
He said it so confidently, as if it were a given, that Colby felt his throat tighten.Grace is safe…That was what had to happen, and he would do whatever it took to make it so.
“Anything,” he said, meaning it.
“We’ll make a note,” Quinn said, smiling slightly. Then he turned back to Liam. “Anything else?”
Liam grinned at him. “I’m also finding some interesting financial hiding places. Things I’m guessing they wouldn’t want publicly known, which could come in handy.”
“Excellent.”
Colby couldn’t think of a thing to say at this display of reach and efficiency. But something must have shown in his face, because Liam turned to face him.
“Think of it as stockpiling ammo. We don’t want to have to use it, but if we need it, for that brilliant kid of yours, we’ll have it.”
He watched the guy leave, no doubt heading back to collect more of that ammo. When he looked back at Quinn, he was grinning as he watched his tech expert go. Then he met Colby’s gaze.
“Your Grace has charmed all of us, it seems.”
“She’s…a miracle,” Colby said, his throat tight yet again. He hadn’t felt this much positive emotion in a very long time. Enough to think that maybe, just maybe, they could do this. Not necessarily beat Liz completely, but at least make life better for both him and Grace. And once that was done, maybe, just maybe, he could think about him and Ali.
Just thinking the phrase, just linking the two of them mentally, caused a jump in his pulse rate.
If I were you, I’d much rather be with Ali too.
Quinn’s too-observant statement rang in his mind, and he made himself face the truth of it. Yes, he would much rather be with Ali. It would mean he was closer to Grace. But that wasn’t the only reason he’d rather be in that cute little cottage that was so much more appealing to him than the grandiose mini-mansion Liz had had built next door. No, the other reason would be its owner. The woman who had disrupted her life completely to help a child and a man she hadn’t even known two weeks ago.
The woman who made him feel…different.
