Page 2 of Quinn

Papua New Guinea

One Week Earlier

I strode down the hall to Connor’s office and pushed the door open to find him seated behind his desk with Tania straddling his lap. Her hands were on his shoulders, and from the way she was moaning, I had a pretty good idea of where my brother’s hands or dick were if the panties next to the desk were a clue. They were devouring each other’s faces like it was their last meal.

“For fuck’s sake, you two. Can’t you keep your fucking hands off each other for more than an hour?”

The pair had been all over each other since they’d become engaged a few months earlier. No, scratch that. The pair had been all over each other since shortly after Tania had reduced my big brother to a sniffling wreck with a knee to the balls.

Connor had gone in for a kiss, and when he’d gripped her neck, Tania’s reaction had been hard and fast. Jake and I had forced her to explain to Connor why she’d done what she had and he hadn’t hesitated to forgive her. Turns out the reason for her reaction had been a rape in her past, but only Connor knew of the details.

They both stopped their face sucking and pinned their eyes on my face. “Do you not know how to knock, Quinn?”

“I guess I’m gonna have to learn, ’cause it sure don’t look like you’re gonna change your behaviour any time soon, and Jake is just as fucking bad with Natalie.”

Natalie was Tania’s best friend and she was being watched like a hawk by some of Don Bonello’s men and ours.

Don Bonello was Tania’s father but Natalie had spent most of her time in their home and had become like a second daughter to the man. Apparently there was the possibility that someone called Pierre Oriole might have a vendetta against her and a contract couldn’t be ruled out. Like with Tania’s assault, I didn’t know the whole story concerning Natalie.

Sometimes I felt like my brother’s treated me as if I was still the fifteen-year-old I’d been when we’d first arrived in PNG and I was convinced I lived under a fucking rock with the way information was drip fed to me piecemeal. Did they think I couldn’t handle the truth? And why was it my brothers were attracted to women with such fucked up pasts?

I subconsciously shrugged. My decision to remain single made more and more sense every day.

Connor ran his hands over Tania’s back. “You jealous little brother?”

“Really…You’re asking me that question? A man who has sworn he’ll go to his grave single.”

Connor laughed. “We’ll see little brother, we’ll see. What did you want?”

“We need to talk about Tate Palmer. Word is, he’s looking at bringing some of his porn operation to this side of the island.”

I knew Connor wouldn’t want Tate Palmer anywhere near the whores in his brothel. They’d be lured by the promise of big money, seeing their name up in lights, although that wouldn’t occur where half-decent people would see them. Once he’d lured the girls in, they’d be branded, drugged, and put on display for the highest bidder to torture and rape. His operation was insanely secretive, and he had both police and other officials in his pockets. Word on the streets was the girls were as young as ten-years-old and had no hope for escape. Now and again, a newspaper article would report the death of a girl who’d been found with unimaginable injuries, but no one had ever been arrested or charged with the murder. It made my blood boil, especially after Jake had told us about what he’d gone through at the hands of his torturers.

Jake wasn’t ashamed to admit the pain he’d suffered had been horrendous and he hadn’t coped. He’d been convinced he wouldn’t escape alive, and said he’d screamed for death to take him more than once. If my brother, a big man who could endure more than most people I knew, hadn’t been able to cope with such treatment, how the fuck did the little girls Tate kept prisoner deal with it all?

Connor kissed Tania and helped her onto her feet. I didn’t miss the glimpse of shapely bare arse before she adjusted her skirt. Connor reached for her panties, and after taking them, she left his office, spinning the garment on one finger. I grinned and shook my head as she passed.

“JAKE!”

I almost jumped out of my skin when my brother shouted. “Jeez, Connor, I would have gone and fetched him.”

Jake appeared at the door, his zipper down, belt undone.

“Jesusfuckingchrist, it’s like the place has become a second brothel.”

Jake hurriedly zipped his pants, fastened the belt, and dropped into the seat beside where I sat.”

“What did you want, Connor?”

Connor nodded at me to speak.

“One of my Moresby mates called earlier. Word on the street is Tate Palmer is looking to bring his operation over here to Popondetta where he won’t cop so much heat from Australian officials he can’t pay off.”

“Fuck.” Jake raked his hands over his head. “We can’t let that happen, Connor.”

Connor leaned forward, his elbows on the desk and hands clasped. “Just how do you propose we stop him, Jake?”

“Fucked if I know, but you’ve heard what he does to his girls and some of those at Zaras are sure to be lured into his web.”