Meghan shifted Elise to her hip, reaching out to Adam as she turned. “I’ll take the children to—”
“Adam, go to your mother. Quinn, take Elise.” Command bit out, Tobias showed a glimpse of even white teeth. Snapped his fingers hard at his son when Adam didn’t move at a pace Tobias deemed swift enough.
Quinn dragged herself upright, gaining her feet to take Elise from Meghan’s reluctant hands. Cradling her baby girl, a warbling smile met Elise’s contented coos and fumbling grip twining in her hair. They loved her. She didn’t doubt that. Her ability to be the mother they needed was another matter altogether.
“I have lunch coming,” Tobias said against her cheek, having come up behind her while she was caught up in Elise’s dark green eyes. “You and the children go to the dining room with Rey’s woman. They’ll be joining us.”
“She’s not mine,” Mr. Rey grumbled, giving Devin a push toward Quinn.
“I’ll be there as soon as we finish business,” Tobias whispered against Quinn’s temple, the brush of his lips a kiss with every word as the bond hummed with his promises of everything left unsaid.
Quinn nodded, ignoring all of it as Elise’s weight became too much. Not even five minutes in and she struggled. She was supposed to be better now, but it was nothing of the sort. Dragging in a hard breath, Quinn headed into the dining room in something just shy of a trot, uncertain why Tobias had demanded she handle the kids. Meghan was capable, wasn’t weak, wasn’t tired. One would think after two days of lying around and sleeping, Quinn would be a little restored, but all she could say with any certainty was that she didn’t feel sick. Yet.
Devin proved she was as smart as she first appeared. Keeping the large table between them, she sat down and remained quiet and still while the kids were strapped into their seats and given crayons and paper to keep them occupied until the food arrived. Meghan hovered, tense and uncertain after Tobias’ show, forcing Quinn to ask for help at every step.
Seated between the kids, Meghan restless on the other side of the table, Quinn turned a narrowed gaze to Devin. She was gorgeous with soft, rounded features and thick hair that tumbled down to her waist in lush waves. Outfit sexy and subtle, something Quinn would love to indulge in if Tobias didn’t insist on piecing her wardrobe together himself. The wide slash of cleavage hinted at full breasts, the pinch of the jacket at her waist flaring out to soft ruffles that accentuated her hips.
“Did you buy that or him?” Quinn pulled her lips in, not sure if she should have asked the question, or even addressed the woman. There was no mark Quinn could see, but who knew how Mr. Rey felt about her.
“Bit of both. He took me shopping, but I picked it out,” Devin said, fingers working over the high gloss of the table to trace a whorl of darkened wood. “Beau picks out everything he wants me to wear, though.”
“What?”
“What?” Devin glanced up, eyes wide and something close to fear shining in the deep blue depths before she sent her gaze bouncing around the room to avoid Quinn’s.
“They both…?” Quinn’s splayed fingers covered her mouth, pale brows traveling down in a rush as she thought through what that meant and all it would entail. “You poor thing. Mr. Rey is nice when he wants to be, but Mr. Beaumont…”
“Beau got me a job when I really needed it,” Devin murmured at the fingers she clenched tight on top of the table.
“What job?”
“Office manager.”
“Chrissy left? But she was saving up for… Well, that was a while ago, wasn’t it?” Quinn’s lips thinned, a slash of bitterness that so much time was lost to her. Everyone at the club moved on, got on with their lives. Her sometime friends might not even have cared what happened to her. Resentment carved a neat slice, letting the darkness of her mood spill free. “Not a dancer then?”
“They don’t let Omegas on the floor anymore since… Since what happened.”
“You mean me?”
“In a way… I think it has more to do with him coming to the club.” Devin’s shoulders rolled in a shrug, lush lips sliding sideways. “Apparently he did some real damage, cost them a lot of money.”
“What do you mean?” Quinn leaned forward on her elbows, animosity flowing away like so much dirty water as curiosity reared its head.
“Mr. Kahler. I’m not certain, no one’s very clear on the details, but he came into the club and tore the place up. Something about you being gone. Some of the girls say he thought Rey and Beau were in on it or knew who was. They say he almost killed them.”
“They say when that was?”
“I’m sure that’s just reckless gossip, Miss Quinn,” Meghan said, tone as unobtrusive as she could make it and still be heard.
Devin turned her head, though she didn’t grace Meghan with her gaze. Instead she met Quinn’s for a moment, the corner of her lips perking up in a real smile. “It’d be a bit over a year now.”
“That’s enough,” Mr. Rey said, the thunder of warning directed at Devin as he stalked into the room. Hand landing hard on a shoulder far too small to take such abuse, he gave Devin a quick shake of reprimand.
Quinn sucked a breath between her teeth, ready to tell him to leave Devin alone before Tobias’ hands settled over her shoulders. The bond kicked and vibrated, a calming resonance at odds with the warning tendrils that slipped through her veins. It was enough to make Quinn pause, long enough for her to look at the pair across the table. Devin set her cheek to Rey’s hand, leaning into him while those rough fingers softened to work away the bite of his scolding. Subtle as a shadow in the darkness, she would have missed the moment with a single blink.
Then Tobias was moving, making orders and commanding those around him with the easy air of a man used to getting his way. Lunch came on the arms of strangers, trays laden with food that smelled incredible and looked just as amazing.
Quinn didn’t trust any of it.
