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Fell on a free weight, yeah right!
Quinn put the truck in gear, driving out of the parking garage, headed in the direction of her lawyer’s office. First she would deal with Travis, then she would call Mara. Her best friend would know what to make of Rick’s injury. And if she didn’t, Quinn was going to ask Rick directly. She thought she loved him, and the thought of someone shooting at him scared her to death.
No way was Quinn going to lose another person she was close to, not after finally finding happiness.
Agitated, Rick stood on the Paxton’s front step, hammering his fist on their front door.
“What the fuck, Ricochet? Ring the fucking doorbell!”
Rick shoved past an angry Clint, storming into the house.
“Mara!” Rick yelled out from the foyer as he made his way down the hall.
“Dude, what the hell is your problem?” Confused and irritated, Clint followed his friend to the great room.
“Mara!”
He found Mara Paxton sitting in the great room. “Jesus, Rick. Why are you yelling? Couldn’t you have called?” She stood up from the couch, a book and a glass of red wine in her hand.
Rick stormed over to Mara, getting up in her personal space, knowing he was acting insane. “Where’s Quinn?”
“What?” Mara’s brow pinched in confusion. “Quinn?” Her eyes flicked over Rick’s shoulder to her husband, who clearly had no clue what was going on.
“Don’t bullshit me, Mara. I’m not in the mood. Tell me where she is!”
Clint’s large hands landed on Rick’s shoulders, spinning him away from his wife. “Don’t ever fucking yell at my wife!” His thick finger stabbed into Rick’s chest repeatedly.
Rick slapped Clint’s hand away, snarling in the big man’s face. “Don’t—” Rick warned, his fists came up, the fighter in him ready to strike out.
“Rick. Quinn isn’t here. What’s going on?” Mara’s calm voice penetrated through the haze of testosterone.
The men glared at each other, chests heaving in anger. Rick broke eye contact to glance at Mara. “Quinn… I was supposed to go to her place this afternoon. She never called and never showed up. Last I saw her, she left my place this morning to meet with her lawyer. She’s not at her apartment or at the gym.”
“She’s not with us, Rick. I haven’t heard from Quinn since she left here the other night.”
Rick’s hands dropped to his side, a flood of nerves twisted his insides. “Do you know where her lawyer’s office is? Is it far? She could have had an accident in that deathtrap of Mack’s.” Rick began pacing the room. Quinn wouldn’t have disappeared again, not after last night.
“It’s in Midtown somewhere,” Mara whispered, her voice weighed down by something— guilt? Worry? Fear?
Rick came to an abrupt halt, his head whipping around to face the suddenly nervous woman. “What aren’t you telling me, Mara?”
She twitched anxiously, glancing at her husband for help.
“Tell him where the lawyer is, Mar. We need to make sure nothing happened to Quinn.”
Mara balked, torn between her loyalty to Quinn and Rick’s concern for her friend’s welfare. Rick’s head went back and forth between the two Paxton’s, not quite understanding why Mara was stalling with her answer.
“Mar—” Clint warned. “I’ll tell him if you don’t.”
“What? Tell me what? Don’t fuck around with me!” Rick was becoming unhinged.
Mara huffed in exasperation. “Fine, but if she gets pissed, it’s on you.” She pointed at her husband before turning to Rick. “Get your car, Rick. I’ll show you where it is.”
“Oh fuck no!” Clint snapped. “You’re not going unless I’m going with you. Ricochet here is in the middle of a meltdown. No way are you getting in a car with him alone.” He turned to Rick. “I’ll drive.”
Rick scowled, grinding his teeth together. “I think I can drive, Pax. I have over two hundred and fifty hours of tactical driving instruction under my belt, plus real life experience. I can manage just fine. We’re fucking wasting time!”
Rick knew he was being an asshole to his friend. He just couldn’t be bothered to care right now. He stormed out of the house, keys in hand, with Mara and Clint hot on his heels. They no sooner piled into Rick’s car and he was tearing out of the driveway, headed toward Midtown.
