Loving Quinn: The Lone Wolf Defenders Book 2 Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Matter

  Note

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Epilogue

  Extended Epilogue

  Author's Notes

  Other Books by Alicia Montgomery

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Matter

  Note

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Epilogue

  Extended Epilogue

  Author's Notes

  Other Books by Alicia Montgomery

  Loving Quinn

  Book 2 of the Lone Wolf Defenders

  By

  Alicia Montgomery

  Copyright © 2017 Alicia Montgomery

  Cover design by Melody Simmons

  Edited by Red Ribbon Editing

  All rights reserved.

  To my amazing readers. You rock.

  Don’t forget to turn the page all the way to the end - you can get a BONUS chapter of my book, as well as a FREE copy of my contemporary billionaire domination romance novelette The Billionaire Heirs.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you so much for buying or borrowing this book! Indie authors like me rely on you guys a lot to read our work and spread the word.

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  Thank you and happy reading!

  All the best,

  Alicia Montgomery

  Chapter One

  The well-worn manila envelope sat on his desk, its presence like an itch that Quinn couldn’t scratch. Why he placed it there, where it was always in the corner of his eye, he didn’t know. His name was scrawled in a familiar handwriting, but it had remained sealed since he found it weeks ago. Archie Leacham had left his adopted children many things when he died—his mansion in Portland, priceless treasures, and boatloads of cash. Yet, this was one thing Quinn was reluctant to inherit. When the old master thief had taken him and his Lone Wolf siblings, he compiled all these files about their backgrounds, but never gave it to them until his death.

  Quinn had never believed in looking back at the past. It was done, after all, and he refused to think of the before. Before Archie, before his sister and brothers. Because before was growing up with a single mother who could barely put food on the table. Before was hospitals and the stench of death. Before was the string of foster homes and harsh words and bruises and broken noses.

  A low growl escaped from his throat. Calm down, buddy. Wolf was not always easy to manage, but Archie had taught Quinn to control it. For a human, his adoptive father knew a lot about shifters, having been married to a Lycan himself. Quinn knew if it wasn’t for Archie, the animal would have broken apart. Still, Wolf did not like to be reminded of the past.

  He grabbed the envelope, opened the bottom drawer of his desk, and shoved it inside, right on top of the spare cables and wires he always kept there just in case. Leaning back in his chair, he looked at the multiple screens he had set up on his desk, checking the programs he was running. As Lone Wolf Security’s resident computer guy and hacker, he was responsible for all things tech for their operations.

  Right now, he was running some background checks, tapping into various government databases, and looking at images from a string of satellites he had hacked into. While he and his brothers had turned legit, he wasn’t breaking about a thousand international laws just for profit. No, he was doing this for good. A few months ago, when the Lycans had their final confrontation with their enemies, the evil mages had left behind an army of shifter slaves. These Lycans were Lone Wolves, like him and his siblings, who had been ripped apart from their clans on purpose. Aside from running security ops for their parent company, Creed Security, Quinn, Killian, and Connor made it their mission to reunite the Lone Wolves with their families.

  The irony of his work was not lost on him. He used his skills to help those Lone Wolves find out about their past, yet his was sitting in the bottom of his desk drawer, waiting for him. Killian and Meredith had apparently opened theirs. Meredith wasn’t interested in knowing her former clan, and Killian’s were all gone. And Connor? Well, he didn’t know what Connor was up to these days. His brother had always been secretive about his past and, even now, refused to say if he had opened his envelope.

  Despite the resources he had at his fingertips, reuniting the Lost Wolves with their families was still taking time. There were about thirty of them, plus the additional Lycans they had rescued from their last op. Plus, he also had some legit security work he was supposed to do for his boss, Sebastian Creed. But Quinn wasn’t worried. He never missed a deadline and he never let anyone down. Just because he and his brothers went legit, didn’t mean he was going to start slacking off. He had a few hours of nothing to do and, glancing at the clock, he realized it was nearly noon. Awesome. That meant only one thing …

  Quinn got up from the chair and glanced at his reflection in the window. He was dressed casually, as usual, in a black tight-fitting shirt and jeans. His longish blond hair was in need of a trim, but running his hands quickly through the locks put them in some semblance of order. There was a couple days of scruff on his jaw, but he knew that always drove the ladies wild.

  “Hey, Evie.” Quinn greeted Lone Wolf Security’s part time administrative assistant. Evie King was seated at the reception desk, typing up the latest report on their last mission. “It’s almost noon, aren’t you going to lunch?”

  “Hmmm?” She looked up at him, then at the clock. “Oh, yeah. I guess I’ll orde
r in a sandwich from the deli or something. You want me to get you one, too?”

  He frowned. “Aren’t you going out? Weather’s finally warming up. And surely Selena would rather be out in the park than stuck in here.”

  “Oh, Selena’s not coming today,” Evie replied and turned back to the computer screen.

  Quinn waited for a heartbeat or two, but Evie did not elaborate. Selena always stopped for lunch by the Lone Wolf office on the days Evie came in. She mentioned she didn’t work too far away. Why wasn’t she coming today?

  A stab of disappointment went through Quinn, and he told himself it was only because he was looking forward to his usual verbal sparring with his archenemy. Selena … whatever her last name was. Every time she would stop by to pick up Evie for lunch, Quinn made sure he was there to prod and provoke the curvy little witch. He couldn’t help it; it was too fun to watch her blue-gray eyes blaze in anger whenever he was around, and so he did it every chance he got. Of course, she also gave as good as she got and shot back with her own insults. He looked forward to her visits, thinking up new ways to annoy her each time.

  “Is she sick?” Quinn finally asked.

  “Who?”

  “Selena. Is she sick?”

  “No, she just came home really late last night. I think she had a date,” Evie said casually. “Anyway, she just texted me that she’s staying at the library for lunch since she slept in.”

  A small pit formed in Quinn’s stomach. Selena had a date, and she didn’t come home until this morning. Wolf was growling, setting his teeth on edge. Why Wolf acted that way, he didn’t know. He really needed to get a hold of his animal. Damn thing was ruling his life these days. “Must have been a good date,” he managed to say out loud. “What’s his name?”

  Before she could answer, the door slammed open and Evie nearly jumped out of her chair. Connor’s large frame filled the door, his expression dour. So, normal for him. The scar over the right side of his face deepened as he looked over at Evie, then quickly glanced away.

  “Well, good morning, sunshine,” Quinn greeted.

  Connor grunted in reply. “I’m only here because Killian’s on his honeymoon. Again. How many honeymoons does one man need?”

  Quinn laughed. “That first one was a baby moon,” he pointed out. “This is the real, after the wedding honeymoon.”

  “Whatever. Don’t bother me unless you need to.” He disappeared down the hallway, and the sound of his heavy footsteps were followed by the slamming of the door.

  “Hey,” Quinn said, calling Evie’s attention. Her gaze was stuck toward the hallway, and Quinn rolled his eyes. Connor and Evie had been playing eye ping-pong for months now, but neither had spoken more than two words when they were in the same room. Of course, that probably had to do with the fact that when they first met, she hit him with her purse. But that was ages ago. The tension between the two of them had been growing, and Quinn wished they’d put themselves (and everyone else) out of their misery and just fuck already. It would probably help get that stick out of his brother’s ass.

  “So, who is he?”

  “Who?” Evie asked, taken out of her trance.

  “Selena’s date.”

  “She didn’t say.”

  God, this is like pulling teeth, Quinn moaned to himself. Even Wolf was getting annoyed, letting out a huff and scratching at him. He just wanted to know who this guy was so he could run a background check and make sure he wasn’t some serial killer. He could also break into the guy’s social networks and maybe his email just to be doubly safe. It wouldn’t hurt. But how could he do it if he didn’t know who she was with? He’d have to take matters into his own hands.

  “So, sandwich from the deli?” Evie asked.

  “Nah,” he said, shaking his head. “I think I’ll go outside. Enjoy the spring sunshine.” He grabbed his phone from his pocket and pulled up his browser. So, the little witch worked at the library. With some Google-fu, he could probably figure out which library Selena worked at. After all, if she had an hour lunch and she had time to stop by Lone Wolf during her break, she probably didn’t work too far.

  Chapter Two

  Selena Merlin yawned for the umpteenth time that morning, not even bothering to stifle the sound coming from her mouth. She adjusted her glasses and tried to focus on the screen in front of her. Normally, the Dewey Decimal System came naturally to her, but today, it just wasn’t making sense.

  She supposed she deserved it, staying out all night like that, but how could she possibly resist the all-night Star Wars Marathon at the Odeon theater? Sure, she stumbled home at three a.m., but it was worth it. Besides, it wasn’t like working at the Lower Manhattan library was exciting. It was a boring, nine-to-five job, but at least she got to work in New York City.

  Growing up in Philadelphia, all she wanted to do was escape her family. She loved her life there, but she couldn’t stand another minute of living with her stepmother and stepsisters. Her father Leonard had married another witch from the coven two years after her mother’s death. Jane wasn’t cruel to her, but she definitely favored her own daughters over Selena. Alexis and Katrina, on the other hand, tormented her every chance they got. After she graduated from college, she found a job at the New York Public Library and only went back home for visits, mostly so she could stop by her mother’s grave.

  Unable to stay awake, she decided putting books back in the stacks might help. She stood up and smoothed down her pencil skirt and blouse, glad to finally be able to wear her spring clothes. She hated winter, mostly because bulky sweaters and coats did nothing for her figure. Being top-heavy, she looked frumpy when she added layers over her body. Now, she could get back to wearing her normal office clothes even outside and show off her curvy hourglass figure. Not that anyone looked at her. There were so many gorgeous girls in New York, all tall, stick thin, and beautiful. Who would notice a petite, curvy girl with unremarkable features (not to mention curly red hair that turned into a rat’s nest if she didn’t spend a shit ton of money on products) when there was always a buffet of models around? Still, it shouldn’t bother her. She should be used to being invisible by now.

  Selena grabbed the rolling cart and pushed it down the aisle, stopping to place the books on their proper shelves as she moved along the rows. She emptied the cart until there was one book left. Ah, a biography of Winston Churchill. Of course, this one was all the way in the back. Just her luck, it was also on a high shelf.

  She faced her enemy—the top shelf. Standing on her tiptoes, Selena held the thick book in her fingertips and then lifted it high, pushing it into the small space between the biographies of Chopin and Cicero.

  The sound of someone clearing his throat surprised her, and the book slipped from her fingers, landing with a loud thud on the floor.

  “Motherfucking shit. Who the fuck—” She stopped short when her eyes landed on the person at the end of the aisle. An involuntary gasp left her lips and warmth crept up her neck. Quinn stood there, casually leaning against the shelf, his muscled arms crossed over his chest. His black shirt stretched deliciously across his broad shoulders, and the smile he had on his handsome face sent her nerve endings stirring. God, he looked yummy today, and the temperature spiked a few degrees.

  “You kiss your mother with that mouth, Butterfingers?”

  Selena let out a puff of breath, blowing a stray strand of auburn curls away from her face. Right. There was no doubt Quinn was handsome as sin and sexy as hell, but the moment he opened his mouth, the only thing Selena wanted to do was smack him upside the head. For some reason, ever since they met, the Lycan had zeroed in on her and teased her mercilessly. Not that she couldn’t hold her own, but part of her was getting tired of always being on guard around him.

  “I wouldn’t have dropped it if you didn’t creep around here like some … creeper.” She bent down and grabbed the book, but, suddenly, Quinn was right there next to her. He reached for the book, snatching it away.

  “Here, let me get th
at,” he said in an annoyed voice.

  “I can do it myself,” she huffed.

  “Is that so, short stack?” Quinn looked at the book. “Is that why Mr. Churchill ended up on the ground?” He tsked and looked at the book sadly. “Not very dignified, right Winston? Why didn’t you get a ladder or something?”

  “I was trying to save some time; this was the last book. What are you—” She held her breath when he stepped forward. She staggered back, and Quinn’s large body trapped her against the shelf behind her. The familiar scent of his aftershave wafted into her nose—freshly cut grass and sawdust. Her knees nearly buckled underneath her, but she steadied herself. He was so close she could feel the warmth of his body.

  “See?” Quinn said, nodding up at the shelf. “You should try being taller, that will really save you time.”

  Selena looked up at him, and he stared right back. The Nordic blue of his eyes seemed to bore right into her, and she swallowed a gulp. The last time they had been this close together, they were stuck inside a supply closet a few weeks ago. Those few minutes in close quarters seemed like hours, and she started to panic and hyperventilate. As she heaved and gasped, she felt a warm hand stroke her back soothingly, the touch sending tingles across her skin. She had been unnerved at the unfamiliar sensation, not to mention, something hard poking at her butt that she was pretty sure wasn’t a banana in his pocket. Her reaction was to immediately lash out at Quinn once they were out, something she still regretted.

  “I’ll try it next time,” she retorted and then pushed him gently. Jeez, did he work out like, six times a day? His chest was solid, and the muscles underneath were like rock under her palms. “What are you doing here anyway?” she asked.

  Quinn stepped back and then flashed her another smile. “I just realized I don’t have a library card,” he explained. “I thought it was time I got one.”