Untouched Read Free Page B

obviously irritated with the directive, but Quinn couldn’t figure out why. A little all-expenses-paid alone time with his wife should make Sam happy. Although, Quinn couldn’t see the appeal, personally, since he had no intention of ever having a wife. Though Jill was a nice enough woman. Not his biggest fan, but he did monopolize a lot of her husband’s time, and even more of it since Sam had been in Silver Creek helping him get things together.
    “Yes, he is. He’s also arranged a contract for me that will prove very useful indeed.”
    “Aw, shit, man, what did you do?” The lines on Sam’s face looked more drawn.
    “You say that like you think I did something bad, buddy. I think I’m offended.”
    “Did you?”
    “Depends on your perspective.”
    Sam shook his head and pulled his cell phone out of the front pocket of his shirt. “I’ll have to call Jill and see if she’s up for this. Otherwise it’ll be me staying in that cabin by myself, looking like a nut job.”
    “Mark might be willing to come down and stay with you.”
    Sam flipped him off on his way out of the room, grumbling as he dialed his wife.
    Quinn braced himself on the counter, palms flat on the granite surface. Yeah, he was pretty sure Sam would think what he’d done was a very bad thing.
    Cade would think so too.
    And that made Quinn feel nothing but good. Because Lark Mitchell had signed a contract to come and work for him for the next six weeks.
    It was a good thing to keep your enemies close. But it was better to keep their little sisters closer.
    Because there was nothing on God’s green earth that would piss Cade off more than having Lark in close proximity to Quinn. Like sending your lamb to bunk with a wolf.
    Quinn smiled and pushed off from the counter. Oh, yeah, if Cade Mitchell had secrets, Quinn would find them. If Cade had a weakness, Quinn would damn well exploit it.
    Quinn Parker was mean when he was pissed. And Cade had sure as hell pissed him off.
    ***
    “Die, zombie bastards! Die!” Lark took another sip of her Rockstar and set it back down on her desk, clicking her mouse button furiously and unleashing a a hellish rain of shotgun fire on the army of undead monsters schlepping their way across her computer screen.
    Today she was starting her new job, and she was determined to start it right. Some people chanted little mantras about their personal success and being good enough and smart enough. Lark just wanted to blow the hell out of Nazi zombies.
    And of course she’d had an energy drink, the breakfast of gaming champions. She was ready to take on her new job as head tech goddess of the Longhorn Ranch, part of the Longhorn Properties family.
    She fought the urge to crush her can against her head like a frat boy. Mainly she resisted because she’d tried it once and had succeeded only in smacking herself in the head, but also, she was self-conscious enough to know what a douche move that was.
    She pushed away from her desk, the chair rolling smoothly across the floor, then she stood up, brushing her hands over her black pants and black top. It was her most professional outfit: a button-up shirt and some dress pants. She looked a little like she was ready to wait tables at the local diner, but hey, she was used to working at home and rocking jeans and t-shirts.
    But this was a real job with a contract, and she wasn’t doing that. She walked out of her bedroom and out into the hallway that overlooked the main living area of the house.
    Crossbeams made from logs ran across the vaulted ceiling, and a panel of windows took up the whole far wall, giving a view of the family ranch. Their legacy. The only thing they had left of their parents.
    Lark took a deep breath and continued on down the stairs. She still felt the sadness of losing them like a weight on her chest. She’d grown used to it resting there; she didn’t think it had ever gotten any lighter.
    It was hard for her to remember her mom, which was its own kind of