Quinn (The Beck Brothers #3) (18 page)

Raelynn emerged from the kitchen a couple of minutes later
with a bag of frozen peas and a rag. Sebastian laid his head back on the couch
and Raelynn gingerly placed the rag and the peas on his nose. He hissed and
cursed but held it in place with one hand while giving
 
Raelynn’s hand a squeeze with the other.

“Thanks, sweet cheeks.”

“You’re welcome,” she said and stroked his hair with her
hand.

Five minutes later, two more car doors slammed outside and
Henry came walking in the front door, followed by Quinn. Christian’s heart
broke for his brother. He looked horrible - his shoulders hunched and his face
was completely and utterly blank, which really freaked Christian out.
 
Quinn usually hid his emotions well,
but this was extreme, even for him. Margot got up and took his hand. She led
him over to the love seat where she had been sitting, and sat him down next to
Sebastian.

“Is it broken?” Quinn asked Sebastian, his voice hollow and
emotionless. Quinn was staring down at his own busted up knuckles, which were
resting in his lap.

“I don’t think so,” Sebastian answered.

“That’s good,” Quinn said quietly.

Margot glanced back at Christian, worry creasing her brow.
She turned back to Quinn and asked if he wanted anything to drink. He just
shook his head, his eyes downcast. He hasn’t looked at anyone since walking in.
Christian was becoming increasingly concerned for his mental health.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Anne whispered.

“Mom, now is not a good time,” Henry said softly from where
he was standing near the door. His blonde hair was sticking out in all
directions, most likely from him constantly running his hand through it.

Anne’s eyes flicked up to look at Henry. She opened her
mouth to argue but Henry cut her off before she could start. “He can’t talk
about it right now, mom. Please just let it go for the moment,” Henry pleaded
softly.

Anne glanced at Quinn, her eyes looking him over before she
sighed and nodded. Christian blew out a breath he didn’t even realize that he
was holding. He was afraid his mother would push it like she used to, and
Christian didn’t think that Quinn could handle it if she did. She let it go,
thankfully.

“Margot?”
 
Henry
said, “Why don’t you take Quinn home.”

Margot nodded. “Okay.”

Sebastian removed the peas from his face and leaned in
toward Quinn. “Had I known what he did, I would have let you kill him and then
helped you bury his body in the backyard.”

Christian watched in shock as one side of Quinn’s mouth
curled up just a hair. Sebastian smiled and patted Quinn’s thigh before putting
the peas back on his nose. Quinn stood and headed for the door without saying
anything to anyone. Margot went over and said goodbye to their parents before
giving Henry, Sebastian and him a kiss on the cheek. She went into the kitchen
and said goodbye to Claire, Raelynn, and the kids before heading out after
Quinn, who was most likely already in the car. God, he hoped Quinn was going to
be okay.
   

~~~~~

Margot took Quinn back to his studio apartment; he went
right to his bed, which was hidden behind a decorative screen. His apartment
has a total of four doors - the entrance, the bathroom, his efficiency washer
and dryer, and his walk-in closet. Margot thought his apartment was beautiful, with
the perfect amount of space for one - or even two - people to live comfortably.

Quinn sat on the end of his bed, his head hanging down. She
was still in shock about what happened today, so she could not imagine what was
going on in his mind. Quinn almost killed a man today, almost strangled his
cousin to death. If Sebastian had not pulled him away, he would have succeeded.

Margot sat down next to him, no idea what to do for him. He
has not said one word since leaving his parents’ house. “Quinn, do you need
anything?” Margot asked.

“Can you just go? I just want to be alone,” he whispered.

“Really, Quinn? Are you sure?” Margot asked with a frown.

Quinn nodded.

Margot did not like it, but she would do as he asked. She
stood, kissed him on the head, then left. She went home, hoping that he just
needed some space, and not something more permanent. Their relationship was new
and still somewhat fragile. She hoped that this did not change the way he felt
about her, but she had no idea what was going on in that head of his.

Margot barely slept that night because all she could think
about was what happened, and how Quinn was handling it. She got up when her
alarm went off the next morning and got ready for work. She waited for Quinn to
show up to bring her to work, but he never did. Margot called him multiple
times, but it kept going right to voicemail, which meant that either his phone
was off, or dead. She ended up driving herself to work, thinking that maybe he
just needed a day to himself. She walked into her office, sat down at her desk,
and turned on her computer. Peter showed up a couple of minutes later.

“Morning, Margot,” he said, smiling at her. He looked
around, a quizzical expression on his face. “Where’s Quinn?”

Margot raised an eyebrow at him. “Did he not call out?”

Peter frowned. “No, he didn’t.”

She frowned harder.

“Don’t you two usually drive together?” Peter asked tightly.

“Yes, but something very serious and personal happened
yesterday. He did not come to pick me up this morning, and he has not been
answering his phone. I thought maybe he needed some time, but I figured he
would have called out if he was not coming in today.”

Peter shook his head. “No, he didn’t call.” He frowned in
concern. “What happened?”

Margot shook her head. “It is not my place to say, but I
will try to get a hold of one of his brothers to see if they can check on him.”

Peter nodded. “Keep me updated.”

Margot nodded and turned toward her computer. She did not
have any of Quinn’s brothers’ phone numbers, but she knew the advertising
company where Henry was CEO. She looked up the company’s phone number and
called it. The receptionist transferred her to Claire, Henry’s wife.

“This is Claire Beck, can I help you?”

“Claire, this is Margot Leclair, Quinn’s girlfriend,” Margot
said.

“Oh, Margot! Hi! How is Quinn doing?” Claire asked, concern
coloring her tone.

“I do not know. He asked to be alone last night when I took
him home, and I have not heard from him since. His phone is shut off, and he
has not shown up to work,” Margot said, feeling her panic rising.

“Crap. Alright, let me get Henry on the line,” Claire said.

Margot heard a couple of beeps, then a ring. Henry picked up
a second later. “Yes, Claire,” he answered in his deep raspy voice, that was so
much like Quinn’s.

“Henry, Margot is on the line saying that Quinn is MIA.”

“MIA? What do you mean MIA?” Henry asked grimly.

“I took him home last night and he asked to be alone, so I
left. He did not pick me up for work this morning, and his phone is shut off.
He also did not call out of work. I do not know where he is,” Margot said.

“Dammit,” Henry breathed. “Let me call Christian. I will see
if he can go over to Quinn’s place to see if he is there. Margot, give me your
number so I can call you when I hear something.”

Margot left her number with Henry then hung up. She was so
worried, and there was no way she was going to get any work done today. So many
things were running through her mind. What if he hurt himself? That was her
main concern. She could not handle it if he did something so stupid. She would
never be able to forgive herself either for leaving him alone last night, she
should have stayed and made sure that he was okay.

Henry called her back half an hour later to tell her that
Christian went by Quinn’s place, but he was not there. It looked like he packed
a bag and left. His wallet was gone, along with his cell phone and laptop;
chargers were all missing as well. Margot headed to Peter’s office after she
got off the phone with Henry. She knocked on the doorframe of Peter’s open
door, and he glanced up from his computer and waved her in. 

“Did you hear from Quinn?” he asked, peering at her over the
top of his glasses.

“Non. His brother went by his apartment and said that it
looks like he packed up some things and left,” Margot replied quietly, as she
sat in the chair that sat across from Peter’s desk.

Peter frowned and shook his head. “What is going on with
him? He’s really putting me in a bad spot.”

Margot blinked at Peter in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I have already given Quinn a warning about his behavior.
And now he is a no call, no show? I can’t keep him on after this latest stunt,”
Peter said.

Margot was utterly dumbfounded. “Stunt? Peter! You have no
idea what he is going through right now. You cannot fire him! He is having very
serious personal issues!”

“Then he should at least have the decency to call me and
tell me!” Peter snapped.

“He did not even tell me, and I am his girlfriend!” she
exclaimed angrily.

Peter’s mouth dropped open. “You two are together?” he asked
as if he did not believe it.

“Oui,” Margot snapped.

Peter’s mouth thinned and his eyes flashed angrily. She
could not understand why he was getting so angry. “But he doesn’t even like
you,” he bit out.

“Well, apparently he does if he is with me!” Margot said
incredulously.

A muscled ticked in Peter’s jaw as he stared at Margot. “He
must not care too much for you if he just up and left without telling you. What
kind of boyfriend is that? I know I would never treat you that way, if you were
my girlfriend.”

That is when Margot got it; he liked her,
but Quinn got to her first, and he was pissed off about it. Margot shot to her
feet, outraged. “I will
never
be your girlfriend, so you do not have to worry about that,” Margot hissed,
then stormed out of his office.    

Margot was so mad at Peter right now! What a jerk! No wonder
Quinn’s friendship with him was falling apart. Peter was jealous of what Quinn
had, and he was letting that come between them. She wondered if Quinn knew that
Peter liked her. It did not matter now anyway because Quinn was not going to
have a job when he came back. That was more important. What was Quinn thinking?
Just leaving without a word to anyone!

Margot dropped down into her chair and put her head in her
hands. God, she hoped he was alright. She could not bear the thought of something
happening to him. Margot realized in that moment that she was completely and
totally in love with Quinn. He was everything to her and she wanted to be with
him for the rest of her life - to marry him and have kids with him. She was
going to smack him for putting her through this! Zut!
 

Chapter 9

Margot sat at Henry and Claire’s kitchen table along with
the rest of Quinn’s family. Quinn has been missing for two days now. Anne Beck
was a complete mess, doing nothing but cry since she showed up. Margot was
extremely distraught herself, feeling like it was her fault; if she would have
just stayed with him, then he would not be missing now.