open so hard it cracked the drywall behind it. Nick charged out, his pistol leading, and fired three times. The first bullet soared off course. The second stopped before it got to Anson. But the third hit him in the hand. He yelped and stared at it, going white with shock. Then, fury contorting his face, he stretched a hand toward Nick. Nick’s gun flew out of his hand and crashed through the window.
Nick didn’t hesitate. He pulled another weapon from his rear waistband and kept firing, hitting Anson twice before the leech threw a chair at Nick, knocking him to the floor.
Quinn lashed out with her feet as Anson stepped closer to her, still distracted by her protector. She slammed her heel into his knee, then scissored her legs around his. He landed on his back hard enough to shake the floor but was on his feet as quickly as she was.
Sirens outside stopped everything. Quinn recovered first and lunged, but she managed only to catch Anson’s long coat, which he slipped out of and ran through the doorway. By the time she reached the hall, he’d disappeared.
She hesitated, not wanting to let him go, but also afraid to leave the others here alone to face the police and the management. She wasn’t ready for another fight, not when he was so damned strong. Plus, racing through the streets of Boston in a bathrobe, trying to engage an enemy she was not at all sure she could conquer…well, that would be stupid.
She cursed and went back inside. Marley and Sam lay on the floor, both unconscious. Nick stumbled across the room, bleeding from a gash on his temple and another on his upper arm, right below the sleeve of his T-shirt. But Quinn looked at the coat in her hand and smiled.
Anson didn’t know it, but he’d just handed her victory.
…
The rush didn’t last long. Keeping Anson’s coat over her arm, Quinn closed the door and fastened the chain and privacy lock. Nick reached her and propped himself against the wall, leaning to peer through the peephole.
“He’s gone?”
“Yeah. You okay?” She touched the gash on his head, wincing at the rawness. The injuries were getting worse every time—but no more.
“Sonofabitch.” He jerked away. “I’m fine. Get your sister.” He wove his way back into the sitting room and over to Sam, still crumpled in a heap on the floor. Quinn saw he was covered in glass from a shattered picture frame. She told herself he’d be okay, that they’d all be okay, but even with the advantage Anson had unknowingly given her, victory wasn’t at hand yet. It wouldn’t be if she didn’t have her team intact.
Later. Deal with this now, that later.
“Don’t move him,” she told Nick. “I’ll be right there.” She knelt next to Marley, who was as still and pale as a wax figure. Quinn skimmed her hands over her sister, checking for injury, but there wasn’t one.
There was, however, a definite lack of power.
“Oh, no.” A sob escaped her. “I’m so sorry, Marley. It’s my fault,” she whispered, stroking her sister’s dark hair off her forehead. “Come on, sweetie,” she said louder. “Wake up.”
Marley’s eyelids fluttered. Her eyes, pale lavender before from the initial bestowment, were now almost white, the darker purple flecks in the irises reminding Quinn of Easter eggs. She groaned and rolled to her side. “Oh, Quinn, I’m such an idiot.”
“Take it easy.”
“I’m okay. Just weak.” She let Quinn help her to her feet. “I didn’t let him in, I swear.”
Quinn wondered why Marley would assume that was what she thought. “What happened?”
“I heard the elevator and was going to check through the peephole to see if it was room service. But the door opened by itself.” She stared at Quinn, eyes wide, disconcerting in their lack of color combined with fear and anxiety. “I didn’t let him in,” she repeated. “I didn’t tell him where we are.”
The elevator dinged, and adrenaline rushed through Quinn. “We don’t have time to be sorry. Go get our stuff. Get to the window with the fire escape.” She watched through the peephole as police officers and what looked like the hotel manager dashed past. They hadn’t pinpointed the gunshots yet.
“We’ve got to get out of here.” Hurrying across the room, she swept her hand over Sam to remove all the glass covering him, then checked his spine first. Nothing was broken, so she nodded to Nick to pick him up.
“Are you shittin’ me? The guy