Chapter 6

Quinn frowned at the message, studying the unfamiliar number for a moment. She suspected Riley was trying to provoke her. It was a childish little trick, and she'd seen plenty of women pull the same stunt before.

The nineteenth floor, though? That was where the most exclusive private suites were, with excellent soundproofing and no risk of unwanted interruptions. Whoever had sent the message had certainly chosen the right place for a little privacy.

Quinn tightened her hand into a fist, considered her options, and eventually headed upstairs.

She knocked politely and waited a moment before entering the passcode and letting herself in. The door shut behind her almost immediately, leaving her in a dimly lit room that was unnaturally quiet. Something about it felt wrong, and a jolt of alarm sent her turning toward the exit, only to find someone blocking her way.

The lights suddenly came on, making Quinn squint against the brightness.

Riley was sitting on the sofa with her hands and feet bound, her head lowered so that her expression was hidden. Liam was nowhere in sight. Instead, three unfamiliar men stood around the room, all of them powerfully built.

Quinn's mind raced through the possibilities, but she kept her expression perfectly composed.

"Do you have any idea who I am? Who sent you, and what makes you think you can pull something like this here?" Her voice remained calm and authoritative as she continued, "Open the door and untie that girl. Do it now, while you still have the chance to walk away."

As she spoke, Quinn slowly edged toward the wall, positioning herself with her back against it.

The three men exchanged glances. Quinn noticed the one holding a glass of water give an almost imperceptible nod, and her instincts immediately told her to put more distance between herself and them.

But the man stationed by the door lunged before she could get far. There was nowhere to hide in the private suite, and within moments, they'd forced her into a corner.

"Hold her down," ordered the man with the water, who appeared to be their leader.

He'd just finished making Riley drink from the glass and was now approaching Quinn.

"What do you want? Money? Something else?" Quinn tried to negotiate, but the men were like animals, showing no interest in anything she had to say. She struggled against their grip, utterly powerless as they forced several mouthfuls of water down her throat.

Every nerve in Quinn's body remained on high alert, yet to her surprise, the men suddenly lost interest in her. Instead, they gathered around Riley.

"What are you doing?" Quinn demanded.

She got her answer almost immediately.

The men began tearing at Riley's faded shirt, their rough hands leaving angry red marks across her shoulders. Riley was clearly not herself. Her eyes were unfocused, her cheeks flushed, and she was breathing in shallow, uneven gasps.

"L-Liam... Liam..."

Quinn swore under her breath and glanced around the room before snatching a bottle of wine from a display cabinet.

As much as she despised everything involving Liam and Riley, there was no way she could stand by and watch the girl be assaulted.

She had barely started toward them when a strange restlessness coursed through her body, making her falter. Suddenly, she understood what had been in the water they'd forced her to drink.

Gritting her teeth, Quinn struggled to steady her breathing.

"Get your hands off her."

The leader looked at her in apparent surprise, and something in his expression made Quinn's mind go blank for a split second.

Before she could react, someone seized her arm and yanked it violently, sending the wine bottle crashing against the wall. The bottle shattered, and wine splashed all over Riley, soaking her torn shirt.

Just then, the sound of someone entering a passcode came from outside the door.

Someone was coming.

Before Quinn could make sense of what was happening, Riley's terrified screams filled the room.

"Miss Walker, no! Please, don't make them do this to me! Please, no!"

The sounds at the door stopped for a moment, then resumed at a frantic pace as Liam's furious voice thundered from the other side.

"Quinn Walker! What the hell are you doing?"