Warrior Betrayed: The Sons of the Zodiac 3 by Addison Fox Read Free Book Online Page A

With a deep breath, Montana fought for control. Fought to keep more useless tears from falling.
    “She showed up rather unexpectedly about a month ago.”
    “What do you mean showed up?”
    A sharp stab of anger managed to burrow through the emotion. “Don’t insult me by pretending you haven’t investigated my background.”
    Quinn held up his hands and she saw a brief moment of indecision flash through his dark eyes. On a nod, he admitted what she already knew. “Okay. I know your mother hasn’t been a part of your life since you were an infant.”
    For some reason she couldn’t name, his ready acknowledgment was a different sort of soother. As much as his hands had comforted, so did his subtle acknowledgment of the truth. “Thank you for the honesty.”
    “You’re welcome.” Satisfied he’d passed some sort of test, Quinn continued. “Your father’s been gone only six months. Maybe she felt she could approach you. Thought it might be easier to deal with you, instead of you and your father.”
    Montana turned it over in her mind, his words making an odd sort of sense. “I hadn’t thought about that, but—” She stopped short. “It doesn’t fit .”
    “Why? Talk me through it.”
    “In my few interactions with her, my mother hasn’t really spoken of my dad. She just rambles on and on with these weird comments.”
    “Does she seem afraid? Angry?” Quinn’s voice quieted. “I’m sorry to be harsh, but do you think there’s mental illness?”
    “I’ve been through the same questions myself. Despite the odd rambling, there’s some lucidity in her comments.” She held up her hands. “Weird, I know. And likely it’s just what I want to believe. But still. I can’t explain it, but I don’t think she’s mentally ill.”
    “We have instincts for a reason.”
    “I do think she’s ill, though. She’s so frail and she coughs uncontrollably. I’ve tried to get her help, but—”
    “She resists you? Your attempts to help her?”
    Montana nodded and couldn’t help the way her eyes traveled over his powerful frame as he sat there, listening to her. For someone so masculine—so imposing—he had a way about him that was actually quite comforting.
    Calming.
    Refocusing on the discussion, Montana sought the right words to explain the past few months. “She gets very agitated. I brought it up the first few times, that she should get help. That I’d help her get help, but I finally stopped the last time I saw her. I just couldn’t stand it if she didn’t come back.”
    “And you don’t think this has anything to do with your father’s death?”
    “No, I don’t think so. Did she finally contact me because of it? Who knows?”
    “What do you think?”
    “My father loved my mother, and from the accounts of the few people willing to discuss the subject with me, she was crazy in love with him.”
    “So why’d she leave?”
     
     
    The question hung between them, unanswered.
    Quinn knew he played with fire, interrogating Montana Grant about things she would likely prefer to leave quietly buried.
    Montana shrugged, but the careless gesture didn’t match the bleak emptiness in her gaze. “Why do people do anything? She must have decided marriage and kids weren’t for her.”
    “She had an awfully nice life.”
    “One would think.” Montana waved a hand at her surroundings, the gesture clearly indicative of the obvious wealth in the room. In addition to the Monet hanging above the fireplace, the Italian marble inlaid in the floor and the antiques filling the room alone would be worth millions. “But clearly she didn’t think so.”
    “Some people are never satisfied.”
    “Exactly.”
    Quinn watched the play of emotions across her face, puzzled at the obvious retreat. Whatever vulnerabilities had gripped Montana as they’d entered the apartment were long gone, her standard armor now firmly in place.
    He could no longer find any evidence of the frightened waif. Instead, a cool,