Her heart warmed all over again just thinking about the moment that arrow hit that man on the bridge. It humbled her, left her in awe. “It was magic. Like no other kind of magic.” Ever.
Wanda held up the peroxide and dipped another cotton ball in it with a smile. “Love in all its perfect imperfection. We’re so proud of you, Quinn. Way to really make a go of this crazy turn of events in your life!”
Quinn’s heart literally glowed at Wanda’s warm approval. All these feels were beginning to make her question everything in her life. She’d never needed a cheering section before this Aphrodite thing had gone down. Yet, hearing she’d done something well, hearing it out loud, was becoming addictive.
Ingrid flew into her apartment, the door slamming behind her with a klunk. “Oh my God, Quinn! Are you okay? I left class the second I got Nina’s text. I would have been here sooner, but the stupid subway was all backed up.” She dropped down next to Quinn in a chair and reached for her hand with a wince.
She smiled at Ingrid. “I’m okay. I really am. Just a little beat up.”
Ingrid dropped her backpack at her feet and leaned in to examine Quinn’s roughed-up face. “You have a hella shiner. I thought you said you were going to take care of my girl, Khristos?”
Khristos ran a hand through his dark locks and shook his head in wonder. He’d been hovering over her before the women had shooed him away in order to allow them to do their thing, but he was never very far.
“I don’t know what happened, Ingrid. It’s like Quinn was just telling Marty and Wanda. One minute we were celebrating, the next, it was as if an invisible hand shot out of the dark like a bat outta hell and pushed her. The force of it knocked her to the ground.” His tone implied worry and concern.
He’d only apologized a hundred times on the piggyback ride home he’d given her because he was certain she’d sprained her ankle.
Quinn avoided looking at him, but only because she was so deeply ensconced in having Wanda and Marty patch her up. Yes, siree—that was exactly why she was avoiding looking at him. These women were fascinating. “But I don’t remember feeling like I was pushed…”
“That’s because you weren’t standing in front of you. It looked like someone steamrolled you from the left. I know that’s crazy, but that’s how it looked from my perspective.”
Nina strode back into the living room, now awash with more bodies than Quinn ever thought was possible to fit into this small space. She held up a hand and a roll of duct tape.
Oh, Jesus and some adhesive—she held a hand.
“Did you say it looked like someone pushed her, dude?”
Khristos nodded, his face a mask of concern. “With force.”
Nina’s shoulders slumped when she moaned. “Aw, fuck.”
“Aw, fuck, what?” Quinn asked. “Aw, fuck” couldn’t be good.
Marty waved an admonishing hand at her. “Language, please, Dark One. I swear, it’s like you don’t even try. Charlie’s going to end up in detention at daycare before she can even walk.”
“Blow me, Girdle Queen. This calls for an ‘aw, fuck’. I knew it. I GD knew it. Every time I damn well think we got shit all sewn up, we got a big, fat black fucking hole.”
Quinn suddenly couldn’t breathe. “Knew what?”
Nina glanced down at her, her coal-black eyes somber. “Bad guys, kiddo. I’d bet a month’s worth of my blood supply.”
And just when everything was going so swimmingly.
Khristos forced his hands to stay in the pockets of his jeans rather than check every square inch of Quinn’s battered body. He fought even glancing at her lips—full, ripe lips that had been perfect against his.
He pulled Nina to the kitchen instead and looked her dead in the eye.
“I’m worried you might be right.”
She rolled her eyes in return. “I’m always right, dude. I can smell bad from a hundred miles away. I don’t want to eff up Guru of Love’s mojo, so I’ll keep this between you and me for now, but shit ain’t right. What’s your take?”
Was it fair to keep the possibility of danger from Quinn? She should always be aware, but Nina was right. It would create havoc with her intuitiveness, which, given the situation, could change the entire future of the world.
“Tell me your thoughts and we’ll make a decision based on them.”