Mark Vincent has risen from senior special agent to Director of Interior Affairs in the WBIS. Lately, life has been sweet for him -- in addition to his promotion, he's found a partner in Quinton Mann, who can almost match his ability in the intelligence field, in spite of the fact Quinn's CIA. Mark has also found a condo in Alexandria with the help of Portia Mann, Quinn's mother, and it's closer to Quinn's town house than Mark's present apartment. Sweetest of all, Mark plans to take Quinn to his island in the Caribbean for the holidays.<br><br>Quinn's glad he has the holiday with Mark to look forward to -- something is going on at Langley, and he feels he's being kept out of the loop. To make matters even worse, useless missions and sleepless nights filled with nightmares are leaving him exhausted. But then his mother's life if threatened, and Quinn discovers the accident that resulted in her hospitalization was no accident. The obsessively self-absorbed Senator Wexler is involved, and while Quinn considers himself a civilized man, now he's out for blood.<br><br>Up until this point, Mark has stayed out of Quinn's CIA business. But hurting Quinn and those he loves isn't a smart move, and Mark has every intention of seeing Wexler pays. Quinn demands to come along, and while Mark isn't happy, he finally agrees, and they set out together to deal with the senator. There's just one catch: this will be the first time Quinn sees Mark at his deadly best, and Mark isn't sure how his lover will react.

Forever

“Not now, Mark. If you don’t mind?”


Well, yeah, I minded like hell, but I decided I’d let him brood. An additional Christmas present. Later I’d get what was bothering him out of him.


We pulled up in front of his mother’s Tudor home and parked behind his uncle’s Mercedes. Novotny came hurrying out to help Mrs. Mann into the house.


“Really, you’d think I was a toddler just learning to walk.”


“Listen, Breezy, behave or Santa will take back all your gifts.” Her brother was on her other side.


“Very well, I’ll let you help me, but not because of your threat. Santa knows I’ve been very good, unlike some I could name.”


They continued their banter up the walk, but when they came to the shallow steps, Novotny scooped her up and carried her into the house. Mrs. Mann didn’t say a word of protest.


Quinn gave me a look that I had no trouble interpreting: he wanted me to stay behind. “Ludo, would you mind giving us a hand with these gifts?”


Chapter 94