“We’re going to be okay,” I reassured him, whispering so I wouldn’t draw their attention to us.
“But my mom,” he whimpered.
I had no clue what they wanted with her, only that it was somehow connected to her job. Once they got whatever it was, I didn’t know what was going to happen to her—or to us. We’d seen their faces, which meant we’d be able to identify them to the police. That couldn’t bode well for us. But the facts didn’t matter. Not when Darren needed me to tell him she was going to come back for him.
“Your mom loves you. She’s going to do whatever they ask her to do so she can come back to you; that’s why they took you. Because they know she’s an amazing mom. You know that, too, right?”
My heart broke as tears spilled out of his eyes. “Yeah.”
I twisted my neck to look over the bed again. It worried me that the men guarding us couldn’t care less that we were talking. They were too confident that they had the situation under control. Then again, all they saw was an elementary school teacher and a little boy. They had no way of knowing that Quinn had been waiting outside to pick me up, and what kind of trouble they’d bought by taking me.
“You know who else is amazing?” He shook his head as he swiped at his cheeks. “My fiancé. He’s like one of those super soldiers you see in the movies, and he’s going to be searching for me.”
“But what if he doesn’t know he needs to look for you?”
“Can I tell you a secret?” I leaned closer after he nodded. “I didn’t drive to school today. Quinn brought me, and he was waiting for me in front of the school when they took us. They might have gotten us, but he knew within minutes that we’d been taken and he’s absolutely looking for us.”
The tears stopped, and there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. “Do you really think he’ll find us? You, me, and my mom?”
“Yes, sweetie. I don’t just think it. I know it.” I infused as much confidence as I could into my tone. “And he won’t be alone when he comes for us. My big brother will be with him, and these guys are no match for the two of them.”
“Okay.” He still sounded doubtful.
“Can I tell you another secret?’
His nod was more emphatic than last time.
“You can’t tell anyone, but my brother’s a spy. With special gadgets and everything,” I whispered into his ear.
Darren’s head jerked back. His eyes were wide and his brows were raised. “He is?”
“Yup.”
“Wow,” he breathed out. “When the man told me I’d better keep quiet or else he’d hurt my mom, I tried not to cry, Miss Davis. I really did.”
“I know you did, sweetie.”
“But you know what? I’m glad I did. If I hadn’t then I’d be all alone, and I wouldn’t have anyone looking for me.”
As scared as I was for myself and my unborn child, there was a part of me that was at peace with it because Darren was right. Since they were using him as leverage against his mom, his disappearance wouldn’t have been reported and nobody would have even known he was missing. “Then it’s a good thing you did because I’m sure there’s practically a whole army of people out there looking for us right now.”
I wasn’t just making up stories to get Darren to feel better. I knew Quinn would stop at nothing to find me, but that didn’t keep me from being scared. It was amazing how the potentially life and death situation I’d found myself in gave me clarity. I’d been so focused on getting through the end of the school year and then having the wedding I’d always dreamed about that I hadn’t been willing to consider going to the courthouse with Quinn when we discovered I was pregnant. But after all this? I’d marry him the second he got me out of this mess.
“C’mon, Quinn. I know you’re out there. Please find us soon.”
I barely made a sound as I spoke to myself, so I was surprised when one of the guys rose from his chair. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” the other one asked.
“Singing.” He stalked towards the window, yanking a gun out of the waist of his pants in the back. “I think there’s someone out there.”
I strained to listen, almost sobbing in relief when I recognized the off-key sound. Quinn had one of the worst singing voices in the world, but that didn’t stop him when he was alone in the shower.
“That’s what we get for hiding out in this crappy place,” the guy sitting down grumbled. “We have to deal with fucking drunks at nine o’clock at night. What kind of man gets that wasted this early at night?”
It dawned on me then that Quinn’s singing served two purposes. The guys guarding us weren’t threatened by him, and it let me know he was there. And if he wanted me to know before he did anything, there had to be a reason. I could only think of one.
I yanked on Darren’s arm and put a finger to my lips. Then I pointed at the floor as I scooted down until I was lying flat. Darren did the same, and I jerked my chin towards the bed. He rolled until he was flush against it, and I wiggled as close to him as I could get. It wasn’t easy to get into the position I wanted with my hands zip tied, but I knew I needed to move. If Quinn was going to barge in here to rescue us, we needed to be out of the way so he could do what needed to be done. It wasn’t perfect, but at least the bed offered us a little protection from whatever was about to go down.
“Go make sure the guy gets the fuck away from our door. We don’t need him to draw any attention to us.”
“Why do I have to do it?”
“You’re already up.”
I heard the sound of footsteps as the man walked from the window to the door and shifted my body again until I was covering as much of Darren’s as I possibly could.
“But for fuck’s sake, put the damn gun away first.” Yes! I did a mental fist pump. The less prepared they were, the easier it would be for Quinn to take them down. “If anyone sees that thing, they’ll call the cops for sure. And you know what Manny will do to you if you fuck this job up for him. He needs that ledger, and that woman is the key to him getting in without tripping an alarm so he has plenty of time to crack their safe.”
When I heard the sound of the deadbolt on the door being flipped, I braced myself. Quinn changed songs mid-verse, and I figured it was his signal to let me know he’d heard the same thing and was ready. “Close your eyes,” I whispered to Darren.
He squeezed them shut just as the door hinges squeaked as it opened. And then all hell broke loose.
8
Quinn
“Highway to Hell?” Xander asked dryly over my earbud. “Seriously, dude?”
I didn’t pay him any attention and continued singing while listening carefully for the click of a lock as I slowly stumbled down the walkway. We only had a vague idea what room they might be in, assuming they were holed up in this shithouse motel. Finally, as I closed in on room 301, I saw a curtain ruffle through the dirty window. I abruptly changed my tune, a final warning to Jenna that things were about to get rough. If she was in there. Fuck, I hoped she was there.
We had a team headed to the DA’s office and deciding whether to go with them or come to the motel had been almost impossible. I wanted to be there when we rescued her and since I refused to believe in any other outcome, the only question had been where I would find her. It seemed more likely that they would want as few people as possible at the break in.
Weston’s shadow was all I could see of him as he edged his way along the wall, coming towards me. He and Xander had quickly followed me to the motel and forced me to stop and make a plan, rather than just kicking in every damn door until I could kill the motherfuckers who had my woman.
We had just reached opposite sides of the door when the clink of metal gears alerted us that the lock had been disengaged. The door cracked open. “Hey, shut the fuck up man—” he snapped, but was cut off when I pretended to drunkenly stumble into it with all of my weight. As the guy behind it flew backwards, I lifted my arm and pointed my weapon at a man sitting at a card ta
ble by the window. Weston was only half a second behind me and stood, legs braced apart, blocking the door, his own gun leveled on the greasy man who’d fallen to the floor.
I fired one round into the wall behind the sitting man, gaining his complete attention “The woman and the little boy,” I demanded. “Where are they?”
“Fuck you,” he spat. His face was red and mottled, his black hair, dirty and slicked back, making his blood-shot eyes overly pronounced. With his overly skinny body, he looked a little like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. When his eyes darted to his companion, I didn’t break my stare, knowing Weston would handle it. Unsurprisingly, his gun fired and howling ensued from behind me. A couple of shots were exchanged between the two before Weston stalked by me.
As he passed, Gollum rushed to his feet and his hand dove into a ratty jean jacket. I put a bullet in his shoulder. He screamed like a little girl and dropped the gun he’d been reaching for to the ground.
“Don’t make me ask again.”
Xander chose that moment to step into the room and with a lift of his chin, he took my place. I whirled around, my eyes scanning the filthy room, glancing right over the bleeding man on the floor with Weston’s foot on his neck.
I rushed over to the opposite side of the bed, hoping…but was caught by surprise when the bathroom door opened and a third man came out and dove down to the floor where I’d been heading. As the scene came into view, I froze.
The guy lay supine on the floor, his arm wrapped around Jenna’s neck and a knife poised just under her breast. The little boy, Darren, was huddled in a ball, pressed up against the bed.
“Back off!” he threatened in a raspy voice, his arm tightening around Jenna’s throat. She struggled to take in a breath and the edges of my vison blackened. He’s a fucking dead man.
My eyes focused on the knife and its position. It was pressed against her, but hovering tensely. I took a single step back and the moment I saw him relax, a flash of relief in his dark eyes, I put a bullet between them.
He fell slack to the floor and Jenna scrambled to her knees, immediately pulling Darren into her arms.
“All clear,” Weston called. I dropped my gun and rushed to Jenna, falling to my knees and encircling my arms around them both.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” she soothed as Darren burst into tears. Her body leaned into mine, drawing from my strength and passing it to the frightened child.
My throat was choked up, keeping me mute as I tried to drag in some air. So, I said nothing and simply held them, soaking in the relief at knowing they were safe.
“Are you family, sir?” the nurse asked snootily. I glared at her and she shrank back a little.
“I’m her damn fiancé,” I growled. “So, step the fuck aside.”
She swallowed hard, but drew her shoulders up. “Family only,” she squeaked.
“I’m her brother. Let him the fuck in, woman.” Weston’s voice bounced off the sterile walls as he yelled. I glanced back to see him jogging my way, Aspen hot on his heels. I lifted my chin before spinning back around and darting past the sputtering nurse.
“Room four!” I heard Aspen call, and I waved in acknowledgment. Finding it, I tore open the curtain and stalked to the bed where the love of my life lay, pale and tired. Her face lit up when she saw me, and she put her arms out.
I didn’t hesitate, climbing onto the small bed and crushing her to me.
“Fuck, baby,” I breathed. “I was so damn scared.”
She burrowed deeper into my chest and sighed contentedly. “I knew you’d find me.” A small smile slipped out at her confident tone, and I kissed the top of her head before laying my cheek in the same spot.
“Did you find Darren’s mom?”
I nodded, enjoying the way her silky hair felt against my face. “The team Xander sent arrived a few minutes before Manny and Sylvia. They waited for him to crack the safe and take the ledger so they could nail him for more than breaking and entering.”
“And she’s okay?”
“Yeah, baby. She’s fine. They brought her here, and she’s with Darren. They were both checked over, no worse for the wear.”
Jenna sniffled and I leaned back so I could sneak a hand between us and lift her chin. “I was really scared,” she admitted quietly.
I brushed my lips over hers, then her cheeks, eyes, and forehead. “You’re safe.”
“How come it took you so long to get here?” There was no accusation in her tone, only curiosity. But the question put a stronger edge on my mood.
“Because you aren’t my wife,” I ground out. “I couldn’t get back here to check on my woman and our unborn child because you haven’t fucking married me yet.”
Instead of being bothered by my attitude, Jenna nodded, her face flooding with understanding. “I’m sorry I fought you on getting married right away, Quinn.” Her voice was soft, and it smoothed every ragged edge inside me. “I’ll marry you whenever you’re ready.”
I started to answer but an older, male doctor entered the room, reading a chart. He glanced up and when he saw our position, he frowned. I returned the expression with even more threat in my eyes. I wasn’t going to fucking budge.
“I need to examine Ms. Davis, Mr…?”
“This is my fiancé, Quinn, Dr. Cooper,” Jenna replied.
“Yes, well. As he’s not your husband, he’ll have to step out while I exa—”
“Not a fucking chance in hell,” I growled, making his eyes widen behind the small, round glasses perched on his nose. “And where the fuck is the ultrasound machine? She’s pregnant. You need to check on the baby. What kind of quack doctor are you?”
“Quinn.” Jenna patted my chest softly as she tried to get my attention.
“A quack?” Dr. Cooper sputtered.
“I’m sorry, doctor,” Jenna apologized, her tone sheepish. If she expected the same from me, she had another thing coming.
“He’s just worried about me and a little worked up.” She patted my cheek, and I took a break from glaring at Daffy Dick to look into my girl’s face.
“They’ll send an ultrasound tech in to check the baby, okay. Just be patient.”
My eyes narrowed, but she smiled sweetly and I couldn’t do anything but give in. So, I nodded and relaxed my hold on her, though I didn’t leave the bed.
Dr. Cooper glared at me, and I just shrugged. With a huff, he worked around me, checking her over. A nurse came in and drew blood then he declared that she looked fine, but would return after he had the results of her blood test and ultrasound.
Weston and Aspen came in just as the doctor was leaving. “You took a year off of my life today, sis,” he told her as he kissed her forehead. Irritation grumbled to the surface, and I pulled Jenna closer. Weston rolled his eyes, but stepped back. Aspen hugged Jenna quickly, then Weston tucked her into his side and they chatted with Jenna for a few minutes before the tech arrived with the machine to check the baby.
“I’m Violet. I’m here to do your ultrasound, Jenna” she said with a perky smile. She looked at me with sympathy before saying, “I’m really sorry, but you’ll have to move for the procedure. But, as soon as I’m done, you can go right back to where you were.”
I finally relented and climbed off of the bed so she could lie flat on her back. The steady thump thump thump of the baby’s heartbeat finally eased the last of my tension.
“Looks like baby is just fine,” Violet said as she captured a few measurements. A little machine on the cart spit out some pictures and she handed them to us. “Congratulations. The doctor should be in with your discharge paperwork shortly.” She smiled brightly and bounced from the room with a wave.
Dr. Cooper finally returned after what felt like a fucking eternity. “You’re all set to go, Ms. Davis.” I clenched my hands and held them tight against me so I wouldn’t punch something at hearing her called Ms. Davis again. “I suggest you rest for a day to give it some relief from the stress of your ordeal. But, otherwise, you’re free to re
turn to your normal activities.”
“Thanks,” she murmured as she signed the papers on the clipboard he handed her. After she returned it to him, he left without another word.
Aspen sighed. “Seriously? There aren’t going to be any doctors left who will be willing to treat our families if you two don’t stop being such ogres to them.”
Weston rolled his eyes, mirroring my internal sentiment about her opinion. “Let’s go, baby. I’m sure Jenna wants to get home.”
“Call me if you need anything,” Aspen tossed out as Weston herded her from the room.
“Thanks, guys,” Jenna responded as she began to climb off the hospital bed. I quickly scooped her up and gently set her on her feet.
“The doctor said to take it easy.” I frowned. “You shouldn’t strain yourself.”
“I’m not going to break, Quinn,” she snorted. “I’m fine, the baby is fine. Put away your inner caveman.”
“We’ll see,” I grumbled, ignoring her sigh.
9
Jenna
“Jenna, baby. No.”
In all the years we’d been together, it was the first time Quinn had turned me down when I’d propositioned him. It had been a long night, and we’d barely gotten any sleep. Between the trip to the hospital and the police needing our statements, we hadn’t gotten home until after three o’clock in the morning. I’d crashed, face-first and still dressed, on our mattress and didn’t remember anything after that. When I woke up to pee at ten, I was wearing my panties and one of Quinn’s T-shirts. There was a glass of water on the bedside table, along with a bottle of aspirin. The clothes I’d worn to work the morning before were spilling out of the top of the laundry basket in the bathroom. It looked like Quinn had thought of everything, and I’d been so out of it that I’d slept through it all.
From This Day Forward: A Sex & Vows Novella Page 5