“You need to lighten up and relax, Nate,” said Luke, as if he was reading Quinn’s mind.
Nate snorted. “You try relaxing when you have some guy banging your sister, and someone else is trying to kill her.”
“Hey, I really have to object at this point,” said Quinn. “I’m not banging your sister. I’m having consensual sex. What you’re suggesting, implies something dirty or sleazy.”
The look Nate gave him could have melted stone.
Yeah, this seemed all wrong. Granted, Nate was irritated about their relationship, but today he seemed downright hostile. That felt off.
“What happened? I’m getting the impression this isn't just about me and your sister,” he said suddenly, as if he instinctively knew to go there.
“We had an incident last night, and we didn’t want to say anything to Callie because we think it might freak her out,” said Luke.
“What the hell happened?” he asked, getting worried.
Nate kept his hands on the steering wheel, his whole body alive with tension. “Someone paid her house a social call last night. When we got up this morning, there was a little surprise waiting for us.”
“What?”
“There were about ten dead skinned cats lying on the concrete patio,” finished Luke.
“Holy shit!” Quinn could feel the fear rolling through him. “That would explain why you went off on her so damn hard this morning.”
“It gets worse,” said Nate.
“How can ten dead skinned cats get worse?” he asked, lifting a brow.
Luke turned around and lowered his glasses. “They were laid out to spell the word DIE.”
Quinn’s heart began pounding in his chest. “Okay, I was worried before with the blood message in the ladies’ room, but now I’m downright scared shitless.”
Nate glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “What message?”
Quinn shared it with them.
“Yeah, I don’t like this at all.”
Luke agreed. “I don’t like her being away from us for a second.”
“Me either,” Quinn said. “When we get back, she needs to stick with one of us at all times.”
“Agreed,” said Nate.
Quinn continued, “I think you and Luke should move into my house for now.”
“We can take care of ourselves,” stated Nate.
Quinn wasn’t concerned with their wellbeing. “I know that, but whoever is doing this, must not have known she was staying at my place. By now they do, and if they come after Callie and manage to get past Zeke and myself, she’s in danger.”
“He has a point, Nate,” admitted his partner.
Nate was quiet for a while. “Okay, but I don’t think I can sleep in your house, knowing you’re having sex in the next room.”
Quinn hoped the man didn't think he was going to stop. If he did, he needed some psychiatric help. “Well, it’s not exactly a picnic for me either.”
“So, you’ll just have to abstain then.”
That was the funniest thing that he had ever heard. “Yeah, don’t hold your breath.”
* * *
Callie hopped out of the deputy’s car to head into her office. She wanted to get in and out, so she could start weeding through the files for the rest of the team.
“Do you want me to go with you, Doctor Carter?”
“No, Junior. I’ll be fine. Give me five minutes to just grab the papers, and I’ll be right out,” she answered.
The man leaned against his car, prepared to wait. As she walked away, he couldn’t help but check her out. His boss scored one hell of a babe. Jimmy Lee mentioned her brains, but he was having a hard time thinking about the matter between her ears.
He was too focused on her in those jeans.
It was a thing of beauty.
Doctor Carter was definitely hot!
It didn't take Callie long to get to her locked filing cabinet. Once open, she dug through it on a mission. The information inside was going to give Quinn and her brother a really good lead in the investigation. As she found the one file specified in the warrant, there was a sound.
Had she just heard someone in the outer office?
Then, it happened again.
Her first instinct was to call out in hopes that it was Junior, or her secretary, but at the sound of scraping, she changed her mind. Callie ripped the papers from the file and tucked them into the back of her pants for safekeeping.
Suddenly, the door to her private office slammed shut. The sound of scraping followed, making her heart pound in fear. From the other side, she could hear what sounded like two muffled voices in her waiting room.
Damn!
Why had she insisted on an extra thick door?
When the voices disappeared, Callie pushed against the heavy wood with her shoulder, but couldn’t budge it.
Panic began to set in, as she couldn’t figure out what was the purpose of locking her in her office.
Then, she got it.
The smell of gasoline filled the air. Whoever had been in there had doused the doorway with the flammable substance, and it was soaking its way underneath to her office.
There was no question.
She was in big trouble.
Someone was going to burn her alive.
Chapter Eleven
Sunday Afternoon
Q uinn knocked on the reverend’s door before stepping back. They had met the lab tech in the driveway and were ready to go. Now, all that they needed was the man to submit his DNA. When the door opened, there he stood with his suit still on, and a sour look on his face. When he saw the sheriff, it immediately changed into one of welcome.
“Sheriff Gaines, come in! What can I do for you on the Lord’s day?”
Quinn wanted to roll his eyes, but he refrained.
Big points for him.
“We’re here with a warrant for a sample of your DNA, John Henry Higgins,” said Nate, holding out the paper.
“And who are you?”
“I’m Director Carter, and this is Special Agent Mars. We’re with the FBI, and we need your cooperation.”
“I don’t understand,” he said, staring at the sheriff. “Why do you need my DNA?”
Quinn was going to enjoy this part. He only hoped that he wasn’t smirking too much. “Where were you on Wednesday night, at approximately nine?”
“I know my rights, and I don’t have to answer that, not without my attorney,” he said, obviously flustered.
“You’re correct, Reverend. What you do have to give me is a sample of your DNA, and there isn’t a lawyer who can stop that.” Quinn wasn’t in the mood to mess around. Already, he was getting that edgy feeling regarding Callie.
The man suddenly looked pale. “Fine! Take the sample and get out,” he ordered, glaring at the technician. “Do you need hair? Isn't that where they take it from?”
Quinn couldn’t help but add to the man’s agitation. “Oh, we need it from your cheek.” He waited until the technician prepared the swab. “Did you that know the mouth is the dirtiest part of the body? It’s a bacteria breeding ground. You would be amazed what people put in them.” He watched that register with the reverend. The startled, wide eye look gave it away.
Oh, yeah. They had him.
“Pardon me?”
“You can drop the act, Reverend. I have an eyewitness. I know what you were doing that night in your car, with your pants unzipped.”
“I was ministering to one of God’s lost sheep”
Quinn laughed. “Well, is that what they are calling it now? I’ve heard it called many things, but that’s a new one.” Quinn got the signal from the technician. “Thank you, Reverend. We appreciate you supplying a sample.”
“Get out! I’ll have your job! This is defamation.”
“It’s only slanderous if I make it public. I really hope all the deputies at the station can keep their mouths shut, or this could be very embarrassing for you and the rest of your church members.”
“I’ll call the mayor!”
Quinn turned around. “I’m sure you will, but that doesn’t negate that you were the last person seen getting a blowjob from our victim. Facts are facts, sir.”
He flushed red as the men headed back to the SUV.
“Did you have fun?” asked Nate.
“No, I really wanted to make him miserable.”
“I see,” said Nate. “What did he do to you?”
Quinn glared over at the man standing on his front porch. “He’s been known to torment the woman I love, and that just pisses me off.”
* * *
Callie glanced around the room. There had to be a way out of this. She quickly dialed nine-one-one, as she worked out a plan. Since her door was blocked, that gave her only one option. There was a small window high in the corner of her office, and if she could access it, she could shimmy out. The opening had an air conditioner in it for now, but that could be remedied.
“What’s your emergency?”
“My name is Doctor Callista Carter. My office is on fire, and I’m trapped inside.” Callie then gave her the address.
“We’re calling out fire and rescue. Can you stay on the phone?”
“No, I have to get out, but could you please put a call in to Sheriff Quinn Gaines and tell him what’s happening?”
“Yes, ma’am. We’ll patch you through.”
“Thank you, and please do it fast. I don’t have much time.”
Quinn’s phone began buzzing against his hip. Pulling it from the holster, he answered, somewhat impatiently. “Sheriff Gaines,” he said, not recognizing the number.
“Sheriff, this is dispatch, we have a fire emergency and have been asked to notify you.”
“Where’s the fire?”
“It’s at seven one four, Brighton Office Complex.”
“Is anyone inside?”
“Yes, sir, we have a Doctor Carter trapped in the fire.”
His entire body went ice cold. “She told you that she’s inside the building?”
“Yes, sir, she did, and then disconnected the call.”
“I’m on my way!” Quinn hung up the phone. “Callie’s trapped in her office, and it’s on fire.” Those words made him want to retch. “We need to get there fast!”
“Oh my God!” exclaimed Nate, flooring the SUV.
“We don’t have much time,” Quinn said, as he began silently praying.
Suddenly, everything around him came to a stop. If Callie didn’t survive this, then what was he do? His heart was filled with fear and regret. He’d waited too long to tell her he loved her.
All Quinn could do was pray for a miracle and a second chance.
* * *
Pushing the large mahogany desk across the room was no easy task. She struggled, but somehow Callie managed to pull it off. After struggling with the dead weight, it was now in place under the window. As she climbed onto the desk, Callie positioned her chair below the opening and prayed this worked.
It had too! There was too much riding on her escape.
Callie pushed the window open, barely dodging the air conditioner as it tumbled into the room. When she glanced over her shoulder, she could see smoke starting to creep into the room from beneath the door.
Immediately, the panic began to grow.
There wasn’t much time left.
“Shit! If I get out of this, I swear to the higher powers that I will never leave Quinn’s side again,” she vowed.
Boosting herself up to the window, Callie teetered precariously. It was quite small, and she wasn’t sure that she was going to fit. It was only big enough for a small child or very slim woman to squeeze through.
The heat behind her began building, as the fire had already begun eating away at the door.
Thank God it was Sunday and no one else would be inside the building. A little part of her was sad that everything would be lost, and she would have to start over.
When hit with a wave of thick acrid smoke, saving her own life pushed her forward. This wasn’t exactly how she planned to end her time on Earth. Now that she had Quinn in her life, there was so much more to live for.
It was then that her brain confirmed what her heart already knew. She wanted to grow old with him.
Callie started coughing, as she slid her legs through the window. It was a two-story drop, unless she could get to the tree just outside the building.
What choice did she have? It looked like death or a few broken bones. It looked like her mind was made up.
Callie could hear the fire trucks and sirens as she poised herself to make the leap. Counting to three, she pushed off with everything that she had. When she landed in the branches, Callie fought to find something to save her. Fortunately, she managed to grab a cluster of limbs. Fighting for her footing, Callie was able to catch her breath.
“Thank God,” she whispered. When the smoke began billowing out behind her, she moved further into the foliage of the tree, where she’d be safe.
Without warning, the fire exploded from the window in a surge of energy and glass. The heat and shaking made her slip, but she caught herself a few feet below. Now, her heart was pounding like crazy, but at least she was alive.
Callie stared around at the chaos. Immediately, she was distracted by the frantic screams of Luke and her brother. She tried screaming to them, but the sirens were drowning out her calls.
At least Quinn had gotten the dispatch message. Then, happiness turned into fear. She prayed that he didn't rush into the inferno looking for her. If he did, he wouldn’t be making it out.
Callie knew getting down wasn’t going to be easy. Her head still swam from the concussion. Yet, she needed to keep her promise and get to his side.
The climb down was tedious. Each branch had to be tested to make sure it would hold her weight. The first few snapped with only one foot on them. This wasn’t going to be a fast climb down. As she focused all her attention on the job at hand, she was alerted to familiar cries of her name.
Callie watched a frantic figure fight to race past the firemen, ignoring their warnings as he charged toward the tree. It was Quinn, and from the look on his face, he couldn’t see her. There was determination and loss etched across his features, as he watched the flames lick the side of the building.
It touched her heart that her hero was preparing to hunt her down, no matter what. Her sweet man was going to head into the fire to rescue her. Callie’s heart melted, as she waited for him to find her in the branches. When she got to the ground, she was going to kiss him something fierce.
He was definitely the one.
Quinn saw the window, and he knew that he had to get inside to see if she was alive. He didn’t care if he went in and died. If his Callie was gone, there was no reason to go on. Deep down, he blamed himself for all of this. He should have kept her with him all day. This was no one’s fault but his. Again, he had let her down, possibly losing her forever.
‘Oh God, let me find her alive,’ he silently prayed, as he prepared to scale the tree.
Callie wanted nothing more than to ease the tension and fear that had to be overwhelming him. “Hey! What’s a girl got to do to get a big sexy guy to rescue her from a tree?” she shouted above the chaos.
His head spun toward her voice in disbelief.
“Callie!” There was a complete metamorphosis that occurred when he heard her voice.
For the second time in one day, Quinn’s heart stopped beating in his chest. It had to be true. He was the luckiest man alive.
He scanned upward, as if a wolf scenting his mate, only to find his wild haired woman staring back at him.
“Callie, oh God,” he whispered, choking on the words as he began scaling the tree. “Are you hurt? I thought you were in there during the explosion!”
Quinn didn't give her a chance to answer. Before she knew it, he was at her side, perched on the same branch.
“Baby!” This was the most treasured moment in his life. What he believed he’d
lost, was found.
“I’m good, Sheriff. There’s not even a speck of soot on me,” she teased, trying to ease his pain. All she wanted was to hear him laugh.
“Callie!” Quinn pulled her against his body as the trembling refused to subside. Once he touched and held her, he was able to breathe again.
Life restarted at that moment.
“Quinn, I’m fine,” she reassured, touching his cheek. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and cry, but she needed to be strong for him. There was no doubt that he would try to blame himself for all of this.
“Sweetheart, you’re going to be the death of me yet,” he said, kissing her roughly, as he ran his hands across her body, checking for injuries.
“Quinn, I’m okay.” At that moment, she was ready to spill it all and tell him that she loved him. Unfortunately, their little hideaway was rocked by another building explosion.
The entire tree trembled.
“Let’s get out of here! We have a lot to talk about later.”
Callie saw a little drip of blood running down her arm. “I think I’m bleeding,” she said, as she tried to navigate down the tree.
Quinn stopped dead in his tracks, climbing closer to see what she was talking about. “It looks like some glass is stuck in your arm. When we get to the ground, we’ll have the ambulance guys check you out. It’s nothing major.”
“I’m starting to get the feeling that someone wants me dead, Quinn.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not leaving my side again. I have handcuffs, and this time I won’t hesitate to use them,” he stated, as they navigated to the safety of the grass.
“Big guy, I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited to hear you say that,” she teased, trying to calm him down. Her poor man had worry lines etched between his brows.
Quinn started laughing and didn’t stop until they reached safety. There was a good chance he was going to lose his mind. Swinging her up into his arms, he proceeded to carry her to where the ambulance was sitting.
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