Callie could see her brother and Luke being held back by two burly firemen, as they fought to get past them.
“Thank you for escaping, Callie,” Quinn whispered into her hair.
Nuzzling against him, she was grateful they had more time together. “Thank you for trying to find me, Quinn.”
“I would crawl through hell to get to you, Callie.”
“I believe you would,” she murmured back, leaving a delicate kiss on his lips. “You’re my hero.”
His heart pounded, now that he could face life again. “Let’s find your brother. He has to be frantic.”
Callie simply wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him take her anywhere.
Nathaniel Carter’s heart ached with loss. All hope was beginning to leave him as the truth became evident. He’d failed his sister once more.
Then, he saw her.
It had to be a mirage. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Nate was astounded to see the sheriff walking toward them, carrying a smiling Callie. Nate elbowed Luke, who was staring blankly at the fire, his eyes filled with unshed tears at what they had lost.
Luke stared in disbelief too.
Callie was in Quinn’s arms.
Immediately, both men rushed past the firemen, plowing into the sheriff. As they pulled Callie against them, the men covered her face in exuberant kisses.
“I don’t understand!” exclaimed Nate. “How?”
She pointed at Quinn. “He’s my hero.”
He didn't believe that for a second. Callie did most of the work. “Let’s get you to the ambulance. I want them to check you out,” he stated, scooping her back into his arms.
“How did you survive that?” asked Luke, pointing at the fully engulfed fire.
“I wasn’t in it when it exploded,” she answered simply. “I was in the tree.”
“Callie, why were you in the tree?” Luke asked, almost afraid to hear her answer.
“I had to go out that way. My office was filled with flames. The fire started in there.” Here and now wasn’t the place to elaborate.
“That’s where I found her,” added Quinn, kissing her on the forehead.
“How did you know to look in the tree?” asked Nate, confused.
“I didn’t,” he answered, standing incredibly close to Callie as the paramedic was ripping her shirt at the shoulder.
“Damn it! There goes another shirt!”
“I’ll buy you more,” he offered, staring at her, as he hardly believed his amazing luck.
“Quinn was going to climb in to find me,” Callie said, staring her brother straight in the eyes. A silent message passed between them, and it was obvious that Nate understood the warning.
Quinn was her hero, and it was hands off from here on out.
He had to know. “You were going into the fire to find her? You would have died.”
“Yeah, so? Believe it or not, Nate, she means the world to me,” he replied, as the paramedic pulled some glass from her arm. Over it, he placed a bandage.
“You’re as good as new, ma’am.”
“Thank you,” Callie said, wanting to get out of there. They had so much to do.
If his sister’s hostile glare wasn’t enough, the man’s willingness to risk his life was. If preparing to sacrifice your life wasn’t love, he didn't know what was. “Thank you,” he said, holding out his hand.
“I only got her down from the tree, so you don’t need to thank me, Nate,” he replied, still accepting his offer.
“I was saying thank you because you were willing to go into that inferno to save her. I don’t know many who would have, beside Luke and myself.”
Quinn’s fingers twined with Callie’s, unwilling to set her free. “We need to get you to the office. I want to hear everything that happened.”
“Okay, darlin’,” she said, letting him lead her away.
Luke followed behind. “Who in their right mind would burn down a building to kill you?”
Callie spoke, “I don’t think they were trying to kill me at first. I think somebody wanted that file destroyed, and I just happened to show up, and made it convenient to kill two birds with one stone.”
That terrified all the men.
Callie continued to hold onto Quinn. While she looked calm on the outside, she wasn’t on the inside.
She was rattled by what she almost lost.
“I hope you remembered everything in that file, Callie. Now, we really need it. I still wish we had the originals. A good defense attorney could convince any jury that it’s nothing more than hearsay. At least it may give us a direction to follow,” said Quinn.
“Sheriff, do I have a present for you,” she said, knowing he was going to be thrilled.
He didn't want to let go of her for a single second, but he relinquished his hold briefly. When Callie reached around to her back pocket, pulling out a thick clump of folded papers, he was confused.
“What’s that?”
“This, big guy, is the file with all the incriminating evidence still intact. You saved me, and I saved your case.”
The men laughed.
“Callie, you’re a wonder,” Quinn stated, as they escorted her to the SUV. “Let’s head to the station and wrap this day up. I don’t know how much more I can take. Besides, I have plans for tonight,” he said. Then, whispering in her ear he continued, “Will you go on a date with me, Callie?”
“Big guy, there’s nothing more I’d rather do.”
The entire way back to the station, Quinn held Callie pressed against his side, unwilling to let her go for even a second. He was sure that if he did, she would disappear.
Callie could feel his anxiety, and it broke her heart. “Hey! I’m fine. I swear, Quinton,” she whispered softly into his ear, so only he would hear her words.
“I know you are, but I need you near me for a little while,” he replied, nuzzling her cheek.
Then, it occurred to her.
“Oh my God, Junior! Is he okay? He didn’t run into the building, did he?” blurted Callie.
“He’s fine. When he saw the smoke, he called for the fire department, and then tried to find a way to get to you.”
“That poor man. It had to be terrifying for him.”
Quinn just started at her openmouthed. “He was terrified? What about you?”
“Well, yeah, Quinn, I was afraid, but mostly because I wanted to see you again. I imagine it was far scarier for you three being on the outside.”
“It was,” he admitted quietly. “I’ve never been more terrified in my life, and I’ve seen some horrifying things in the years I was a detective.”
“It’s fine, darlin’,” she murmured, kissing him softly. “We’re together again.”
Yeah, and he was going to ensure that it stayed like that for the rest of his damn life.
This was a sign.
Arriving at the station, Junior raced toward Callie. “Are you okay?”
He looked so scared that she offered him a hug.
“Oh, thank God!” he said, letting her go. The entire time, he was worried the boss man was going to kick his ass for not following through with his assignment.
They all knew how important Doctor Carter was
“She’s good,” stated Quinn, giving him the look. It caused the man to hustle away. It also earned him an elbow in the side from his woman.
“You’re bad. Stop scaring the deputies.”
He ignored her.
“Let’s go discuss this attempt on your life, and then work our way through the file,” Quinn suggested, leading them to the privacy of the conference room. Once seated, they all focused on Callie.
“Okay, it’s time to spill it all,” said Luke.
She told them everything, leaving out no details.
“My poor baby,” said Quinn, still holding her hand.
“I went to the door and could hear voices.” She closed her eyes, trying to remember the rest of the details, and she could feel the fear returning.
“Voices?”
“Yes, but I couldn’t make them out. Then, I smelled the gasoline and knew what was going down. So, I stuffed the papers in my pocket and had to figure out a way to save myself.”
“So how many voices did you hear?” asked Nate taking notes.
“More than one, but that’s all I could tell. I had one of those extra thick doors that muffled sound. Patients don’t like others to hear their problems. I guess they don’t have to worry now.”
Quinn heard the sadness in her voice. “I’ll help you rebuild your office,” he said softly, wiping a tear that was slipping down her cheek.
Luke took this as an opportunity to get her back on the team. “Maybe this is a sign that Myrtle Springs isn’t the place for you. The office is gone, and that could mean moving on, or back to your old career.”
She never thought of it that way, and he had a point. Was this the universe pointing her in another direction?
Quinn stopped moving. What could he say? If she was going to leave, his heart would die without her.
Nate agreed. “Gabe Rothschild loves you. Next to Ethan Blackhawk, you were one of his top profilers. If you called him, he’d welcome you back with open arms.”
“Thanks, guys,” she said. Beside her, Quinn had gone silent, and she knew what he was dwelling on because she was too.
“We need to let our parents know,” said Nate.
“Oh, that’s not going to happen, my friend. You know what it’ll be like. The last thing we need is a three-ring circus.”
“Callie, if they hear…” He let it drop.
“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. Now, let’s just go over this file and figure out what that slimy reverend is up to.”
Quinn handed the saved papers to Callie. “You get the honor of telling us all the gory details,” he offered, trying to remain calm.
Opening to the pertinent pages, she began. “In session, Margaret Higgins informed me that she believed her husband was being unfaithful.”
“Wow, she said that?” asked Luke.
“Yes. She told me numerous times that he wasn’t interested in sex. It was her opinion that he was cheating. I repeatedly dismissed it, but now I see it wasn’t the ravings of a jealous woman. Apparently, her husband did have a roving eye.”
“What did you tell her?” Nate leaned forward, interested in what his sister was going to say.
“That when a man reaches the reverend’s age, the sexual libido starts to diminish and that could be the possible cause of his lack of interest.”
Nate lifted a brow, looking at the oldest man in the room. It just happened to be Quinn.
“Hey! I’m only thirty-nine, so don’t look at me like that! I’m far from sexual dysfunction,” he said, slightly offended. Then, he relaxed when Callie came to his rescue.
“You’re like a teenager, big guy.”
The other two men groaned.
Luke managed to continue, “What else did she say?”
Callie flipped to another page, “Margaret told me that her husband has private counseling sessions with women from the congregation.”
“Okay, that’s normal, to a degree,” said Luke.
“True, but do you think it’s a coincidence that he used to council Sissy Parker weekly at the church? It was all after hours, and when everyone was gone home for the evening.”
“Sissy Parker? Holy shit!” said Quinn, standing. “That links him to half the victims.”
“Yes, it does. I bet if we rattle the cage a little, we might get him to spill some more. Once the DNA comes back, especially if you hit him with it in front of his wife, he may be more prone to sing like a bird,” said Callie.
“We need to check out the rumors of Aimee Jo seeing someone. We know that Jonnie Sharp was always on the prowl. I say tomorrow we get the DNA evidence on Reverend Higgins and start taking this town apart piece by piece,” suggested Quinn. His phone started vibrating. “Hold on.”
He recognized the number and knew the shit was about to hit the fan.
“Sheriff.”
“This is Mayor Jackson, and I need to know what the hell is going on! I just got a call from the reverend, and he tells me that my sheriff is trying to besmirch his reputation in town for some petty revenge.”
“Mayor, we had a warrant for his DNA. He’s a suspect in our case against the serial killer,” said Quinn, who then had to move the phone from his ear to avoid the profanity and shouting.
“You’re off your rocker! The reverend believes it’s slander, and I tend to agree. I want to see that DNA evidence when it gets in. If for some reason you’re wrong, you’ll be driving out to his house to offer him an apology for this idiocy, right before I fire you! Do you hear me?”
“Yes, Mayor. I hear you.”
“Good, now leave the reverend the hell alone until you get some substantial proof that he’s involved.”
“Yes, sir,” said Quinn, through his teeth. This was one reason he hated small town politics. He never thought he would be wishing he was back in a big city again, but suddenly, he was.
“Goodbye.”
Quinn disconnected the call. “It appears that our friend, the reverend, has moved fast. He already has the mayor’s ear, insisting that this is nothing more than a smear campaign.”
Callie shook her head in disgust. Apparently, the reverend had a lot of people fooled. “It’s probably good that he isn’t aware of the eyewitness’s identity, or he might try and make it worse for Susie.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Quinn said, looking up at the clock. “I’m ready to head out. I’ll take Callie to her house so she can pick up some more things.”
“Okay,” said Nate. “We’ll be by later after we pack up our bags.”
Callie looked confused. “You’ll be coming by later?”
“Yeah, we will. All three of us discussed it, and now more than ever, we think it’s best if we lock up your house and all stay at Quinn’s.”
“Why do you think its best?”
Quinn looked at Nate and Luke.
“Callie, someone just tried to burn you alive in your office. Don’t you think they’ll try again?” Nate said, shrugging innocently. They also decided to not tell her about the dead cats. “If they get past Quinn, then what will happen?”
Callie gave in. “Fine, but I don’t expect you to play dad.”
Quinn laughed, and then covered it up with a cough. If anything, Callie was bright. She already suspected what her brother was freaked out about.
“Yeah, well, whatever. Just lock your freaking door.”
Callie couldn’t help herself. “I guess no more sex in the living room or on the kitchen counters.”
“Oh God,” mumbled Nate, earning laughter from everyone else in the room. “This is my worst nightmare.”
* * *
Sunday
Late Afternoon
Quinn drove Callie to her house. In typical overprotective behavior, he cleared each room with his gun drawn. Only when it was safe, would he let her move around alone. Callie found it funny.
Quinn didn't.
As far as he was concerned, he wasn’t taking any more chances.
“Where are we going tonight?” she asked.
“Dinner, why?”
“A girl needs to know what to wear. I don’t want to be under dressed,” she said, pulling him down for a kiss. “Mmmm… you taste really good, Sheriff.”
Quinn kissed her back, fighting the distraction. “Nothing too fancy, but sexy is always appreciated in a dress. Now, go get your things. We have to head to my house. I need to shower and shave before we go out.”
“All right. I think I know what I’ll wear. Give me a few minutes.”
He’d wait forever.
Standing on the patio, he was visualizing where the dead cats had been laid out the night before. He couldn’t help but shiver at the picture in his head. When his phone vibrated, it pulled him back from his daydream.
“Sheriff.”<
br />
“Quinn, we got the prints back from Ed James.”
“Are they a match?”
“Yeah, they are,” stated Luke.
Quinn scratched his chin. “Tomorrow, after we hit the reverend’s, we’ll swing by the shop and question him about his alibi.”
“Do you want us to do it now?”
“No. Church will be starting soon, and I’d rather not give the killer a heads up. We’ll divide and hit them both tomorrow.”
“Okay, is the house clear?”
“Yeah, Callie’s just getting some clothes. I’m bringing her home soon.”
“We’ll be there later. We have some paperwork to finish up. Do you have a spare key hidden anywhere or should we break in?”
Quinn clued him into his hiding spot. He sensed her before he heard her approach.
“I’m ready, Quinn,” she said.
Quinn hung up with Luke and held out his hand. “Then, let’s get moving. I want to call and make reservations for tonight.”
“Yes, sir!” She mock-saluted, and then squealed as he chased her to the door.
“You won’t be laughing if I catch you,” he retorted, grinning wickedly.
“Oh, really?” she shouted, running around the side of his truck.
Hell, he was so glad that she was safe with him, he’d let her win this one.
For now.
* * *
Callie stood in the spare bedroom, getting dressed for the evening. She picked an off the shoulders dress made of silk that was cut short and hugged her body to show off every curve. Callie smoothed on some vanilla lotion over her legs and slid into strappy, super high-heeled sandals that showed off her newly painted toes.
Pulling up her hair to show off her throat and neck, Callie’s intent was clear. She wanted to make Quinn crazy. Once she was free of the small bandage, her attire was complete. It was time to impress a certain sheriff.
Oh, yeah, she was going to catch a really big fish tonight.
Dabbing on her perfume, Callie pondered the man waiting for her in his living room.
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