Whatever it Takes (Healing Hearts book 3)

by Laura Farr

  “What have you found out?” I asked, having no idea how bad it was.

  “Brody, he’s wanted in a triple homicide.”

  “Homicide?” I shouted, gaining a few strange looks from people using the cafeteria. Meeting Mason and then Josh’s eyes, I could see the concern on both their faces. “Who’d he kill?”

  “A small-time drug dealer and two of his associates. He disappeared from Westwood, New Jersey, a few weeks ago.” He paused. “That’s not all. He’s done time for assault and battery around fifteen years ago.”

  “Shit!” I pushed my hand through my hair, my stomach rolling when I thought about how much danger Quinn had been in.

  “How do you know this man, Brody?” Ethan asked again when I’d fallen silent.

  “He’s my girlfriend’s stepfather,” I said quietly, my mind working overtime.

  “Quinn Montgomery?”

  “Yeah. How do you know her name?”

  “Her name’s in the file as a person of interest.”

  “A person of fucking interest?” I spat, anger bubbling in my stomach. “She's a victim, Ethan.”

  “Calm down, Brody. They’re worried for her safety; she’s listed as a missing person.” He paused and let out a sigh. “The bodies were found in her house. They were worried he’d hurt her too.”

  “He did hurt her,” I growled. “She was banged up when she arrived here.”

  “I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling, but this man is dangerous.” My stomach rolled again at the thought of Evan getting anywhere near Quinn. There was no way I’d let him hurt her again. “Has she been in touch with him since she left?”

  “Shit, no! She’s terrified of him.”

  “Look, you aren’t going to like this, but I’ve been in touch with the police chief in Westwood. He asked me to talk to her if she turned up here, find out what she knows.”

  “No way! She doesn’t know anything.”

  “Brody, I’ve no choice. I'll need to speak to her tomorrow after I’ve been over the file.”

  Shutting my eyes, I lowered my head and sighed. “There’s no way around it?” I asked in desperation, not wanting Quinn to have to know what Evan had done.

  “I’m sorry, man,” Ethan said, his voice showing his remorse.

  “Fine. But make it late tomorrow, give me a chance to talk to her first.” I ended the call, not waiting for a reply. I knew it wasn’t Ethan’s fault. He was just doing his job. Tossing my phone across the small plastic table, I groaned, dropping my head into my hands.

  “Brody?” Josh asked, concern lacing his voice. “What was all that about?”

  Lifting my head, I saw the worry on his face. “Do you remember me saying I was going to ask Ethan to run Quinn’s stepfather’s details through the police computer?” He nodded. “Well, that conversation was the outcome of him doing just that.”

  “Homicide?” Mason asked quietly. I nodded. “Shit.”

  “From what Quinn’s told me, it sounds like he’s killed the guys he owed money to.”

  “Do you think he’ll come for her?” Josh asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

  “I have no idea. As far as I know, he has no clue where she is. America’s a big-ass country. She could have gone anywhere.” The idea that Quinn could have chosen a different bus that night, one that didn’t bring her to Marble Falls and the ranch, made my heart ache.

  “Are you going to tell her?” Josh asked.

  “I’ve got no choice,” I told him. “Ethan wants to come and talk to her. Apparently, the police department in Westwood have been looking for her. She’s a missing person.” Sighing, I ran my hand through my hair. “Until they can locate her and know she wasn’t involved, she’s a person of interest.” Needing to see her I got to my feet. “Let’s head back. I need to know she’s okay.”

  As Josh and Mason got up, Josh put his hand on my shoulder. “Anything you need, we’re here for you, Brode. Remember that.” I saw Mason nod, and I pulled Josh into a one-armed hug, slapping his back.

  “Thanks, guys.”

  Walking back through the corridors of the hospital, my mind raced with everything Ethan had told me. I needed to get back to Savannah’s room and see my girl with my own eyes to know she was safe. It was irrational as I knew I’d left her with Savannah and Libby, but after hearing all that from Ethan, I didn’t ever want to let Quinn out of my sight again. I had no idea how I was going to tell her what Evan had done. I just hoped I could convince her to stay with me where she belonged.

  Quinn

  Standing in Savannah’s hospital room I watched as she held her newborn daughter in her arms. She looked exhausted but so happy. Libby had been cuddling Hope when she started to fuss, so Savannah had taken her back, soothing her almost immediately. It was crazy to think she was only a couple of hours old, but she already knew who her momma was.

  Savannah had filled us in on the labor and birth and hearing her story had made me press my legs together tightly. As amazing as Hope was, there was no way I wanted children anytime soon. I’m sure as soon as Sav held Hope in her arms she forgot all the pain she’d endured, but for me, hearing about it was enough.

  “Quinn, get over here,” Sav called, motioning for me to go over. I’d backed away from the bed to give them some space. I was acutely aware I was intruding on a special family moment and wasn’t completely comfortable with being there. “Do you want to hold her?” Savannah asked as I came to stand next to her.

  “I’d love to.” I leaned down, and she placed Hope into my arms. “Oh, she’s so tiny,” I whispered, my eyes fixed on Hope. Opening her blanket slightly, I brushed my finger across the silky soft skin of her small hand. Grabbing hold of my finger, her hand fisted around it as she opened her eyes. Beautiful blue eyes stared back at me, her long eyelashes almost touching her cheeks when she blinked.

  “Hello, Hope,” I cooed. She yawned in reply and closed her eyes, falling asleep in my arms. “She’s perfect, Savannah.” Her response was also to yawn, and she dropped her head back on her pillow closing her eyes.

  “You sleep, we’ll watch Hope,” Libby whispered to Savannah, pulling the sheet over her. She was asleep before Libby could finish covering her up. I could only imagine how exhausted she must be. “I’m just going to grab a coffee from the vending machine down the hall. Do you want anything?” Libby whispered. I shook my head, and she slipped out of the door, leaving me holding Hope.

  Looking around, I walked over to a large recliner chair in the corner of the room. Sitting down I couldn’t take my eyes off Hope. She was fast asleep but making tiny grunting noises, and occasionally her face would scrunch up before smoothing out again. She was fascinating to watch. Hearing the door, I dragged my eyes off Hope to see Josh entering, followed by Mason and Brody. I quickly put my fingers to my lips and gestured with my head to a sleeping Savannah. Josh crossed the room and placed a soft kiss on Hope’s head before making his way to Savannah and doing the same. I whispered to Mason that Libby had gone for coffee and he nodded, leaving the room to find her. Catching Brody’s eye, I saw him grinning as he watched me with Hope.

  “Hey, baby. You look comfy there,” he whispered. Squatting down by the side of the chair, he kissed my lips.

  “She’s perfect, Brody,” I told him, staring down at her. He nodded.

  “She is.” We sat in silence for a few minutes watching Hope. I realized though that Brody was in fact watching me and not Hope.

  “Everything okay?” I asked seeing a strange expression on his face.

  “Everything’s fine.” His eyes dropped from mine to focus on Hope. I frowned.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive, sweetheart.”

  I nodded, not convinced he was telling me the truth.

  “Should we leave and let them get some rest?” he asked, seeing that Josh was nodding off on the bed next to Savannah. Standing up, I nodded, kissing Hope gently on the forehead before placing her in the crib at the side of the bed. Waving to a dozing Josh, we
told him we’d see them once they were home. Quietly, we slipped out of the room and into the hallway where Libby and Mason were. Explaining that all three of them were asleep, they decided to leave too and we all walked to the parking lot together.

  Driving back to the ranch, Brody was quiet. With the excitement of seeing Hope, I’d been able to push all thoughts of seeing Evan to the back of my mind for an hour or so. Now I was sitting in Brody’s quiet truck, all I could think about was him and whether or not he had found me. I knew logically there was no way he could know where I was, but I was sure I’d seen him in Marble Falls. As we pulled up outside the ranch house, Brody reached over and squeezed my hand.

  “Do you feel like pizza and a movie in bed tonight?”

  “That sounds perfect.” I leaned across the cab of the truck and kissed his stubbled jaw. Jumping out of his seat he made his way around the truck, holding my door open for me. Walking hand in hand into the house, we bumped into Claire and Ryan. They were in the hall, getting ready to go out for the evening. Saying a quick hello and goodbye we headed upstairs. Quickly throwing on some sweats and tying my hair up, I padded down the hall to Brody’s room. Pushing his door, it opened silently and I was able to stand and stare at him while he kicked his jeans off, revealing a pair of tight black boxer shorts. Turning suddenly, he grinned as he caught me watching him. Dragging my eyes up his thick toned legs, I felt my face flush as my eyes travelled over the bulge in his boxer shorts. My eyes continued to take him in, and I gazed at his bronzed and toned chest.

  “Come here,” he said huskily, his hooded eyes meeting mine. Walking slowly toward him, butterflies erupted in my stomach. His hands reached around my waist, pulling me into his bare chest. “That’s better,” he muttered in my ear as he lowered his head to mine. “You were too far away over there,” he said, brushing kisses along my neck. I sighed as I dropped my head to the side, giving him better access. One of his hands released my neck and tangled in my hair, pulling my mouth up to his. His lips captured mine, and I felt him brush his tongue against my lips, seeking entry into my mouth. Opening up to him, his tongue found mine and I heard him moan, his erection pressing against my stomach. Picking me up I wrapped my legs around him as he carried me to the edge of his bed, gently laying me down on top of the comforter. My head fell on his pillow and he broke the kiss, reaching around the back of my head for the hair tie holding my hair. Gently pulling it out, my hair fanned out on his pillow.

  “Beautiful,” he mumbled as he bent his head again, kissing around my jaw and down my neck. Tracing his fingers under my sweater I shivered under his touch, goose bumps erupting on my skin where he touched me. Sitting up I pulled my sweater over my head, leaving me in just my bra. I was done with waiting. I knew I was falling in love with him, and as much as that scared me, I was ready to be with him.

  Brody

  I knew I should be talking to Quinn about Evan but I couldn’t bring myself to start the conversation. I wanted to shield her from everything relating to him, not to see the terror in her eyes when I told her what I knew.

  Watching her remove her top, my eyes widened in surprise, all thoughts of Evan disappearing to the back of my mind. Seeing my reaction, she grinned and pulled me down on top of her. Our eyes locked before she brushed her lips against mine, snaking her tongue into my mouth. Her legs wrapped around me and I pushed my aching cock against her. She moaned and tightened her legs around me, her hands tugging on my hair. Breaking the kiss, I lifted her so she was straddling me, my hand pushing her hair over her shoulder.

  “Are you sure?” I asked her, knowing I would wait for as long as it took for her to be ready.

  “Yes, I’m sure,” she whispered, her cheeks flushing pink. “I want you.”

  “God, I want you too, baby,” I mumbled as I kissed her neck. I don’t think I’d ever wanted anyone as much as I wanted Quinn. As soon as I’d stared into her eyes that day at the hospital, I'd wanted her. I’d never felt this strongly for anyone before, and there was no doubt in my mind I was falling in love with her.

  Pulling the material of her bra down I exposed one of her perfect tits. My mouth found her nipple, my tongue circling around it. Her back arched, pushing her tit further into my mouth. Biting down gently she gasped, her hand holding my head to her chest. Reaching around her arched back, I undid the clasp on her bra. Releasing her nipple from my mouth I watched as her bra fell away from her body.

  “Lie down, baby.” Once she’d lain down, I slowly removed her sweats, leaving her lying on my bed in nothing but a pair of black lace panties. Her blonde hair was splayed out on my pillow and I swear she looked like a fucking angel. My angel. Lifting her leg, I kissed up her calf and around her knee. She giggled occasionally when my mouth connected with a ticklish spot and I smiled against her skin, loving how ticklish she was.

  “You’re meant to be moaning, not giggling,” I teased, making my way up her thigh. The giggling stopped almost immediately as my lips kissed over her lace panties. Panties that were already soaked for me. “God, you’re so wet, baby,” I muttered, reaching for the edges of her panties. She lifted her hips, and I pulled them down her legs, tossing them onto the floor at the side of the bed. Sitting back on my heels, I let my eyes wander over her naked body. She looked so beautiful. Sweeping my gaze up her legs and over her flat stomach, my eyes lingered on her full tits, her nipples pebbled with her arousal. Dragging my attention away from her tits I saw her head was lifted from the pillow and she was biting down on her lip, her eyes fixed on me. I knew this would be her first time, and I could see she was nervous.

  “You are so beautiful, Quinn. I can’t keep my eyes, or my hands, off you,” I said, running my hands up her legs. My fingers ran through the wet folds between her legs and she gasped, dropping her head back onto the pillow. My tongue followed my fingers, and I sucked her clit into my mouth, holding her legs down as she tried to buck against me. Her breaths were coming in short sharp pants and she moaned as I pushed a finger inside her, my mouth still working her over.

  “God, that feels so good,” she moaned, her arm coming up to cover her face. My tongue began circling her clit, and she cried out as I pushed another finger inside her tight, wet heat. Thrusting my fingers in and out, her walls gripped them tightly. I reached my other hand up and over her stomach, rolling her nipple between my fingers. Her walls were fluttering around my fingers and I knew she was close to falling over the edge. Pinching her nipple, I sucked her clit into my mouth again. Her hips left the bed as her orgasm hit her and she came hard, calling out my name. Kissing up and over her stomach I traced her scar with my tongue and brushed a kiss over her butterfly tattoo before making my way up her body. Her breathing was still ragged and uneven, and her arm was still over her face. Lifting her arm, I brushed my lips against hers. She flung her arms around me, kissing me urgently.

  “Wow…” she panted, pulling out of the kiss. “That was… wow!”

  I chuckled as I took in her flushed face, her eyes wide. Leaning across the bed to the nightstand, I reached into the drawer and pulled out a condom.

  “Are you still sure you want to do this?” I wanted her to know she could change her mind at any point. She nodded, and I moved off the bed, slowly removing my boxers as she sat up and watched me. I saw her eyes drop to my cock as it sprung free, jutting out in front of me. She swallowed nervously, and I sat down on the bed next to her. “I’ll go slowly, and we can stop whenever you want. The last thing I want is to hurt you, baby,” I said, taking her hand in mine. She smiled, and I kneeled on the bed, rolling the condom on. Kissing her lips, I gently lowered her down on the bed, bringing my body over hers. Deepening the kiss, I bit down on her lip and they parted, her tongue snaking into my mouth. My fingers found her tit, and I gently pinched her nipple as I kissed her. Her back arched, opening her neck up to me. I kissed over her jaw, gently nipping her neck before soothing it with my tongue. Dropping my hand between her legs I slid my fingers through her folds circling my thumb around her clit.


  “More, Brody,” she moaned. Settling between her legs, I took my cock in my hand and placed it against her entrance. Pushing gently, I eased inside her. She gasped, and I stopped.

  “Are you okay?” I hated that I was hurting her. She closed her eyes and nodded her head.

  “Keep going,” she whispered, her nails digging into the skin on my shoulders. I eased further inside her until my hips met hers. Taking a shaky breath, I kissed her, working my tongue into her mouth. She felt so tight, it was taking everything I had to stay still while she got used to me being inside her.

  “Please move,” she begged, wiggling her hips. Slowly pulling out, she whimpered as I gently thrust against her. I dropped my head to her nipple, sucking it into my mouth. “Oh God!” she cried out. “Faster, Brody.”

  Relieved that she didn’t seem to be in pain, I put my hand under her knee and bent her leg, increasing the speed of my thrusts. She felt incredible wrapped around my cock and I could feel my orgasm building already. I wanted her to come again though, and I dropped my fingers between her legs, flicking her clit with my thumb. She arched her back and moaned as I pounded into her. Her breathing was labored and her pussy was twitching around my cock. I knew she was close.

  Kissing up her neck, I whispered in her ear, “Come for me, baby.” My fingers pinched her clit and her whole body shuddered as she came, biting down on my shoulder. Thrusting inside her once more I followed her with my own orgasm, collapsing on top of her, both our bodies slick with sweat.

  After a few minutes, our breathing had evened out, and I slowly lifted my head from her shoulder. Her face was still flushed from her orgasm and her eyes were wide. A huge smile lit up her face. I’d never seen her look so beautiful. Unable to resist kissing her, I dropped my lips to hers. What started out as a gentle kiss, soon turned into something more and I felt my cock harden inside her. Pulling out of the kiss, Quinn raised her eyebrows at me.