by Sophie Stern
“Don’t fuck with me, Fox. You were always good at computers. I know a plot when I see one and you definitely wanted to establish it was impossible for you to have stolen that ship. I don’t believe for a second you just happened to get arrested walking down the middle of Main Street, and I don’t believe for a second you just happened to have a record of your whereabouts and financials for the last month just sitting on your dresser.”
“Like you said,” I tell him. “I’m good with computers.”
Gaz realizes he’s not going to get anything else out of me, and he sighs, but keeps driving. I settle back in the seat and relax as he guides the hovercar to my brother’s home. Fiona is safe there, and I can’t wait to see her. It took us a few days to set everything up to clear my name and get Hector his ship back, and then I was in jail.
I’ve missed her, perhaps more than I should.
Now that justice is about to be served, the only thing I want is her.
I close my eyes as the car moves swiftly through the city, and I think of Fiona.
Chapter 25
Fiona
I’m sitting at the table gripping a hot cup of cocoa when there’s a sound outside the little house.
“They’re back!” I jump up faster than I should and run outside just as Quinn is getting out of the car. His lawyer, Gaz, is with him, but I don’t pay much attention to him. My eyes are on Quinn. I run into his arms and kiss him desperately, eagerly.
I kiss him like he’s been gone forever and not just a few days.
“I missed you, too, baby,” Quinn says, holding me tightly.
“It’s all done?” I ask him eagerly, searching his eyes, trying to figure out if the plan went off without a hitch.
“It’s done,” he assures me, and he turns to Gaz. “Come on, buddy. Let’s go watch the news. If I’m right, Hector is going to try to leave Diamond in the next couple of hours, and we wouldn’t want to miss the show.”
“I don’t have time for that,” Gaz says, rolling his eyes. He nods politely to Quinn and Ezra, who’s standing in the doorway. “Another time, boys. Try not to get arrested again anytime soon.”
Gaz gets in the floating hovercar and drives off. We stand there quietly, watching the car leave. Then we head back inside.
“How long until you think Hayden shows up?” Quinn asks Ezra once we’re settled in the living room.
“She’s already on the way,” Ezra says. “I told her you’d been released and she immediately left work to come here.
I smile as I snuggle against Quinn. I met Hayden right after we arrived on Sapphira. She’s sweet and sassy and fun. She’s so much fun. I’ve never had a sister and part of me worried she wouldn’t accept me as her brother’s girlfriend, but when we met, she wrapped her arms around me and said she’s never seen Quinn so happy.
Sure enough, within minutes, Hayden comes bounding into the living room and plops her body down on the couch with me and Quinn.
“I’m glad you’re home, big boy,” she says to Quinn, and he flashes her that charming boyish grin I’ve come to like so much.
“Was there ever any doubt I’d come home?” He asks.
“I know you’re good with computers,” Hayden admits. “But I didn’t know if you were that good. I mean, manufacturing a fake alibi for a month? And in the course of a few days? I’m impressed.”
Ezra coughs loudly and we all turn to look at him. He’s sprawled comfortably in his favorite chair with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Let’s not forget the little matter of getting the ship back in place,” he says. “Quinn might be good, but he’s not changing-the-docking-numbers good. That was all me.”
“Yes, we’re all very impressed with you,” Hayden says to her brother. Then she turns back to Quinn. “Seriously, though, what happens next?”
“What do you mean?” He looks confused. “Everything is in place.”
“Yes, but for what?” She says. “You weren’t completely clear on that. You got his ship back so he’ll believe it wasn’t taken, or so the authorities will at least believe it wasn’t taken, and no one can charge you with any crimes. What now, though? You left all the drugs on his ship.”
“We tagged them,” Ezra tells her.
“What does that mean?”
“It means,” I sit up because this is the part that intrigues me the most. This is the part where I’m completely impressed with my boyfriend and his brother and their ability to work together as a team on short notice. “They put listening devices in the drug containers. They even put a couple of video cameras in the ship.”
“So when Hector goes to move the drugs,” Hayden says. “They’ll have him on video.”
“The devices all have motion and sound sensors,” Quinn tells his sister. “The feeds will be automatically sent to each member of the police force, the mayor, the government, and any citizen who’s signed up to be on the Diamond community mailing list.”
“You mean…” Hayden’s eyes fill with tears as she realizes what her brothers have given her: closure.
They’ve made sure the man who hurt her pays.
They’ve made sure he gets locked away.
They’ve made sure without a doubt that the evidence against him is strong.
They’ve given her back her life.
“It’s over,” Ezra says. He and Quinn move in unison to Hayden and wrap their arms around her. She starts crying and they both tear up, too, as they hold her in their arms.
How long has this family wanted justice for sweet Hayden? Now that I’ve gotten to know her a little bit, I wonder how anyone could have ever hurt her. How could anyone have captured her, of all people? How could they have looked into her glowing eyes and caused her harm?
Hector deserves to pay for his crimes. He’s hurt many people during his time in Diamond and that time is coming to a close. Soon he’ll be behind bars. Soon he’ll be locked away and no one will be able to touch him.
By making sure the video and audio feeds go to as many people as possible, Ezra and Quinn have ensured Hector won’t walk away. His lawyers won’t be able to explain it away. Not this time. Not when so many people have the evidence.
If only a few people had access to the videos, it would be easy to say they had been doctored or edited. It would be easy to pretend the evidence had been faked, but there’s no faking this. Not when so many people are going to receive instant news. Not this time.
Quinn and Ezra have given Hayden her life back.
They’ve given her hope.
They’ve given her peace.
They’ve given her the chance to move forward, knowing that her captor won’t be able to hurt her again. As I watch their family embrace, I wonder how long she’s been searching for peace. How many sleepless nights has she wondered whether he was going to get her again? How many times has she jumped at a noise because she thought someone was going to take her again? How many times?
“Hey sister,” Hayden’s voice calls to me and I’m brought back to reality. They’re all looking at me: all three of them. Side-by-side, it’s so easy to see their resemblance. It’s so easy to see their family similarities. “Get in here,” she says.
And I don’t hesitate.
I move in to hug my family because that’s who they are now: my family. Quinn and I haven’t discussed marriage or a future or bonding or anything like that, but they’re my family. We love each other, and it’s a love forged in pain and darkness and battle. That kind of love stays with you forever. That kind of love can’t be broken.
That kind of love is for eternity.
Chapter 26
Quinn
Hayden, Ezra, Fiona, and I all gather around to watch the news. Less than two hours after I’m released from police custody, it happens: Hector gets on his ship and starts talking about the packages. He goes straight into the secret holding area and starts touching the drugs.
Talk about self-incrimination.
“It’s happening,” Ezra says, pulling up a communications
tablet. “Check it out.” He pulls open his email program and we see a link to the live feed. Then Hayden gets an email. Then I do. Within minutes, we start getting multiple news emails, as well, letting us know that something big is happening.
We flick on the television, and sure enough: Hector LeBlaie is big news. The newscasters don’t seem to know exactly what’s happening or why it’s so big, but they’re talking about it just the same, narrating what Hector LeBlaie is going.
“And now we see what appears to be Mr. LeBlaie entering a secret passageway on his ship,” one broadcaster says. The man looks nervous, as if he knows what LeBlaie is capable of and doesn’t want to have to deal with it.
The video feed shows LeBlaie talking with one of his henchmen and talking about what he’s going to do about the drugs, how he’s going to sell them as quickly as possible, how he needs the money. We planted enough listening devices that the audio is coming through loud and clear. There’s no getting out of it.
Not this time.
Suddenly, one of his henchmen looks at their phone and his eyes go wide.
“Um, boss?” He says. The video is a little grainy, but he hands the phone to LeBlaie, who promptly freaks out. He shoots both of the men who are with him immediately. The men don’t even have time to react and before their bodies hit the ground, LeBlaie goes to climb out of the ship.
It’s too late.
He’s too late.
He moved too slow, reacted too poorly.
We can already hear the sounds of sirens and alarms on the audio feed and it’s obvious that Hector LeBlaie is completely surrounded by military and police personnel. This might be the bust of the century, but I don’t even care that Ezra and I are the ones behind it. I don’t care about getting credit because I know we won’t. The police chief will take credit, or the mayor will, and they’ll be praised for doing their jobs so well.
That doesn’t matter.
I know what really happened.
And what I know right now is that for the first time in a very long time, my little sister doesn’t look like she’s about to burst into tears or run away screaming. For the first time in a very long time, she looks completely at peace, as if the weight of the world has been lifted off her shoulders.
And that makes it all worth it.
That makes everything we went through completely worth it.
“Thank you,” Hayden says with tears streaming down her face. “Thank you for giving me peace,” she whispers.
We gather around and hold her for awhile, and then Ezra speaks.
“We love you, sis. We’d do anything for you. And,” he pauses, looking at Fiona and me. “If I’m not mistaken, it’s time to do the same for this little darling.”
“Darling?” Fiona raises an eyebrow.
“My brother loves you,” Ezra says. “That makes you his darling. I don’t know all the details of what brought you two together, but if I’m not mistaken, I’d say it’s probably time for a little payback of your own. Am I right?”
Hayden suddenly looks at us with bright eyes.
“Where are we going?” She asks. “Can I come? Do we get to beat someone up? Well, do we?”
“I, um, I…” Fiona looks momentarily stunned. “I would love it if you guys came with us. I mean, it’s really not necessary, but…” She looks at me and leans her head against my shoulder. “Yeah,” she whispers. “I’d love it if you would come.”
I don’t want Fiona to leave.
I don’t want to lose her, don’t want her to go away. We haven’t come up with a definitive plan to get her parents and Darin, yet, but we have a three day flight to Mirroean and that gives me three days to come up with something that will sever ties with them forever and secure her to myself.
And if she chooses to stay on Mirroean, I’ll stay with her. I already told Ezra. Where Fiona goes, I go. I might have rescued her without really wanting to, without knowing what I was getting into, but none of that matters now. Now the only thing that matters is saving her again, and again, and again.
I’ll spend the rest of my life saving Fiona if she’ll let me.
I’ll spend the rest of my life making her love me.
Chapter 27
Fiona
Quinn and I make love all night. It’s sweet and it’s passionate and it’s something more. Something about it feels more permanent, more intense than the sex we’ve had before. Something about this feels like Quinn is bonding me to himself, like we’re meshing together, and I like that.
I love that.
I need it.
When we wake up, Ezra and Hayden are waiting for us downstairs. They both smile at us, but don’t say anything.
“Good morning,” I greet them with a smile.
“A very good morning, by the sounds of it,” Hayden snickers and picks up her coffee mug.
“Oh, shit,” I blurt out and quickly cover my mouth. They heard us. Holy dragons. I didn’t even think about how loud Quinn and I were being while we were making love all night. That’s what we were doing: making love. It was hard and intense, but it wasn’t the primal fucking we did on the ship. This was more, and it consumed my entire mind, and I didn’t even think about the fact that we weren’t alone.
Ezra just laughs. “Give the girl a break,” he says to Hayden. “Like you’ve never gotten carried away in the moment.” Hayden smiles, but her smile is a little sad, like she’s got a secret she doesn’t want anyone to know.
Part of me wants to ask her about that, but it’s not the time. Maybe when we’re alone together sometime, we can have some serious girl talk. Something tells me there’s a lot about Hayden Fox her brothers don’t know. Something tells me she keeps many of her secrets close to her heart.
“When do we leave?” Quinn asks Ezra.
“An hour,” Ezra glances at his watch.
“Where’d you get a ship on such short notice?” I ask them. On Mirroean, if you don’t personally own a ship, flying is incredibly difficult. There are waiting lists to rent a ship and the cost can be astronomical.
“Gaz,” the three siblings say in unison.
“Woah. He’s a pretty nice lawyer,” I manage to say, but I’m guessing there’s more to their relationship with Gaz than they’re letting on. Maybe he really is just a lawyer, but I’m guessing he’s a close, personal friend, and they’d like to keep that information on the down-low, for some reason.
“Too nice,” Ezra agrees politely. “All packed?” He asks, and Hayden jerks her head toward the tower of suitcases by the front door.
“I am,” she says, smiling sweetly.
“Woman, I told you we’re only going to be gone for a week,” Quinn looks shocked. He tosses his lone backpack on the pile. They all turn to me, but I shrug.
“I don’t have anything to bring, boys. Hayden was nice enough to give me a spare outfit, but that’s it. I don’t have anything else.”
“I packed you a bag,” Hayden tells me, nodding firmly. “No sister of mine is going to be without.”
“That’s really sweet, but you know, I’m not actually your sister. I mean, Quinn and me, we’re just…”
“Fucking?” Hayden finishes my sentence, but waves her hand. “Yeah, you keep telling me that all you want.” She points a finger at Quinn. “I’ve seen the way you look at her. You love her and want to keep her. She wants you, too. Just be patient.”
Then Hayden turns to Ezra and offers him her arm.
“Shall we?” She asks.
“We shall.” He takes her arm and guides her out the door, leaving Quinn and I alone.
“Your sister is something else,” I tell him.
“She’s not wrong,” he says quietly.
“About what?”
“About me loving you.”
“You love me?” I turn around and raise an eyebrow. “We barely know each other,” I say quietly, but the truth is that his words send a rainbow of emotions through me.
I feel bright and blue.
I feel vibra
nt and red.
I feel serene and yellow.
I feel everything.
“I know we’ve only just met,” he says quietly. “I know this thing between us is new, but I’ve never felt anything like it before, Fiona.”
“Me neither,” I tell him honestly.
He moves across the room to me and pulls me into his arms.
“Tell me you’ll give it a shot,” he says. “Come stay with me on Sapphira, or I can stay with you on Mirroean. I don’t care where we are. That doesn’t matter. None of it matters. As long as we’re together, that’s all I care about.”
“There’s a lot about me you don’t know,” I tell him.
“There’s so much about me you don’t know, either,” he says. “Let’s spend the rest of our lives discovering those secrets, Fiona. Let’s do it together. Let’s go on a wonderful adventure together.”
I should say no.
I should tell him this is too sudden, too stupid, too ridiculous, but instead of telling him all the reasons we can’t be together, I find myself kissing Quinn and whispering the word “yes” to him.
“Yes,” I kiss him. “I love you, too. Yes. Yes. Yes.”
Quinn growls and pushes me against the wall. I can feel his hard length pressing against my belly as he dominates my mouth, showing me exactly what he thinks about the words I’ve said to him.
“Say it again,” he commands.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“The other thing.”
“I love you, Quinn. I’ve never loved anyone before, not like this. I love you.” He stops kissing me for just a minute and I place my hands on either side of his face. There’s so much we’ve been through together, so much we’ve overcome as a team. I don’t want to stop now. I don’t want to walk away now. I don’t want to give up now.
I want everything.
And I want Quinn.
“I love you,” I say once more. “You saved me, Quinn. You didn’t have to, but you saved me.”
“Any decent person would have saved you, sweetheart.”