9. Quinn
Chapter 9
Quinn
I whistle along with the radio as I turn the police cruiser in the direction of the station. I’m returning from a domestic between a husband and wife. She came home early from work to discover him in bed with another woman. The neighbors called it in when she chased him naked down the street, screaming obscenities and brandishing a pair of nutcrackers.
Two hours of my life I’m never getting back, but it's all part of the job here in Sunrise Bay. My days may be stressful, but I now have my ray of sunshine to go home to and a kid who’s stolen my heart.
It’s been a month since that amazing night with Lottie. I left before Aiden woke that first morning, not wanting to confuse him with my presence. But we’ve all naturally fallen into a routine in the last few weeks. I go to Lottie’s for breakfast with her and Aiden every morning before she takes him to pre-K. Then we both head off to work, usually grabbing lunch together if we can and going over any new developments with Aiden’s case. I return to Lottie’s for dinner and playtime with Aiden before we put him to bed.
And then Lottie and I fall into bed for our private playtime.
I can’t get enough of my woman. I could spend all day inside her. I know Lottie feels the same, judging by how desperate she is for me every night. We barely get our clothes off before I’m sinking inside her, the tight clasp of her body driving me to heights I’ve never experienced before.
Lottie is a tactile person and touches me at every opportunity. Small things like tucking her small hand in mine when we’re walking, brushing my hair back from my forehead, or the quick kiss she gives me every morning before I leave for work. It’s not something I’ve known before, but I love her small touches and how open she is with her affection. I love everything about her. Her touch, her taste, even her cute little snores at night.
She’s brightened my life and turned my world from black and white to technicolor, like Dorothy leaving Kansas and landing in Oz. And yeah, she’s made me watch that movie, telling me that I was the Tin Man before she and Aiden came along. She’s not wrong. But unlike the Tin Man, I’ve always had a heart; it just never beat properly until they jumpstarted it.
Somehow, without conscious thought, the three of us, Lottie, Aiden, and me, have become a family. We go to the park, eat double chocolate chip at the local ice cream parlor, and collect shells and pebbles as we stroll along the beach. I tuck Aiden into bed at night, and Lottie reads him a story. He’s naturally accepted us as his primary caregivers. He’s come to trust us, and that’s more precious than gold. In turn, I’ve come to love the kid like he’s my own, and I know Lottie has too. She was born to be a mother and is fiercely protective of Aiden.
Every day, the shadows in the little boy’s eyes ease a little. He’s gained weight and smiles more often. He still has the occasional nightmare, but he’s never mentioned his parents. Not once. My blood boils at the thought of what they did to him that he wouldn’t even be curious about them.
Despite having BOLOs on Mike and Alicia Hartless, no one has seen them. I know the feds are also interested in speaking to them regarding a drug trafficking network they suspect they’re a part of. And I’d bet my right arm that Mike Hartless was driving the car the night we were shot at. Between my office and the feds, we have enough probable cause to bring them in for questioning, but that’s not happening until we find them. Wherever they are, they’re hunkered down, but I know that won’t last. People like Mike and Alicia Hartless don’t like being told what to do. And they don’t like having what’s theirs taken from them—in this case, Aiden.
Lottie spoke to Jan on her return from vacation, and her boss agreed she could reduce her hours until Aiden’s case was resolved. The kid needs consistency, and Lottie wants to be the one to take and fetch him from pre-K.
I check the time. She’ll be picking Aiden up soon. I arranged with the school that Aiden leave a few minutes before the other kids. Quicker and easier for Lottie to pick him up and for my deputy stationed outside to keep an eye on them without dealing with the mass exodus of kids.
I smile, something I’ve been doing a lot lately, as I remember we promised Aiden a movie and popcorn night as it’s a Friday.
My thoughts are interrupted as my police receiver crackles to life.
“All units, please respond.”
My stomach drops as I grab the receiver. “This is Sheriff Jordan. What’s happening, Linda?”
“What’s your location, Sheriff?”
“I’m two minutes from the office.”
“Please proceed to Pineview Elementary. Shots fired. Deputy Michaels is injured but managed to call it in. Ambulance dispatched and en route.”
Fuck!
That’s Aiden’s school. My blood turns to ice.
Slamming on the brakes, I make a U-turn, hit the siren and the blues, and drive like a maniac.
My boots pound against the linoleum as I burst through the double doors of Pineview Elementary. Damnit, I thought he’d be safe here. I promised Lottie, especially with one of my deputies stationed here during school hours.
Not wanting the details to be broadcast to anyone with a police scanner, I ensured everyone was silent about what was going on as I sped across town, which meant I wasn’t sure what the other deputies and I would be walking into.
The principal’s eyes are wide as I enter her office, her hand fluttering to her throat like a bird trapped in a house. “Sheriff Jordan, thank God you’re here,” she gasps.
“Where’s Aiden?” My voice is a hammer, and she flinches. I don’t care if I scare her; I want to know where Aiden is.
“His parents, they t-took him. Mrs. Hartless, she had a g-gun. W-we couldn’t...” She trails off, the rest of her words lost as her lips tremble wordlessly.
“Damnit!” My fist connects with the wall, leaving a mark that’ll be hell to explain later. Alicia and Mike Hartless are monsters parading as human beings, but shooting one of my officers and kidnapping their child from school? In broad fucking daylight? That’s a new low, even for them.
I scan the hallway, my gaze catching on a crumpled flyer for the school play on the floor. Did Aiden do that? Did he clutch at anything he could grab as they carried him away?
Six of my deputies enter the school, careful, watchful, and cautious. I give them directions, jobs to do, and post two of them at the doors, the only entrance to the small school.
“Deputy Miller, you’re with me,” I bark, turning on my heel without waiting for the other man, already dialing Lottie.
The phone rings once, twice, and then her voice, usually so full of laughter, sounds small and tight. Has she already heard about Aiden, or is my unexpected call a signal that something is wrong? “Quinn?”
Her uncertain tone tugs at my chest, making my stomach tighten with anxiety. She’s so perceptive that beating around the bush trying to find a way to lessen the blow would be useless. Lottie’s the kind of woman who wants bad news delivered as plainly and simply as possible.
“They took him, Lottie. Aiden’s parents injured my deputy and snatched him right outside the school.”
I hear her sharp intake of breath. “No, no, no! This is my fault. I should’ve seen this coming. I shouldn’t have sent him to school.”
“Lottie, listen to me.” My voice softens because if one thing can break through my gruff exterior, it’s the sound of her hurting. “You didn’t put him in this situation. His waste of space parents did. You tried to get him out. We’re going to fix this.”
Her sniffle carries down the line. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because I’m the damn sheriff, remember?” I try to infuse a bit of humor, a lifeline for her to grab onto.
“The big, bad sheriff, right?” She’s not quite smiling, but it’s close. I can hear it in her voice. It’s something.
“Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you.” I don’t wait for her response before hanging up and heading back to my car. The gears shift into place with a satisfying clunk as I prepare for the ride to Lottie’s., checking that Deputy Miller is behind me. Every second counts, and I feel like I’m moving through molasses.
When I pull up to her place, Lottie is pacing her front porch like a caged animal. Her hair, usually a cascade of golden waves, is pulled back in a hasty ponytail, and her eyes are rimmed red. As soon as she spots me, she launches herself down the steps. I catch her as she throws herself into my arms, gathering her close and inhaling her citrus scent to ground myself. I need her steadying presence as much as she needs mine right now.
“Quinn, what are we going to do?” Her hands grip my arms, her fingers digging in hard enough to bruise.
“First, we breathe.” Her body is a bundle of nerves against mine, trembling like a leaf in a storm. “We’re going to find Aiden, and we’re going to bring him back safe.”
“How can you be so certain?” Her voice quivers against my chest.
“Because I’ve got you, and you never give up. So neither will I.” It’s the truth. Lottie might be all sunshine to my grump, but she’s also the fiercest person I know.
For the first time since the call, she chuckles, a small, watery sound. “Is the big, bad sheriff going soft on me?”
“Only for you, Lottie. And only outside the bedroom.”
That earns me the smile I love so much—and a punch on the arm. “So not the time or the place, Sheriff.”
“I know, but I needed one of these,” I say, tracing the smile lingering on her lips with my thumb. “They keep me going. Remind me what—who—I’m fighting for.”
Her honey-colored eyes fill with tears as she whispers, “We need to find him, Quinn. He’s meant to be with us.”
I nod. “I know. Stay inside, Lottie,” I command as I guide her through the front door of her modest clapboard house. The familiar creak of the porch swing in the light breeze is oddly comforting.
She stops in the doorway, turning back to me.
“Quinn, I should be out there with you,” she protests, her voice laced with a stubbornness I know all too well.
“Your place is here, where it’s safe.” My tone brooks no argument, but the look in her eyes tells me she’s not about to back down easily.
“Safe? Aiden isn’t safe! How can I just sit here?” Her words are coated in fire, her hands on her hips as she gears up for a fight. But this is one battle I’m determined to win.
“Lottie,” I say softly, stepping closer, needing her to hear me and understand, “you’re no good to Aiden if something happens to you. And Mike and Alicia Hartless are at their most dangerous right now. If we push them too hard, they’ll react in a way we don’t want them to. Plus, I need to know that at least one of you is safe. If you’re out there chasing after him, my attention will be divided.”
I see the conflict in her gaze, the need to act warring with the understanding that she can’t rush into this headlong. Finally, she nods, her body sagging. She’s going to listen to me, thank goodness.
“Fine,” she concedes, a reluctant sigh escaping her lips. She turns away from me, but not before I catch the shimmer of unshed tears in her eyes. “Why, Quinn?” she whispers. “Why have they taken him? Why do they even want him? They don’t love him. They just hurt him.”
I sigh, turning her into my arms and hugging her close. “Who knows, Sunshine? Maybe they’re using him as a pawn, a bargaining chip to try to get out of the county. Or they could be so deluded that they’re in denial about their abusive behavior and genuinely believe that Aiden belongs with them.”
I don’t say that, in extreme cases, abusive parents can derive a sadistic pleasure from having control over the child and inflicting pain. They might see Aiden’s removal as a challenge to their “authority” and want him back to continue their abusive behavior. Sounds fucked up, but it happens, and Lottie doesn’t need to hear that right now.
Lottie’s cold hands cup my cheeks, and she kisses me softly before whispering, “Come back to me safely. Both of you.”
“We will,” I promise. “Deputy Miller will be right outside.” I nod at the younger man as he steps onto the porch, his posture rigid with responsibility. “He won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Thank you,” she murmurs, directing a small, grateful smile at Miller before disappearing inside.
“Keep your eyes open, Deputy,” I instruct, clapping Miller on the shoulder. “You see anything or anyone unusual, you call it in.”
“Understood, Sheriff,” he replies, pulling himself up to his full height, which isn’t much, but what he lacks in stature, he makes up for in determination.
“Good man.” I give him an approving nod and start toward my car, feeling the weight of duty settle firmly on my shoulders.
Before I open the driver’s side door, I glance back at the house, half-expecting Lottie to come charging out, ready to join the hunt despite my orders. But the curtains remain still, and the front door closed. This time, she listens.
I climb into the car, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white. Time is slipping through my fingers like grains of sand, and Aiden’s trail grows colder with every passing minute.
“Come on, Quinn, think,” I mutter to myself, turning the key in the ignition.
The engine roars to life, a rumble of power that steadies my racing heart. I throw the car into gear and peel out of Lottie’s driveway, gravel spitting out behind me.
As I drive, my mind races alongside the vehicle, piecing together the Hartless couple’s possible moves. They’re obviously desperate, which means they’re dangerous, but desperate people make mistakes. I just need to find one, a single mistake, to lead me to Aiden.
“Dammit, Aiden,” I whisper, almost as if speaking directly to the boy might summon him to safety. “Hang in there, kid.”
My phone buzzes with incoming calls and texts, reports from my deputies, sightings, and leads. I field them one by one, discarding the dead ends, following up on the maybes. The feds are coming to lend us a hand, but I want to find him before then. Every second Aiden spends with those two lunatics is another second closer to the boy being harmed.
“Anything yet?” I bark into the phone at my second-in-command, Deputy Tate.
“Nothing concrete, Sheriff. We’re combing through surveillance footage from around the school, but it’s taking time.”
“Time we don’t have,” I snap, more to the universe than to Tate.
“Understood, sir. We’re on it.”
“Keep me posted.” I end the call with a frustrated tap, almost dislodging it from the cradle.
The sky darkens as the day wears on, shadows stretching long across the road as if pointing the way. I push harder, driving faster, the lines on the asphalt blurring beneath my tires. I head through town, wondering if the couple has taken Aiden to one of the abandoned buildings on the outskirts or if they’re still even in the same county. They have an old beat-up car; they can’t go far.
“Come on, come on,” I urge myself, the mantra a pulse in my blood. I can’t fail, not Aiden, not Lottie, not this town that trusts me to keep it safe.
“Where are you, you bastards?” I growl, thinking of Alicia and Mike Hartless, their twisted actions driven by fear and selfishness.
Then, like a beacon through the fog of my thoughts, a piece clicks into place, an oversight, a detail so small anyone could’ve missed it.
“Gotcha,” I murmur, a grim smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. It’s not much, but it’s enough. It’s a starting point.
“Miller, you keep Lottie safe. You hear me?” I say aloud, though the deputy can’t hear me from Lottie’s porch. There’s no room for error, not when lives hang in the balance.
“Aiden, I’m coming for you, son,” I vow, the words a silent oath that fuels my resolve.
The road stretches out before me, endless and winding, but I’m ready for the chase. For Aiden’s sake. For Lottie’s. And yeah, for mine, too.
Because if I fail the boy, I fail them all. And failure isn’t an option.