Chapter 70 #4
“No! No, they’re not with us. They don’t understand!” I tucked my arms under her and gritted my teeth, attempting to drag her. Quinntessa whined in pain, her head falling back against me. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! We have to g?—”
The door to the barn flew open, and all I saw was bright light flooding into the stalls. I stumbled with her again, unable to pick her up from this position.
My eardrums pulsed to the rhythm of my racing heartbeat. The shouting of officers was muffled by Quinntessa’s cries. The red and blue lights outside the building flickered as multiple guns pointed in my direction.
It was too late.
“No! No!” I screamed and threw myself on top of Quinntessa. “Don’t hurt her! She’s not involved! She didn’t do anything!”
Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!
I felt Quinntessa hug me tightly as I sobbed, fear taking over my body at the thought of one of those pigs shooting her. I couldn’t let them take her from me. We’d made it so far. We almost made it out.
We were so fucking close to being happy.
“Daddy.” Quinntessa whimpered, making me cry harder as someone grabbed me by the back of my pants. “Daddy, she’s just scared. Please!”
Sebastian ripped me off his daughter and threw me roughly to the floor beside her. I tried to get up and run back to Quinntessa before these animals could touch her, but he slammed his knee down on my back.
“Eleanor Quincy Battles-Harrekson.” The back of my neck was pushed down into the bloody hay of the stall.
My cheekbone dug into the cement, my girl’s blood staining my face.
“You are under arrest for the attempted murder and kidnapping of a minor.” I heard his rugged voice in my ears, but all I saw was Quinntessa screaming at her father as paramedics tried to hold her down.
“She doesn’t like hospitals.” I cried out, fighting against Sebastian’s hold. “You’re only scaring her! Don’t fucking touch her!”
“You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”
“Dad, stop it! She didn’t do anything!” Quinntessa sobbed, a woman holding the top half of her down so she wouldn’t hurt herself further.
“We’ve got an injured male over here! GSW!”
“Someone grab a stretcher for Romero’s daughter!”
Sebastian ripped me up from the ground once he had me cuffed tight behind my back. I tried to resist, but another officer grabbed me under my other arm, and the two men dragged me out of the stall.
“Sal! Sally, I love you! Don’t believe the bullshit they tell you!” I shouted, roughly trying to get loose from their grip.
“Don’t fucking talk to her!” Sebastian turned me away from Quinntessa. Another officer picked me completely up from the ground, assisting Sebastian’s mad dash to put distance between us.
They dragged me out of the barn into the blinding sun. The snow fell over me and coated the grounds. Footprints scattered the dirt road, car tracks picking up the first blanketing of snow we’d see this Christmas season.
“Quinn, damn it,” I heard a familiar voice.
I lifted my head and felt my bottom lip quiver at the sight of Bruno leaning against the police car I was being guided to. The man shook his head disappointedly at me.
“Bruno, Estelle is with Erica. She has to stay with—” I tried to plead, but the man shook his head.
“If your daughter has a legal guardian, she’ll go with them, or she’ll be held with CPS.” Bruno gave me a stiff, closed-mouth smile. “I wish it didn’t have to come to this. I’ve already sent police after Erica’s location.”
“She can’t! She can’t stay with my family! I want her with Erica. I am her mother.”
“You’ve been given warnings about CPS before.” Sebastian grabbed my shoulder and shoved me into the back of the police car. “Now you can face the consequences.”
I gritted my teeth at the man buckling me in. Sebastian didn’t meet my eyes, pushing me into position on my seat so he could correct the seatbelt.
“You think I won’t be out of juvie by the end of the week?” I hissed. “You know who the fuck I am, Chris.”
Sebastian chuckled and stood up out of the vehicle. He tapped the top of the car.
“You’re covered in blood. There are at least ten visible dead bodies on this property, and I know we’ll find more.
” He squeezed my shoulder to make his point.
“You’re looking at life, Quinn. And the way you played around with my little girl.
” A deep growl ripped from his chest. “. . . I will make sure you don’t see the light of day again. ”
Sebastian slammed the door closed and walked away. I watched through the bars in the window as he jogged over to a group of paramedics.
My vision blurred as I followed Sebastian’s movements to the ambulance. I pressed my head against the glass and felt my body tremble. A sob escaped me when the man moved enough for me to see Quinntessa in a neck brace before they closed the doors.
We were so close, honeybee.
I hung my head and screamed down at the floor. I kicked the back of the seat in front of me and let out a scream I’d held in since getting this assignment in August.