Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Collin held Quinn in the back of the car while Angus drove to the hospital.
The front of his jeans was covered in blood from holding her in his lap, but he didn’t care.
He should have never let her out of his sight.
He scooted out with her still in his arms. His own shirt was covered in blood from the stitches he’d torn catching her and carrying her, yet he pushed through the pain and walked with her in his arms directly into the emergency room.
The eyes of the nurse behind the counter widened as she hurried to open the restricted door to let them pass. She guided Collin to one of the rooms, where he carefully laid Quinn down on her side. “She was shot in the arse.”
“Doctor,” the nurse hollered as she left the room.
The next three hours passed as slow as molasses. Collin had spent the time being lectured about ruining his stitches as he was being patched up. He had sent Angus to the castle for fresh clothes and had changed. The rest of the time, he spent pacing in the waiting room.
He’d just changed when Ian showed up. He patted Collin’s back and sat down beside him.
“Just say the word if you need me to come over and help protect Quinn.”
Ian’s words would have angered Collin any other day, but the truth was he was doing a poor job at keeping her safe. He’d been too caught up in the passion between them to even consider Ramsey had an accomplice.
“Abigail was working with Ramsey,” Collin muttered and ran a hand through his hair.
“The maid?” he asked.
“Yeah. She burned down Garth’s house and set Quinn’s room on fire before locking her inside. Quinn escaped out the window.”
“Good Lord, Collin. I don’t know how you’re going to talk Quinn into stayin’ after all that.”
“She already told me she’s no’.” His answer felt like a vise grip around his heart. “She’s leaving in the morning.”
“That’s going to be one uncomfortable flight.”
“Aye.”
The doctor walked into the waiting room and lowered the mask covering his mouth.
“How is she?” Collin asked as his heart worked overtime thumping against his ribcage.
“She’s fine. We’ve removed the bullet and stitched her up.”
“Can I see her?”
“Sure. She’s a little loopy from the drugs, but you can see her.”
Collin followed the doctor down the hall and into recovery. Quinn was lying on her stomach. Her red hair covered the pillow.
“She shot me in the arse.”
Collin’s lips twisted into a smile at Quinn’s attempted Scottish accent.
“That she did, luv.”
“Scotland is just like flowers. They both want me to die.”
“That wasnae Scotland, Quinn. That was Ramsey and Abigail. You cannae condemn a whole country for the actions of two crazy psychopaths. I bet you attract them everywhere you go.”
“Don’t forget the ghosts.” She pointed to the empty corner of the room.
“Which ghosts came to visit?” Collin asked around his smile.
“All of them,” she said, pointing again.
“Redbeard, Ian’s white-haired relative, Gwinnie.
” She paused and looked at Collin. “Who, by the way, was the one responsible for giving your emerald away to Clarence’s ascendants.
She was trying to help the poor.” Quinn turned her gaze back to the corner.
“Clarence, go sing your opera to someone else.”
“Do you want me to call your pilot and delay your flight home?”
“Nooooo.” Her eyes widened as she lifted her swaying head. “I have to goooo.” She held out her hand and let it drop over the edge of the bed. “Collin, get me out of here.”
“I cannae do that, Quinn, until the doctor releases you,” Collin said, moving closer to her. He stroked her hair. “I’ll get you to the airport. Just try and get some rest.”
She nodded, and her eyes fell shut.
Collin spent the next hour in her room, sending away every bouquet that they attempted to deliver.
He called Angus and had him inform the pilot what was going on in an attempt to explain to her family.
The constable, also a friend of Collin’s, had stopped by to take his statement about the fire and Abigail.
He told Collin they’d found a storage unit that Ramsey was using to hide the stolen belongings.
The hospital released Quinn a few hours later, after she’d created a fuss and the drugs had left her system. Getting her home was somewhat of a challenge with her trying to sit. She ended up laying her head in Collin’s lap while Angus drove.
His room and hers were filled with smoke from the fire and were being aired out, so they both stayed in one of the guestrooms on the first floor after she insisted on somewhere with an easier escape.
The morning would come early for both of them, so he held her in his arms all night long, unable to sleep. He listened to the sound of her breaths and stared at the ceiling. This wasn’t how he’d envisioned their last night together.
“You’re thinking too loud,” she mumbled and lifted her head to look into his eyes.
“Sorry.” He kissed her lips. “I was just thinking. Do you really have to go back?”
“Collin, we both know I do.”
“Why? What is so pressing that you need to return? It’s no’ like we donae have ghosts in Scotland. You could stay here. Work from here, or hell, donae work at all. None of it matters except you and me being together. I love you, Quinn, and you love me too. That should mean something.”
“It did. It does. I have to go back. I could never walk out on my family; I’m a partner for cripes sake; just like I could never ask you to abandon your home. Face it, Collin. We’re from two very different worlds.”
“Quinn, we can make it work. We’ve survived everything that was thrown at us. We can survive the small issue of distance.”
“I have to go home.” She rested her head against his chest.
“Will you come back?” Collin was almost afraid to ask, not wanting to hear her say no.
“I’ll try.”