Chapter 19 #2
Quinn winced as he eased onto the thin pad, holding his right side. “I’ve been hurt worse.”
“Coulter says the same damn thing every time. And, as I remind him, that fact isn’t comforting.” Darwin speared his gaze at Scout. “And I know you took a round in your arm. More hits to your vest. Wynn’s gonna stitch you up, personally. Something about brushing her off in the field.”
Scout sighed. “We didn’t have time. And I’m with Quinn. Been hurt worse.”
Darwin shook his head, talking softly to Brea as he helped her over to one of the beds, setting up a saline drip after tucking the blanket around her before heading over to Quinn.
He didn’t talk, just checked the wounds, cleaning and stitching where needed, somehow managing to tend to everything without causing more pain.
After pushing some meds their way, he shoved his glasses up his nose as he released a long breath.
“I heard you two insisted on the rest of the team grabbing those samples instead of shadowing you to get Brea. That was incredibly selfless.”
Quinn inched closer to Scout, pressing his thigh against hers as he shrugged his good shoulder. “You can’t prove Finch is behind all of this without proof. I just hope what they grabbed is enough.”
“Does this mean I don’t have to worry about waking up handcuffed to the bed?”
Quinn grinned. “Not from me, but…” He glanced at Wynn. “I hear someone else might see that as a viable option.”
Darwin groaned. “You, too?”
“I’d be a shitty investigator if I didn’t notice the obvious.” His smile fell a bit as he tightened his hold on Scout’s hand. “So, about Brea…”
Darwin placed a comforting hand on Quinn’s arm. “Her vitals are stable. I’ll run a full blood panel, flush her system just to be sure, but I’m optimistic she’ll be just fine.”
“Are you sure? Because she tossed a guy twice her size ten feet without breaking a sweat.”
Darwin arched a brow. “Any enhancements are likely temporary. Without the constant influx of TITAN, she should revert to her previous level of awesome.”
“Maybe don’t tell her that part until after she’s detoxed. Just to be safe.”
“Thanks for the tip.” He backed up, motioning toward the door. “Try to actually follow my instructions this time. After you’ve gotten some sleep, I expect you both back here for a follow up.”
“Will do, doc.” Quinn slipped off the table, gritting his teeth through what had to be incredible pain before ambling over to his sister. He spoke quietly to her for a few minutes, dropping a kiss on her forehead, then joined Scout at the door.
They headed for her room, gingerly changing clothes, cleaning up a bit, before heading back to the war room. They claimed a couple seats near the back, the rest of the team arriving a few minutes later.
Gus settled at the head of the table, straightening his shirt before sliding onto the leather chair. “I’m glad everyone made it out in one piece…” His gaze drifted to Quinn and Scout. “Well, mostly one piece. Though, considering the haul, it was worth it.”
Scout sat up a bit taller. “Does that mean we’ve got something on Finch?”
Gus gestured to Zadie and Gideon.
Gideon sighed. “It’s going to take some time to go through all the files Zadie retrieved on those two hard drives she grabbed from Pryce’s lab.
There’s heavy encryption and an insane amount of data.
Though, a cursory review suggests Finch was as careful with Pryce’s connection as he was with Ramsey’s.
But I’m hopeful that between the intel and those drugs, we’ll be able to bring Finch down. We just need a bit more time.”
Quinn grunted. “Time never seems to be on your side, which brings this back to Brea. She’s going to need to stay close until Darwin’s sure she doesn’t have any lasting side effects from those patches.”
Gus grinned. “Don’t worry, Taylor. Darwin’s already informed me that your sister isn’t going anywhere until he deems it safe, so, stand down, Mountie. We’ve got your back.”
The tension eased from Quinn’s body as he leaned back, slipping his hand over Scout’s.
She held it tight, waiting a few breaths before voicing the questions she wasn’t sure she wanted answered. “While that’s encouraging, if Darwin discovers Brea really is some kind of magical outlier like Hackett was, she’s going to rise to the top of Finch’s acquisition list.”
Gus nodded, looking them each in the eyes. “We have enough room for Ms. Taylor to stay until the situation improves.”
Quinn snorted. “You mean until you’ve crippled Finch.”
“That would be the ultimate improvement.” Gus sighed. “I’m not heartless, Quinn. Nor am I willing to put your sister’s life at risk. She’s welcome here for as long as it takes.” He glanced at Scout, then back to Quinn. “As are you. There’s just one catch…”
Quinn reached into his hoodie, removed the badge he’d placed on her nightstand when he’d first arrived, and set it on the table. “I’ve spent fifteen years honoring this shield. I’m not willing to give it up.”
Gus bristled, shifting in his seat as if he wasn’t quite sure how to respond.
Quinn continued. “But I’m also not willing to give up Scout. Or this team. Which means, you’re going to have to put your faith in me.”
“It’s not faith that I’m concerned about. It’s the safety and security of this facility, and more importantly, my family.”
“I think I’ve proven that there’s nothing I’d ever do to put Black Hollow at risk.
Which is exactly why I need to remain active.
If you ghost me like everyone else, I’m just another cog.
But if I stay on-grid, I can track police chatter, run interference, and subtly shape the narrative if missions ever cross paths with local law enforcement.
” He leaned back. “You need a shield. I can be that.”
Coulter cleared his throat. “We could use an inside man, General. God knows things tend to get a bit messy.”
Gus tapped his finger on the table, staring long enough that Scout thought it was all about to go sideways. “You realize what you’re offering.”
“Fully briefed.”
“And when it means you have to allow us to operate outside the law? Even if the end result is for the greater good?”
“Then, I guess I’ll get good at managing my own expectations.” He looked over at Scout, eyes brimming with love. “I promised Scout I wouldn’t fail her, again. That’s a promise I intend to keep. No matter what side of the law that’s on.”
Gus snorted as he palmed the table and stood. “God help me because you’re all going to give me a stroke. Fine. We’ll try it your way. But if it ever becomes a liability we can’t manage anymore…”
“I know where I’ll land.”
“Good.” He pushed out his chair and rounded the table.
“Looks like we’ve got a plan. I’ll contact your Staff Sergeant.
Come up with some plausible joint task force bullshit that I need you on for the next couple of weeks.
Give you some time to lose that sling. In the meantime, get some rest. We’ll reconvene once Gideon, Zadie, and Darwin have more intel. ”
Scout stared at Quinn, heart hammering, chest so damn full she thought it might burst. She palmed his face when he stared down at her, eyes bright, only a hint of pain bleeding through. “God, Quinn. Are you sure? I mean, I know how much staying on the right side of the law means?—”
He kissed her.
Just leaned in, slanted his mouth over hers and cut her off, taking her from exhausted to energized in a heartbeat. She gave herself over to the kiss, staying close once he’d finally let them come up for air.
He tucked her hair behind her ear. “A hundred percent certain, baby. No hesitations. No doubts. Though, it does mean we’ll be shacking up most nights. You good with that?”
“I think that’s a sword I can fall on. There’s just one condition.”
“Name it.”
“We make it a permanent arrangement. Because I’m done waiting for the perfect time. Now’s perfect.”
“Deal. Now, how about we head back to our room and sleep because my ribs are killing me, and you look even more like a pinata than before.”
Our room.
“We’ll grab some muffins first, though, right?”
“Hell, yeah.”
Scout slowly rose, every bruise and cut burning to life. Taking his hand when he held it out, she stepped in close. “I love you.”
“Love you more, baby.”
“We’ll see about that. But before we go, there’s just one more thing…” She tiptoed up, got lover close. “Welcome to Black Hollow.”