Beautifully Hurt (Beautifully Broken)

by Michelle Heard

  Katie lets out a devastating cry, and I have to tilt my head back so I can see her. I can’t make out much of the guy, but from the way her body’s jerking, it’s clear he’s forcing himself on her.

  “Katie,” I whimper as my heart shatters to pieces. “Katie.” Her eyes find mine, and I hold her devastated gaze. “I’m here.”

  A hard slap to my face makes my eyes squeeze shut for a second. Through the sharp sting, I force them open for Katie only to see the guy pressing the gun to her forehead.

  “No!” I scream, and then a shot rips a gaping hole through my entire world. “Katie!” My cry is hoarse, not sounding familiar at all.

  Devastation suffocates me, so intense and raw, I can’t process any of it.

  The guy on top of me grabs hold of my jaw and forces me to look at him. “Now it’s just us. You owe me for the broken nose your boyfriend gave me.”

  Bucking with all my strength born from the adrenaline and anguish filling my veins, I manage to throw him off, and then I shoot to my feet and race up the stairs to the second floor. I dart into Katie’s room and lock the door behind me before grabbing my phone off the bed.

  My fingers shake so badly I struggle to bring up my call list so I can dial 911.

  My heart thunders in my ears, and it’s hard to focus, my thoughts screaming in my head.

  He shot Katie.

  Katie.

  Mrs. Conley.

  Mr. Conley.

  The blood.

  The cruelty.

  A bang to the door makes it shudder open, and as I swing around, I press dial on the last call I had, which I think was Eli.

  One of the guys fills the doorway, and looking at me with a crazed expression on his face, he lifts his arm, training the gun on me. “It wouldn’t have killed you to put out.” He chuckles darkly. “Unlike now.”

  He pulls the trigger, but I don’t hear the shot. I don’t feel as the bullet hits me. I stagger back and fall, hitting the side of the bed before tumbling to the carpet.

  “The bitch fucking called someone,” I hear one of them growl. “Come on, we got to go!”

  The one with the gun comes to stand over me, and sneering, he spits at me before he pulls the trigger again.

  I don’t feel anything as my body jerks, and my eyes drift closed.

  I’m sucked into a dark hole where I keep hearing Katie’s devastated cry.

  I see her body jerk and the naked horror in her eyes.

  All I feel is unbearable anguish, and then I lose the fight, and I let the darkness take me… hoping I’ll find Katie waiting for me.

  ELI

  The song that’s playing on my phone cuts out as the device starts to ring.

  Setting down the drill, I swipe the phone off the bench and glance at the screen. Seeing Quinn’s name flashing on the screen, a smile spreads over my face.

  “Hey,” I answer. “Miss me already?”

  A muffled sound comes over the line, and for a moment, I wonder if Quinn butt-dialed me, but then I hear a guy sneer, “It wouldn’t have killed you to put out.” There’s an insane-sounding chuckle. “Unlike now.”

  What. The. Actual. Fuck?

  “Quinn?” My voice is hoarse as anger starts to simmer in my veins. “Who’s that?”

  Wait. Quinn’s at Katie’s house? They were going to stay in.

  The sound of a gunshot sends my body rocketing forward, and I’m out of the gazebo I’m building in the backyard and running as fast as I can to the front where my truck is. I climb inside and start the engine hoping that Quinn’s at Katie’s place and they didn’t go out.

  Still holding the phone to my hear, I hear a guy say, “The bitch fucking called someone. Come on, we got to go!”

  Fear, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, shudders through me, sending my heart racing like a wild beast.

  Quinn.

  My Quinn.

  I throw the truck in gear, and as I floor the gas, another shot explodes over the line, making the breath stall in my throat.

  Christ. No.

  No. No. No.

  The truck’s tail skids as I take a corner, and when I don’t hear anything else from the call, I end it and dial Dad’s number.

  “Hey,” his voice rumbles in my ear.

  “The Conley house. Quinn called. I heard gunshots.”

  “Wait for me,” Dad orders, and I hear him move, his footsteps pounding on the wooden floor.

  “Call the sheriff. I’m seconds away from the Conleys’ place,” I say while it feels like the very blood is draining from my body, being replaced by dread.

  “Eli!” Dad hollers. “You fucking wait for me!”

  Knowing Dad won’t understand, I end the call, and then I turn the steering wheel hard, sending the truck shooting over the front yard before stopping right in front of the porch.

  I grab the tires’ lug wrench from behind my seat and rush to climb out of the truck. When I try the front door, and it opens, I hold the wrench ready as I cautiously step inside.

  Nothing could’ve prepared me for the gruesome sight as my eyes scan over the kitchen and living room.

  Christ Almighty.

  Horror crashes through me like a tidal wave, and it takes more strength than I have to remain on guard as I hurry to where Katie’s lying. Her eyes are wide open, frozen and empty, with blood seeping across the right side of her face.

  God, no!

  How?

  Why?

  No. Fuck no.

  Not able to handle her lifeless stare, I brush my fingers over her eyes, closing them.

  I’m so sorry, Katie.

  I see Mr. Conley lying by the garage door, beaten so badly, his face is nothing but a bloody mess. I find Mrs. Conley with a gunshot wound to her chest, and when I check for a pulse, I don’t find anything.

  There’s no sign of Quinn.

  Christ. Where are you, baby?

  Blood by the stairs catches my eye, and as I head up to the second floor, following the trail of drops, it feels as if my heart stops, suspended in absolute terror.

  I’m not ready for what I’ll find.

  I won’t be able to deal with it.

  Please, God.

  Not Quinn.

  Glancing into the first bedroom, my heart sinks into a black hole when I see Quinn lying on her side next to bed. She’s facing me, her skin deathly pale, her blood staining the carpet.

  “Quinn!” It all takes a split second, and then I’m dropping down next to her. “No. No. No. God, Quinn.”

  I somehow think to check for a pulse, and when I feel a faint thump, intense relief spurs me into action. I check if Quinn’s breathing, and feeling the warm air fluttering in short bursts from her, I scoop my arms beneath her and lift her to my chest as I climb to my feet. The cream shirt she’s wearing has so much blood stained into the fabric, the sight’s unbearable. Drops are splattered over her neck and cheek, and blood has already started to dry in her hair.

  “Hold on, baby. I’ve got you.” My voice sounds distant as I hurry out of the room, and when I come down the stairs, Dad bursts into the house, a gun in his right hand.

  “Motherfucking Christ,” he exclaims when he sees the Conleys’ bodies.

  “Hospital,” I manage to get the single word out as I hurry toward him.

  “Emergency services are coming. Put her down so I can see how bad it is,” Dad orders.

  I lay Quinn on the floor, then Dad says, “Place your hand here. Push down hard.”

  My hand covers a bloodstain on Quinn’s chest, and I press down on it. Soon the luke-warmth of her blood seeps through my fingers, and I press as hard as I can to slow the flow.”

  Dad covers another gunshot wound to Quinn’s right collar bone with his hand while pulling his phone out. He calls someone, then says, “Harry, where the fuck are you? It’s a fucking massacre.”

  I can’t hear the sheriff’s reply.

  “Is the ambulance coming?” A second later. “Good.”

  Dad ends the call, t
hen his eyes lock on mine.

  I shake my head as anguish rips through me, unable to process what’s happened in our sleepy town.

  What’s happened to Quinn – the beautiful girl that’s stolen all of my heart with her quiet nature.

  This is wrong.

  So, so very wrong.

  How could something like this happen in Southport?

  “Take a deep breath,” Dad instructs me. “You’ll have to be stronger than ever for Quinn.”

  I shake my head again. “I… I… can’t.”

  I can’t fucking process this nightmare.

  “Eli!” Dad snaps. My eyes flit back to his. “You’re a Jackson. You have the strength. Dig deep.”

  I start to nod as my gaze lowers to Quinn, and seeing how absolutely fragile she looks, sends another surge of adrenaline through my body.

  Fight, baby. Fight for me. Just get through this, and then I’ll carry you until you’re able to stand on your own again.

  Just don’t give up.

  Chapter 10

  ELI

  Sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, I watch as Dad’s on a call with Mr. Drake.

  Quinn’s father is in Chicago, and by the sounds of things, he’s leaving the truck there and taking the first flight to North Carolina.

  Dad ends the call, then comes to sit down next to me. He places an arm around my shoulders.

  We sit in silence for a moment, and then Mom rushes into the waiting room with Ethan and Jason right behind her.

  Standing up, my eyes lock on Jason’s. From the red rims around his eyes and how pale my friend is, I can only guess he’s already found out about Katie. I walk closer, and wrapping my arms around him, I whisper, “I’m so fucking sorry.”

  Jason instantly breaks down, and I take his full weight as his legs give out. I crouch down until he’s kneeling and just continue to hold my friend, his grief palpable in the air.

  Mom kneels behind Jason and rubs her hand up and down his back. Her eyes meet mine, and it takes everything I have to hold back the tears.

  I clench my teeth and close my eyes at the raw pain seeping from Jason, echoing through me.

  I can’t fucking believe this happened.

  In one night, we lost the Conley family and Quinn’s fighting for her life in surgery.

  Jason manages to take a couple of deep breaths and somehow finds the strength to gather himself.

  Just then, one of the deputies, Cade, walks into the waiting room. He glances over us, then shakes his head, visibly shaken by the horror that’s struck our town.

  I help Jason to a chair, and Mom sits down next to him, taking his hand.

  Dad comes to stand at my side as I turn to face Cade.

  He shakes his head again. “Sorry to do this now, Eli. I need to get as much information as possible so we can catch the bastards.”

  “I understand.”

  We move to the other side of the room, then Cade asks, “Can you tell me what happened?”

  “I dropped Quinn off at the Conleys. They were going to celebrate Katie’s…” my voice disappears as the image of Katie flits through my mind. I suck in a breath from the punch it delivers to my gut and hold up my hand as I try to breathe through it.

  Dad places his hand on my back for support.

  I gather myself, then continue, “I got a call from Quinn. I don’t know how many there were. I heard a guy saying something about Quinn. There was a gun–”

  Cade interrupts me. “What did the guy say?”

  I have to force the words from me, my voice strained. “That it wouldn’t have killed her to put out.”

  “Then what did you hear?” Cade asks.

  “A gunshot.” I do my best to focus on the details, and having experience with weapons, I add, “It sounded like a point forty-five caliber.”

  “We’ll be able to tell when we have the bullets,” Cade says. “What happened then?”

  “There was another guy. He said Quinn called someone, and they had to get out. It was followed by another gunshot, and then it was quiet.”

  “What did you do?”

  I gesture at Dad. “I called my father while driving to the Conleys. When I got there, I entered through the front door. I saw the Conleys… I found Quinn in one of the bedrooms.”

  Cade holds his hand up to stop me. “Back up. Did you touch anything?”

  I nod, and swallowing hard, I admit, “Katie. I closed her eyes.”

  A strangled sound from Jason yanks my attention to him, and I watch as Mom wraps her arms around him.

  “Eli,” Cade says to draw my gaze back to him. “Did you touch anything else?”

  I shake my head. “Only Quinn.”

  “Where did you find her?”

  The questions keep coming, and at some point, I find myself repeating everything.

  And all the while, I can’t stop worrying if Quinn’s okay.

  I wish I could rewind the night and just keep her safe with me.

  “Do you have any idea who the attackers are?” Dad asks Cade, yanking me out of my thoughts.

  Cade shakes his head. “But we’re on it. We won’t rest until the bastards are behind bars.”

  Jason stands up, and walking out of the door, he mutters, “A lot of good that’ll do. It won’t bring Katie back.”

  Ethan goes after Jason, and I let out an exhausted sigh.

  Then Cade says, “I’ll be in touch. We might have more questions.”

  I watch as he leaves then Dad pushes me down in a chair. Mom comes to sit next to me, wrapping me up in her arms. “I know you’re in shock right now, but it will be okay.”

  I pull back, locking eyes with Mom. “Will it? Really? Quinn’s been shot twice. She’s… she’s… Katie’s death is going to break her.”

  Mom lifts her hands, framing my face, and then she looks at me with so much strength it makes me feel stronger. “Quinn will get through this. We’ll all be there to help her.”

  I shake my head. “How do you get through something like this, Mom?”

  “You just do because there’s no other option.” Mom’s features tighten. “I had to deal with something when I wasn’t much older than Quinn. It takes time, but you heal, Eli. Quinn will hurt a lot, but she’ll survive.”

  Only then does my worst fear flit through my mind. “What if she doesn’t make it?” My voice turns hoarse from the dread. “What if I lose Quinn?”

  Dad’s hand falls on my back. “Don’t go there. Until it happens, you don’t go there. Focus on the now.”

  Focus on the now. The fucking nightmare from hell that’s better than the excruciating ache of trying to imagine a life without Quinn.

  The past fourteen hours feel like the longest of my life, and it’s all a fucking blur.

  Quinn suffered blood loss, a concussion, two broken ribs, and the one bullet to her chest somehow ended up hitting her liver. The other bullet stopped half an inch from her heart.

  Half a fucking inch.

  That’s the difference between Quinn still breathing and me almost losing her.

  She’s not out of the woods yet, looking frail on life support.

  I bring her hand to my mouth, and closing my eyes, I send up a silent prayer for what feels like the millionth time. And just like every other time, it hangs heavy over my shoulders as if there’s no one to hear it. No higher power to save Quinn.

  But out of habit, I keep praying because there’s nothing else I can do for her.

  Helplessness. It’s a new beast for me to face.

  Dr. Pickens comes to check Quinn’s vitals, then murmurs, “We’re hoping she’ll wake up soon.”

  His words offer me more comfort than any of the prayers have, and hope starts to blossom in my chest.

  My gaze shifts back to Quinn, and it’s incredibly hard to see her like this.

  When I close my eyes, Katie’s lifeless gaze flits through my mind, once again stunning me with horror.

  Christ.

  I shift in the chair, press
ing my mouth harder to Quinn’s hand.

  Wake up, baby.

  Please.

  There’s still so much I want to do with you. So many dreams I want to make come true.

  Again, I see Katie’s face, causing a shuddering breath to ripple from me.

  I’ve known Katie all her life, and the way she was murdered rocked a gaping hole through me. The Conleys’ gruesome deaths have shaken the whole town, leaving us all reeling in the aftermath.

  I can’t believe this happened.

  Why?

  Quinn’s fingers stir in my grip, and my eyes snap open. “She moved,” I say, excitement bursting in my voice.

  “I’ll get the doctor,” Dad says before rushing out of the room.

  Quinn’s eyelashes flutter, and then I get a glimpse of her beautiful green irises.

  “Baby?” I lean closer. “Quinn? Can you hear me?”

  Her eyes seem to focus on mine, and then raw terror bleeds into them, making them look bruised before they drift shut again.

  Dr. Pickens comes rushing into the hospital room with a nurse and Dad right behind him.

  “She opened her eyes,” I tell him as I let go of her hand, moving back to get out of the way.

  Dr. Pickens leans over Quinn, and taking her hand, he squeezes her fingers. “Quinn, can you hear me?”

  There’s no movement from her, and my heart sinks back into the black hole again.

  “She might drift in and out of consciousness before fully waking,” Dr. Pickens says. “Can we clear the room?”

  Dad takes hold of my arm, tugging me away from Quinn. I glance back over my shoulder until I can’t see her anymore, then follow Dad to the waiting room.

  Waiting room? They should call it the torture room.

  Chapter 11

  QUINN

  “I want an extravagant wedding dress,” Katie says. “A princess dress.”

  I let out a chuckle. “You always wanted to be a princess.” I turn my eyes away from the stars and glance at Katie.

  We’re lying in the Conleys’ backyard just dreaming about our futures.

  “What kind of dress do you want?” Katie asks.

  “Something soft and feminine,” I whisper dreamily as I turn onto my side. Katie does the same, so we’re facing each other.