Justice for Corrie (Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Book 3)

by Susan Stoker

  “I think they did stand right under me.”

  “Ha, well fuck them then. Come on. I’m going to take hold of your sweats and guide your foot to a branch. Your shoes aren’t going to make this easy, but we’ll take this slow and steady. Take your time, there’s absolutely no rush. No bad guys are waiting, only Quint, and he can just cool his jets down there…right?”

  Corrie smiled, realizing Hayden was trying to relax her. She nodded again.

  “Okay, this first step is easy. The branch is about six inches below your right foot. Just shift your hold on the trunk and ease your foot down. That’s it.”

  Corrie followed Hayden’s gentle pressure on her sweats and moved her foot carefully. The branch was exactly where she said it’d be.

  “Good, now move your left foot the same way. It’ll fit right next to your other one on the same branch.”

  Corrie did as directed and took a deep breath. Okay, she could do this.

  They continued their slow and steady pace down the tree until they got to a tricky part. Corrie remembered this particular gap in the branches as she’d climbed up.

  “Okay, this is the last of the hard parts, Corrie. It’s about a four-foot gap between where you’re standing now and where the next branch is below you. You’re going to need to crouch down, leaving one foot on the branch and reaching down with your other one. It’ll be a stretch, but your legs are long enough to reach. Promise. I’ll help guide you so your foot will go right where it’s supposed to.”

  Corrie nodded. She’d come this far. She circled the trunk of the tree with her arms and bent her legs. She moved her left foot until it dangled down. She felt Hayden’s grip on her ankle.

  “Just a bit more, that’s it. Almost there…”

  Just as Corrie thought she felt the branch under her foot, her right foot slipped off the branch it was on.

  She screeched and knocked her forehead on a branch at her head level as she felt herself falling. Her shin whacked against the limb she’d been standing on and she gripped the broad trunk of the tree for dear life. “Shit!”

  “Corrie!” Quint’s voice was frantic.

  Hayden’s voice came below her. It was calm and even, as if she hadn’t just watched her almost fall out of the stupid tree. Corrie could feel the strong and secure grip the other woman had on her ankle. Hayden held her steady as she knelt on the limb like an idiot.

  “No problem, Corrie. Just a small slip. You’re okay.”

  “That’s the second time I’ve sworn today, darn it. That’s not cool.”

  Hayden chuckled. “You’re crackin’ me up. I think you have a right to say a swear word or two.”

  Corrie shook her head. “No, I promised myself when Ethan, my friend’s kid, was born that I’d stop. I was a complete potty mouth before. I had to go cold turkey or his first word was bound to be a swearword he learned from his Aunt Corrie.”

  “Come on, you’re almost there. Trust me. Give me some of your weight and I’ll guide your foot to the next branch.”

  Corrie took a deep breath and did as Hayden asked. She wanted out of this darn tree and the only way to do that was to get past this section. She eased off her shin and felt Hayden guide her foot, exactly as she’d promised. Corrie felt the sturdy limb under her foot and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Okay, I’ve got you, slide your other leg off and grab hold of the branch it was just resting on with your hands.”

  Corrie felt one of Hayden’s hands on her lower back and the other on her calf. She shifted and Hayden moved the hand that was on her right calf to her hip. “There you go. Good. Piece of cake. We’re only about eight feet from the ground, and Quint is waiting for you. Only about two more steps and he’ll have his hands on you. Ready?”

  Corrie nodded eagerly, more than ready.

  They moved quickly past the next couple of branches and just as Hayden had said, Corrie felt large hands grasp her around her waist. She hadn’t felt anything as wonderful as Quint’s arms coming around her.

  “Thank God,” Corrie heard Quint mutter as he lifted her out of the tree and into his arms. She heard a thud as Harley jumped out of the tree herself. She knew she should thank the deputy, but being in Quint’s arms, smelling his unique smell, was more than she could take after everything that had happened.

  Corrie burst into tears and buried her face in Quint’s neck. She felt his hand cradle the back of her head as he held her against him.

  Quint dipped his head and breathed into Corrie’s hair as he hugged her. “You’re okay, sweetheart. I’ve got you. You’re good.” He continued to whisper nonsense as he followed his friends back through the woods to their vehicles. Corrie vaguely realized she probably should’ve at least said hello to the other men who were with Quint, but she couldn’t seem to stop crying long enough to manage it. She heard them talking as they walked, but couldn’t concentrate on their words.

  Their little group quickly reached the clearing and Quint didn’t even pause to look at the dead bodies lying near the black SUV. Someone had collected the police and fire vehicles from down the road and they were lined up and waiting.

  Quint kept Corrie’s head against his neck and headed straight for Hayden’s SUV. He leaned down and managed to open the door without letting go of Corrie. He sat on the seat sideways and propped his feet on the running board. His heart hurt as Corrie cried in his arms. After a few minutes, she hiccuped and he could tell she was trying to bring herself under control.

  He looked down at her and grimaced in sympathy. She had a scrape on her forehead, probably from when she’d almost fallen out of the tree on her way down. There were bruises forming on her jaw and cheekbone. Her hair was a mess and she had dirt smeared from her nose to her ears.

  She’d never looked more beautiful to him.

  “I love you, Corrie Madison.” Quint couldn’t have kept the words back if his life depended on it. “I’ve never been so scared in all my life than when I realized you were gone. I don’t want to go through this crazy life without you. I don’t care how long it takes, I’m going to show you day in and day out how much you mean to me in the hopes that you’ll eventually love me back. I…”

  He paused. Corrie had lifted her hand to his neck and was tapping against him. Two diagonal taps, then three vertical taps, then five taps in a backward C shape. She did it again. Then again.

  He smiled, and it was his turn to bury his nose in her neck. “You love me?” he mumbled against her.

  “Yeah.” Corrie sniffed. She knew she probably looked like death warmed over, but Quint didn’t seem to care. “When I was stumbling blindly through the woods looking for a tree to climb, all I could think of was how much I loved you and how sad I was that I hadn’t told you. But you know what else?”

  She felt Quint raise his head. “What?”

  “I knew you’d come for me. No matter what. I was going to hang on to the top of that darn tree forever if it took that long, because I knew you’d figure it out and find me.”

  “Lord, Corrie.”

  She thought about something suddenly. “Oh no! Bethany…is she okay? What about Emily and Ethan? I don’t remember what happened.”

  Quint ran his hand over her hair again, soothing her. “They’re fine. I’ll tell you everything later, but they’re fine.”

  “Promise?”

  “Yeah. Promise.”

  Corrie snuggled into Quint, grumbling about the hard bulletproof vest for the first time. She hadn’t noticed it before, but now she wanted him. Just him.

  “Corrie? My friends Sledge and Crash are here. They’re firefighters and EMTs. They just want to take a quick look to make sure you’re all right.”

  Corrie didn’t even move from her position curled around Quint. “I’m fine.”

  “I know you are, but I’d still feel better if you’d let them check you over.”

  “We’re not so bad, promise,” a deep voice said from beside her.

  A second voice chimed in as well, “Yeah, althoug
h I’m the good-looking one.”

  Corrie turned her head and tried to get herself back together. “Sledge and Crash?” she questioned.

  “Long story. Does anything hurt?”

  Ten minutes later, assured that Corrie really was okay, other than being scared and some minor scrapes and bruises that would fade and eventually heal, Quint stood up with Corrie in his arms. He nodded at Sledge and Crash, and gave a thankful chin lift to Penelope, Chief and Moose, other firefighters from Station 7 who were standing next to the trucks, in case they were needed.

  “You guys ready to go?” Hayden asked as she opened the driver’s side door.

  “Yeah.”

  “Great, but you can’t hold her like that, Quint. You know the law. Safety first.”

  Corrie laughed at the disgruntled noise that came from Quint’s throat. “We have to sit in the back, don’t we?”

  Quint’s answer was to stand up without letting go of Corrie. He shut the front door with his hip and opened the back door. He sat down, still holding on to her, and hauled Corrie over his lap and placed her in the seat next to him. He pulled the seat belt over her waist and then buckled his own. Ignoring the stretch of the material over his shoulder, he pulled Corrie into the crook of his arm and relaxed as she melted against him.

  “Take us home, Hayden.”

  Chapter 16

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” Corrie asked Bethany for what seemed like the hundredth time.

  Quint had Hayden take them straight to the hospital. Corrie had tried to insist she didn’t need to see a doctor, especially since his friends had looked her over and said they thought she was fine, but Quint didn’t care. He trusted Sledge and Crash, but they weren’t doctors. He told Corrie she could have internal injuries that she simply didn’t realize because of the adrenaline coursing through her body. It wasn’t until he’d told her what had happened to Emily, Bethany, and Ethan that’d she’d agreed—hell, she insisted.

  Quint had refused to let her see her friends until a doctor had checked her out. She sat still…barely…and answered the doctor’s questions with ill-concealed impatience.

  “Ms. Madison, besides some scrapes and bruises, I’d say you are one very lucky woman.”

  “Okay, great.” Corrie had turned to where Quint was standing. “I told you so…and so did Crash and Sledge. Will you take me to see Bethany now?”

  Quint had resisted chuckling, knowing it would irritate Corrie and probably put him in the dog house. “Yeah, sweetheart. Thanks, Dr. Davis. I appreciate you taking a look. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

  Corrie had squeezed Quint’s arm, acknowledging his sweet words, but then ruined it by huffing, “If I could find her by myself, I’d do it, but since I’d probably keep running into people and walls, I need you to show me where my friends are.”

  The doctor had nodded at Quint and smirked. Quint just ignored the older man and took Corrie’s hand in his and set out to find her friends.

  The second Corrie had walked into the hospital room where Bethany was recuperating, Emily, who was also visiting, burst into tears. Emily had rushed into Corrie’s arms and they spent more than a few minutes enjoying the feel of each other alive and well.

  Corrie put her hands on Emily’s face and ran her fingers over it. “Does it hurt?”

  Emily laughed a watery laugh. “About as much as yours does, I’d imagine.”

  Corrie grimaced in commiseration.

  “Hey, you two, I’m the one in the hospital bed here.”

  Corrie rushed over and asked if she was okay.

  “I’m good. Are you sure you don’t hate me, Cor? I didn’t want to do it…but he threatened Ethan.”

  “Lord, Bethany. Of course I don’t hate you. God, I would’ve done the same thing. You did the right thing, and besides, it all turned out fine in the end. I’m just sorry you both got sucked into the entire thing. If it wasn’t for me—”

  Both Emily and Quint spoke at once, interrupting her.

  “That’s not—”

  “Don’t.” Quint’s word was louder. He spoke over whatever Emily was going to say. “This is not your fault. If you want to blame someone, blame Isaac. Or Dimitri, or even Shaun, but there’s no way I’ll let you blame yourself.”

  “But—”

  Quint shut Corrie up the only way he knew how. He swooped down and covered her mouth with his own. He dimly heard both Emily and Bethany catcalling, but he didn’t stop. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, more relieved than he was willing to admit out loud when she returned his kiss. He’d been afraid she’d be too scared with everything that had happened to return his passion. He should’ve known better.

  He finally raised his head and nuzzled against the side of Corrie’s neck as he tried to rein in the urgent need to get her alone and show her just how much she meant to him, and to relieve some of the stress he’d been feeling since finding out she’d been kidnapped.

  “In case you’re wondering, Ethan is fine.”

  Corrie spun at Emily’s teasing words, almost clipping Quint’s chin in the process. “Ethan! Where is he? He’s really okay? I’m a horrible aunt for not even asking about him!”

  Quint stood behind Corrie and put his hands around her waist. He pulled her into him, loving the way she trusted him to take her weight.

  “Calm down, Cor. He’s fine. He was checked out and didn’t even have a scratch on him. Thank God Quint realized something was wrong and showed up when he did. He was a little cold, but otherwise fine.” Bethany’s words were strong and sure.

  Emily sat down in the chair next to Bethany and stroked her forearm above the bandages covering her hand. Quint knew Bethany had a long road to recovery ahead of her…some of the nerves in her hand had been severed and there were lots of surgeries in her future.

  “My mom came and took him home with her for the night,” Emily explained.

  “Your mom? But she doesn’t approve—”

  “I know. But apparently a psycho beating me up and almost killing my partner and son made her think twice about everything.”

  “It’s about darn time.”

  Emily simply laughed. “So, now that you know we’re fine, and we can see you’re hunky-dory…go home.”

  “What?”

  Emily repeated herself. “Go home, Cor. You look exhausted. If I’m not mistaken, your man is foaming at the mouth to get you home and taken care of.”

  Corrie tilted her head up, as if she was actually looking at him. “But…can we go home?”

  Quint kissed the top of her head, knowing what she meant. “Yeah, Dax and Hayden called in reinforcements. After the crime scene techs did their thing, they managed to get us an all new bed. I didn’t want any reminders of what happened to Bethany there. It’s all good, sweetheart.”

  “Promise?”

  “Yes. I wouldn’t bring you back there if I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure it was safe and clean for you to go back to.”

  Corrie turned to her friends. “I love you guys. So much. I’ll come back up and see you tomorrow.”

  “Okay. You know we love you too. Thank God you were smarter than those assholes.”

  Corrie smiled. “I don’t know about smarter, but maybe more determined.”

  “Good enough.”

  “Come on, sweetheart. You’re dead on your feet. Let’s go home.”

  “Home. That sounds good.”

  Quint smiled huge. She was right. It did sound good.

  He waited patiently as Corrie hugged Emily one more time, and leaned over Bethany and gave her an abbreviated hug and kiss on the cheek. She came back to him and reached for his hand. “Love you guys. See you tomorrow.”

  Quint led Corrie out of the room and down the hall to the waiting area. He gave a few chin lifts to the doctors and nurses who waved as they went by. He couldn’t wait to get Corrie home.

  * * *

  Corrie was relieved to be back in Quint’s house. They were standing in his bedroom. He’d dragged
her to his room the second they’d arrived.

  “You aren’t afraid to be back here?”

  Corrie shook her head. “No. One, you’re here with me. And two, Isaac knocked me out as soon as I opened the door. I don’t remember anything that happened. I’m guessing Bethany isn’t going to want to come over for a very long time, but me? I’m good.”

  Quint hugged Corrie to him, loving how she snuggled up against him without hesitation. He had a lot he wanted to say to her, but wanted to get her clean and comfortable first. “Good. Go ahead and shower. I want nothing more than to hold you against me as soon as I can.”

  “You want to shower with me?” Corrie asked shyly.

  Quint kissed her forehead. “If I get in that shower, I won’t be able to take my hands off of you.”

  “And that’s bad because…”

  “Because I want to hold you. To reassure myself that you’re really okay. I’ve had a shit day, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever hold you warm and breathing in my arms again. I need you in my bed, in my arms.”

  “Okay, Quint. I’ll be quick. I need that too.”

  “I love you, Corrie.”

  “I love you too.”

  “Shower, I’ll be waiting in our bed.”

  Corrie nodded and Quint kissed her once more before turning her toward the bathroom.

  He stripped down to his boxers and waited for Corrie to emerge from the shower, which had quickly filled with steam as she cleaned off the dirt from the events of the day.

  Within ten minutes, Corrie padded out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around her body. Quint had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life. And she was all his.

  “Come here, sweetheart.”

  Corrie walked cautiously to the bed with one arm out in front of her, making sure she didn’t run into anything. When her knees hit the mattress, she held out her hand toward where Quint’s voice had been coming from. Quint took it in his and watched as she unhooked the towel and it dropped to the floor.

  “Holy shit, Corrie. You are so fucking beautiful.”

  She smiled. “Scoot over.”