by S. Nelson
Contents
Introduction
1. Quinn
2. Quinn
3. Quinn
4. Nolan
5. Quinn
6. Quinn
7. Nolan
8. Quinn
9. Nolan
10. Quinn
11. Quinn
12. Nolan
13. Quinn
14. Nolan
15. Quinn
16. Nolan
17. Quinn
18. Nolan
19. Quinn
20. Nolan
21. Quinn
22. Nolan
23. Quinn
24. Quinn
25. Quinn
26. Nolan
27. Quinn
28. Nolan
29. Quinn
30. Nolan
31. Quinn
32. Nolan
33. Quinn
34. Nolan
35. Quinn
36. Nolan
37. Quinn
38. Quinn
39. Nolan
40. Quinn
41. Quinn
42. Nolan
43. Quinn
Epilogue
K. Bromberg’s Everyday Heroes World
Also by S. Nelson
About the Author
Books by K. Bromberg
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead are entirely coincidental.
© 2020 KB WORLDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people.
Published by KB Worlds LLC.
Editing by: Hot Tree Editing
Cover Design by: Tugboat Design
Proofreading by: Judy’s Proofreading
Published in the United States of America
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the Everyday Heroes World!
I’m so excited you’ve picked up this book! Captured is a book based on the world I created in my USA Today bestselling Everyday Heroes Series. While I may be finished writing this series (for now), various authors have signed on to keep them going. They will be bringing you all-new stories in the world you know while allowing you to revisit the characters you love.
This book is entirely the work of the author who wrote it. While I allowed them to use the world I created and may have assisted in some of the plotting, I took no part in the writing or editing of the story. All praise can be directed their way.
I truly hope you enjoy Captured. If you’re interested in finding more authors who have written in the KB Worlds, you can visit www.kbworlds.com.
Thank you for supporting the writers in this project and me.
Happy Reading,
K. Bromberg
1
Quinn
“Shit! This is the last thing I need,” I mumbled, the steering wheel taking the brunt of my frustration. No matter how many deep breaths I took, the sight of the red and blue lights flashing in my rearview only made my heart race faster. I racked my brain for why the police cruiser targeted me but came up blank. I hadn’t been speeding, that I was aware of, and my Audi had just been in the garage for an inspection two months ago.
Flicking on my blinker, I cautiously crossed over until I was in the far-right lane. The last thing I needed was for the cop to cite me for not using my turn signal on top of whatever else he was pulling me over for.
I reached into my console only after I’d safely slowed to a stop, pulling out my handy blue packet, which contained my registration and insurance card. Then I grabbed my wallet, but when I managed to extract my license, it slipped from my fingers and fell to the floor. I bent forward in my seat and felt around in the dark, cursing my clumsiness, and at the precise moment I grasped the ID, a sudden tap on my window startled me enough that I dropped it again. A few choice words fell from my mouth as I managed to finally retrieve my license.
“Good evening, Officer,” I said once my window was down. “I’m not sure why you—”
“License and registration,” he instructed, his tone curt, his palm out and waiting for me to comply.
“Here you go.” He snatched the documents from my hand. “Can you tell me why you pulled me over?” Silence was his only response as he shined his flashlight across my license, then into the car, directly in my face. “I don’t think I was speed—”
“Wait here,” he barked, walking back to his squad car.
“What a dick,” I mumbled, annoyed I’d allowed his sour mood to worsen mine. After the shitty day I’d had, I didn’t need to add this to the list of the reasons why I should’ve never gotten out of bed this morning.
Tapping my fingers against the gear shifter in a weak effort to calm my rising irritation, I flinched when my cell rang, the ringtone for my sister, Avery, blaring over the car’s Bluetooth system. I wasn’t going to answer, but I figured at least I’d have a witness in case this jerk did or said anything out of line.
“Hello?”
“Hey, are you almost home?”
“I’m close but I just got pulled over, so I’m going to be a few minutes.”
“For what?”
“I have no idea. He just took my license and walked back to his car. He’s kind of an ass, too. Rude.”
“Can’t you flirt your way out of it?” The lucky bitch had been pulled over several times and not once had she been ticketed, amping up her charm and flirt to the necessary level, apparently. I’d even been present for two such occasions, one of which resulted in the officer giving her his phone number.
I opened my mouth to respond, but instead of words, a short squeal escaped when the cop abruptly appeared next to me again. “No, she can’t flirt her way out,” he chastised, answering for me. “Hang up the phone.”
I could’ve argued with him, telling him it was within my rights to have someone on the line. I could’ve even pulled out my cell and hit record, but I did neither of those things, wanting this interaction to be over with as soon as possible.
“I’ll call you back.” I hung up before she could say anything, most likely something that would’ve made my situation worse. She wasn’t known for holding her tongue. Turning my attention toward Officer Dickhead, I repeated my earlier question. “Why did you pull me over?”
“You were going forty-five in a twenty-five.” He wrote something on his pad, then handed me back my information, letting the paperwork slip from his fingers when I didn’t grab it fast enough. “I’m citing you for speeding.”
“You can’t just give me a warning? I really thought the speed limit on this stretch was forty-five.”
“I don’t care what you thought,” he snipped back at me. “The limit is posted a half mile back.”
“I didn’t see it.” I spoke more to myself than to him, but that didn’t stop him from continuing to slather me with more of his surly attitude.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t be driving if you can’t pay attention.” He ripped the ticket from his pad and thrust his hand into my car, directly in front of my face. “Instructions are on the bottom.”
“What is your name?” The question barreled out of my mouth before I real
ized I spoke.
“Officer Bennett.” He moved his flashlight to illuminate his badge, and when I leaned closer, I could see that some of the light shone on his face. He was handsome, with his full lips and sculpted clean-shaven jawline. His attractiveness surprised me, although I wasn’t sure why. But one thing was for sure, his rudeness overshadowed his good looks by a mile.
I’d been a sucker for a gorgeous face, who hadn’t, but I’d also endured my share of men who relied too much on their looks, thinking their shitty attitude would be forgiven with a panty-dropping grin.
“Well, Officer Bennett, you don’t have to be so rude. I didn’t do anything to warrant your attitude, and just because you’re either having a shitty day or hate your job, it’s not fair for you to take it out on me.” I’d never spoken to law enforcement in such a way before, not that I had a lot of experience being pulled over. And while he could very well haul me from my vehicle and shackle me if he so chose to do, I couldn’t stop spewing words his way. “Maybe it’s time you look into another profession if this is how you treat the innocent.”
“No one is innocent,” he barked right before he shone his flashlight directly into my eyes, lowering his arm several seconds later and moving the light to check the interior space of my car, spotting the two brown bags on the back seat. “Have you been drinking tonight, ma’am?” The light was back in my face. I was going to see spots soon if he didn’t stop blinding me with the damn thing. I threw my arm up to shield my eyes. I assumed he asked the question because he saw the bottles of wine, or at least the bags they were in. Common sense should tell him they were unopened, but instead of asking to see if they were still corked, he amped up his assholishness.
“No.”
“I’m going to need you to step out of your vehicle.”
“What for?”
“I won’t tell you again.”
He moved back two paces to allow space for me to swing open my door and exit, but instead of doing as instructed, I sat still, staring straight ahead. I’d seen enough movies and Dateline specials to know that the moment I stepped outside, I put myself into an even more vulnerable state. But if I chose not to do as he asked, my situation would escalate, and I didn’t want that to happen either.
“I’ve not been drinking. I just bought the wine and I’m heading home.”
“Step. Out. Of. The. Vehicle.” His voice dipped, anger and annoyance weaving to form a whole other sound.
“I don’t feel safe doing that.” I hated the tremble in my voice.
He made some tsking noise with his mouth before speaking again. “Do you want me to call another officer to assist?”
Contemplating the ramifications of angering this guy more than he already appeared to be, mixed with not wanting to drag out our encounter, I reluctantly stepped out of the vehicle. My body bristled from the closeness, his height intimidating as well as his broad shoulders and muscular arms. If the man was so inclined, he could do anything he wanted to me and I’d never have a fighting chance. My mind wandered back to all the crime shows that portrayed men posing as police officers, and for a moment, I began to panic. But then he pulled something from his belt and shoved it into my line of sight.
“Blow into this.”
“I told you I haven’t been drinking.”
“If you refuse, your license will automatically be suspended.”
“But I didn’t do anything, other than drive a few miles over the speed limit.”
“Is that a refusal?” he asked, tilting his head slightly to the right, his impatience wafting off him.
Because I couldn’t afford to have my license suspended, I gave in to his ridiculous demand. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.” He placed the contraption between my lips, and I pulled in a breath, releasing the air from my lungs seconds later. “Well? What does it say?”
“The numbers indicate you haven’t been drinking.”
“I told you.”
“Just needed to make sure.”
“Can I go now?” He continued to stand close, the silence that followed making my skin prickle in heightened awareness. Only I couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was he made me feel.
Nervous?
Angry?
Trepidation?
Attraction?
As soon as the last thought barreled in, I dismissed it immediately.
After some of the longest moments of my life, he finally retreated, giving me back the air he’d stolen. “Drive the speed limit.”
As soon as I slid back into the driver seat and closed the door, he walked back to his cruiser, ending the frustrating and odd encounter.
If I never saw that man again, it’d be way too soon.
2
Quinn
“I can’t believe he was such a jerk.” Avery leaned back in her seat, bending her leg to rest on the rung of the chair, her oversized, pink sweatshirt draping off her left shoulder. She drummed her fingers on the granite countertop of the island as she watched me. “He can’t just go around treating innocent people like that.”
“He probably thinks just because he’s good looking he can get away with that surly attitude of his.” I took a breath, intent on continuing a rant about my experience with Officer Bennett, when my sister waved her hand in the air to stop me before I even got started.
“Hold up. You didn’t tell me he was cute.”
“Does that make a difference? He was still an ass.”
“I suppose not.” She tilted her head and looked to still be studying me. “How cute are we talking?”
My shoulders bounced in a lazy, noncommittal shrug. “It was dark out, but from what I could see, he was above average in the looks department.”
“Above average you say.” She tapped her finger against her lips, her eyes morphing into tiny slits.
“What?”
“I think cops are sexy.”
“This one might’ve been sexy, but his attitude was a complete turnoff.”
“Now he’s sexy too?” She laughed when I sighed.
“Can we not talk about him anymore. I just want to forget the whole thing even happened.”
“Fine.” Avery shifted in her seat, crossing her legs and resting her elbow on the counter. “How’s work?”
That was another topic I wasn’t keen on discussing, but it was better than keeping my focus on the jerk who pulled me over.
“Draining. My boss piled on two more cases. I can barely keep up with the ones I have.” The sip of wine I took slid down my throat and I savored the taste, especially after the day I’d had. In fact, I had to restrain myself from draining my glass.
I landed a job with the state at DCFS, or Department of Children and Family Services, a public agency that focuses on the health, safety, and general welfare of children and families. The pay wasn’t great, but at the end of a long and exhausting day, I loved that I was making a difference for those who needed help. Many of my cases were due to drug abuse and neglect, and while the last thing we wanted to do was remove a child from the home, the action was necessary sometimes in order to ensure their safety. I’d seen some awful situations, and minus the three times I sat alone in my car and cried, I’d been successful at putting aside all feelings in order to do my job to the best of my ability.
“You need to either ask for more money or find another job. You work too much as it is.” She smiled and took her own sip. “How are you ever going to meet anyone when all you do is work?”
“Todd and I just broke up three months ago. I’m not looking to meet anyone. Besides, like you mentioned, I don’t have time for a relationship.”
“I’m not talking about a relationship. I’m talking about a good, old-fashioned one-night stand. Someone to blow your mind, then leave afterward.” The wiggling of her brows made me laugh.
“Been there, done that, don’t want to do it again. Anyway, hooking up is the last thing on my mind.”
“Well, you better get you some before your vagina sews itself shut from lack of
use.”
“I doubt that’s going to happen anytime soon,” I retorted with a shake of my head. I would’ve added in an eye roll, but I was too damn exhausted.
“Speaking of vaginas, is Todd still calling you?”
“How is that… never mind.” I could always count on my sister to distract me with her sense of humor. “Yes, he’s still calling and texting. Telling me how sorry he is and that he never meant to hurt me, blah blah blah. You’d think he’d get the hint after all this time of me not responding, but he always was persistent.” As if on cue, my cell chimed with an incoming message. I didn’t have to look to see it was from him.
“Let me respond. I’ll think of something good.” She reached for my phone, but I snatched it away before she could snag it.
“No way. If you respond, no matter with what, it’ll only encourage him to continue his antics. He dropped down to only four times a week now. Eventually, he’ll stop.”
“Why don’t you just change your phone number?”
“Because everyone I know has it, and it’s a pain in the ass to go through all that.”
“Then block him.”
“I was going to but….” My words trailed off involuntarily, my brain trying to finish my sentence, but to no avail. Honestly, I didn’t know why I didn’t block his number. I supposed I was too hurt in the beginning, finding some sort of comfort that he was as persistent as he was, as if his tenaciousness showed how much he cared about me. Perhaps I held out for a shred of hope I’d work up the courage to speak to him again, after I stopped being so angry. But as the days passed, it had just become routine to see his name flash on my screen, and for me to ignore it. I listened to every message and read every text, but never once responded.
