Ice was acting alone.
She slipped her cell phone into her palm, taking care to shield it well to hide the glare before checking the time.
23:57
“Okay. You can do this.” By now, Luke had certainly given the intelligence unit the message she’d sent a few minutes ago. They’d be on their way, for her and for Hayley.
Now all she had to do was buy them the time to get here.
Moving cautiously so her boots wouldn’t crunch on the gravel, Quinn walked up to the front of the warehouse. A small light bloomed from behind the grimy windows, and she took a slow peek inside. But between the crates and the filthy glass, seeing anything definite was impossible.
Right. Plan B.
Quinn gulped down a breath, putting one shaking hand on the doorknob. Miraculously—yes—it turned, and she edged her way inside to the soundtrack of her pounding heart.
“It’s almost time.”
Ice’s voice curdled Quinn’s blood, stopping her in her tracks. She couldn’t see him—he had to be closer to the center of the cavernous room—and she crept forward even though her knees felt like they were loaded with Silly Putty.
“Ah, I forgot. You can’t hear me, can you?” Ice said, and okay, this was good. Hayley had to be really close by. “It made it easy to take you, you know. You didn’t even budge in your bed before I sedated you just enough to keep you from kicking. Sufentanil is a beautiful thing.” He paused, the awful, menacing smile in his tone raising goose bumps on Quinn’s arms. “And now here you are, wide awake.”
With a deep inhale, she kept moving toward his voice. Steady. Steady.
“It’s a shame you can’t scream, though. That’s always the best part, hearing the scream. Ah well. That stupid bitch will get the message when I gut you from stem to stern. Do you know how much blood is in the human body, sweetheart? Why don’t you smile for the camera and then we’ll find out?”
“Four point seven liters.”
The sound of her own voice shocked the hell out of Quinn, but somehow, it didn’t waver. Ice’s chin whipped up from the spot where he stood in front of Hayley about ten feet away, and he swung toward her, gun raised.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he spat, that cold, dead stare pinning her into place, and fear threatened to make her falter.
You can do this. You’re strong enough to do this.
Quinn kept her focus right on Ice, even though her instincts howled for her to look at Hayley, to at least try to tell her with a look that everything would be okay. But Quinn couldn’t risk turning his attention back to the girl, so she settled for a lift of one shoulder.
“I’m answering your question. Not that it matters, though. You’re not going to prove that little science lesson today.”
“But I am,” Ice bit out, his nearly black eyes glittering with rage as he stalked closer to her. “I have to admit, I’m surprised you cranked up the balls to play hero. You always stink of so much fear. But it’s just as well. Now that you’re here, you can watch in person while I skin this one alive.”
“You won’t have time.” Please, God, let them hurry. “The intelligence unit knows exactly where you are.”
Ah, that got him. “They wouldn’t have sent you in here,” Ice said slowly. “You’re bluffing to try and save the girl.”
Quinn shook her head. Just keep him talking. “You’re half-right. The intelligence unit wouldn’t have sent me in here. In fact, I’m sure they’ll be pissed that I came. But they know about everything, Ice. The kidnapping, the bomb at the fire house. The deal with Sorenson. They know where you are, and they’re on their way here. I’d say you’ve got three, maybe five minutes to run.”
His loud, ominous laughter drove straight into her bones. “Run? You think I would run?”
Quinn’s belly dropped under the sheer force of her dread. “If you don’t, they’re going to catch you.”
“The cost of revenge is steep sometimes,” he said, a horrific smile bending his features. “But that deal was mine. I earned it. I’ve been running drugs in this city since I was in goddamn middle school. Made my first kill at sixteen, then washed up and had a sandwich. I’m not just good at what I do. I’m the best. I own this city. Then you come in here, taking pictures and talking to the cops after I told you not to, and all of a sudden, that deal is gone? No.”
Ice moved closer, sending Quinn’s pulse into overdrive, but she stood her ground on the dusty warehouse floor, listening as he continued. “See, people don’t betray me. If they do, they end up like Cherise, or like that ignorant fuck, Dixon. I’m sure the prison guards will be finding his body any minute now. Christ, it was all too easy to have him shanked and left to bleed out. Easier yet to pin the whole thing on Damien. But they both fucked with me, and now they’ve paid the price. That’s how respect is earned.”
His stare glinted in the low light. “I don’t tolerate disloyalty. You did something I told you not to do, and it cost me something I deserved. Now I’m going to take it out of you, piece by piece.”
He lifted his gun, and Quinn’s mouth went dry with fear, tears pouring down her face in a sudden stream. Oh God, she was out of time. Ice was going to shoot her—she could see it on his face. She looked at Hayley, her heart slamming and breaking all at once as she mouthed, look away.
But Hayley shook her head and made one sign, mouthing the word that went with it. Then everything in the room stretched into slow motion as the girl opened her mouth and screamed.
Luke heard a scream, followed by the pop-pop-pop of gunfire, and screw waiting in the car. His feet stabbed into the gravel path in front of the warehouse, his breath shellacked to his lungs as he damn near tore the warehouse door off its hinges. A riot of voices rang out in sawed-off tones, followed by the heavy thunder of boots on concrete, and he tore through the maze of shipping crates leading to the center of the room.
“RPD!” came a shout, then a quick, “Clear!” after it, and Hale holstered the weapon she’d just pointed at him. “You’re supposed to be in the car,” she scolded, stepping back. Only then did he realize she’d put herself in front of someone else, and he damn near collapsed in relief.
“Hayley!”
He grabbed his sister, giving her a visual sweep from head to toe before restarting the process with his hands. “Are you hurt?” he asked, unsure whether she was shaking or if it was just his hands.
Hayley shook her head, grabbing his hands to still them. I’m fine. I’m fine. Go get Quinn. Please. You have to go get Quinn.
Hale stepped in to look at him. “I have her, Slater. I swear. There are ambos en route. But they’re going to need you in there. Go.”
Ambos? Why would they need more than one? And why would they need him right—
Oh, no. No, no.
“Quinn!” The word tore past his lips, announcing his arrival as he sprinted through the rest of the maze, his feet crashing to a halt as he reached the last shipping container.
“Quinn? Quinn!” Luke said, his gaze whipping wildly around the dimly lit space. Then, all at once, he saw why he was needed.
Quinn sat in the middle of the concrete floor, covered in blood.
And it wasn’t hers.
“What are you doing?” Luke asked, certain he wasn’t seeing properly. Because no way, no way could she be treating the bullet wound of the man who had just tried to kill her.
“Chest compressions,” she said, looking up at him with a fierce blue stare. “Now are you going to help me save this asshole so he can spend the rest of his life rotting in jail, or not?”
Quinn scrubbed the last of the blood off her hands and finally chanced a look at herself in the mirror. Her hair qualified as a category three hurricane, and the pale green scrubs the intake nurse had given her to change into did zilch for her fear-paled complexion. But she was here, at Remington Memorial Hospital, standing and breathing.
She was alive, and so was Hayley. That was all that mattered.
Tossing her blood-soake
d clothes into the biohazard bin in the corner of the bathroom, she took one last breath before turning toward the door. The intelligence unit probably wanted to question her, not to mention yell at her for a while. She might as well get it over with.
But when she opened the door, the person waiting for her in the hallway wasn’t from the intelligence unit at all.
“What are you doing here?” Quinn asked, her cheeks heating at the idiocy of her question. Of course Luke was here. He’d ridden over in the same ambulance that she had, and apparently scored himself a pair of matching scrubs. How come they looked so great on him?
Because he’s gorgeous, dummy. Also, not yours.
“Actually, I was waiting for you. There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Oh. Is Hayley okay?” She’d looked fine when Addison had hustled her out of the warehouse, but everything had happened so fast. Plus, she’d been through a lot. She could be in shock, or—
“Hayley’s fine,” Luke said. “The paramedics from Twenty-Nine gave her the all-clear on the way here. She’s resting in one of the curtain areas with my grandmother. But that’s not what I wanted to tell you.”
Quinn paused, her stomach twisting. “Is it Ice?”
“Ice went up to surgery.” A chill moved over Luke’s light blue stare. “The trauma surgeon said it’s going to be a long night, but that you probably saved his life by initiating CPR when you did.”
“Oh.” God, talk about irony. But if she’d let him bleed out, she would have been living by his code, not her own. She saved people. That’s what she was made for—it was who she was. Plus, saving Ice’s life ensured he’d spend the rest of it locked up, with no power to hurt anyone, ever again.
And for him, that was worse than dying.
“Thank you for the updates,” Quinn said, and Luke nodded.
“You’re welcome. But that’s also not what I wanted to tell you.”
“Okay.” Her brows lifted. “So what do you want to tell me, then?”
The emotion he’d clearly been keeping at bay slipped over his face, and wait. Wait, wait…
Luke stepped forward, cradling her face in his hands. “I want to tell you that I love you.”
A soft gasp escaped from her chest. “But you said—”
“I know what I said. I was scared and stupid, but it doesn’t change the fact that it hurt you. Not to mention it was wrong, and I didn’t mean it. I’m so sorry, Quinn.” He paused to let the words sink in. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You saved my sister’s life tonight, but before that, you saved mine, too. I love you.”
“Oh.” Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t even try to hold them back. “Well I suppose that’ll work since I love you, too.”
“You forgive me for being a heartless ass?” Luke asked, thumbing the tears from her cheeks.
Quinn laughed. “You weren’t an ass, and you could never be heartless. You were scared. And I know all too well what that’s like, so yes. Of course I forgive you.”
“I was scared,” he admitted. “I thought I’d lose you both.”
“Well there’s more than one reason you didn’t. I might have kept Ice from hurting Hayley, but she saved my life, too.”
Luke pulled back in shock. “She did?”
“She did,” Quinn confirmed with a nod. “Ice was going to shoot me, but Hayley saw Garza and Isabella closing in from the shadows. She knew they’d need a distraction to keep him from shooting me, so she told me to drop.” Quinn made a fist, then opened it. “And then she screamed.”
“That was Hayley?” Luke asked, clearly poleaxed.
“That was Hayley. Your sister is one tough kid.”
“She is,” he agreed, pulling her closer. “And you’re pretty tough, too. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Hmmm,” Quinn said, stepping back in to put her arms around Luke, where they belonged. “Lucky for you, you’re never going to have to find out.”
Epilogue
“Seriously, Faurier. If you take the last of those home fries—”
“Gates, pass the coffee, would you? Otherwise McCullough’s going to get Slater to tap a vein for her so she can mainline it.”
“Y’all better stop jawin’ and get to eating. Letting those pancakes get soggy is a sacrilege, now.”
Oh, how good it felt to be home.
“You ready for your last run on ambo today?” Quinn asked, a bittersweet pang moving through her chest as she nudged Luke with an elbow. They’d both insisted on coming back to work with everyone else on A-shift, and after a big batch of grumbling from Bridges, he’d finally agreed. Quinn had had to promise to continue seeing Dallas on a weekly basis for a while, but that was cool. Dr. Phil was actually starting to grow on her, and their session really did help keep her on the level.
“I guess,” Luke said, spearing a forkful of home fries from Quinn’s plate and popping them into his mouth. “But I’ll miss it, too.”
She raised a brow, trying on her very best stern look. “Um, you’re going to be in it if you take my home fries again.”
“No, I’m not.” Luke grinned, swiping another bite from her plate before leaning over to whisper in her ear. “Because if you take me out of commission, I won’t be able to take off your panties and—”
“Quinn?” January poked her head into the common room, and oh God, saved by the bestie. “Captain Bridges would like to see you and Slater in his office, please.”
“Jesus, you two. Shift isn’t even an hour old yet,” Kellan said from across the table. “What’d you do now?”
“I don’t know,” Quinn said. “We finished all the stuff for the case yesterday.”
After a hard-nosed talking-to from both Sinclair and Bridges, a lengthy conversation with the D.A., a raid on several residences in North Point, Ice had woken from his seven-hour surgery to discover that he was being arrested on more felony counts than he could count on his fingers and toes.
He would spend the rest of his life in jail. And every day, he’d wake up and know that it was because Quinn had been brave enough to save him.
Luke stood, falling into step with her as she walked into the hallway. “Probably just some paperwork to get me back on engine. Parker will be back at next shift, right?”
“That’s what the schedule says, but he’s not supposed to be back in Remington until tonight.” His brother’s cabin was way out in the sticks, so she hadn’t been entirely shocked not to hear from him. She doubted he even had cell service. “I’m sure he’ll call me when he gets in. But other than paperwork, I have no clue what this could be about.”
They made their way down the hall, then to the captain’s office. After a quick knock, Quinn walked over the threshold…
And found herself staring face-to-face with Parker.
“Holy crap! When did you get back into town?” she asked, moving forward to give him a stunned hug.
“Hey, partner,” he said, but funny, the word sounded just the tiniest bit odd as it traveled from her ears to her belly. “I came back a little early. Just got in a few hours ago. Hey, Slater. How’s it going?”
“Good, man.” They paused to shake hands. “It’s good to see you.”
“You, too.” Parker swung back to look at her, a metric ton of concern winging through his dark brown eyes. “Seems you two have been through a lot while I was gone. Jesus, Copeland. A kidnapping? And a rescue at gunpoint? Are you sure you’re okay?”
Quinn bit her lip. “Yeah. I wanted to tell you, but for a while, I couldn’t, and then after that…”
“It’s alright. I’m just glad you weren’t hurt.” Parker glanced at Bridges, and God, what was that look on his face? “Look, I know I’ve kind of been keeping my distance since I left town. I’ve had a lot of time to think since I got hurt, and I wanted you to hear this from me.”
Quinn’s pulse knocked at her throat. “Parker? What’s going on?”
“I’m leaving Seventeen.”
S
he blinked once. Twice. Then the words got all the way in. “You’re not taking that job at Six, are you? Because there’s no way—”
“No. God, no. I’m not going to another house,” Parker said over a soft chuckle. “I’m going back to medical school. I talked to some people, who pulled a few strings to let me bypass the applications deadlines…and I landed a spot in Remington University’s medical program. I’m starting in a few weeks.”
Holy. Shit. “You’re going to be a doctor?” Quinn asked, and he nodded.
“I did a lot of soul searching while I was gone, and I realized it’s now or never. I’ve spent six years on ambo, and they’ve been some of my best. But this isn’t where I belong. Just like sitting second chair on that rig isn’t where you belong.”
Bridges cleared his throat. “And that’s where I come in. In order to make replacing Parker as painless as possible, I’d like to do it with you, Quinn. You have more than proven yourself. If you want the job as lead paramedic of A-shift, it’s yours.”
“I don’t…I don’t know what to say.” She’d loved the routine of the last five years, the familiarity and comfort of her job. But Parker was right. She was ready.
“How about yes?” Parker asked. “I wouldn’t feel right leaving here unless I knew my spot was in the very best hands.”
Quinn’s heart squeezed. “Okay. Yes, I’d love to accept the position.”
“Excellent,” Bridges said. “Slater, if you’re amenable to one more shift on ambo after today, I’ll do my best to find someone from the float pool to cover the rest of the time it takes us to find someone to ride with Quinn permanently.”
“Respectfully, sir, I’d like to be considered for the position,” Luke said.
“What?” Quinn’s jaw dropped, but he just smiled.
“I want it. I want the job on ambo permanently.”
In Too Deep: Station Seventeen Book 3 Page 31
