Quinn’s incoherent yell dragged her from her daze, and she looked up just in time to see him tackle Chuck. The pistol clattered away, and Quinn wrapped his hands around Chuck’s throat.
She needed to stop them. Her limbs wouldn’t work, though. She couldn’t find her voice.
“Freeze.” Light brighter than the summer sun lit the parking lot, casting the two men in silhouette and otherwise blinding her. “Hands in the air, everyone.” She didn’t know where the voice came from, but it throbbed in her head and joints. She obeyed, using the last of her coherent thought to keep from passing out in confusion and pain.
****
“It’s 3 am.” The groggy greeting carried over the line.
Roz would have smiled at the familiar voice, if she had any strength left. In the background, doctors and nurses rushed from one room to the next. Screams and babble punctuated the emergency room. “Scott? It’s Roz. Dorothy’s friend?”
“Yes. Rosalie Delia Meuse. I know who you are, Roz. I’m tired, not forgetful.”
For the first time in the long hours since the doctor told Quinn he’d probably never use his right hand again, relief trickled through her. “I know it’s the middle of the night, and I’m sorry, but I need a favor, please.”
“How bad is it that you’re calling your best friend’s ex instead of everyone else who falls before me on your contact list?” Exhaustion lined his question.
She wanted to snap at him. Tell him she wasn’t in the mood for his painful brand of reason. But she really did need a favor. “They won’t know this. I need the name of a surgeon. Someone you know who does CyGes work. Limb implants, things like that.”
“Not really my department.” His reply came more slowly, laced with hesitation. “For you?”
“No.” Her tired laugh slipped out on its own, and she swallowed it before it became hysterical. “For a friend. I know you know people. I just need a name.”
“You can’t call them at 3 am.”
“Scott.” She couldn’t keep the irritation out of her voice.
“Yeah. I know someone. The best, I promise. I’ll send you her info. If you wait until sane hours to call her.”
“Thank you.” Some of the tension drained from her shoulders, as she disconnected her phone and dropped it onto the table next to Quinn’s bed.
He sat on the edge of the mattress. Dark circles lined his eyes, but a hint of a smile played on his lips. His right arm was taped to his body, more to keep him from jarring the damaged hand than anything else. “Thanks.” He held out his good arm.
She stepped closer, and let him wrap it around her waist. He kissed her forehead, and she sank into him.
Because of the break-in at her office earlier, the police had been patrolling the area. When Chuck had fired the gun, they’d been nearby, called for backup, and beat a rapid path to her parking lot. After they’d straightened out the confusion about who was assaulting whom, Chuck had been taken into custody, and Roz and Quinn had been shoved into an ambulance with an escort trailing behind, so they could answer questions once the doctor cleared them as okay.
The full impact of the day sank in, and tremors rocked through Roz’s body. She couldn’t hold back the rush of adrenaline…and everything else.
“Hey.” Quinn’s breath was warm against her neck. He nuzzled her skin. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”
She nodded, and dragged in a shaky breath.
“The insurance will pay for the surgery.” He trailed kisses over her shoulder, fingers dancing along her spine. “The policy they have on my hands is ludicrous.”
For some reason the notion made her laugh. “They don’t actually do that.”
“I swear they do.”
“But you’ll still need time to recover.” She realized. “What about your tour?”
“We’ll cancel. There’s no way around it. Iris will be pissed, but what’s she going to do? Besides”—he tugged her closer—“I’ll be out for at least six months. Enough time for us to start getting reacquainted.”
The words warmed her from the inside out, chasing away more of her stress. “That means you’re staying here. In boring old Emerald City.”
“I meant what I said earlier. I love you, Zee. Even if this hadn’t happened, I’d do what it took to prove it.”
She smiled, though he couldn’t see it, and rested a cheek against his chest. “So I’ll have a boyfriend with a synth hand. Morgana will be so jealous.”
“Fuck Morgana.” His teasing words vibrated through her cheek.
“Don’t you dare.” There was no power in her reproach. “I want to be more than just your flavor of the week.”
“You’re my one and only.” He kissed the top of her head and trailed his fingers through her hair. “I know I’ve been stubborn, pretending the blame for our problems rested on you, that I was above things like caring, but I’ve always wanted you. I’ve been drowning without you.”
Always. She liked the sound of that. It wouldn’t be quite that easy—she knew they still had things to work on—but she loved the promise in his words anyway. They’d work on their always together.
THE END
~*~If you enjoyed Quinn and Roz’s second chance romance, check out Denial of Interest (Version 2.0 Book 1). After successfully avoiding her ex-boyfriend for years, suddenly Rae is seeing Zach everywhere, including her explicit, rampant imagination. When he proposes a single night together for closure, she hopes it will be just what she needs to move on. ~*~
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About the Author
Allyson Lindt is a full-time geek and a fuller-time contemporary romance author. She prefers that her geeky heroes come with the alpha expansion pack and adores a heroine who can hold her own in a boardroom. She loves a sexy happily-ever-after and helping deserving cubicle dwellers find their futures together.
Table of Contents
Blurb
Other Books in this Series
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
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About the Author
His Rock & Roll Girl (Emerald City #2) Page 5
