Page 49

Forty-Nine

Quinn

M ike was asleep by the time Trevor dropped us off at the cabin last night. We quietly headed to the back, where a guest room had been made up for us. The place was much bigger than the last one we had stayed in, with three large rooms and two full bathrooms.

I didn’t sleep much that night because I kept rolling over to make sure Rosie was still beside me.

Roman slept on the other side of her, making sure she couldn’t get away without one of us noticing.

While the threat and danger of someone taking her was gone now that Julia had been arrested, it took some time to register that we didn’t have to hover and watch her every move.

I rolled over and smiled at the sunlight streaming in through the window. Today was going to be a wonderful day. Roman and I were together. We had Rosie, and no one was going to take her. On top of that, my brother was safe and alive. What more could I have asked for?

“Good morning, Mommy,” Rosie’s small voice greeted me as she opened her eyes and looked at me.

“Good morning, sweet girl.” I brushed a strand of hair off her forehead, trying to be quiet so we didn’t wake up Roman.

“Good morning,” Rosie said sleepily, smiling at him.

I looked over her to find him smiling at both of us.

“Good morning, Rosie.”

“Can I go see Uncle Mike?” she asked, sitting up and whipping the covers off all of us.

I laughed at her excitement and nodded my head. “Just be careful; he’s not usually a morning person,” I called after her.

“I heard that,” he yelled from the living room.

I smiled and climbed out of bed, groaning as I felt the ache and stiffness in my body.

“You okay?” Roman asked as he climbed out of bed, eyeing me suspiciously.

“Yeah,” I laughed. “I’m not a spring chicken anymore. I’m more like an old, grumpy pterodactyl. Way too old to be running around like I’m a twenty-something hotshot chasing the bad guys.”

My body was sore, and I could definitely use some Ibuprofen, a hot bath, and probably some Icy-Hot at this point.

“I’m feeling it today, too,” he said with a smile.

“Sorry,” I winced and scrunched my nose.

“Don’t be. I would go through heaven and hell to get to you, Quinn. You and Rosie are everything to me, and there’s nothing that would ever stop me. Not old age. Not a bad knee. Not even arthritis.”

He came around the bed and wrapped me in his arms.

“I haven’t had a chance to tell you how much I appreciate what you did—” I started before he lifted a finger to my lips and stopped me.

“You don’t need to thank me, Quinn.”

His finger fell to the side and gently brushed against my cheek as his lips lowered to mine.

I melted into him, feeling safe in his muscular arms. The kiss was too quick for my liking, but it wasn’t like we had total privacy and could trust that Rosie wouldn’t walk in on us.

The last thing I wanted to do right now was explain my new relationship to her on top of everything else she had going on.

“We don’t need to talk about what happened until you’re ready,” he murmured.

“But please don’t thank me. I did what I did because I love you, Quinn.

More than I ever knew was possible. I love you, and I love Rosie as if she was my own child.

It’s a weird feeling, one that I wasn’t sure I would ever feel, but I promise that I would do anything for that girl. ”

“I love you too, Roman. We both do. Rosie just adores you,” I smiled, looking up into his eyes.

I thought about everything that happened last night and what Julia had confessed. I still had so much anger inside me that I couldn’t see straight.

“What’s wrong?” Roman asked, lifting my chin with his fingers as he noticed my mood shift.

“Nothing,” I lied.

“Quinn....”

I shook my head and inhaled slowly.

“I can’t stop thinking about finding Rosie in that room with Julia and Elias.

I keep seeing red from the anger that makes me want to rip their heads off and kill them all over again.

I know that Rosie is fine, but I can’t stop thinking about what would have happened if I hadn’t gotten there when I did.

This world is a cruel, disgusting place. ...”

“Look at me,” he coaxed, bringing my attention back to him. “Nothing is ever going to happen to her again. Not with two bad-ass old people watching out for her.”

I felt my cheeks burn from the stupid smile that stretched across my face at him calling us old. It was true, which only made it even funnier.

“Maybe we should get a logo and start a team of bad-ass old people?” I suggested. “Make it a cool thing.”

“Whatever your heart desires,” he laughed and kissed my forehead.