Page 68 of The Condemned (Echoes from the Past #6)

FIFTY-EIGHT

Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany

Quinn had expected Rhys to engage her in an analysis of the reunion once they got in the car and exited the car park, but he remained silent, allowing her time to process her feelings.

That particular undertaking would take much longer than the drive to the hotel, but it was a start.

Quinn’s emotional circuit board was firing on all cylinders.

She was elated, weepy, and excited beyond words, but also frustrated and angry.

So much time had been stolen from her and Jo.

Thirty-one years during which they could have been the best of friends, and the closest of confidantes.

Thirty-one years during which they could have been there for each other and continued to nurture the bond that had begun in the womb.

“You might have hated each other,” Rhys suddenly said, startling Quinn out of her reverie.

“What?”

“Your emotions are all there on your face,” Rhys replied with a smile. “Don’t look back, Quinn. What’s done is done. You’ve found each other, that’s what matters. Move forward, build on that.”

Quinn reached out and squeezed Rhys’s arm. He was speaking from experience, and she appreciated his insight. He was moving on from his own tragedy, and she had to as well.

“Want to grab some lunch?” Rhys asked as he glanced at the dashboard. It was just past noon. Quinn wasn’t hungry, but she could tell that Rhys longed for some company and couldn’t bear to deny him .

“Just give me an hour, Rhys. I have to call Gabe, and Logan, and then we can go anywhere you like.”

“Of course. Ring me when you’re ready.” Rhys parked the car and got out with a grimace of pain, which he instantly tried to cover up.

“I must have pulled a muscle when cleaning off the car this morning,” he said, easing his back theatrically, but Quinn knew he wasn’t telling the truth.

She’d seen his careful movements and the way he paled when he took a deep breath.

She’d also seen him taking painkillers when he thought she wasn’t looking.

Rhys was in pain, and whatever was hurting him was the result of his time in Kabul.

Quinn felt a stab of guilt. It was all her fault, and Rhys cared about her too much to tell her the truth and make her feel accountable.

“Rhys, please tell me you’re all right,” Quinn said, facing him across the bonnet of the car. “I know you’re hurting.”

Rhys didn’t bother to deny it this time, for which she was grateful. “I’m on the mend. I had a bit of a run-in with some thugs in Kabul. Don’t worry, I was seen to. I’ll live.”

Quinn smiled, amused by Rhys’s unwavering stoicism. He’d never admit to being in pain or needing help. He’d accept aid grudgingly, as if he were bestowing a great favor. “If there’s anything I can do?—”

“I’m fine. Now, go make those calls before I expire of malnourishment,” Rhys said, ushering her into the lobby.

“Right. Sorry. You haven’t eaten since breakfast. You must be on your last reserves,” Quinn joked. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

Quinn shut the door to her room, shrugged off her coat, and extracted her mobile. She would call Logan, just as she’d said she would, but first, she needed to hear Gabe’s voice. He’d be at work, but she hoped he’d be able to spare her a few minutes .

Gabe picked up on the first ring. “Quinn, are you all right, love?” he asked.

“I’m more than all right. Oh, Gabe, I just met her.” Quinn had had every intention of providing Gabe with a measured and descriptive account, but instead she burst into tears at the sound of his voice, overcome by her turbulent emotions.

“That’s wonderful, isn’t it?” Gabe asked carefully.

“It is,” Quinn said, sniffling. “Gabe, it was amazing. It’s as if we’ve known each other our whole lives. There was this connection, this bond.”

“I’m glad it went well. Will you be seeing her again tomorrow?”

“Of course. I’ll stay for a few more days at the very least. It’d be nice if I could take her home.”

“When will Jo be released?”

“I don’t know yet. But she’s doing really well.”

“Quinn, one day at a time. You have your whole lives ahead of you. No one will ever come between you and Jo again.”

“That’s what Rhys said.”

“Rhys is very good at staging the lives of others,” Gabe joked. “I’m glad he’s with you. How is he?”

“He seems more at peace,” Quinn replied. “He’s still hurting, and will be for some time, but I think he can see a way forward now.” She decided not to mention Rhys’s physical injuries. He wouldn’t want her to.

“I’m glad to hear it. Have you spoken to Logan?” Gabe asked, his voice gentle.

Quinn sighed. “Not yet. I rang you first. I needed to hear your voice. ”

Quinn could almost hear Gabe smile. “Go on and call him. I must get back to work. I’ll ring you once I get home and you can fill me in on all the details.”

“Kiss my babies for me.”

“Will do. I love you.”

Quinn finished the call and stared at her mobile.

She had to call Logan and tell him the news, but she was terrified of the news he might have to share.

Or lack of news, in this case. She set aside the mobile and sat down in a wingchair by the window.

Her head had begun to ache, and her uterus contracted with painful cramps.

She pressed her hand to her lower belly.

She’d had aches and pains for the past few weeks and her breasts felt tender to the touch, but her period still hadn’t arrived.

Quinn sighed heavily. What if she was pregnant?

There’d been several times when she and Gabe had foregone protection in the heat of the moment.

Quinn stared miserably at the colorless winter sky outside her window.

Did she want another baby? She loved Emma and Alex and loved being their mum, but in truth, she simply wasn’t ready to have another child.

Not yet. She should have done the test, but she’d been too afraid to find out the truth.

Quinn slid her hand into the waistband of her jeans and massaged her belly.

It didn’t feel taut or tender, but the cramps that twisted her insides felt real enough.

She pulled her hand out and touched her breasts.

They were a bit swollen. “Please, God, no,” she whispered as she consulted the calendar on her phone.

It’d been nearly three weeks since she stopped nursing.

Her period should have come by now. She’d do the test as soon as she returned home, but by that time there might be no need for it.

The cause of the delay would be obvious enough.

Quinn dragged her mind away from her possible pregnancy and called Logan. It took him a while to answer, but he finally came on the line, sounding irritable and tired.

“Quinn, how goes it?”

“You first. ”

“Nothing’s changed. The longer Jude remains unconscious, the greater the possibility that he’s suffered permanent damage. I’m scared for him, Quinn.” The tremor in Logan’s voice betrayed that he was trying not to cry.

“Try to stay positive.”

“I’m trying, if only for Mum’s sake. She hasn’t left Jude’s side. It’s not looking good, Quinn.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“You can tell me about Jo. I need a bright spot in my life right now.”

Quinn spent the next half hour telling Logan about her meeting with Jo. By the time they ended the call, Logan sounded a bit more cheerful and excited at the prospect of meeting his sister. Tomorrow he and Jo might even get to speak in person.

Quinn glanced at her watch. Rhys would be waiting for her. She sent him a text and went downstairs to wait for him.

Rhys wasn’t there when she arrived in the lobby, so she found a comfortable spot to sit down and decided to use the time to check her email.

There were over fifty messages in her inbox, but only two caught her attention.

There was one from Colin. It read: Quinn, the Winthrop Lab has reopened, and I had them run newly collected DNA samples twice, just to be sure.

I think you’ll find the results surprising.

Ring me. Quinn thought she could guess what he was referring to and would ring him as soon as she was able.

The second email was from an acquaintance at the National Archives.

Joanna Lang had helped Quinn on several occasions and often scanned the information and emailed it to save Quinn having to visit the Archives in person.

Quinn was eager to take a look at the document but would have to do it on her laptop, since it was awkward to scroll through pages of entries on her phone.

Whatever information the document held, it could wait another few hours.

“Anything interesting?” Rhys asked as he joined her .

“I think so. Colin has some news regarding the DNA analysis, and Joanna Lang has emailed me the information I requested. I’ll fill you in later. So, where are we off to?”

“I found a quaint little place I think you’ll like,” Rhys said. He seemed eager to get going.

“Quinn, I’ve booked a flight home for tomorrow,” he said once they were in the car.

“You’re leaving?” Quinn asked. Rhys’s news took her by surprise, but she supposed it was only natural that he’d want to return home.

Rhys turned to her and smiled as one would at an adorable child.

“Darling, you don’t need me anymore. You’ve found your sister, and you two have much to talk about.

I need to return to London and would very much appreciate it if you’d give me a lift to the airport tomorrow after you visit with Jo.

I’m needed back at the office. Apparently, more than two dozen actresses have applied for the part of Valentina Kalinina, and I, for one, can’t wait to audition them.

According to Rhiannan, some of them are actually Russian.

” This bit of news seemed to make Rhys very happy.

“Have you ever noticed how everything sounds menacing when said with a Russian accent?” Rhys joked as he pulled out of the car park. “You can say something as simple as ‘Get in the car,’ and it sounds as if I’m taking you hostage.”

“Is that why you can’t wait to get back? You want to be menaced by dozens of Russian women?”

Rhys grinned. “That’s the thing with Russian women, you don’t know if they’ll take you home and feed you borsht or put you over their knee and spank you like a bad little boy.”

“Please, don’t tell me which one you prefer. I don’t need that particular image in my already traumatized brain.”

Rhys laughed and merged onto the Autobahn. He floored the gas pedal and the little car lurched into action. “I suddenly feel much lighter,” he said, turning to smile at Quinn. “And it feels good.”

“I’m glad. I’ll miss you.”

“No, you won’t,” Rhys replied wistfully. “You have what you need right here. By the way, have you asked her?”

Quinn shook her head. “That’s not the kind of question you just blurt out, is it? Brett possessed the same gift and we are half-brother and -sister. Jo and I are twins. She must have the gift. It’s only logical that Jo should.”

“I would think so too,” Rhys agreed. “You must take it slow with her. She seems so fragile.”

“Rhys, how can it be that she has no one to turn to at a time like this? I know there’s been a rift with her siblings, but surely, there must be someone in her life she feels close to.”

“Well, these are the things you’ll have to ask her,” Rhys replied.

“What about you? Are you through asking questions?” Quinn asked. Rhys seemed to have removed himself from the equation.

“I’ve done my part. I have a job to return to, and it’s time I picked up the pieces of my life. Haley is gone. The baby is gone. I have to move on.”

“Rhys, I’ll never forget what you did for me,” Quinn said. “And for Jo.”

“I did it for myself as well. I needed something to lift me out of my misery. Kabul was the ideal place to remind me just how blessed I am and how much I have to be thankful for. I know what I want now, and I will have it. I’ve still got a few good years left in me.”

“Rhys, no one deserves to be happy more than you. ”

“No one deserves anything,” Rhys replied. “Life owes us nothing. It’s all about what we make of the opportunities we’re presented with. I’ve wasted several excellent chances, but I’m older and smarter now. I intend to make the next relationship count.”

“I know you will.”

“I’ll leave you the car,” Rhys said, turning to practical matters. “You’ll need it to visit Jo.”

“Thank you,” Quinn said as she covered Rhys’s hand with her own. “For everything.”

“Anytime you need a knight in shining armor and Gabe’s busy changing nappies, I’m your man,” Rhys joked, as he parked. “Now, let’s get inside. I’m famished.”