Page 46 of Whatever It Takes

“I’m not shutting you out.” Her tear-filled eyes held mine. “I feel guilty. I feel confused. I feel like I need to stand on my own two feet before I can move forward with you.”

I haven’t been able to bring myself to admit that maybe Grant was a bigger obstacle than I had originally thought. I knew she loved me. There was no doubt. But as long as he was out there, she wasn’t going to be able to move forward with me. She needed closure and until he was caught, he would always be in the way. I didn’t want to push her too hard, but the fear of losing her again was too much to comprehend. Walking away from her was the last thing I wanted to do, but maybe it was time to do what was best for her and put my own personal feelings aside.

Giving her what she wanted as opposed to what she needed was one of the hardest things she could ever ask of me. My fucking heart felt like it had been yanked out of my chest.

I snatched my keys off the counter and started to race out of the room.

Her eyes widened in panic. “Quinn, wait.” Her arm rushed out to grab onto mine, but I pulled it out of her grasp and walked right past her. I went straight to my duffel bag that was sitting on the living room floor. All I could think about was getting the hell away from her.

The television was on and I quickly grabbed the remote when I saw the news report. I turned the volume up so I could listen.

The US Marshals Office has just released an updated photo of local District Attorney Grant Anderson who is wanted for the vehicular deaths of the young family from Upper Marion County that were killed on the night of August 30th when they were struck by Anderson’s SUV. The photo today was taken outside of the law offices of Daniel and Smith. US Marshals believe he made his getaway in an unmarked 2018 Black Lexus Rx 350. Investigators said that Anderson has been on the run since the deadly crash. Investigators don’t believe he is armed but encourage anyone with information to reach out to the US Marshals Office or the Philadelphia Police Department.

Charlotte was bunched over, staring at the TV as the news reporter switched to the local weather.

I grabbed my duffel off the floor and studied her face. Words could not express how much this was tearing me apart, how much I hated every second of this. The pleading look in her eyes did nothing to quench the frustration coursing through my veins.

After a few tense moments ticked by, it was obvious that her mind was made up.

My free hand reached for the door and I did everything I could to hold in what I really wanted to say. Because believe me, I had a lot to fucking say.

She looked down at her feet and wiped her hands across her cheeks that were soaked with moisture.

I swallowed hard and shook my head. “I need to stop by my apartment and grab a few things before I head back to work. I’ll be back later. Don’t wait up.”

I didn’t give her the chance to respond; I shut the door and made my way down to my truck. As I got on the highway, I cursed myself for believing that things were good between us and that we had finally moved past our issues. One little visit from Grant changed everything.

I was in a foul mood when I got back to the precinct. Every little noise or question set me off even more. Just thinking about the two of them alone in that fucking bathroom had me wanting to throw my fist up against the wall. I swear when that motherfucker was found I was going to tear him apart limb by limb.

My phone chirped with a text from my brother asking for an update. I slammed my phone down on my desk, feeling too irritated to respond. I made my way over to the break room to pour myself a shitty cup of coffee.

Marco stepped in and came right for me. I turned around, gripping the cup in my hands. “I hope you’re here to tell me he’s downstairs in lockup.”

I was pretty sure I sounded like an asshole, but I could have given zero fucks at the moment.

“This is a shitshow,” he admitted, knowing damn well that Grant Anderson was making a mockery of the police department. “Captain is breathing down my ass. The Feds are poking their nose in my business and I don’t like it. I want this asshole behind bars. I promise you, I’m going to end this shit soon.”

I scooted back in my chair and brought my hands to the back of my neck. “Someone is helping that fucker, and I would sell my left kidney to know who it was.”

Marco combed his fingers through his hair. “Agreed. Which is all the more reason why you staying with Charlotte is a good thing. I know she wants to stay under the delusion that Grant is just some lost soul who made a bad mistake. But this is something else. I can feel it in my gut.”

He had no idea how true that statement was.

“You need to find out who owns that Lexus that he got away in. I don’t give a fuck how much red tape you have to cut through, just do it. If there is shit you’re not comfortable doing, let me know. I have no problem getting my hands dirty on this one.”

“You my boss now? Did someone promote you and forget to send me the memo?”

“No. I’m just a man who is trying to take care of the people I care about.”

Marco whistled and rocked back and forth on his heels. “I know you want his ass locked up. Just don’t go jumping the gun in search of answers when you’re this angry. You need to think about the repercussions. We will find him. Focus on taking care of your girl.”

“I’m not really sure she’s even my girl right now,” I blurted out.

I hated how we left things earlier. There was nothing worse than feeling like you were on rocky ground, knowing it could crumble at your feet at any minute.

Now that I’ve had time to cool down, I probably could have handled things better. But I wasn’t thinking straight, and as usual, my anger got the best of me. I wanted her to feel the same amount of hurt and pain that I felt.

“Don’t be stupid.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “I gotta head back and comb through those files. I promise you, between the Marshals and the Feds, we’ll get his ass.”

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