Page 58 of Salem's Fall
Now, though…
I can almost picture it. A lavish ballroom. Sweeping music and glittering chandeliers. Decadent food and dancing until my feet ached. If I’m being honest with myself, and if I wasn’t in the middle of the most high stakes case of my entire life, the All Hallows Gala is something I’d love to attend. And if he wasn’t my client—if there weren’t murder charges and a lethal secret society hanging over us—Damien Blackhollow might be exactly the sort of man I’d want to go with.
I can’t help but smirk to myself. And William would absolutelydieif he saw me at the Gala with someone like Damien. But then I shake my head, pushing the thoughts away before they can take root.
“I promise you, Quinn, it’s strictly professional between Damien and me.” I pause, hesitating. I’m not sure how much I should tell Quinn about my family, but it feels like something has changed between us since last night. Even if he is my boss, he really does care about me. I feel like I can trust him. “But you’re right, there is something different about this case. Something… personal.” I look down at my coffee cup, tracing the edge with my fingertip. “I’ve found out things that tie me to this case in ways I can’t ignore. Connections to my family I can’t walk away from.”
His eyebrows knit together, expression turning cautious.
“What sort of connections?”
“I think my dad may have somehow gotten tangled up with the Blackhollows and the Veil.” My chest tightens, but I force the words out. “That maybe there’s a link between all of this and my mom’s murder.”
I drop my gaze, my fingers curling into my lap. I feel exposed, vulnerable, even though Quinn already knows about my dad’s conviction. The firm uncovered it during my background check, but we’ve never actually talked about it. Not out loud. I’ve always suspected my past is a big part of why Quinn took me under his wing. I think part of him felt bad for me, basically becoming an orphan at sixteen.
“Woodsen.” Quinn’s voice is steady, but there’s an edge to it. “Your dad had a psychotic breakdown and murdered your mother. There’s nothing in the files to indicate anyone else was involved.”
I glance up, surprised. “You’ve seen my dad’s case files?”
He nods. “I wanted to know about your family. To see if I could help you—help your father.” He hesitates, rolling his shoulders like he’s shaking off a weight. “I went through the case, searched for anything that could justify reopening it or filing an appeal. There’s nothing.” His voice hardens. “I’m telling you. You’re chasing shadows.”
I feel myself getting defensive.
“Well, I’m sorry, but I disagree. There’s something here.”
“Come back with me,” he says. “You can work on other cases. Safer cases. This isn’t the only path to success.” His voice is gentle but resolute as he reaches for my hand. “We’ll figure this out—together.”
“Quinn, I can’t… I can’t just walk away.” I pull away and his face shifts to something like disappointment.
“So that’s it, then? You’re saying no to us too?”
My heart twists as I see the hurt in his eyes, raw and unguarded.
“Quinn, this… us… it’s complicated. What about my career? Everything I’ve worked for?” My voice wavers, the walls I’ve kept up against him cracking. “Even if I admit that, yes, there are feelings, what good does that do? If something happens between us, it changes how everyone at work sees me. Maybe you don’t have to worry about that, but I do.”
“I know it’s complicated,” he says, his gaze steady. “But life’s messy, Woodsen. You can’t always keep everything in neat, professional boxes.”
I swallow hard, forcing myself to hold his stare. “I need more time to figure out what I feel, Quinn. But please—don’t ask me to choose between you and this case.”
He nods, his expression hardening as he leans back, distancing himself physically and emotionally.
“The firm’s been asking questions, you know,” he says, his voice low, measured. “The partners are worried. They don’t like the way this looks—a young junior female associate still wet behind the ears, running around Salem’s Fall, working outside the firm’s oversight and getting tangled up in whatever the hell is going on here.”
I freeze.
“What does that mean?”
Quinn hesitates. “It means they want you back in Boston.If you stay, you could lose more than just this case—you could lose everything.”
Anger flares in my chest. “So what, you’re here to strong-arm me into leaving? Are you going to fire me if I refuse?”
“Of course not.” Hurt flickers in his eyes. “You know I’ll always have your back, no matter what you choose. If you won’t leave with me, I’ll go back alone and try to cover for you for a few more days… it just might not be enough.”
I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of my decision settle over me. Quinn. Boston. Back to the city, to stability, to the career I’ve sacrificed so much for with a good man I know I can trust and rely on.
And yet, something is keeping me here. Maybe it’s Damien, maybe it’s the mystery, maybe it’s the need to avenge my mother’s death and my father’s conviction. Whatever it is, I can’t ignore it.
“I need to see this through, Quinn,” I say. “If I walk away now, I’ll never forgive myself.”
