Page 1 of Never Again

PROLOGUE

Chesterville, MA

Fifteen Years Earlier

“Let me break your legs,” Grandma said as her eyes narrowed dangerously on his legs while her grip tightened around her cane, letting him know that she was already imagining doing it.

“That’s real sweet, Grandma, but I think I’ll be fine,” Quinn assured her as he leaned down and pulled the small, feisty woman who’d raised him since he was a baby into his arms only to smile when she whispered, “I can make it look like an accident.”

“I know you can,” Quinn said with a teasing smile as he reluctantly released her and-

“Can I have your room when you die?” came the curious question that drew his attention to find his little cousin staring up at him.

Chuckling, Quinn reached over and ruffled Jaxon’s messy hair. “You can have it now,” he said, dropping his hand away so that he could grab his duffle bag and-

“It will only hurt for a minute,” Grandma promised with a solemn nod.

“It’s just boot camp, Grandma. I’ll be fine,” Quinn said as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Promise.”

For a moment, she didn’t say anything as she narrowed light grey eyes that matched his own while she considered him. “You don’t have to do this. I can find the money to pay for college.”

Biting back a sigh, Quinn murmured, “I know, Grandma,” knowing better than to remind her that he wasn’t planning on going to college. He’d learned his lesson the first time. But then again, that was his fault for not making sure that she didn’t have her cane before he broke the news to her. God, she was quick when she wanted to be, Quinn thought with a fond smile for the small, terrifying woman that he was going to miss.

“Then, let me break your legs,” Grandma said, determined to do whatever it took to stop him from going through with this.

Before he had a chance to respond, Jaxon said, “Your train’s leaving,” making Quinn frown as he glanced over his shoulder and-

Shit!

“I love you and I’ll write as soon as I can!” Quinn said, giving the small woman determined to hobble him one last kiss before he moved his ass, weaving his way through the early morning crowd and onto the train just as the last horn blew, announcing the departure of the seven-ten a.m. train to Boston.

“It will only hurt for a minute!” came the promise that had Quinn smiling as he stepped into the nearest car and looked out the window to watch his grandmother and cousin waving goodbye to him from the platform until the train slowly rounded a corner, and then, they were gone.

Swallowing hard, Quinn reminded himself that he’d see them in a couple of months as he moved to take a seat by the window when a small chime had him pulling his phone out of his pocket and-

I can make it look like an accident!

-chuckled as he moved to sit down when a flash of movement to his right had him telling himself that this wasn’t fucking happening.

Not today.

For a moment, he considered pretending that he didn’t see her only to end up sighing heavily as he watched the little girl that had been making his life a living hell for the past ten years suddenly drop out of sight. He should have known that this would happen, Quinn thought as he made his way down the aisle and tossed his bag on the overhead rack before dropping down on the bench where the little pain in the ass was currently hiding.

As he sat there waiting for her to make her next move, Quinn scrolled through his contacts, looking for someone that he could talk into coming to get her before she got herself in more trouble, only to end up sighing when a small hand blindly reached up from underneath the bench and tried to snatch his phone out of his hands. Shaking his head because this was just sad, Quinn said, “You’re getting off at the next stop, Bailey.”

There was a slight pause, and then, he heard the familiar long-suffering sigh as Bailey Smith climbed out from underneath the bench, dragging the oversized backpack that she never seemed to go anywhere without, behind her and stood up. That was followed by clearing her throat as she gestured for him to move his legs along with a murmured, “Excuse me,” that he ignored as he stretched his legs out, ensuring that she wasn’t going anywhere.

“Want to tell me why you’re running away?” Quinn drawled, not bothering to look up as he continued scrolling, debating calling her foster parents, but…

He’d rather avoid that if he could.

No matter how much she annoyed him, and god, did she fucking annoy him, he didn’t want to see her in trouble. Her foster parents were in way over their heads and had absolutely no idea what to do with her, so whenever Bailey did anything questionable, they grounded her, taking away her books, video games, and her ability to drive him crazy, which left her with one very big fucking problem.

“What did Kelly do now?” Quinn asked, quickly running his eyes over her from the hood of her sweatshirt covering her long, wavy caramel hair and fucking sighed when he reached up and pushed her hood back, revealing a rather impressive bruise marring the right side of her face.

Blinking, Bailey asked, “What makes you think that she did something?”

“That bruise, for starters,” Quinn murmured absently as he returned his attention to the problem at hand, finding someone to pick the little pain in the ass up and get her back home before her foster parents had a chance to miss her.

---