Page 9 of The Truths We Seek

“Any news on Tommy?” I ask, and the silence that greets me is enough.

“He didn’t make it,” he says anyway, and I let out a soft curse. “It’s going to break her.”

“She’s stronger than you think, but yeah, it’s going to tear her up. Was it Trent?” I ask, trying to work out the timelines. Tommy doesn’t live that far from here. He moved up here not long after she did, though I don’t know if she knows that. He said it was easier for business to be back here and none of us questioned it. Could’ve been for Angie. Could’ve been for business. But it was probably to be close to her in case anything happened.

“Still looking into it, but it’s too coincidental for me to think he’s not at least partially responsible for it.”

I clench my jaw as I glance over at Quinn. Just another reason that asshole in the bed of my truck is going to suffer slowly before I grant him the escape of death. “Okay, I’m not going to tell her yet.”

“That makes sense. Get her home, Rob will be waiting. I’m going to wait here until there’s progress.”

“Okay,” I say, running a hand down my face. “Once Rob checks her out, you know she’s going to want to be there.”

“We’ll deal with it when we get there. Drive safe with her.”

“You know I’d protect her with my life.” My words are harsher than I mean them to be, but neither of us has had any sleep and I know he won’t take it personally.

“I know. Get home, get some sleep. What are you doing with Trent?” Meyer just about spits his name and it’s enough to make me smile.

“I’m going to put him in the hole till I’m ready for him. Tonio and Derek are meeting me back at the house now that they’re done with the car.”

“Good.” I can hear his smile in the word and I know it matches my own. “We’ll deal with him later.”

He pauses and I hear voices in the background. “I’ve got to go. Keep me updated.”

“You too.”

He makes a noise of agreement before the call ends and I frown at the screen. He’d have told me if it was really bad, so I swallow down the frustration and focus back on the task at hand.

Getting my girl home and getting her dickhead ex to Hell on Earth.

Sounds like a good day.

CHAPTER FIVE

QUINN

Oh, God. Why does my entire body hurt? It feels like I got hit by a semi-truck. I attempt to open my eyes, but even my lids feel like they have weights on them.

A groan spills from my lips as other sounds filter into my consciousness. Beeps, the sound of breathing, the scuff of soft footsteps. My heart rate picks up and my eyes open as panic filters through me. The first thing I notice is the doctor Meyer had me see before. The rest of the room comes into focus from a dim light somewhere and I realize I’m in the hospital.

What the hell?

I try to move and pain shoots through my entire body again, another groan leaving my chapped lips.

“Quinn?” The doc says my name like a question, so I open my mouth to try and speak, but it’s like someone poured sand down my throat. A broken croak is all I manage before movement to my left draws my attention.

“Quinn? You’re awake?” Rory almost jumps to attention, like he was asleep. He runs a hand down his face, his gaze meeting mine before moving to the doctor’s. “What’s wrong with her, Rob?”

“Give me a second, Rory. Jeez.” Rob moves toward me as I try to tamp down the panic tightening my chest.

What happened to me? Why am I here? Why can’t I remember anything?

“Rory?” His name falls from my lips like a prayer and he grips my hand before leaning down and locking his gaze with mine. He cups my cheek gently with his other hand, stroking my face with his thumb.

“It’ll be okay, Jellybean. Rob just needs to look you over, and then I promise I’ll tell you everything.” His voice is low, soft… like he’s walking on eggshells, and while his presence calms me, I can feel that something fucking awful happened. Not just because I’m lying in a hospital bed, but because he’s being… he’s not himself. I can’t even explain it, but it’s like his eyes aren’t quite right. There’s a sadness in them unlike any I’ve seen before.

He’s always been haunted, but this… this isn’t right.

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