Page 71 of The Truths We Seek

The elevator opens to the sound of gunshots. Without thinking, I’m moving, gun drawn, and burst through the door to the apartment, finding Quinn holding a gun, the hollow click of an empty magazine echoing through the now-quiet space, and the guy I assume is Tina’s ex lying on the floor, twitching as he bleeds out.

I holster my gun and cross the space, taking the gun from Quinn before wrapping her in my arms. “You’re okay.” Murmuring the words to her until she relaxes, I just hold her. Bruno secures the room and checks the body on the floor. I glance back and he shakes his head before moving into the bedroom, returning with a wide-eyed, tear-stained, shaking-like-a-fucking-leaf Tina.

“She okay?”

Bruno nods and moves her to the kitchen, avoiding the now-dead asshole behind me.

Moments later, Hunter, Meyer, and Rob enter the room, guns drawn. “Cavalry arrived,” I joke, and Quinn laughs, but it’s hollow.

“Looks like the cavalry wasn’t needed,” Hunter says as he approaches. I hand Quinn off to him and he moves her into the kitchen with Eddie and Tina.

“What happened?” Meyer asks when he and Rob reach me.

“No idea yet, I got here to find him on the floor, Quinn with a gun, and well, you arrived not long after. Any sign of Eric or Sam?”

“Luca is looking for them now,” Meyer says before turning to Rob. “Head down and help him, they might need you.”

“On it,” Rob says with a nod and leaves the room.

“What a fucking mess,” Meyer grumbles, running a hand down his face. “You good to deal with this while I go make sure no one called the police over the gunshots?”

“Yeah, I got it.” I pull my phone from my pocket and dial Tonio.

“What’s up?”

“I need you to grab cleaning supplies and meet me at Quinn’s old apartment. Leave Shae at home, make sure she’s watched, and get your ass here.”

He answers without hesitation. “On it. Any specific clean up method required?”

I let out a sigh and rub a hand over my head, the short hair grazing my hand. “We’re going to need new carpet in here, but that’s for later. Disposal first.”

“Got it,” he responds before ending the call.

Running over the shit we need to get aligned to ensure this doesn’t come back on Quinn, I make a mental checklist. Disposal first, Meyer is dealing with P.D., then just making sure no one in this asshole’s life comes looking for him. After that, we make sure the apartment is cleared. Nothing I haven’t done a million times before, but knowing it’s to protect Quinn has me triple checking that mental list.

Glancing over at her as I crouch beside the body, I notice she’s talking to Hunter and Tina. It’s not hard to hear what she’s saying. He attacked her, she fought back.

That’s my girl.

A strange feeling of pride fills my chest. I taught her how to defend herself and that saved her. She might be a little traumatized from killing the guy, but that’s better than her being the body on the ground. Her therapist can fix trauma, but she’s not a necromancer.

Just the thought has my jaw clenching.

I roll the douchebag onto his back, noting his broken nose and smile.

She really nailed him.

Good girl.

I look over to her again and find her watching me. Watching him. I turn my stare to Hunter, who gets my silent message and takes the girls out of the apartment. She doesn’t need to be here. Not for this.

She did her part, and now I’m going to make sure it doesn’t come back on her. I might not have much to offer her, but this? This I can do.

* * *

After the clean up with Tonio, I headed home, knowing Meyer and Hunter brought the girls back here earlier. I haven’t heard from them, but they knew I was busy and I knew they had our girl covered.

We have a lot to catch up on, especially after my morning with Trent, but first, I want to see Quinn. See with my own eyes that she’s okay, in one piece and not falling apart.

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