Beautifully Hurt (Beautifully Broken)

A shot echoes through the trees, and Quinn’s scream is raw, filled with despair so dark it feels as if it blacks out the sun.

The fucker lets out another chuckle as blood starts to trickle from his sneering mouth, and then Dad comes up behind him.

“Take care of Quinn,” Dad growls, pressing his gun to the bastard’s head.

The guy sinks to his knees, but Dad’s gun follows him down, not moving from his head.

I dart to Quinn and move between her and the sight as Dad pulls the trigger again. Her body jerks as she cowers between my thighs, her face pressed to my abs.

It takes a moment for me to gather myself enough, and then I frame Quinn’s face, lifting her eyes to me. “Are you hurt?”

A sob sputters from her, and unable to talk, she shakes her head. Her face crumbles, and she lifts her arms to me.

Wrapping her up against me, I pull her to her feet. I lift her body to my chest, sucking in a deep breath of air.

Quinn buries her face against my neck as I turn to Dad.

He comes to place a hand on Quinn’s back, patting her once before giving my shoulder a squeeze as if he needs to check that we’re both okay.

“Take Quinn to the house. I’ll deal with this.”

I gesture with my head to where I left the other body. “The other one’s that way.”

Dad nods, patting my back as I start to carry Quinn back to the house.

“Eli,” she whimpers, holding me so tight, she’s almost strangling me.

I walk into the house and keep going until I step out onto the porch. Sitting down on the steps, I cradle Quinn.

“You okay? Did they hurt you?”

Quinn’s trembling hard as she pulls a little back, bringing her hands between us. The skin’s raw, and then I see the abrasions on her arms and shoulders.

“I… I… ran,” she says, her teeth starting to clatter from the trauma. “I… ran.”

Brushing my hand over her hair, I take in the leaves stuck in the strands. “You were right to run, baby. I’m so proud of you.” I begin to pick the leaves out of her hair.

Her body jerks, and her eyes fly to my face, her pupils dilated from the shock.

“They’re dead. They’ll never hurt you again,” I say, thinking she needs to hear it so it can sink in that she’s safe from them.

Her movements are fitful as she nods.

Two patrol vehicles come to a screeching stop in front of the house. Cade and Harry rush toward us.

“My dad’s at the back,” I say, still trying to come down from the adrenaline rush from hell.

“Are you okay?” Cade asks as Harry jogs through the house.

I nod, then focus my attention on Quinn, holding her tightly. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, my body curls around hers as if I’m trying to hide her from the world.

“You’re safe, baby. I’ve got you,” I whisper, pressing another kiss to her cold skin.

Only then does the realization hit that I killed a man with my bare hands. For a moment, everything in me becomes deathly quiet.

I wait for the guilt to hit, but it never comes because I know I would do it again.. and again to protect Quinn.

Chapter 24

QUINN

I’m still trembling after the bodies have been taken away and we’ve given our statements.

“Let’s get you to the hospital,” Sheriff Miller says, reaching a hand out to me.

I backpedal, shaking my head, and then I grab hold of Alex and dart behind him. The last place I want to go to is the hospital.

“Quinn?” Alex asks as he turns around, placing an arm around my shoulders.

“We need to get her to the hospital,” Sheriff Miller tells Alex.

I shake my head again. “No. I’m okay. I don’t need to go.”

Alex holds me tighter, then calls out, “Eli, come over here.”

Eli stops talking to Cade, his head snapping toward us, then he jogs over.

“What’s wrong?” Eli asks, reaching for me.

I dart from Alex’s hold and plaster myself against Eli’s chest.

“We think Quinn should go to the hospital,” Alex says. “Just for a check-up.”

Eli places a hand on my back, and leaning down, he asks, “You don’t want to go?”

“No.” Tilting my head back, I give him a pleading look. “I’m okay. I just want to shower and go to bed.”

“Okay,” he agrees, then he looks at Sheriff Miller and Alex. “I’ll take care of Quinn’s bruises.”

I wrap my arms tightly around Eli and watch as he shakes the other men’s hands.

The ambulance drives away, and soon after, the patrol cars follow.

Alex turns to us. “I’m going to head home. Your Mom’s been calling me every couple of minutes.”

“Why didn’t she come?” Eli asks.

Alex shakes his head hard. “I told her not to. I didn’t want her seeing any of this.”