Give Me Strength (32 page)

Oh God. How could I not see?

“If I told you what they were asking of you,
what would you have said?”

I looked down at my hands and thought hard.
Getting David permanently out of my hair? Having a hand in helping
save thousands of lives from the hands of traffickers—people
suffering worse than what even I could comprehend. “I appreciate
you keeping me safe, Travis, but there’s a bigger picture, isn’t
there? I think it’s my decision to make, and I would have agreed to
do whatever I could to help,” I said softly.

“No.” He spun to face me and grabbed my hands
from my lap. “No.”

“Travis you can’t—”

“No!” he shouted hoarsely. “Quinn, this isn’t
just about drugs. It’s exploitation of the worst kind. Women forced
into prostitution against their will. How could I let them get you
caught up in that? I’m not seeing you suffer anymore. No more,” he
shouted.

“At the least I need to hear what they might
have in mind, don’t you think?”

“No, I don’t think. No. Dammit.” Travis
tightened his grip as though scared of letting me go.

I focused my gaze on the waves, the dark blue of
the ocean. The sun was bright, but not warm against the chill. The
last time I’d been here with Travis was probably one of the best
days I could ever remember living.

“When I was young I used to think I deserved it.
The suffering. The pain David inflicted. These women, kids, taken
by the traffickers...they’re suffering too. Are they sold into
this? Stolen? Putting up with the suffering because it’s the only
roof over their head they think they’re going to get? I can relate
to that. Remember when you told me that night that
if you
weren’t there to help those kids, who would?
How can I turn my
back if I’m able to help in any way?”

Travis ran his eyes over my face and reached out
to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. The gesture was soft and
loving. “Do you remember what you said back to me?”

“Dammit, Travis.”

“Tell me what you said back.”

I looked down at our linked hands. “You can’t
save everyone.”

Travis nodded.

“But does that mean you stop trying?”

I took in the rigid line of his shoulders and
the tension in his jaw and cleared my throat. “Can I...I need to
think, Travis. I need to be alone.”

He went to speak and I held up my hand.
“Please.”

Travis let go and stood, looking down at me, his
eyes dark and wounded. I shielded my eyes from the glare of the sun
behind him. “I know you’re still angry, Quinn, and you can be for
as long as you want, but it won’t change what I feel for you. That
was never a lie and because of that, I won’t let you do this.” He
paused. “Two minutes, okay? Then I’m taking you home.”

With that he was gone.

God.

What a fucking mess.

I pulled the car keys from my pocket.

Running again, Quinn?

I pushed up off the seat and started for the
car.

Yeah, that figures. No backbone in you at
all. It’s pathetic that you can’t face your fears.

My body froze in the act of opening the car
door.

What do you fear the most?

Losing everything all over again
, I
answered the voice in my head.

And what are you losing by running away?

I closed my eyes.

Everything
.

My chest ached with how much I loved Travis and
the knowledge of how much he loved me. It was clear in his eyes yet
I had doubted it. That must have hurt. How could I blame him for
wanting to keep me safe? I had done the exact same thing.

I shut the car door and put the keys back in my
pocket just as my arm was grabbed in a vice.

“You fucking bitch.”

I turned, breathless. David was right in my
face. He grabbed both my biceps with his hands and shook me hard. I
winced, knowing it would leave bruises.

“We put a roof over your goddamn head and now
you’ve got yourself a job and friends in high places, you can’t
repay what we gave you.” David shoved me backwards, and I went down
hard on the pavement.

“David. These people aren’t good,” I said,
scrambling backwards and trying to regain my feet. “You can go to
the police. Talk—”

He gripped my biceps again and yanked me to my
feet, backhanding me with a loud crack. My vision dotted and I
swallowed down the familiar nausea and bitter tang of blood. “Don’t
be stupid. If you can’t give them the money, I’ll just hand you
over.”

I turned, searching frantically for Travis and
saw him across the road. Before I could call out, David kicked my
feet out from underneath me and unable to brace myself in time, I
went down hard on my stomach. My head slammed into the pavement
with force. Dizzy, I lifted a hand to my head, feeling blood
streaming down my face. I blinked and it pooled in my eye as my
hand came away, red dripping from my fingers.

“
You’re
stupid,” I whispered without
turning around. I licked the blood from my lips. “The police are
only moments from taking down the entire Zampetti crime group.
You’re not immune. You’ll go down too.”

I forced a chuckle and grunted when David jammed
his knee in my back, pinning me to the ground. I turned my head
from the blurred vision of waves and faced the street.

“Travis,” I whispered.

The click of a gun loading was loud in my ears
and the cold press of metal in my neck sent chills twisting down my
body.

Casey stepped out of the coffee shop door at the
same time Travis turned to search for me.

I met his gaze, swallowing blood as fear swept
across his face. He yelled my name as they both started to run.

I tried to push up off my hands, but my arms
were pulled behind my body, and I cried out when something tore in
my shoulder.

“Stay back,” David screamed as they got closer.
“I’ll fucking shoot her, I swear it.”

The cold metal pushed harder into my neck but
Travis didn’t stop running. He was fast. So fast he was on David
before I could even blink. The crack of his fist in David’s face
was louder than the waves crashing in the ocean.

Casey reached my side and ran his hands over me
frantically. “Jesus, Quinn.”

I winced and whispered, “I’m fine. Go help
Travis. Please.”

He shook his head, yanking his phone from his
back pocket.

Travis slammed David against my car, his eyes
wild as rage engulfed his body. David grunted, his head cracking
back before falling to the ground. Then Travis was on him, knuckles
slamming into his face again, and again.

My head pounded and I moaned, trying to struggle
up from the ground, crying out when white hot agony ripped through
my shoulder.

“Stay down.” Casey put a gentle hand to my chest
as he spoke into his phone for an ambulance.

I struggled, moaning as the world tilted. I
called out for Travis and in the split second he tilted his head to
make sure I was okay, David grabbed at him and they were rolling
and as daylight flickered out, a gunshot went off with a loud crack
and my heart exploded with fear.

***

I roused from
unconsciousness to a hospital room and the blotchy tear-stained
face of Lucy. My stomach pitched.

“Lucy,” I croaked and swallowed. “You look like
you’ve been crying.”

“Rubbish,” she replied angrily. “And ruin my
beautiful face? You look like you’ve gone ten rounds with Mike
Tyson and lost. I warned you that you were no Rocky.”

I struggled to sit up when my stomach pitched
again. She started to lean back when my arm snapped out and grabbed
her with panic. “Travis?”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“Oh,” I murmured and swallowed hard, but tears
climbed my throat and spilled down my face before I could take
another breath. I snatched my hand back. “No. Oh no.”

My mind swam with the image of him laughing at
me when we joined the other idiots swimming in the ice cold ocean.
Travis had looked so beautiful in that moment, and I’d thought
nothing could ever hurt him. Clinging to him in the water with his
arms holding me tight against him, I’d thought he was
infallible.

“Quinn,” Lucy whispered.

“No,” I shouted, holding stubbornly to the image
of Travis brimming with life. “Shut up.”

I swung my legs over the bed and screamed with
pain, not knowing what hurt more, my body or my heart.

“Quinn, he’s okay,” Lucy shouted as I panted
past the pain, feeling sweat pop along my brow.

A nurse dashed in as I sat on the edge of the
bed. Her cardigan was flapping in her rush, her brow pinched with
harried irritation. She picked up my chart from the end of the bed
and without looking up, asked, “What’s your pain level between one
and ten, love?”

My eyes were stuck on Lucy. “You mean he’s
not…not…”

“No!”

“Then why—”

“Because he’s—”

The nurse cut Lucy off. “I’m afraid you’re going
to have to leave the young lady to rest.” She directed her stern
gaze on me. “Now, Miss Salisbury, what is your pain level?”

I turned a glare on her. “A hundred.” My eyes
found Lucy again. “Luce?”

“He’s been arrested,” she told me.

“What?”

“Excuse me, miss,” the nurse said determinedly
to Lucy, “but you’re going to have to come back.”

“Arrested for what?” I asked breathlessly.

Lucy ignored the nurse and reached out to take
my hand. She gave it a squeeze. “Honey. Travis shot David. He’s
been arrested for manslaughter. Casey rang to tell me you were
here. He’d told me everything, about the assignment, the police
handcuffing Travis and taking him away. Oh, Quinn.” Her eyes were
sad. “How could you believe he didn’t love you?”

I stared at her waiting for the words to sink
in. I licked my lips. “David’s dead?”

She winced and I realised my nails were digging
in to her hand.

“Lucy, that’s…crazy. David was…Travis didn’t
mean… It was an accident!” I burst out, remembering their tussle
with the gun. “Travis wouldn’t have done it deliberately.”

“Are you sure about that? If it were me I would
have shot him myself.” Her nostrils flared dangerously, and Rick
walked in looking tired, his eyes red, as she said, “Have I told
you how much I motherfucking love Travis? I’m glad David’s dead.
He’s hurt you for the last time.”

“But at what cost?” I whispered. For Travis to
languish in prison for the rest of his life? “If I hadn’t taken off
this morning in an emotionally induced panic, this whole mess
wouldn’t have happened.”

“Here.” Lucy shoved a cup of water under my
nose. “Have a sip.”

“Fuck water.” I smacked it out of her hand. “I
need to get out of here.”

The nurse bustled around my IV, and within
moments I felt myself drifting, her capable hands tucking me back
into bed. “What did you do?” I slurred in accusation.

“Eased your pain, love. I’ll be back later.”

“Rick,” I whispered. He stood stoically against
the wall, and I tilted my head to watch him step closer to my bed.
His eyes were sad as they raked me over. I indicated for him to
lean close and he bent right down.

“Listen to me carefully,” I slurred.
“Go...car...bring...dammit.”

“I can hear you clear as day, Quinn,” Lucy
called out. “And we’re not helping you bust out of here.”

“Travis,” I muttered.

Tears rolled down my cheeks that I wasn’t able
to wipe away. Rick reached out and wiped them with his thumbs. The
touch was soft and a giggle bubbled out of me before I could
swallow it.

“Oh shit,” I sobbed.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Rick said. “It’s just the
drugs. Get some rest.”

“Mistake, Rick. Travis and David. Accident. I
don’t have time to be high, dammit,” I growled.

“Yes. You do,” Lucy snapped from over Rick’s
shoulder. “God. You fight at everything. Just this once will you
bloody well be quiet and close your eyes.”

“You can tell us what happened later, okay?”
Rick said and patted my good shoulder.

“Okay,” I lied. There wouldn’t be time for
telling later. I needed to get hold of the federal police and get
Travis out.

I must have mumbled something because when Rick
pulled back from my bed, Lucy snorted. “This isn’t
Prison
Break
, Quinn. Besides, it took them a whole season to bust
out
.
What are you going to do?”

I ignored her and instead asked, “Where’s
Casey?”

I lost consciousness before anyone could
reply.

Later that afternoon I woke groggy to a
commotion at the door. It flew open loudly, swinging back and
clicking into the doorstop behind it with a loud thunk.

“Mac, for God’s sake,” came Evie’s exasperated
voice. “Can you just try for a little less force next time?”

“Shut up, Sandwich,” she snapped. “If you didn’t
decide you had to make a food stop on the way here, then I wouldn’t
have had to rush.”