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“Look at me, Quinn.”
“I’m not going anywhere…that monster cut up my legs real good.”
“Lot of things to regret in this life…” Gran said. “Never you, girl…not for one second. Never you.”
Not Gran, not Gran.
Exactly. Why?!?
But it was real. It was real and Gran was gone. The last of her family dead, and Quinn never even said I love you.
She already knew.
She rocked back and forth, weeping, screaming until her voice cracked, her throat raw. Grief and loss rolled over her in immense waves. She was drowning in it.
Hannah’s voice in her ear, the only thing she could hear over her own stricken screams. “I have you, Quinn. I’ve got you. It’s okay. I’ve got you.” Jonas was there, too. He’d never left. Quinn collapsed into them both, allowed those arms to pull her up, to hold her, carrying her to safety.
This poor baby.
“Alpha One, this is Delta Two,” Reynoso said over the radio. “What the hell happened?” Liam raised the radio to his lips. “Black Hawk down.”
Jonas had retrieved her rifle for her; it lay at her feet, filmed in dirt and dust. The boy sat on the next cot over, close but not too close, his hands knotted in his lap. He hadn’t let Quinn out of his sight since they’d arrived.
Hannah gazed steadily into her anguished, downcast face. “You are not alone. We are right here, and we’re not going anywhere. Do you understand?” Quinn gave the tiniest jerk of her chin. Tears tracked her soot-stained cheeks.
She glanced over at Jonas, who nodded wordlessly, already anticipating her question. He’d stay with Quinn. He’d watch over her.
at least one strike hit Winter Haven’s solar substation. The most crucial hardened electronics were in that building.”
“The substation connects the solar panels in the community. Without it, the solar panels won’t work. We may have lost Winter Haven.”
“I can explain—”
Bye!
Someone in the ranks had snitched on him. The governor must have planted a sat phone or two amongst them to report on the General’s actions. The man didn’t trust him as completely as the General had anticipated.
And you thought he was stupid. You a fool.
He caught a glimpse of movement in the reflection off the glass. He spun around, heartrate accelerating.
Now he scared. What a joke.
Baxter slipped through the door. The General signaled to his bodyguards stationed around the suite. He didn’t want them present for this, either.
“Don’t tell me to calm down! I was warned! I was warned and still, I trusted you. How could you do this to me?”
It’s unfortunate that you chose not to trust me. I planned to oust Eubanks first, not you.
“What you are experiencing is acute arsenic poisoning.
A second later, the mattress sank. A small warm body clambered into the bed beside her. Milo lay on his back, his arm touching hers, his feet reaching her shins. He wriggled his stockinged toes and leaned into her. His little kid breath smelled like peanut butter.
Gran had been tough and stern, not given to bouts of affection or sentimentality, but Quinn had never doubted that Gran loved her. Never, not once.
Milo took her hand and held it. Small fingers clutched her own. “I miss her. I miss her laugh. I miss her cornbread and how she always gave me extra drizzles of honey. I miss that she taught me things way more interesting than school. Or how she saved all her peanut butter just for me.”
“Mom says the people you love who die still live in your heart,” Milo said in a soft voice. “You remember them with other people, to talk about them. That’s what keeps them with you. How they laughed and what they smelled like. How they made you feel. That’s how I remember Dad.”
Sweet boy. Smart little fella.
“Mom says it’s okay to cry. That crying helps to get some of the sadness out so it doesn’t stick inside.” “What happens if it sticks inside?” “Your internal organs get all moldy and gross, of course.” “Of course,” Quinn echoed. “And some feelings are too big for one person. So you gotta share those, too. That way it’s not so big, when you’re both holding it.” “You’ve got a pretty smart mom.” “I know.”
Precious! I missed them together.
Milo had needed her so desperately. The truth was, she’d needed him. He’d brought her back to herself. She’d forgotten that. Forgotten how love was a two-way street and people couldn’t help you if you didn’t let them in, if you didn’t let them come into your messy ugly places and love you back to life.
The tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. The trickle became a stream which turned into a waterfall, and then she was weeping, sobbing, shuddering with grief. Milo wrapped his thin arms around her and held her tight. “It’s okay, Quinn. I’m holding onto it now, too. It’s okay.” This hole in her heart was too big for her, but together, together they shared it. And somewhere deep inside, she understood that it was enough. It would be enough. This time, she didn’t run from it. She felt it all, let the pain roll through her in waves.
Now I'm crying.
She felt his shoulders shrug. “I forgive you.” “That’s it? Seems too easy.” “What else is there?” “Like, you aren’t going to hold it over me or make me do your chores for a year?” “Tempting, but nope.” Quinn gave a pained snort. “Well…thank you.” “We can share,” Milo said. “What do you mean?” “You need a family, but you don’t have one. I’ll share mine with you. Then we can be brother and sister, for real.” “You really want that?” He snuggled into her neck. His mop of unruly curls tickled her cheeks. “More than Christmas. More than peanut butter.”
“We’re family now,” Milo said with such sweet confidence that Quinn nearly dissolved into tears again. “My family is your family. Mom and baby Charlotte. And Ghost. Can’t forget Ghost.”
“She died saving Quinn, saving that little boy.” “I wouldn’t expect anything less of her,” Liam said gruffly. “We need to honor her. We have to have a funeral…something.” “We will, but it’s not safe now.” “I know. It’s just…hard,” she said. “Poor Quinn. I love that girl like my own heart. I want to hold her and never let go. She has no one left.” “Yes, she does. She has you. She has us.” Hannah nodded. “She does.” “We’ll take care of her.” “We will.”
“I love you,” he whispered against her lips. “I love you,” she whispered back.
Over his head, she flashed Liam a sheepish smile, mouthing I’m sorry. She had nothing to apologize for. This was family. Parenthood. Love in all its messiness.
“To be continued,” Liam said. Hannah looked back over her shoulder, rewarding him with a smile that outshone the sun.
Liam was tempted to ask if Luther could get close enough to the General to assassinate him, but he checked himself. Such questions conveyed intent and strategy, which he shouldn’t reveal to an informant.
Besides, he couldn’t bear the idea of sending his friends into a kill zone with little hope of survival.
Only now did he fully understand what he must lose to save them.
It was time to go. Liam had thought out every contingency and back-up plan, every move and countermove until it solidified in his mind. He was prepared for a one-man war.
“Take care of them for me.”
“What’d I tell you about sneaking up on people?” “To get better at it. Looks like I did.”
He didn’t want to say goodbye. Not that she couldn’t handle it—he couldn’t.
The strap of her AR-15 was slung across her shoulder. She practically slept with the thing. “I want to come with you.” “I have to do this alone.” She scowled. “I thought you said that lone-wolf stuff was stupid thinking.”
“Not so malleable as you first thought, eh? I’m smart. Smarter than you, old man.”
“This is how you play the game,” Poe said, a sneer in his voice. “And Byron, you’ve been played.”
He prayed it would be enough. That his sacrifice would be worth it.
That's just it, he gives himself up but can't be certain that the General won't still harm the people he cares about.
Quinn blinked back a surge of hot tears. Hell, they all loved Liam. Quinn did. He was freaking Wolverine. Not two weeks ago, he’d risked his hide for a stupid teenager without a second thought. She’d just lost Gran. The prospect of losing Liam was too terrible to contemplate.
But you defeated the militia. You’ve held your own this far.”
Wait now you want to acknowledge them as being separate?! What a joke.
“Oh, now you want—” “Samantha.” Bishop’s strident voice cut through her words like a knife through butter. He shot her a stern look. “This is not the time!”
You right it ain't but it still stands.
Flynn looked shaken. Something changed in his expression—a glimpse of vulnerability, a break in the hardness. A flicker of shame, maybe even remorse. “You’ve been right all along. Ain’t none of us will be spared from this, even if you’re the town they hit first. We’ve seen firsthand what Poe does. It’s evil…he’s evil.”
Flynn grunted. “What we’re saying is, we want to join forces, if you’ll have us.”
Ugh! You can kick a brick, Flynn! Oooh. Couldn't be me.
Luther held something up. Between his fingers, a tiny key glinted. “He had a handcuff key sewn into his left sock.”
