Chapter 12

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Chapter 12

Quinn

The explosion of heat right behind us was terrifying. As if we were standing next to a blazing bonfire, my backside felt like it was caught in the flames. One second later, one second and we would have been caught up in the flames. As it was, the power of the blast sent us flying forward away from the worst of it.

Leo got us to the ground just before wood and sharp shards of metal came flying over our heads. The gazebo we were just standing on was in pieces all around us.  Leo kept his body over mine. His hands covered my head while his body hovered over the rest of me, protecting me from the aftermath.

The football game immediately came to a halt as family and friends raced to help us. Others were getting to the fire station to help with the blaze. Children were pulled back to the Inn, people hurried into the diner for safety. I'm not sure anyone is safe anymore.

"Quinn! Quinn!" Beckett skidded on his knees next to us. "Are you okay? Leo? Either of you hurt?"

"I'm okay." Leo sat up, running his hand up and down my arm as I sat up. "Quinn? Are you hurt?"

There's a panic in his eyes now. He's scared for me. For us. Touching my stomach, reassuring myself and him that we're okay, I take his hand and squeeze it. "I'm okay."

"Inside!" Beckett got to his feet as Blake jogged over.

"Everyone inside the Inn now!" Blake called out to the crowd that was coming closer to us. "Quinn, you better go straight into Grace. Let her check you out."

"I agree with Blake. Baby, just humor me, okay? I'm new at this." Leo saw my refusal and cut me off.

"Fine, but I'm okay." Leaning into him, I know what he is afraid of and I try to reassure him as I whisper, "we're both okay."

Heading for the Inn with Tess and Aubrey, I heard Beckett begin his questioning of Leo. "What the hell happened?"

Aubrey linked her arm through mine and kept me walking. "Don't. Just don't interrupt them. They're scared for you. Lindsey is getting ballsier every time she does something. It's getting scary for all of us. More so for them. They feel the need to protect us."

Tess agreed, linking her arm through mine on the other side. "And having a baby makes them more obsessively protective."

"What?" I stopped walking and stared at her. "How did you know?"

Aubrey and Tess looked at each other then me. Neither of them said a word.

"Tess! How did you know? I only just now told Leo!" And I realized I just inadvertently told them.

"I was talking about Aubrey who is obviously very pregnant and Hope, your little darling. I didn't know you were pregnant until now that you just told us." Tess explained. Boy, do I feel stupid.

"But now that we know, why haven't you told us before now?" Aubrey asks, and it's a reasonable question. "As much danger as we are all in thanks to Lindsey, this isn't the time for secrets, Quinn. How far along are you?"

Ethan

"You're bleeding!" Noting the blood seeping through Leo's shirt, I spun my brother around and pulled up the back of his shirt. Sure enough he has shards of wood stuck in his skin from the impact of the blast.

"Holy shit!" Blake cursed, joining us. "I'll get Jake." Hurrying off, he went for help.

"Don't fucking move! You dumbass! What were you thinking?" Chewing out my brother for no other reason then he has scared the shit out of me makes me feel better.

"I was thinking about protecting my fiancé and our baby! Better this happens to me than her!" Leo swears at me as I pull out a big chunk of wood. "Ouch! Son of bitch! Can't you wait for Jake?"

"No!" I growl, not happy with the way things are going. "I need something to do."

"What do you mean protecting your baby? Is Quinn pregnant?" Beckett asks, concerned even more about his sister.

"Yeah, she just told me right before the explosion. We were going in to tell Georgia." Leo looked up at Beckett and Ethan. "She wants to get married in March. The baby's due in May."

Beckett took a minute to think it over. Nodding as he did so. "Take her to Point Conception. Get her out of here until we can find Lindsey and get her behind bars or in a straight jacket. But get Quinn and Hope and this baby somewhere safe."

"I'm going to agree with Beck." Blake added. "You have too much to lose in this. Don't risk your family. They can come back with us tomorrow."

"I'll try to convince her tonight." Leo agreed.

I feel like I should do the same for Brynn. I'm more worried about her now than ever. Lindsey isn't going to stop until she kills somebody and I'm afraid that someone is Brynn.

Jake raced over and took one look at Leo's back before he sent Blake to get Grace. Beckett let us into Aubrey's clinic to work on him. I know Aubrey and Brynn would be upset seeing this and Quinn would lose her shit.

It took both of them with steady hands and some serious pain medicine to get the shards out while Blake, Beckett and I had to hold Leo down. It was a nasty bloody mess. I'll give Grace credit, she's one calm lady in a very stressful situation.

Once the fire was put out and Jake finished taking care of Leo, we assessed the site. Someone took great care in planting explosives under the gazebo and set a timer for it to go off at a time when there would be the most activity around.

"She could have killed the kids!" Blake grumbled kicking at some of the burnt wood.

"I think that was the point." Cade knelt down to inspect what looked like a melted plastic box. "Timer? Detonator maybe?"

Bending down, I took it from Cade and looked closely before putting it in a bag. Most likely it was something that helped blow up the gazebo but what I don't know.

"I'm not an explosive expert. None of us are but I'd agree with you." I stood up and waved Charlie over.

"Who'd have guessed Lindsey was." Beckett growled, crossing his arms over his chest and looked around the town square. "You know the first night I drove into town, I drove around this square and thought about how small towns are all about gossip and getting up in each other's business. I didn't like the idea of people asking a bunch of questions about my past."

"Don't blame you there. People have a tendency of getting nosy, especially for some who have nothing better to do." I agree with him following his train of thought.

"So how is it, this family who owned the sawmill managed to keep their secrets? And Lindsey has been able to fool everyone for so long? Including her own father? Something doesn't ring true." His questions aren't ones I can answer but I'd like to get the answers to them too.

"Maybe our little bookworm can dig a little deeper into this and see what she can find." Mia just might be the only person who will know where to find the answers.

We left Charlie and his team to it and passed the items we had found over to him. I don't envy him and all the leg work he has ahead of him on this. This isn't the kind of crime that we have in Moss Bluff.

So what brought it here now?

We rushed everyone back inside. The football game, the election party long forgotten with the worry of Lindsey back on her attack. I went straight to the kitchen in search of Brynn. Knowing Lindsey, that explosion was a distraction to get at her real target.

Pushing through bodies, I weaved my way to the commercial sized room. Looking around for my favorite blonde, I found everyone else but her. My heart started to pound a little faster not finding her here.

"She went upstairs, sugar." Georgia patted my back gently, getting my attention. "She was a bit shaken by what happened. I told her to take a break."

Moving toward the door I paused before I walked out. "You think she's not ready for me to tell her everything. You don't think she's going to choose me."

"I think Brynn is a very strong woman. I think you love her very much. I'm not sure she's ready to hear that and I don't know if she's going to accept it. I wish I could give you a better answer but I can't. She needs time and unfortunately Lindsey isn't going to give it to you." She isn't wrong about that. Lindsey is going to push until she gets exactly what she wants or one of us kills her. Whichever comes first.

"You're right about that. Lindsey wants to hurt us. I won't let her touch Brynn again. I can't." I'm absolute about that.

"Then go tell Brynn, sugar. And be gentle with her." Georgia encourages me.

Stepping back into the kitchen I cross the space between us and gather Georgia in a fierce hug. She's an amazing woman, one of the few that I can see as a mother role.

"Thank you, Georgia." Giving her a kiss on the cheek, I turned and headed up to find the woman I love.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I hurried past groups of kids playing, women trying to get them to go down for lunch, the Inn was packed not just with family but people who want to show their support for Georgia. There are those who want to get the latest gossip of course, but after that little show in the park, I think we've all had enough for today.

Figuring Brynn went to Georgia's rooms, I headed for the back of the second floor. With a soft knock on the door, I opened it. Brynn was there standing by the window looking out at the park.

"She did that, didn't she?" Brynn didn't turn around but continued to look out the window.

Closing the door, I turned the lock not wanting to be disturbed. Walking over to the window, I stood behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. Resting my chin on her shoulder, I looked at the park too.

"Everyone is fine. She didn't hurt anyone." I assured her.

"I saw you guys treating Leo. She hurt him, didn't she?" Brynn saw more than I thought she did.

"Some cuts, yeah. He's fine." I assure her again.

"She won't stop until someone is dead. That's what no one wants to say, right? Who's her target, Ethan?" Brynn is too calm about this and it scares me.

"Brynn, don't..."

"Who, Ethan? She came after me already, twice. I'm the target. I'm the one she wants dead." Brynn turns around to look me in the eyes. "Look me in the eyes and tell me I'm wrong. Look me in the eyes and tell me she won't do something like this again."

Taking her face into my hands I dropped my forehead to her. Closing my eyes, I gave us a moment just to be like this. Just to hold her closer than she has allowed me to in a long time.

"Ethan? I'm the one she wants dead." Brynn repeats her statement.

Shaking my head, I refuse to believe that. I won't let her believe it. Lifting her face to mine I lowered my lips to touch hers. Briefly, too brief, too long, too painful but I kissed her in a way I haven't allowed myself to think about since the moment I let her go.

The girl I loved, the woman I still love all in one tender moment pulled me deep into this single kiss. She was a child the last time our lips met this way. A woman now who has experience she hadn't back then.

Lips rubbed against each other, soft sighs sent shivers through my body. My brain turned off, as I dragged Brynn closer, wrapped her long hair around my hand and tugged her head back to allow me to pillage all I've been wanting to do for so long.

I felt the pressure of her hands against my chest, I thought it was just the way my heart was pounding so damn hard and first but I felt it again. Harder this time nudging me back. I let her go. I waited for the slap, the push, the angry words that I crossed the line but none of that came.

Instead, I felt her hand curl into a fist with my shirt crumpled in its hold. I felt the wet warm drops of tears fall from her eyes to land on my hand covering hers. When she looked up at me, it was the first time since I saw her lying in the freezer that I knew she remembered what we had.

"You found me in the freezer and you didn't leave me until they made you leave." Brynn recalled, her lips quivering as she spoke.

"I couldn't let her hurt you anymore." The pain and fear of losing her again on my sleeve. I can't hide how I feel about her anymore. "I love you, Brynn. I always loved you. It's always been you."

Nodding unable to speak another word, Brynn tugged me close and took my breath away with a kiss so full of love and warmth that I have missed for so long, I shudder from the chills. Nothing and no one will ever match what this woman can do to me.

Brynn cupped my face to look at her. Say the words I've been waiting to hear. "Take me home, Ethan. I want us to go home."

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