Whatever it Takes (Healing Hearts book 3) by Laura Farr (24)

As we pulled out of the driveway onto the main road, a motorcycle parked on the grass median caught my eye. As we passed the rider, he pulled out behind us, the roar of the engine cutting through the silence of the police car. Turning in my seat I watched the motorcycle as it sped up and started to overtake us, his engine becoming even louder the closer he got. As he got level with my window, he turned his head, acknowledging me with a dip of his helmet. He stayed level with the car for a few more seconds before powering away and overtaking us.

A few seconds later, all hell broke loose.

“Get down!” Ethan yelled as a hail of bullets hit the police car. Screaming I dropped my head down behind the passenger seat, my heart racing. The car veered to the left before slamming into the hedge that lined the road. Time seemed to stand still as the car flipped over and everything that wasn’t fixed down flew through the air. The seatbelt pinned my body to the seat, but my arms flew around, as if independent from my body. One of my arms slammed against the door of the car, and my head impacted the back of the seat, my hair flying around my face.

After what felt like an eternity, but could only have been a few seconds, the car came to a stop. Opening my eyes, I expected to be upside down, but by some miracle the car was on its wheels. Pain shot up my arm and I winced as I reached around to undo the seatbelt. Leaning forward in my seat, I could see Officer Buchanan slumped over the steering wheel, blood oozing from his shoulder. Ethan was unconscious as well. He was sitting back in his seat, blood pouring from a wound on his head.

Panic set in as I reached for the door handle. I’d never been in a police car before, but I’d seen enough movies to know that usually the rear door couldn’t be opened from the inside. If that was the case, I was trapped. Pulling on the handle, the door opened slightly but then jammed. Putting all my weight against the door, I tried my hardest to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. The force of the accident must have damaged it, leaving me unable to get out. Before I could turn and try to escape another way, the passenger door flung open and Ethan was being dragged from the car by the motorcycle rider. He was still wearing his helmet, so I couldn’t see his face, but my gut was telling me it was Evan. Unless this was someone with a grudge against the local police department, and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, the only other explanation was that Evan had found me. My stomach rolled as I watched him rip the radio from Ethan’s shoulder, leaving him on the ground. He then made his way around to the driver's side, pulling Officer Buchanan from the car and tearing his radio off his shirt. Removing his helmet, I found myself face-to-face with a man I never wanted to see again. My gut had been right. Evan was standing in front of me.

“Hello, sweetheart.” He grinned at me, his eyes travelling over my body, making me feel sick. Leaning into the front of the car he pointed his gun at the police radio and pulled the trigger, firing two bullets into the radio. I screamed and ducked my head, the gunshots reverberating in my ears. “Don’t want anyone being able to radio for help now, do we?” He smirked, his eyes wild. Seeing him made me terrified. He was like a whole new level of crazy and I knew I was in trouble.

Making his way around to my side, he pulled hard on the car door, finally managing to open it. “Get out, Quinn,” he growled, motioning with the gun for me to move toward him. Shaking my head, I pushed myself with my good arm to the other side of the car, frantically grabbing the door handle, praying the door would open. It didn’t. I heard him laugh. “Do you really think the doors would be open for you to just escape? So naïve, Quinn.” He shook his head. “Get out NOW!” he shouted, his face red with anger. Looking around, the road was quiet and there were no other cars passing by. I couldn’t see a way out, and with a gun thrust in my face I was all out of options. Slowly scooting across the seat, I climbed out of the car, my eyes not meeting his.

As soon as I was out of the car, he grabbed my good arm and dragged me across the road to his motorbike, the gun pressing into my side. “Get on.” He gestured with his head to the bike. “My plan was to take the police car, but it’s too damaged to drive. The bike will have to do.” Looking up at him in horror, I shook my head. He rammed the gun hard into my side and I winced in pain. “Don’t piss me off, Quinn.” I glanced back at the police car, only able to see Officer Buchanan who was still on the floor and not moving. “There’s no one here to help you, princess. Now get on.” Admitting defeat, I climbed onto the back of the bike. Evan got on the bike, the gun still aimed in my direction. Finally moving it, he started the engine. Not wanting to put my arms around him, I used my good arm to hold on to the handle at the side of the seat, my hands shaking.

“Don’t go getting any ideas, like trying to jump off. I’d hate anything to happen to that nice little family you’ve gotten cozy with,” he said over his shoulder. Bile rose in my throat at his words and I nodded my head, acknowledging what he’d said. He pulled away, the tires creating a cloud of dust behind us. I increased my grip on the handle, terrified I was going to fall off with only one good hand to hold on with.

For him to know I was living on the ranch, he must have been watching me. I shuddered at the thought that he’d been spying on me for God knows how long, not to mention how much danger everyone had been in.

We rode for about ten minutes before he turned off the road onto a dirt track. The bike bounced over the rough ground and I screamed as Evan seemed to lose control. “Shut up, bitch,” he shouted over the roar of the engine, managing somehow to keep the bike upright and moving. After a while the dirt track opened out into a field. I had no idea where we were going, or how far away from the ranch we had travelled. I was trying to look around as we rode, looking for anything distinctive in the hope I could get a message to someone about where I was.

As we rode over the open field, a house came into view on the horizon. I guessed we’d been off the main road for about fifteen minutes. I was aware my phone was in my pocket and it wasn’t on silent. As soon as I was able, I needed to switch it to silent and hide it somewhere. I was trying to stay calm, knowing I needed to keep a level head if there was any chance of me getting out of this alive.

Pulling up outside a run-down old house, Evan climbed off the bike and grabbed my wrist, dragging me off the seat. As I cried out in pain, he turned to look at me.

“What are you screaming about?” He tugged harder on my wrist, making me scream again.

“I think I might have broken my wrist in the accident.” Bile was rising in my throat from the pain that was shooting up my arm. “I’m going to throw up!” I warned, bending over and vomiting on the ground.

“Fuck!” He dropped my wrist and took a step back to avoid being covered in vomit. As he turned away from me I took the opportunity to reach in my pocket for my phone, flicking the switch on the side to put it in silent mode. “Get inside,” he bellowed, turning back to face me just as my hand came out of my pocket. Lifting the gun he was still holding, he pointed it at my chest. “Now!”

Trembling, I nodded, heading toward the battered front door. It looked like the house had been empty for a while. The small garden was overgrown, and the paint was peeling on the front door and window frames. I felt the gun press into my back as Evan leaned around me to open the door and I closed my eyes, my heart pounding. Feeling Evan push me, I stumbled through the doorway, desperately trying not to fall over. The front door opened into an open-plan room with a staircase directly in front of me. There was nothing in the room other than a mattress on the floor and a wooden chair. Empty bottles of vodka, along with food wrappers were strewn around and my eyes widened as I realized Evan must have been living here.

Grabbing my upper arm, he propelled me toward the chair, roughly pushing me down into it. “Are you living here?” I asked, hoping if I could get him talking, I could somehow persuade him to let me go.

“I wanted to be nearby, so I could keep an eye on you and your new boyfriend.” He smirked at me. “You’ve landed on your feet there, haven’t you?” He traced the end of the gun across my cheek and I turned my head away from him, the metal cold on my skin. “I bet you thought I’d never find you here, that you could forget all about me and the mess you left me in.” His voice had dropped to almost a whisper. “You were my way out, Quinn. Do you know what I was forced to do when you left? What you made me do?”

I shook my head, not wanting to admit I knew he’d killed the guys he’d owed money to.

“Look at me,” he demanded. He waited until I’d lifted my head, my eyes meeting his. “I slit their throats,” he said, his voice eerily calm. “Those guys I owed money to.” My whole body shook in the chair and tears fell down my cheeks. Thinking I could talk him into letting me go wasn’t going to happen. He was crazy. His pupils were dilated and his eyes wide. I was sure he was high on something.

“What do you want from me?” I mumbled.

“What do I want?” he cried, flipping from calm to angry in a split second. “I want you to pay for what you’ve done, you little bitch!” Spit flew from his mouth and his gun-free hand waved in the air. “I didn’t think I’d ever find you, but when the hospital wrote to you saying the insurance number you’d put on their form wasn’t valid, I knew you were in Marble Falls. It only took hanging around this shitty little town for me to see you shopping with your new little family. Finding where the ranch was after that was easy. People in Texas sure are friendly.” He smirked. “Seems to me, the best way to make you pay would be to hurt that family of yours.”

“No!” I cried, trying to stand up. His hand went to my shoulder, and he pushed me back down.

“Maybe I’ll start with the pregnant one.”

“Leave them alone,” I screamed, trying to get up again. He pushed me down in the seat again and when I struggled, he punched me in the face. Pain exploded across my cheek and my vision went blurry. Fighting not to pass out, I took deep breaths, knowing if I blacked out, I’d have no chance of stopping him. Lifting my head, he punched me again and this time there was no fighting it. Slumping over in the chair I let the blackness wash over me.

Sighing, I fixed the damage to the perimeter fence for the second time this week. The field was even more churned up with tire marks than before. If I got hold of the kids who kept cutting the wires I’d knock them out. Throwing my tools into the back of the truck, I jumped into the cab, heading back toward the house. I’d been driving for a few minutes when I heard my phone beep with a message. Smiling, I wondered if it was Quinn. Not being able to wait until I got back to the house, I stopped the truck, pulling my phone out of my pocket. Glancing at the screen I frowned as I read the message.

Seeing the message had come through about half an hour ago, I pressed the call button and held the phone to my ear. I’d had no signal at the perimeter fence, so the message had only come through as I’d gotten closer to the house. I couldn’t understand why Ethan wanted to take her to the station. I knew she had wanted me with her when they asked her about Evan, and I was upset she was on her own. Quinn’s phone rang out until her voicemail kicked in and I banged my hand on the steering wheel in frustration. She must have been talking to Ethan which was why she wasn’t answering. Ending the call, I threw my phone on the seat next to me and started the truck up, driving faster than I should to get back to the house.

As the truck rounded the exercise area, fear gripped my stomach as I saw Ethan staggering up the driveway covered in blood. Abandoning the truck, I jumped out and raced over to him.

“Ethan! What’s happened? Where’s Quinn?” I shouted as I reached him. There was a large gash across his forehead, blood oozing from the wound. His shirt was torn and he was limping.

“Call 911,” he croaked, his hand coming over the wound on his head.

“Where’s Quinn?” I repeated, frustrated he wasn’t answering me. “Ethan, what’s happened?”

“We were on our way to the station when someone started shooting at the car. We lost control and flipped over.” He paused and looked at me. “He took her, Brody.”

“Fuck! No!” My gut was telling me Evan had found her. I felt physically sick thinking the bastard had her. She would be terrified. “Did you see who it was?” I asked in desperation.

He shook his head. “I must have been knocked out when I hit my head. I remember yelling for her to get down, the next thing I know I’m waking up on the grass by the car. My partner's been shot and the radio’s got two bullets in it. I haven’t been able to call for help.”

Tossing him my phone, I turned and ran toward the old barn where I knew Mason was working. Pushing the doors open, they hit the back wall as I flew inside. Mason, who was working with a horse at the other end of the building, turned to look at me.

“Mase, I need your help. Quinn’s in trouble.” Hearing the desperation in my voice, he dropped the brush that was in his hand, before closing the stall door behind him. Jogging over, he stopped in front of me.

“Whatever you need, Brody. What’s happened?” After quickly filling him in, he held his hand up to me, before turning and disappearing into a room at the back of the stables. Coming out a few minutes later, he held a shotgun in his hand. “Just in case. Come on, let’s go find her.”

Running back to where Ethan was now slumped on the ground, I pulled him up to standing. “Come on, let’s go.” Helping Ethan over to the truck the three of us jumped in. Starting the truck, I floored it down the driveway, dust from the gravel drive kicking up behind us. My heart was pounding on the short drive and my hands were gripping the steering wheel so tight my knuckles were turning white. I swear if he’d laid even a finger on her, I’d kill him.

Within minutes we were pulling up next to the wrecked police car. An officer lay on the ground next to the driver's door. There was blood soaking his shirt from a wound on his shoulder, and he wasn’t moving. Parking, I ran over to the officer, checking for a pulse.

“He’s alive, pulse is weak though,” I shouted over to Mason who was helping Ethan from the truck. “Where’s the goddamn ambulance?” Walking in front of the car, my stomach rolled as I saw the bullet holes in the fractured windshield. Quinn must have been terrified when Evan started shooting. I felt frantic but didn’t have a clue where to start when it came to searching for her.

Looking into the back seat, I found her purse in the footwell, the contents spilled out. Scooping everything up I noticed her phone was missing. She must have it on her unless

Evan had found it. Pulling my head out of the car I shouted across to Ethan.

“Did he have a car?” I was hoping Ethan would say no, and that he had been walking. If that was the case, they wouldn’t have been able to get too far.

“He was on a motorcycle. It’s gone, so I’m guessing he took Quinn on it.”

“Fuck!” I punched the car in frustration. If they were on a motorcycle, they could be miles away by now. “Do you have my phone?” I asked Ethan, holding my hand out for it. He nodded and reached into the pocket of his pants.

“What are you going to do?” he asked as I scrolled through my contacts, searching for her number.

“Her purse is in the back of the car, but her phone isn’t. She must have it in her pocket. I was going to send her a message, maybe she’ll be able to text me back.”

“Wait!” Mason shouted. “If she’s got her phone, can’t we just track it?” Feeling hopeful for the first time since I’d found out she was in danger, I slapped Mason on the back.

“Yes! I can track her phone. Why didn’t I think of that!” I’d done it a couple of times when I’d wanted to meet her after work and needed to know where on the ranch she was. I just hoped to God wherever she was, she had a signal. After a few minutes of looking I punched the air.

“She’s on the old Johnson land. Well, her phone is at least. Come on, let’s go.” Rushing over to the truck, Mason followed me.

“Wait for some backup,” Ethan called out. “They’ll be here soon.” I shook my head.

“No, I’m going now. I can’t wait. It’s Evan who’s got her and I promised I’d keep her safe. I intend to keep that promise.”

“Brody, he’s dangerous,” Ethan warned. “Just wait.”

“Would you wait if some crazy asshole murderer had the woman you loved?” I raised my eyebrows at him and he sighed. “Yeah. Didn’t think so.” I turned to Mason. “Ready?” He nodded and climbed into the truck, the shotgun still in his hands.

I hoped to God we wouldn’t need to use it, but I knew I would in a heartbeat if it came to it.