Chapter Sixteen

Eli

Things seem to be working out between me and Quinn.

My lips curve into a smile as I wrap up my morning jog. The fallen leaves crackle beneath the soles of my shoes and a light breeze steals the beads of sweat from my forehead.

I didn't get to see her much yesterday because I was busy, but I did see her in the morning and she didn't seem uncomfortable around me, though she still blushed. And the other day at the farm, it felt like we were back to the way we used to be. And more.

That night, I almost kissed her after I brought her home, in spite of everything I promised myself not to do. I wanted to.

And it wasn't just physical desire. There was something else, something I haven't felt in a long time.

I gaze up at the azure sky.

I want to see her. I know today is her day off, but I want to see her. And that urge gives birth to an idea inside my head.

When I get back to the house, I see Marianne already awake, watching TV in the living room. For some reason, she always wakes up earlier than usual when Quinn isn't coming over.

I sit beside her. "Hey."

She ignores me in favor of the cartoon she's watching. Pepper Pig, I think, or something like that.

"Do you want to see Quinn and Clive today?" I ask her.

Marianne turns to me with wide eyes. Yup, that got her attention.

"But I thought Quinn's not going to be here today."

"She's not, but I don't see why we can't visit her at her house."

The blue eyes staring back at me grow even wider. "We'll go to her house?"

I nod. "After I take a shower and have breakfast. So eat breakfast."

"Okay." She jumps to her feet and runs off to the kitchen.

I, too, jog upstairs, feeling a light spring in my step.

I can't wait to see the look on Quinn's face when we show up at her gate.

~

She doesn't seem happy. Surprised? Yes. Happy? No.

I know that forced smile. I can see the glint of sadness in her eyes. I can sense the hesitation, the caution in her movements. She has her guard up again, and again I have no clue why.

"Did something happen?" I ask Quinn as I help her pull the weeds out of a row of vegetables in their garden.

"No."

It's a lie. I know it is.

"I'm just asking because you seem to be in a bad mood. Should Marianne and I leave?"

"That would make her and Clive upset," Quinn points out.

But that doesn't answer my question.

I place my hand over hers. "Should I leave?"

Quinn pulls her hand away. "Well, I'm sure you have better things to do than weeding."

My gaze narrows. "Are you mad at me?"

"No."

Another lie.

"Quinn..."

She stands up. "Not everything is about you, okay? And you don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself. I'm used to doing that."

What's that supposed to mean?

Suddenly, Mrs. Hardy appears. She looks worried and out of breath.

Quinn goes to her. "Mom, what's wrong?"

"It's Fuller..." she says between breaths.

Fuller? Where did I hear that name again?

"And Steven."

Quinn runs off. I glance at Mrs. Hardy.

"Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine. Just go on."

I run after Quinn. I stop in my tracks as I see her kneeling beside Steven. His face is bruised and bleeding. In front of them, a forty-something man with eyeglasses stands with a cigarette between his lips. Two heavily built men - I can't tell if they're bodyguards dressed in casual clothes or farmhands - stand on either side of him. One of them is rubbing his hands as if shaking the dust from them.

My jaw clenches.

So this is Fuller, huh? I know his kind. He's not uncommon in my world. He's the kind who gets a high from preying on the weak, from crushing them. Despicable. I can smell his stink from here.

"What did you do?" Quinn gets up slowly. I can see her shoulders and hands trembling.

"I think it's quite obvious." Fuller takes a puff from his cigarette and blows a cloud of smoke into the air.

Quinn steps forward, but one of the men stands in front of Fuller.

She steps back. "I was just going to take his cigarette. We don't smoke here."

"Oh, right." Fuller throws the cigarette on the ground and crushes it with his boot. "Your son has weak lungs, doesn't he?"

Quinn's shoulders tense. Her hands roll into fists. The mother has sensed a threat to her son. Fuller's either stupid or he's even more disgusting than I thought.

Behind me, I hear Marianne and Clive. I turn around and signal for them to go back inside the house while trying to block Steven from their view. Thankfully, Mrs. Hardy arrives and ushers them out of sight.

"How do you know about my son?" Quinn asks.

"I know everything about your son, and about you."

As I turn back, my own body tenses. I don't like the sound of that at all.

Quinn glances at Steven. "I'll ask one more time: What did you do to Steven?"

"It's his fault," Fuller says. "He's the one who picked a fight. He came to our farm accusing me of telling the local retailers not to buy crops from him or something. He trespassed. He ruined my morning. And he wouldn't leave. So I had no choice but to force him to leave."

"You beat him up."

"Yes, that's one way to do it, isn't it? Ah, but then he couldn't leave, so I thought I'd deliver him here. Isn't that nice of me?"

Quinn marches towards Fuller ready to swing her fist. I run towards her. As one of the bodyguards tries to stop her, I grab his arm. I look straight into his eyes as my grip tightens.

"Don't you dare touch her."

He growls as he pulls his arm away.

I stand beside Quinn.

"Who's this?" Fuller lifts his glasses and looks at me from head to foot. "I didn't know you could afford a bodyguard."

"I thought you knew everything," I answer before Quinn can.

I can't just watch and hold my tongue any longer.

"I wasn't talking to you," Fuller sneers.

"Well, you can't talk to a lady that way." I put my hands on my hips.

He holds his hand above his eyes and looks around. "I'm afraid I don't see one." He looks at Quinn. Then he grins. "Maybe if she wore something aside from those dirty, baggy clothes..."

My fist leaves my side before I can think. It lands on his jaw and sends him to the ground.

"Boss?"

One of Fuller's companions attends to him while the other rubs his fist against his palm. I can almost see the steam coming out of his nostrils.

"You..."

To my surprise, Quinn stands in front of me with arms stretched out. "Lay a finger on him and I'll call the cops. This is our property, remember? You're the ones trespassing now."

He cracks his knuckles. "Your friend hit the boss first, though. This is going to be self-defense."

"Rick, that's enough." Fuller gets back on his feet, rubbing his jaw. "You've already had your fun, remember?"

Maybe I should have hit him harder. Then he wouldn't be able to show me such a sickening grin.

"I'll make her pay some other day, some other way." Fuller meets my gaze. "I'll make them both pay."

"I doubt it." I shake my head and square my shoulders. "In fact, I suggest you abandon that idea. While you're at it, why don't you abandon the idea of buying the Hardy farm as well?"

His forehead wrinkles. It looks like a vein or two is about to pop.

"Who do you think you are?"

"Elijah fucking Strauss, pissant."

His eyes grow wide. Ah. He knows who I am. He stumbles back.

"It can't be."

"It is." I take a step forward so I'm towering over his already shrinking from. "So unless you want whoever you're working for on his knees in his own shit, I suggest you scoot now. Though I can't guarantee that will spare you from getting your disgusting ass fired."

That sends him running off like a mad man, mumbling and trembling and scurrying back to his hole. His thugs follow after him. The engine of his pick-up roars to life and the vehicle disappears from sight.

I glance at Quinn, who's back tending to Steven.

"He should be fine." I help her carry him inside the house. "His face will just be swollen for a few days."

Quinn says nothing. Inside, Mrs. Hardy wails when she sees Steven and then hurries to attend to his wounds.

"Don't worry," I tell Quinn after we get Steven on the couch. "That Fuller shouldn't bother you anymore."

I thought she'd be happy, but Quinn's glare takes me by surprise.

"You just couldn't help but butt in, could you?"

My eyebrows rise. Why is she mad at me now?

"You just had to act like you're some high and mighty... king of something..."

"I told him to stay away from your family, Quinn. I was trying to help you, to protect you."

"Well, I didn't need your help!" she snaps at me. "I don't need your help, much less your protection."

I frown.

Suddenly, Clive comes running into the room. He plants himself between Quinn and me.

"Please don't fight," he begs. Then he turns to his mother. "Mom, don't yell at him."

"So I'm the bad one here, am I?" Quinn glares at him, too.

Clive's jaw drops.

"Even though I'm your mother, you'd rather take his side. You think he's such a good guy? Don't. He doesn't belong in our world - or in our family!"

I don't understand what Quinn is talking about. From the look on Clive's face, neither does he. When did this get to be about me?

I place my hand on Clive's shoulder. "Go back upstairs, Clive. I'll talk to your mother."

He nods and leaves without a word.

"Will you, now?" Quinn stomps out of the house. "Just fucking leave me alone!"