My eyes widen. “You would?”
“Yes.”
“And where does that leave us?”
He pulls me closer and I melt into his body as the ache that’s been plaguing me for the past three days slips away. “I can’t lose you, Quinn. Or Brooklyn. I’ve spent the last three days drunk off my ass, trying to find a way around all of this but it just keeps coming back to one simple truth and that is - I’m not strong enough to walk away from you.”
“I love you,” I whisper. He smiles.
“I love you, baby.”
He dips down and seals his lips over mine. My eyes flutter closed and my heart pounds like crazy in my chest as I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. A deep rumble sounds in his chest as he grips my hips and flicks his tongue against my lips. They part for him. Groaning, he pushes my back up against one of the columns and slips a hand into my hair.
Someone clears their throat and we break apart, turning toward the front door as we both gasp for air.
“Nice to see you again, Lucas,” Alice says with a shit eating grin on her face. Brooklyn squeals and reaches for Lucas from Alice’s arms.
“Dada!”
He beams, pressing a kiss against my forehead before he releases me and bounds toward the door. She squeals again as he scoops her out of Alice’s arms and tears well up in my eyes.
“There’s my girl. Did you miss me?” he asks, digging his fingers into her belly and she giggles before cuddling into his neck.
“Dada.”
A tear slips down my face and my cheeks ache from my smile as I wipe it away. There’s something so damn special about seeing Lucas and my daughter together. It hits me right in the chest every time.
“So I take it this means y’all are good?” Alice asks and I turn to Lucas with an expectant expression. He saunters back over to me with Brooklyn still in his arm and reaches into his pocket. I gasp as he pulls out a large diamond ring and holds it up in front of me.
“I’m not asking you right now because you deserve a whole hell of a lot better than this but I just need you to know how serious I am, Quinn. I love you and I love your daughter like she is my own. There’s no future for me that doesn’t involve the two of you. You feel me, baby?”
I nod, beaming up at him. “Yeah, I feel you.”
“Shit,” Alice hisses, turning away from us as she wipes at her eyes and I laugh.
“Got something in your eye, Sis?”
She nods. “Yeah, fucking bug, I think.”
Lucas and I laugh and Brooklyn joins in as we watch Alice flip us the bird and disappear into the house for a second. When she comes back out, any sign of her tears are gone and she reaches for Brooklyn.
“Let me take her. Y’all should probably get going.”
My stomach flips as I glance up at Lucas. His face falls and I grab his hand as Alice takes Brooklyn.
“You okay?”
He blows out a breath and nods. “Yeah. It’s not easy but I know it has to be done.”
“You don’t have to come with me, you know. I can do this alone if that would be easier for you.”
“Absolutely not,” he snaps with a scowl. “I’m not letting you go there without me by your side. I’m good with my decision.”
I nod. “Okay.”
“Good luck,” Alice calls as we walk down the stairs and I peek over my shoulder as she waves and disappears into the house. Lucas is jittery as we climb in the truck and I sigh, worry eating away at me as we pull onto the street. He said he was good with this but I know it has to be hard. This is his brother we’re turning in and despite what he said, I can see the hesitance in his eyes.
“Lucas.”
He glances over at me. “Yeah?”
“Thank you for doing this.”
“Of course, gorgeous,” he answers, reaching across the seat and grabbing my hand. I want to tell him that he doesn’t have to again but the closer we get to the police station, the more my nerves kick in and I’m thankful that he’s here with me.
I just hope he doesn’t come to regret it.
We park in front of the station and climb out of the truck before meeting on the sidewalk and he takes my hand, giving it a squeeze as we walk up the front steps. A young officer looks up from the front desk as we walk in.
“Can I help you?”
Lucas nods. “We need to speak to Detective Rodriguez.”
“Have a seat and I’ll let him know you’re here.”
He leads me over to the waiting area and I turn to him as he sits down next to me. “Who is Detective Rodriguez?”
“Someone the club works with. I called him earlier and he’ll take good care of you.”
“Okay,” I whisper, my heart pounding as memories of that night flick through my mind. Reaching over, I grab his hand and he slips his arm around my back.
“You okay?”
I nod. “Yeah. Just remembering that night a lot since the baby shower.”
“I’m so sorry, baby,” he says, kissing the side of my head and squeezing my hand. Just like the moment we first met, his touch sends a feeling of peace washing over me and I close my eyes to just soak it in.
“Smith,” a gruff voice calls. My eyes snap open and I turn to look at the man standing in a doorway off to the side of the front desk. Lucas stands up and pulls me with him as he flashes me a reassuring smile. We walk across the lobby and Lucas shakes the detective’s hand.
“Diego, this is my girl, Quinn. Quinn, this is Detective Diego Rodriguez.”
I smile and extend my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You, too,” he answers with a nod before gesturing for us to follow him. “Right this way.”
He leads us back to a large room filled with rows of desks and stops at the first desk in the first row, grabbing a file off the top.
“Let’s go talk in a private room.”
I nod and we follow him down a hallway lined with doors. He opens the last one on the left and holds it open for us as Lucas and I file into the small interview room. As Detective Rodriguez sits across from us and opens the file, I suck in a breath and Lucas squeezes my hand again.
“Okay, Miss Dawson, when Smith called, he told me there was an update to your case but why don’t you tell me what brings you in today?”
I nod. “The man who raped me… I know who he is now.”
“I see,” Rodriguez says, jotting down something on a notepad before glancing up at me. “And how did you find out who he is?”
I glance over at Lucas and he nods. “Lucas took me to a baby shower at the clubhouse and I saw him there.”
Rodriguez’s gaze flicks to Lucas before turning back to me.
“Who was it?”
I open my mouth to tell him but no words come out so I snap it shut again as I suck in a breath.
“It’s my brother, Diego,” Lucas tells him and both of the detective’s eyebrows shoot up toward his hairline.
“Come again.”
“Clay is the man who raped her.”
“Is this true?” Rodriguez asks, turning to me and I nod with tears in my eyes as images of that night flick through my mind.
“Yes.”
Rodriguez drops his pen on the table and blows out a breath. “Shit… I’m, uh…” he sighs. “I’m going to need you to go over the statement you gave two years ago again and then we’ll get him in here for a formal line-up.”