Page 84 of Beneath the Surface

Hold on, Gran,Quinn thought as the miles passed.Just hold on a little longer.

Please.

***

They made it back to Blackridge at 9:47 PM.

Quinn was out of the truck before Dax had fully stopped, running for the house.

Nathan met her at the door, his expression grave. “She’s been waiting for you. Wouldn’t sleep. Wouldn’t rest. Just kept asking when you’d be home.”

Quinn ran down the hallway to her grandmother’s room.

Her grandmother lay in the bed, her breathing labored and wet-sounding. But her eyes were open. Watching the door.

Waiting.

“Gran.” Quinn dropped to her knees beside the bed, taking her grandmother’s hand. “I’m here. I’m back.”

“Quinny.” The word was barely a whisper. “You got it? Got what you needed?”

“Yes. We have everything. All of Dad’s evidence. All the witnesses. Everything we need to put Wheeler away forever.”

A faint smile touched her grandmother’s lips as she patted her hand. “Good. That’s...good.”

“You were right, Gran. About all of it. Dad left me everything I needed. He believed in me. Just like you did.”

“So proud.” Her grandmother’s hand squeezed her fingers weakly. “Both of us...so proud.”

Quinn’s tears fell onto their joined hands. “I’m going to finish it, Gran. I’m going to make sure Wheeler pays for what he did. To Dad. To you. To all of us.”

“I know.” Her grandmother’s eyes drifted closed. “I know you will.”

Quinn sat there, holding her grandmother’s hand, listening to those labored breaths, and prayed for just a little more time.

Just a little longer.

But even as she prayed, she knew.

Time was running out.

CHAPTER 16

Quinn sat beside her grandmother’s bed, her fingers wrapped around that delicate hand, thumb stroking back and forth over the prominent veins and age spots. Each breath her grandmother took sounded labored, a rattle deep in her chest that made Quinn’s own lungs ache in sympathy.

The room smelled like lavender sachets and the faint antiseptic scent of the medical supplies Nathan had organized on the nightstand. The lamp cast soft shadows across her grandmother’s face, highlighting the translucent quality of her skin that made her look like she was already halfway gone.

Dax stood in the doorway, one shoulder against the frame, his arms crossed over his chest. But his dark eyes never left Quinn, watchful and worried. She could feel the weight of his gaze on her back, steady and grounding.

Down the hall, she heard Nathan moving around in the kitchen—the quiet clink of mugs, the sound of the coffeemaker gurgling. Busywork. Something to do with his hands while they all waited for the inevitable.

“Gran,” Quinn whispered, leaning closer. Her grandmother’s hand was so cold. Quinn rubbed it gently between both of hers, trying to warm it. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Her grandmother’s eyes fluttered open slowly, lids heavy. Her eyes were cloudy now, the irises ringed with white. But they still found Quinn’s face, still focused with an effort that Quinn could see cost her.

“Quinn.” Her name was a whisper that Quinn felt more than heard against her cheek as she leaned in.

“I got the video, Gran. I saw Dad.” Quinn’s voice cracked, and she had to stop and swallow hard against the lump in her throat. “He left me a message. He said he was proud of me.”