Finding Forever (Smoky Mountain Lawmen Book 1) by Ashley Quinn

he ran back to the unconscious woman, reaching her just as Gemma
and Mona came through the door.
    “Ben? 
What’s—oh my God!”  He could hear the women coming through the gate in the
fencing as he spread the space blanket over Stacy’s unconscious form.
    “She’s
alive,” he said, turning to them.  “I called for paramedics and back up.  They
should be here soon.”
    He
motioned to the barn doors on the side that led to the parking lot.  “Can one
of you open those?”
    Mona
immediately fled to do as he asked. 
    Gemma
knelt next to Stacy and tucked the space blanket more securely around her
friend.  That done, she sat back on her haunches and wrapped her arms around
herself. 
    Ben
tipped her chin up so she’d look at him.  “You okay?”
    She
shook her head.  “No.”
    Ben
enfolded her in his arms, aching to take away Gemma’s pain.
    “Agent
Davidson!”
    Ben
turned at the sound of Mona calling frantically from twenty yards away.  She
was pointing to the dirt. 
    “You
need to see this.”
    Gemma
in tow, they quickly made their way to Mona’s side.  He heard Gemma gasp as she
read what was written in the dirt.  Ben felt his blood boil.  Son of a
bitch!!   This bastard was getting bold.  Ben stared down at the message
willing it to change or show him the identity of the sick bastard.  Instead, it
just stayed there, steady, taunting:
    Next
time, Agent Davidson, I’ll get the right one and she won’t be as lucky.
     
    Gemma
stared restlessly at the crime scene techs from her perch in the bleachers at
the far end of the arena.  They swarmed the enclosure looking for clues to help
identify the person who had kidnapped and then dumped Stacy so callously. 
    She
shifted, impatient.  She needed to do something.  As soon as Stacy had
been carted off to the hospital, she had helped Mona, their other therapist,
Jennifer, and the office manager, Pam, call all the patients on the schedule
for today and tomorrow to inform them that the center was closed.  With the
four of them working, it had only take a few minutes to make all the necessary
calls.  Now, she just had to sit here and wait for Ben or Tristan to finish so
she could leave.  And sitting around twiddling her thumbs was not her forte.  Anyone
who knew her could attest to that.  Gemma hated to be idle.  But right now she
didn’t have a choice.
    Gemma’s
eyes wandered over the men and women canvasing the arena until they landed on Ben. 
He stood next to her brother and another detective, their heads together as
they talked.  He had told her in no uncertain terms that she was to stay where
he could see her at all times until he could set up a protection detail full of
people he or her brother trusted implicitly. 
    So
here she was.  Twiddling her thumbs.  She just wanted to go home and go back to
bed.  Gemma couldn’t help thinking that if she went to sleep, she’d wake up and
this would have all been a terrible nightmare.
    Gemma
scoffed at herself.  Yeah.  And the sun will rise in the west tomorrow.
    Sighing,
Gemma leaned back against the uncomfortable bleacher seating and settled in to
wait.
     
    Gemma’s
eyes snapped open at the sound of footsteps on the metal stairs.  She winced as
she sat up and turned toward the sound, stretching her neck to relieve the
kinks.  She had apparently dozed off while waiting.
    Ben
climbed the bleachers, eyes locked on her.  She cast a quick glance behind him
at the rapidly emptying arena.  “Are you finished?” she asked.  She stood up as
he reached her.  “Have you heard anything about Stacy?  Is she going to be
okay?”
    Ben
didn’t respond.  He just stood there and stared at her, his blue-green eyes
coated in a sheen of silver in the harsh lighting.  Just as she was about to
ask again he grabbed her and pulled her against him.  His mouth slammed down on
hers.  Gemma froze, stunned.  After about two seconds though, her hormones
kicked in and she was kissing him