Free The Rebel Bride by Tracey Jane Jackson

stood with him and Victoria assumed it was Quincy’s sister, as she looked very much like the brothers.
    “How is he?” Christopher asked.
    “He’s sleeping. Or unconscious, I’m not entirely sure,” Victoria answered. “I cleaned his wound the best I could, and bandaged it again.”
    “Thank you.” Christopher turned and went through Quincy’s door.
    “Victoria, this is Gwen, Quincy’s sister,” Hannah said.
    Gwen held her hand out. “Nice to meet you, Miss Carrington.”
    “Victoria, please. Nice to meet you as well.” Victoria shook her hand. “Quincy talked fondly of you, I feel as though I know you already.”
    Gwen raised an eyebrow. “Was he a bear?”
    Victoria sighed. “Yes.”
    Gwen laughed. “Good, that means he’ll live. Thank you for taking care of him.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    “I’m going to see him now, but I look forward to getting to know you.”
    Victoria nodded.
    Hannah led her back to the guest room. “You must be exhausted.”
    Sitting heavily on the bed, Victoria sighed. “I am. This is all so surreal, you know?”
    Hannah pulled a nightgown from a drawer and then faced Victoria. “Tell me everything.”
    Victoria relayed the story of the FBI’s assumptions after Hannah’s disappearance and shared the story of getting stuck in the stairwell. Hannah laughed as Victoria reenacted her struggles to try and keep the door open.
    Hannah wrinkled her nose. “That never worked for me either. Partly because my legs are so short.”
    Victoria giggled. “I saw this painting. I think it might have been of your husband.”
    Hannah nodded. “The one on the wall?”
    “Yes.”
    “So unbelievably gorgeous.” Hannah sighed. “That’s what I was looking at when everything went black.”
    “Well, I was drawn to an old photograph of Quincy sitting on the little table.” Victoria bit her lip. “Although, he was clean-shaven in the photo. I remember touching the glass and smelling smoke. Then everything went black.”
    Victoria filled Hannah in on the battlefield and then the long ride to get to the townhouse.
    “I’ll say it again, then.” Hannah squeezed her shoulder. “You must be exhausted.”
    Victoria burst into tears and flopped onto her side.
    Hannah sat next to her and rubbed her back. “It’s okay, JoBo. Everything will be fine.”
    “I don’t understand any of this. It’s not possible, HoBo. I can’t be here.”
    “Well, you are here, and I’m glad.”
    Victoria punched the mattress. “But I had a chance at a great life with Ben and now it’ll never happen.”
    Hannah raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Ben?”
    Victoria sat up. “He’s the agent in charge of the investigation.”
    “Let’s just wait things out for a few days, okay?” Hannah smiled. “You could have been sent here to save Quincy. You don’t really know, right?”
    “This is so lame!” Victoria flopped back onto the bed and cried into the pillow.
    * * *
    Shaken awake by a nightmare, Victoria forced her eyes open. She was reliving the gunfire, but this time she watched Quincy actually get hit and fall slowly to the ground. She shook the cobwebs from her mind as she sat up and looked around her. Climbing off the bed, Victoria wondered what time it was, barely able to see her hand in front of her face.
    Peeking her head out the bedroom door, she saw only one sconce lit, so she assumed everyone else had gone to bed. Walking quietly across the hall, she opened Quincy’s door, let herself in, and closed the door.
    “Victoria?” she heard him whisper.
    “You’re awake.” Moving closer to the bed, she felt his forehead and relief slicked through her when her hand was met with cool skin. Quincy pulled her hand from his forehead and kissed the palm. Victoria rolled her eyes. “How are you feeling?”
    “Sore.”
    As she pulled her hand back, Quincy tugged, refusing to release her. “Gus, you’re going to need to let my hand go so I can get you some water.”
    He reluctantly let go and she