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End Game
Last Updated : 2024-10-14
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Getting pregnant was the last thing Quinn thought would happen. But now Quinn’s focus is to start the family Archer’s always wanted. The hard part should be over, right? Wrong. Ghosts from the past begin to surface. No matter how hard they try, the universe seems to have other plans that threaten to tear Archer and Quinn apart. Archer will not let the one thing he always wanted slip through his fingers. As events unfold, Archer finds himself going to lengths he never thought possible. After all he’s done to keep Quinn...will he lose her anyway?
View MoreChapter 1
Chapter One: Quinn
END GAME
Book Two in the Dawson Family Series
Copyright 2018
Emily Goodwin
Chapter One
Quinn
I don’t know what hurts worse: my wrist or my stomach. The pain there is more concerning, and my wrist could be broken in two and my mind would still be on my baby. I know it takes a lot to hurt a baby this early in the pregnancy, but that doesn’t stop me from worrying. I flatten my hand over my stomach, looking at the spot where the guy was just standing. I’m shocked, scared, and unable to figure out why he looked so familiar.
Sam takes off after the guy, and I stand there, rooted to the spot for a moment before I shake myself and get my phone from the floor. The screen has blacked out, and I hold it up, unlocking it with facial recognition, and call 911.
“911. What is the location of your emergency?” the dispatcher asks.
“I, uh, I don’t know,” I breathe, heart still racing. Am I imagining it, or is the pain in my stomach turning into dull cramps? “I’m at my boyfriend’s house,” I rush out, realizing that’s not helping my case. “And I don’t know his address. I’m visiting from out of town. Sorry.”
“It’s all right, we can attempt to track your location. What is your emergency?”
“Some guy was pounding on the door and then burst in,” I say and pull the phone away from my ear, putting it on speaker, and go to Maps so I can see where I am. “He hit me with the door and I think he’s on drugs.”
“Is he there with you now?”
“No. He left.” I drop a pin at my location and give the dispatcher the address.
“Keep your door locked. An officer is on his way.”
“Thank you.”
I hang up, still shaken, and completely ignore the dispatcher’s advice. Sam is out there, and I need to make sure he’s okay. Almost tripping over the entry rug again, I step over it and into the hall. Sam rounds the corner, jogging back toward me. He’s not black and blue or bleeding at least.
“Fucker ran out into the street. I lost him.”
Nodding, I step back inside and lock the door as soon as Sam is inside. “I called the cops. Someone will be here soon.”
“Good. Are you okay?” He plows a hand through his blonde hair.
I bring my hands to my stomach and look down. Getting hit with the knob hurt, and the base of the door also whacked my feet. I just didn’t realize it until now when I see a broken and bleeding toenail. My left wrist aches something terrible, and it’s a little hard to move.
“I’m not sure.”
“How far along are you?”
“Eight weeks.”
Sam lets out a sigh of relief. “Your uterus is still low in your pelvis. You should be okay. But your wrist…” He gently takes my arm and I wince. “It’s starting to swell.”
“It hurts. I have carpal tunnel in that one.”
“It wouldn’t make it suddenly swell like this. Can you move your fingers?”
I carefully bend all five fingers in toward my palm.
“What about move your wrist?”
“Oww,” I say when I try to bend my wrist up.
“It’s either a sprain of a fracture.”
“Great,” I mumble.
“Sit and try to relax. I’ll get you ice.”
Moving to the couch, I bring my right hand to the spot where the doorknob hit. It’s right below my belly button, and even though I know the baby is nestled deep inside my uterus, it’s hard to imagine it not being right there, feeling the shock wave of getting hit so hard I fell over.
“Are you okay in there?” I whisper, tears filling my eyes. This baby wasn’t planned. Archer and I weren’t even dating at the time of conception. Knowing I’m having a baby has turned my life upside down. But not having this baby would catapult my life into darkness.
Sam comes back into the living room carrying an ice pack.
“Archer got called in for surgery,” I say as he sits on the couch next to me.
“I know. He called on his way to make sure I’d look out for you. I’m doing a bang-up job.”
“It’s not your fault. Do you have any idea who that was?”
“Not at all.” Sam puts pillows under my arm, elevating my wrist and then carefully arranging the ice pack. “If the swelling gets worse, you should go in for an X-ray. Sometimes scaphoid fractures can be confused for sprains.”
My right hand is still on my stomach. “I can’t get an X-ray.”
“You’ll be well protected, and it’s just your wrist. Not your abdomen.”
I’m still being exposed to unnecessary radiation, which makes me feel guilty even though I didn’t do anything wrong. I fell. More than just fell, actually. I got knocked over.
“The guy knew Archer.”
“Maybe he was an old patient or something?” Sam gets up and goes to the window, looking down at the street that runs along the building.
“Are there cameras on the traffic lights?” I ask, moving the ice pack a bit. It’s getting cold already.
“I’m not sure.”
“If there are, I can hack in and see if I can find anything.”
Sam turns, eyebrow raised. “Hack in? You can do that?”
“I can. But I won’t.” I sigh. “I just need something to do to calm my nerves.”
“And hacking into the city’s traffic cams will calm your nerves?”
“Most definitely,” I say and then laugh. Sam laughs too, shaking his head. “Archer said you are good with computers.”
“It’s my thing.”
Sam goes to the door and looks through the peephole before moving back to the couch. “Have you really hacked into things?”
“Nothing that could get me arrested. Well, I did once, but I was helping the police catch a guy who’d racked up thousands on stolen credit cards. My brother is a cop in a small town,” I explain. “Their tech department isn’t the best.”
“That’s pretty damn cool.” He turns away from the door and comes back to the couch. He’s on edge, and not being able to catch and beat up this Bobby guy is bothering him.
“Should I try calling Archer?”
Sam checks the time. “He’s still in the OR. I’ll call the hospital and have him notified as soon as he’s out.”
“Thanks, Sam.”
A minute later, the cops arrive, and we give our statements. As much as I try to root for the law, the two officers who showed up don’t seem too concerned. They don’t seem to really care at all, actually. The guy just opened the door hard. He didn’t break and enter. He didn’t actually touch me. They say they’ll keep an eye out, and leave.
Locking the door after them, I debate on calling Weston and asking for advice on the subject. The guy creeped me out because of the way he looked at me, and the way he saw me in this shirt and knew it had something to do with Archer. I guess that’s not technically illegal, but I still feel like something more should be done.
Walking back to the couch, I bend over to pick my phone up from the coffee table. A sharp, stabbing pain hits me right in the stomach, and I freeze, waiting for it to go away.
But it doesn’t, and the sharp pain turns into a deep cramp.
Latest chapter
End Game Chapter Thirty-six: Quinn
Chapter Thirty-SixQuinn“I really think you should do it,” I tell Wes, pulling down my shirt so Emma can nurse. “This town needs you.”Wes gives me a look. “You can only pull that Batman crap on Dean. This town is safe.”“And it needs to stay safe. Being sheriff is a great way to make sure it stays that way.”He considers it but shakes his head. “It’s more than just agreeing to run. I need campaign money and someone to watch Jackson during the election and then again when I start working as sheriff. And that’s assuming I even win.”“I can watch him,” I offer.“I appreciate the offer, sis, but you have a one-month-old and are building a new house and working. You’re busy.”Transitioning into parenthood was an adjustment. It’s still an adjustment. Archer took a few days off before going back to work, and I still haven’t fallen into a routine with Emma. But we’re happy and we’re together, and that’s all that matters.“Jackson’s no trouble at all.”“He’ll go to school two days a week sta
Last Updated : 2024-10-14End Game Chapter Thirty-five: Quinn
Chapter Thirty-FiveQuinnI look in the mirror, making sure my hair is okay. It’s the morning of Dean and Kara’s wedding, and I’m not feeling the greatest. I’d say I’m nervous, but I don’t think that’s the case. I got invited back into the wedding party at the last minute, and I really do think Kara feels bad about going psychotic over the details of her wedding.I wasn’t the only one who felt her wrath, and after her sorority sister threatened to drop out, Kara changed her ways. Still, things are tense between us, and Dean was given shit by Kara for hanging out with Archer. It bothered me, pissed me off even, and then I hit week thirty-nine and stopped caring about pretty much everything except getting this baby out of me.She’s still in there, chilling with no signs of making her debut into the world. She finally dropped a week ago and hasn’t progressed since then.“You look beautiful, babe,” Archer says, coming into the room. We’re at the venue, and I just got dressed and ready. He
Last Updated : 2024-10-14End Game Chapter Thirty-four: Archer
Chapter Thirty-FourArcher“Is it just me or is this really awkward?” Quinn leans in, resting her plate of appetizers on her belly.“It’s awkward. I feel like we should leave.”Her aunt Belinda comes over, arms extended. Quinn’s eyes widen, and she nods, putting on a fake smile. We’re at Dean and Kara’s wedding shower, and Quinn and Dean’s relatives are more excited about Emma’s upcoming birth and the house Quinn and I are building together than the wedding.Kara has been giving Quinn the stink-eye all afternoon, and Quinn and I retreated to the back of the venue, trying to escape the limelight. Quinn hands me her plate and gets up to hug her aunt. She winces when she stands, making me even more glad she’s done with her job in Chicago. Emma is due in a month and the round ligament pain has gotten worse, as well as Braxton Hicks contractions. She’s been a trooper though, hardly complaining at all. I’ve been working a lot of nights and weekends, paying my dues as the new guy on the team
Last Updated : 2024-10-14End Game Chapter Thirty-three: Quinn
Chapter Thirty-ThreeQuinn“You’re such a bitch for leaving,” Marissa says, standing next to my desk. “I’m going to miss you.”“I’m here for two more weeks,” I remind her. “And Eastwood is two hours away. Less if traffic moves quickly.”“Which happens so often.”“I know. But I’ll be in the city at least once a month.”“You better tell me every time you’re here.”“I will,” I say and look up from my desk. I put in my two weeks’ notice today. I’d been dreading doing it and actually put it off for a full week before talking to my boss. I’m sad to leave, and part of me will miss this place. But it’s mid-January and I’m so ready to go home and be with Archer.We have a small apartment downtown and have been finalizing plans for our house to be built this spring. Feeling like I’m becoming my mother, I’ve been pinning and saving posts on Pinterest like crazy. Archer made a list of things he wanted and has left the rest up to me. I’m having too much fun.“Anxious to go see your man?” Marissa a
Last Updated : 2024-10-14End Game Chapter Thirty-two: Archer
Chapter Thirty-TwoArcher“Everything was perfect at the latest scan,” I say, taking the ultrasound photos from Quinn. We’re at her parents’ house again, two weeks after getting engaged. It’s Thursday afternoon and a bit early for dinner, but Quinn has to drive back to the city tonight for work in the morning. I was able to get back in for an interview at the local hospital, and after talking with the head surgeon again, I think things went as well as they can after you turn down a job because you didn’t think it’d be challenging enough.“The OB thinks she’s going to be big,” Quinn says, cutting into her chicken.“You are looking like a beached whale already,” Owen tells her with a wink.“I think you look radiant,” Logan counters. “Simply beautiful.”“Flattery isn’t going to make you be the godfather, dumbass,” Owen spits, rolling his eyes at his twin.“We already know it’s going to be me,” Dean counters, twisting the cap off a hard lemonade. Owen and Logan have been giving him shit a
Last Updated : 2024-10-14End Game Chapter Thirty-one: Quinn
Chapter Thirty-OneQuinn“No?” Archer echoes, face paling.“I want to hear the speech.” I close Archer’s fingers around the ring. “Ask me like you had it planned.”Archer looks down at the ring. “Are you…are you going to say yes?”“Yes!” I say, and tears fall from my eyes. “I love you so much, Archer.”“I love you too,” he says, wrapping his arms around me. He pulls me onto his lap, and when we kiss, everything fades away. Breathless, I break away, cupping Archer’s face with my hands.“How tired are you?”“Pretty damn tired.”I gently kiss him. “Do you want to get a good night’s sleep and make sure this is what you want?” I ask with a smile.“It’s what I’ve always wanted.” He shifts his weight, holding me close. “I brought the ring to Hawaii with me.”“You’ve had this since then?”“Not that particular one. Your grandma’s ring. I bought this one yesterday.”“That was fast,” I say, taking the ring from his hand. It’s gorgeous, with a large oval center stone in between the two diamonds f
Last Updated : 2024-10-14End Game Chapter Thirty: Archer
Chapter ThirtyArcherI sink into the driver’s seat, squeezing my eyes shut for a second before starting the car. I just got home from Boston, and I have a headache. Both from lack of sleep and from everything going on. But after talking with my mother, I knew what I had to do. You make sacrifices for your children, and in the end, they’re worth it.I have two missed calls from Quinn, and it’s been killing me not to call her back. I wanted to wait until I was in the car though, so she wouldn’t hear the sounds of the airport. Leaving the parking garage, I call her, and she answers after the first ring.“Hey, babe,” I say. “Sorry I missed your calls. I was in back-to-back surgeries.”“You’re at work?” she asks, voice flat.“Yeah. But I’m out now.”“Sure.”“Are you still in Eastwood?”“Yep. That was my plan. Stay here this weekend.”“I can meet you there.”“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” she snaps.“Yeah. Quinn…” I exhale heavily. “We need to talk, okay?”“We do.”“I’ll be the
Last Updated : 2024-10-14End Game Chapter Twenty-nine: Quinn
Chapter Twenty-NineQuinn“Your tummy is big, Aunt Winnie.”“Thanks, buddy. But if you think this is big, just wait.”Jackson scrunches up his nose. “I still don’t get how Archer put a baby in there.”“Hey,” Weston says, shaking his head. “We talked about this.”I try not to laugh, knowing the reaction will only perpetuate the situation. “What did you say?” I quietly ask Wes.“A lot of stuff that confused him even more. But I told him it’s not polite to talk to women about things in their bellies.”“Good call. Raise him to be a gentleman.” I put my hand on my lower abdomen, wincing as I straighten up.“You okay, sis?”“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve been having more round ligament pain the last few days. My OB said it was more common in the first trimester, fades in the second, and comes back at the end. Some lucky people get it the whole nine months, and it looks like I’m one of those.”“Daisy had that,” Wes says, not looking at me. He doesn’t talk about his wife that often, not that I could b
Last Updated : 2024-10-14End Game Chapter Twenty-eight: Archer
Chapter Twenty-EightArcher“Your frequent flyer is back.”“Are you serious?” I look up from the paperwork I’ve been filling out for the last twenty minutes, knowing by the nurse’s face she is.“Popped stitches. ER sent him up.”“They can’t do stitches down there?” I grumble.The nurse rolls her eyes. “Apparently ‘it’s internal,’ and he needs to see a surgeon. Like we can just put him in front of our other patients. Do you want me to send him back down?”“No, I’ll deal with it. Thank you, though.”I finish my paperwork and deal with the difficult patient, who had a hernia repaired a month ago and hasn’t followed post-op instructions at all. He’s been in three times since his operation. I do rounds after that, finish my paperwork and finally go home after a twenty-six-hour shift.Another resident who’s been in the program with me since the beginning got into a car accident and broke several bones in her hand. She’s unable to operate and just thinking about it makes my stomach churn. It
Last Updated : 2024-10-14
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