Novels by T.A Quinn

The bus pulled away from Ashwood just after sunrise, carrying me farther from the only home I had ever known, sat beside the window with my fingers wrapped tightly around the stethoscope keychain Ethan had slipped into my palm before I boarded. The village had disappeared from sight, but the ache in my chest refused to leave. Eight years. That was how long I had lived there, treating broken bones, delivering babies, comforting grieving families, and believing that if I worked hard enough, life would eventually reward me. Instead, I was leaving behind a ruined reputation, unanswered questions, and a heart that still refused to believe Daniel could betray me after everything we had sacrificed together.The rain began less than an hour into the journey, drumming steadily against the windows as the bus climbed a winding mountain road. Most of the passengers had fallen asleep, their heads resting against the seats while soft music played through the driver's radio. I reached into my bag an

barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the assassin's knife flashing beneath the streetlight, heard his voice whispering that I wouldn't survive a second time, and woke with my heart pounding against my ribs. By sunrise, the bruises on my wrists had already begun to darken, reminding me that none of it had been a nightmare. Dressed quietly, tied my hair into a low ponytail, and forced myself to head for the clinic. Staying home would only give fear a place to grow, and I refused to let whoever wanted me dead steal the last days I had left in Ashwood.The moment I stepped outside, I knew something had changed. Conversations stopped as I walked past. Women who normally greeted me with warm smiles suddenly lowered their voices. Two elderly men standing outside the bakery looked at me before pretending to continue their discussion. A little boy waved at me, only for his mother to gently pull his hand down and lead him away. My footsteps slowed. The attack had frightened everyone

Rain began as a light drizzle just after checking up on my last patient. I glanced through the clinic window, watching the sky darken far earlier than usual, and sighed before closing the final medical file. The events of the past few days refused to leave my mind. Eleanor Briggs' warning. The muddy footprints inside my clinic. Ethan's growing concern. I wanted to believe they were unrelated, that I was simply letting fear cloud my judgment, but every time I reached for that comforting thought, something inside me whispered otherwise. I locked the medicine cabinet, switched off the lights one by one, and slung my medical bag over my shoulder. The village had already gone quiet. Most families were indoors, escaping the coming rain. Only the sound of distant thunder followed me as I stepped outside and locked the clinic door behind me.I had barely taken a few steps when I heard another set of footsteps.Slow.Measured, not trying to hide, i stopped walking, the footsteps stopped, too.

Morning arrived with a blanket of gray clouds hanging low over Ashwood Village. I stood outside the clinic, unlocking the front door as the familiar scent of damp earth filled the air. Normally, mornings brought me peace. Today, they only reminded me of the muddy footprints Ethan had found the night before.I pushed the thought aside.Fear wouldn't help my patients.Inside, I switched on the lights and arranged the files on my desk. It was my routine—one that somehow made everything feel normal, even when it wasn't. Before I could settle down, the bell above the entrance chimed."Doctor Ariana!"A little girl no older than eight rushed in, clutching a bouquet of wildflowers almost as big as her head.I smiled."Well, good morning, Lily."She beamed as she placed the flowers on my desk."These are for you.""They're beautiful.""My mama said you'll be leaving soon."I nodded gently."In two days."Her smile faded."Are you coming back?"The question caught me off guard."I hope so.""Y

The words lingered in my mind long after Eleanor Briggs walked out of the clinic, some truths come with consequences, Doctor, I let out a slow breath before shaking my head."No," I muttered to myself. "She's grieving."People said strange things when they lost someone they loved. I'd seen it countless times over the years. Grief could make a person bargain with reality, deny the truth, or blame the wrong people.Surely, that was all this was.I picked up the next patient's file and forced myself to focus.By sunset, the clinic was empty.I locked the medicine cabinet, organized the patient records, and reached for my handbag. Just as I was about to leave, something caught my attention.The vase sitting on the windowsill had been knocked onto the floor.Glass covered the tiles.I frowned."I'm sure I left this here."Kneeling, I carefully picked up the larger pieces. It was the handmade vase the children had given me after I treated them during last year's flu outbreak.I smiled sadly

The stranger disappeared before Ethan could get a clear look at his face, his boots crunched against the gravel as he stepped toward the road, eyes narrowing at the empty corner where the man had vanished."Officer?"Grandpa Ben's granddaughter called, pulling him from his thoughts, Ethan turned back with a faint smile. "Everything alright?""Doctor Ariana is asking for you."He glanced toward the small house where Ariana was helping Grandpa Ben settle into bed. She was focused on checking his pulse, completely unaware that someone had been watching her only moments ago.Or maybe she was simply too trusting.Ethan looked once more at the road.Nothing.Not even footprints.His instincts rarely failed him, and right now, they were screaming that something wasn't right.---Three days later, Grandpa Ben had recovered enough to complain about being treated like an invalid."I'm telling you, Ariana, I'm perfectly healthy.""You nearly died.""I fainted.""You stopped breathing."He waved

The city of Valemont glittered below the hospital windows, indifferent to the chaos that had unfolded hours ago. Inside, the fluorescent lights cast a sterile glow, making the space feel unreal. Adrian sat rigidly in the chair beside Elara’s bed, watching her chest rise and fall in the slow rhythm of recovery. Even with the bandages and bruises, she looked alive — fragile, yes, but defiant in the way that always made his chest tighten.He hadn’t left her side since she had been wheeled into surgery. Every beep from the monitor, every whispered instruction from the nurses, made his pulse spike. He was accustomed to control, to commanding the rooms he walked into, but this — waiting for her to fight through injuries — stripped him of all composure.“Elara,” he murmured softly, leaning closer so only she could hear.Her eyes fluttered open, hazel meeting his storm-dark gaze. “You look exhausted,” she said faintly, a wry smile tugging at her lips.“I haven’t slept,” he admitted.“You didn

Golden light slipped through the hospital curtains, softening the sharp edges of machines and sterile walls. For the first time since the shooting, the room felt calm.Elara woke slowly.Pain greeted her first, dull but manageable. Then memory followed. The warehouse. The gunshot. The ambulance. The kiss.Her heartbeat quickened slightly.And then she noticed him.Aiden sat beside the bed, still in yesterday’s clothes, jacket folded over the chair, sleeves rolled up. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all. One hand rested loosely near hers on the mattress, as if he had refused to move too far away.She watched him for a moment.The powerful, untouchable man Valemont feared looked exhausted.Human.Her movement must have stirred him because his eyes opened instantly.“You’re awake.”His voice softened in a way she had never heard before.“I was starting to think you planned to guard me forever,” she murmured.“If necessary.”She smiled faintly. “You didn’t go home.”“No.”“You didn’t sl

The hospital smelled like antiseptic and sleepless nights.Aiden hated it instantly.Bright lights stretched endlessly above him as doctors rushed Elara through double doors, voices overlapping in urgent fragments he couldn’t fully process.“Gunshot trauma… significant blood loss…”“Prep surgery now.”The doors slammed shut, leaving him standing alone in the corridor.For the first time in years, he had nothing to control.No strategy. No leverage. No negotiation.Just waiting.Hours passed without meaning.Valemont City moved outside the glass walls, unaware that his entire world had narrowed to a single operating room.Her brother sat across from him, shaken but safe, wrapped in a hospital blanket. Neither of them spoke much. Words felt useless.Aiden replayed everything.The warehouse.The accusation.Her eyes when she learned about his past.He had faced enemies without hesitation before, but facing her disappointment felt worse than any threat.A surgeon finally emerged.Aiden st

The knock came again.Slow.Deliberate.Aiden’s head snapped toward the ambulance doors as the vehicle rocked slightly from the sudden stop. Outside, headlights flooded the windows, turning everything into blinding white silhouettes.The medic froze. “We weren’t supposed to stop.”The driver’s voice came through the front, tight with panic. “Road’s blocked. Two vehicles. They just pulled in front of us.”Aiden’s instincts sharpened instantly.“This isn’t an accident,” he said.Elara lay motionless beside him, oxygen mask in place, her pulse weak but steady on the monitor. Every second mattered. Any delay could kill her.Another knock.Louder this time.Whoever stood outside wasn’t in a hurry.They were confident.Aiden moved closer to the doors, positioning himself between them and Elara. “Lock everything.”“It’s already locked,” the medic whispered.A shadow shifted behind the frosted glass.Then a calm voice spoke from outside.“Open the doors, Mr. Hale. We only want a conversation.

Only scattered beams of flashlights cut through the black, moving like searching eyes across steel containers and shattered glass. The sound of boots echoed, controlled and coordinated. Whoever had arrived was not improvising. They owned the chaos.Elara felt Aiden’s hand tighten around hers.“Stay close,” he whispered.Her brother leaned heavily against her shoulder, barely steady. Somewhere nearby, men shouted orders in unfamiliar accents. Metal scraped. Weapons clicked into place.The symbol on their uniforms burned into Aiden’s memory.He hadn’t seen it in years.And he had hoped never to again.“We need to move,” he murmured.Before Elara could respond, a spotlight snapped on overhead, flooding the center of the warehouse with harsh white light. Figures emerged from the shadows, dressed in dark tactical gear, faces hidden.One of them stepped forward.“Well,” the man said calmly. “This reunion is more crowded than expected.”Marcus reappeared from behind stacked crates, his compo

The warehouse lights burned too bright.Elara stood frozen where she was, Marcus’s words still echoing inside her head like a fracture spreading through glass. Around her, the air smelled of metal and saltwater drifting in from Valemont Harbor. Somewhere behind her, chains rattled softly as her brother shifted, exhausted but alive.Alive because she had come.Alive because she had chosen.And now everything felt uncertain.Marcus watched her carefully, studying every flicker of emotion crossing her face. “You’re intelligent,” he said calmly. “You already know deception when you see it.”Her jaw tightened. “You’re manipulating me.”He smiled faintly. “No. I’m removing illusions.”Behind him, screens continued to display financial records and surveillance footage. One clip replayed repeatedly. Adrian speaking with security personnel weeks earlier. Authorizing increased monitoring around her family.Her stomach twisted.Why hadn’t he told her?“Fear makes people protective,” Marcus conti