Chase After Me (Wilde Ways Book 9)

by Cynthia Eden

  Chase closed his eyes again.

  “Nope. Can’t do it. I know you’re awake. Back in the land of the living.”

  “Fuck…off.” His throat felt dry. His tongue too big and rough.

  “That is no way to talk to your brother.”

  What? Chase’s eyes flew back open.

  “Blood brother, I guess. Wait. Is that the right term?” Dex’s gaze flew to the left.

  To the left…Chase’s head turned as he followed Dex’s stare and—“Yes.” Chase smiled. “That’s who I wanted to see.”

  Vivian stood there. The light spilled from the window behind her, and it sent deep red highlights pouring through her hair. Her face was pale, her green eyes worried, and she was—far and away—the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life.

  “It took you long enough to wake up,” Vivian said. Her hand reached for his.

  His fingers closed tightly around hers.

  “Ahem. I still didn’t hear a thank you,” Dex prompted.

  “Why is he here?” Chase asked.

  “Because I’m your blood brother!”

  Chase kept his gaze on Vivian.

  Her delicate throat moved as she swallowed. “A blood brother generally can refer to men who are biologically related or the term can also be used to refer to men who have given oaths of loyalty—”

  “I’m not related to him.”

  Vivian shook her head. “I don’t think you are.”

  “Did I give him some kind of oath while I was delirious?” Things had gotten a little foggy at the end. He remembered seeing Merik try to choke Vivian. He remembered attacking the traitorous bastard, and he remembered—

  Did I kill Merik?

  “It wasn’t what you gave me.” Now Dex sounded peeved. “It was what I gave you. You have an extremely rare blood type, you know. Good thing I decided to be a donor for you.”

  Shit. Blood brother. Now he got it. “I have Dex’s blood in my veins.”

  Vivian nodded.

  “You’re welcome!” Dex called out again.

  Chase turned his head to stare at the secretive CIA puppet master. “Is the case over?” He kept his hold on Vivian.

  “Yes. Vivian is clear. The bad guys are contained. And none of our undercover operatives were compromised. I’d consider it a very successful op.”

  Successful? Was the guy crazy?

  Dex’s attention shifted to Vivian. “Loved the way you performed under pressure. You were able to erase the data and take out Luc Coderre, an operative who has a whole lot of field experience—and kills—beneath his belt. I must say, my suspicions about you proved true.”

  “You thought she was guilty,” Chase reminded the guy.

  “I mean my initial suspicions. When I first brought her in on a probationary basis.” Dex’s expression suddenly became serious. “I think you’d make one hell of a field agent. I could really use someone with your particular skill set. You see, I recently found myself without a highly skilled hacker at my beck and call. Someone with those talents just doesn’t appear every day.”

  Dex was seriously offering her a job. While standing at Chase’s hospital bed.

  “I appreciate the offer,” Vivian replied, her voice careful. “But someone else actually beat you to the punch. I’ve already accepted a job with another employer.”

  “What?” Surprise flashed on Dex’s face.

  The door opened. Eric poked his head inside. His gaze went to Chase, and when he saw that Chase was awake, relief flashed on his face. “About damn time.”

  Dex whirled on him. “Did you offer Vivian a job?”

  “Absolutely,” Eric responded. “I can use her skills.”

  “I can, too! She was supposed to be working for me!”

  “Well, she agreed to work for me. Sorry.” Eric didn’t sound the least bit apologetic. “Guess you lose this one.”

  Chase tuned them out. His stare returned to Vivian, and he found her staring down at him. Tears glistened in her eyes. “Get the fuck out,” he ordered.

  Vivian sucked in a sharp breath.

  “Not you, baby.” He brought her hand to his lips. Pressed a tender kiss to her knuckles. “Never you. I meant those two guys near the door.”

  Her gaze flickered to them.

  “I need to talk to Vivian,” Chase said, voice gruff. “Alone.”

  “Come on, Dex,” Eric announced. “I’ll get you a shitty cup of coffee and explain to you how Vivian will be working for me.”

  The door closed a moment later.

  Vivian’s stare came back to Chase. “I was afraid.”

  “I’m so sorry. I hated putting you in that closet back at the suite, but there was no choice, and I just needed you to be hidden—”

  She shook her head. “No. No. I’m not talking about that!” Vivian sat on the edge of the bed. Stared into his eyes. “I was afraid that I was losing you. I don’t even know how you managed to fight Merik. You were covered in blood. The docs said the blood loss had been at a near-fatal level.”

  Yeah, that had been because Luc was a dick who liked playing with knives. Chase didn’t want to tell her about that, though. No sense in Vivian knowing about what he’d—

  “Don’t you do it, Chase. Don’t you dare sit there and try to be all stoic and brave with me. I rode in the ambulance with you. I saw what your body looked like when they cut away your bloody shirt. How many times did he stab you?”

  The machines near the bed beeped a little faster. “Doesn’t matter.”

  “You hid me in that closet, they captured you, and then they tortured you. You went through all of that for me.” Her voice had gone ragged.

  His hand lifted. Chase wiped away the tear on her cheek. “I would do anything for you. Haven’t you figured that out?”

  “Why?”

  “Because I love you.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “Want another of my secrets?” He wanted to take her pain away. “When you told me the story about your step-dad falling in love with your mother—love at first sight—I completely understood how he felt.”

  Her head moved in an uncertain shake.

  “Because I fell in love with you that fast. You were supposed to be the enemy, but all I wanted to do was make you mine.”

  Her lower lip trembled.

  “I was serious when I asked you to marry me.” He forced his own lips to smile. “Figured I might not have another chance, so I had better do it—”

  “Stop.”

  Uh, oh. That anger in her voice wasn’t a good sign.

  “You think I don’t know what you’re doing?”

  “Proposing?” Chase tried.

  Her gaze hardened. “You’re not going to distract me. You were tortured, almost killed, because of me.”

  “No, it was more because my partner was a lying bastard.” About that… “Is he dead?” Chase’s question was emotionless.

  “He’s not. He’s under guard in a room down the hallway. By the way, turns out that I shot off his pinky toe.”

  Chase’s breath expelled in a long rush.

  “Luc survived, too. They’re both going to be transferred to jail as soon as they are strong enough. Or, um, Dex will take them some place. I kind of suspect it will be some black ops site and not a typical jail.”

  Chase suspected the same thing. Those two wouldn’t be seen again.

  “Eric, Dex, and Lacey took care of the men Luc and Merik had hired when they swarmed in to help us. Those guys are all in custody, and Dex told me they were talking as quickly as they could. They want deals, but I don’t think he’s offering anything.”

  No, Dex didn’t exactly seem the deal-offering type.

  “It’s over,” Vivian said. “You just have to heal, and then life can go back to normal.”

  His gaze lowered a few inches. For the first time, he really focused on her throat. And the scarf that she’d wrapped around her neck. Vivian was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a scarf. Interesting fashion choice. “Don’
t you think it’s a little warm for that scarf?”

  “No, it’s quite chilly in hospitals. It’s standard for the temps to be somewhere in the range of sixty-five to sixty-nine in ORs. There are lots of health and safety benefits to having a lower temp—”

  “Take off the scarf, sweetheart. Show me.”

  She fumbled. Removed the scarf.

  “I am going to fucking kill him.”

  Her throat was a mottled black and purple.

  “His throat looks much worse, and at least I sound mostly normal. Merik can barely croak.”

  Her voice was huskier than normal. Because of that sonofabitch.

  “He’s also going to be locked up for the rest of his life,” she added carefully.

  “Uncle Sam doesn’t take too kindly to people selling out operatives.”

  “No.” Her fingers toyed with the scarf. “I guess your job is done. You’ve caught the bad guys.”

  “Vivian.”

  Her stare lifted to his.

  “I told you that I fell in love with you. I am in love with you.”

  “I think it could be the drugs,” she whispered. “I believe they are giving you the very good stuff here.”

  God, she made him want to smile. “You’re my drug.”

  Her brow furrowed.

  “You’re the only thing I need. I’m addicted to you, and I don’t want to let you go. I’m not delusional. I’m not floating on pain meds. I know exactly what I’m saying.” He paused. He wanted this part loud and clear. “I love you.”

  She twisted the scarf around her fingers.

  “Maybe we can start over,” Chase said. “Pretend to meet again. I can play the role of the not-lying asshole. I can be honest and charming, and maybe you’ll find yourself falling for me.”

  “No.”

  No, you won’t fall for me?

  “I don’t want to start over.”

  His heart seemed to stutter and the beeps from the machines went a little crazy. Hell, he’d probably have a nurse rushing in at any moment.

  “There is no need to start over,” Vivian added. “Because while I like the man I met in the hallway, I love the man who risked everything to help me. I don’t need some redo. I just need you.”

  Had she just said—

  She tossed away the scarf and leaned toward him. “I love you, Chase. When I said yes before, when I said I’d marry you back in that crazy-nightmare moment, I meant those words. I wasn’t saying yes because I was afraid there wouldn’t be another chance for us. I was saying yes because I can’t imagine my life without you. I want to be with you. I want to marry you. I want to make this wild thing between us work.” She smiled at him. “I just want you.”

  She was all he’d ever wanted.

  “Please kiss me now,” he told her. “I am going insane for—”

  Her lips pressed to his. His hands closed tightly around her shoulders. She was warm and soft and safe. The case was over. The threats to Vivian were gone.

  And she’d just said she would marry him.

  “Are you okay?” A woman’s worried voice broke through the happy haze around him. “Your vitals are suddenly spiking—”

  Chase carefully pulled away from Vivian and glanced at the nurse. “I have never been better,” he told her truthfully. Never. Better.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “I don’t like loose ends,” Chase said.

  “This is a huge mistake.” Eric crossed his arms over his chest. “There is no good that will come of this. If anything, you’ll probably lose your shit and try to kill the man again. You should not be in here.” He glanced over at Dex. “I can’t believe you set up this meeting and actually allowed Chase to be present. You should know better.”

  Dex stood with one shoulder propped against the cement wall. “I think it’s a stellar idea. Chase wants closure. So do I.”

  “No, you just want more secrets, and you think Chase can help you get them.”

  “Uh, don’t you want to know just how much the man compromised you and your company? Aren’t you worried about that important matter?”

  Eric’s jaw hardened. “I’ve locked down my company. I’m good. Don’t worry about me. Merik was the only bad agent at Wilde. An agent you sent to me.”

  Dex winced. “You want me to apologize for that, don’t you? Fine. My bad. I’ll try not to send any traitors to you again.”

  The door opened. A shackled Merik shuffled inside. He took one look at the three men there and… “Fuck.”

  Chase didn’t move from his seated position near the metal table. A table that had been positioned in the middle of the small room. “Yes, you are fucked.”

  The guard prodded Merik toward the table and the empty chair that waited for him. The guard secured Merik’s shackles to a lock on the floor. “All yours.” He left without a backward glance.

  The door clanged shut behind him.

  “Is he supposed to do that?” Merik asked. The bruises on his throat had faded. Two weeks had passed since the attack. Chase’s stitches were finally out, and he’d finally gotten Dex to set up this…talk.

  Interrogation.

  Death match.

  Whatever.

  “I don’t think the guard is supposed to leave me like this. I mean, I don’t even have a lawyer present.” Merik rolled back his shoulders, or tried to. There wasn’t much room for movement thanks to the shackles. “Tried to get Kendrick Shaw to take my case, you know, since he is supposed to be the big, go-to man when you need a get-out-of-jail card, but he refused.”

  “Kendrick doesn’t rep traitors,” Eric informed him. “He has this thing about liking for his clients to actually be innocent. A character quirk. One I admire the hell out of.”

  “Um.” Merik’s gaze flickered to Chase. “You tried to kill me.”

  “You ever come at Vivian again, and I won’t just try.” I’ll succeed.

  “It wasn’t personal, Chase. I legitimately liked you.”

  Bullshit. Did Merik even have the ability to tell the truth?

  Merik turned his head toward Dex. “If I talk, you gonna give me a deal? That what this meet and greet is about?”

  “No. I’m not giving you shit.” Dex smiled at him. “This meet and greet is about making sure you understand exactly what kind of nightmare you’ve entered.”

  Merik laughed. “Try that line on someone who doesn’t know how the game is played. You need me to roll on Luc. He’s the big fish. He’s the one who set up all the ops that we did back when I was at the CIA. He was the one pulling the strings. I did some of the action, yeah, guilty, but I wanted out after a while. And I really was going to stay out.” Now he looked back at Chase. “I was gonna be better.” He swallowed. “But then Luc had to become a suspect in this case. He was the one who hired the guy to break into Vivian’s place. You were right on that. He wanted to plant evidence at her apartment. When he came by the next morning for their little jogging date and he set off all those alarm bells for you…that’s when everything went south.”

  No, everything went south long before that.

  “If Wilde was gonna investigate him, then they’d find dirt on me. All it would take was deeper digging.” Merik’s focus moved to Eric. “I know how you like to dig.”

  “You used my own surveillance against me.” Eric’s voice was flat. Furiously cold.

  Once more, Merik tried to shrug. “Surveillance was my thing. It’s what the CIA taught me to do. As the saying goes, ‘Don’t hate the play—’”

  “This isn’t a game.” Chase slammed his fists down onto the table. “Vivian could have died. You could have compromised a whole lot of agents.”

  “And if the deal had gone well with Luc’s buyers, I could’ve made a whole boat load of cash. I gambled. I lost.”

  He was treating this all like a joke.

  “I think that is a great start. We’re sharing, and that’s what deal making is all about.” Merik nodded. “What I have given you so far is beginner info. There will be
more to come if—”

  “You sabotaged the elevator in Vivian’s building, didn’t you?” Chase remembered how terrified she’d been, and rage poured through his veins.

  “Yeah, Luc had learned about her trouble with dark spaces, so I thought I’d use that against her. But, considering what I saw when those doors opened, don’t you think you should be thanking me for that sabotage instead of being all mad about it?”

  Mad? Merik had no clue about how Chase was truly feeling. I want to tear you apart, asshole. I want to destroy you, and I will. “Who had the idea of drugging us at the hotel suite?” Chase asked.

  Merik hesitated, then revealed, “Luc. He often uses drugs on his prey. Works well for him.” A quick bark of laughter. “Actually, I think he learned to use drugs back when he was running some ops in Russia.” He tossed a grin at Dex. “You know how the Russians love to use—”

  “That’s all I need.” Dex inclined his head. “I think he’s sealed his fate.”

  “Wait, what?” Merik jerked up his shackled hands. The chains jangled. “We’re making a deal here—”

  “I never promised you a deal. You just ran your mouth because you’re desperate. You should be desperate. You’ve made a powerful enemy, and he is always going to be coming after you.” Dex raised an eyebrow as he looked at Chase. “You want to tell him? Or should I?”

  Sweat beaded on Merik’s forehead.

  I’ll tell him. After all, that was the plan. “Dex had already learned that Luc liked to use drugs. Poison.”

  “Fine, so I didn’t tell you anything new yet—”

  “We have something new for you,” Chase assured him. “Or, hell, maybe it’s not new. Maybe you were aware of this all along.”

  Merik had gone quiet.

  “Dex discovered that a while back, Luc took one of his side jobs, and he tried to take out the leader of the Russian mafia.”

  A drop of sweat trickled toward Merik’s eyebrow.

  “But the poison went to the wrong person, and instead of Sergei the Savage dying, his beloved wife was killed. To the rest of the world, it looked as if she suffered a heart attack. But Sergei knew the truth, and for him, it was always just a matter of time until he found his wife’s killer.”

  “I had nothing to do with that! I wasn’t even working for the CIA back then! That was before my time at the agency!”