Harper nodded and adjusted his baseball hat. “That’s right. We’ll have to check your place out, just to make sure that it’s clear.”
Anna stared at him. “Is that really necessary?”
“’Fraid it is, ma’am,” Harper said, hitting the down button on the elevator.
Anna sighed and got on the elevator with the two men, seething inside over the whole situation. She held herself erect, determined to forge ahead no matter what. She needed time at home to consider her situation. Pregnant! The words scared her. Pregnant and alone scared her even more.
Chapter 16
Chase sat in the parking garage at LAX in his rental car. He needed to get away from the situation, and he’d booked a flight to Denver. But for some reason, he couldn’t get out of the car. Couldn’t make himself do what his first instincts were telling him to do, because those instincts were wrong.
He’d been taught to not avoid his problems, to stand and face them with fortitude. Yet here he was, about to turn tail and run like a coward. Blowing out a breath, he put a hand on the lever that would open the door, but he couldn’t pull it.
Pulling out the new phone he’d bought since his had been blown up in Anna’s car, he put in the number of a trusted friend. Brooke Carpenter was a nurse at the Cooper’s Creek Medical Center. He’d known Brooke for years and he knew that she’d be honest with him and keep his confidence.
“Hello? Who’s this?” she said.
Chase smiled at her sassy tone. “It’s Hoss.” He used her nickname for him so that she knew that it was really him. “I got a new phone.”
“Oh, my God! Emily told me what happened last night. Are you sure you’re okay? Did the ER check you out thoroughly?”
“Yeah. They did an MRI and everything. I got a clean bill of health,” he replied.
“I’m so glad to hear it, honey.”
“Thanks. Look, did Emily tell you about my…issue?”
“You mean about you being sterile? Yeah, don’t be mad at her. She was just really worried about you,” Brooke said.
“It’s okay. It saves me from having to tell it again. Can that be reversed somehow? I looked online, but it’s all a bunch of mumbo jumbo, and I got conflicting information,” Chase said.
“Why are asking me?”
“Because Anna’s pregnant. They did a blood and urine test on her last night, and it came back positive for pregnancy. She swears that I’m the only guy she’s been with since her ex. Is it possible that it’s mine?”
“When was the last time your semen was tested?”
“I was eighteen.”
“That was almost eleven years ago. It could’ve changed. I take it you’re not using condoms with Anna.”
Chase played nervously with the steering wheel. “No. There was no reason to.”
“I see. When was the first time you slept with her without protection?”
“The first night we were together.” He ran the words together quickly and braced for Brooke’s outburst.
“Hoss! You didn’t wear a condom that night? Boy, it’s a good thing you ain’t here right now or I’d beat the shit out of you! Men. I swear.”
“I know, I know!”
Brooke sighed. “Okay. Before you were with Anna, when was the last time you had sex?”
Chase thought back. “About two weeks, I think. Why?”
“Well, motility increases if a man doesn’t have sex for a few days or gives himself a helping hand, if you know what I mean. His sperm count goes up, and all it takes is one little tadpole to fertilize the egg. But waiting longer than three weeks can also affect sperm quality and motility. Sounds like you might have hit the window of opportunity.”
That made Chase sit up straighter. “Are you saying that it’s possible that I built up just enough swimmers to get Anna pregnant?”
“That’s what I’m saying. And as I recall, you’re not fond of underwear, which can also increase motility. Keeping your boys cool helps with that,” Brooke said.
Chase laughed. “Oh, my God. So, this baby might really be mine?”
“Only one way to find out, Chase. Get retested. No sexual activity for at least three days before the test, that includes masturbating. You’ll get the best results,” Brooke said.
Chase laughed and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t believe it. I might be a daddy.”
“Chase, don’t get too excited yet,” Brook cautioned. “I don’t know Anna, so I shouldn’t judge, but it might not be yours. Take things one step at a time.”
“Yeah. I hear ya.”
“Let me know how you make out, Hoss.”
“I will. Thanks. I owe you.”
“I’m gonna remember you said that.”
Chase chuckled. “Okay. Bye, honey.”
He hung up with Brooke and dialed his doctor’s office, getting his secretary. “Sylvia? Chase McIntyre. When can you get me in to see Larry?”
* * *
Having two bodyguards with her every time she went out made Anna understand how celebrities or politicians must feel. While it made her feel safe on one hand, it was also annoying. Her guards weren’t anything like she’d thought they’d be.
Their modes of dress didn’t jive with what she’d seen in movies. They usually wore street clothes and, although they were vigilant, they also seemed relaxed and joked around. Even though she was angry that Chase had forced them on her, she couldn’t say that she disliked any of them.
She returned to work the following day and one of the guards stationed himself in the lobby while the other one accompanied her upstairs, sitting outside of her office. It made concentrating on her work difficult, but she knew that unless Chase called them off, the guards weren’t going anywhere.
The day before, she’d gone to BestBuy and bought a new laptop since hers had been fried in the car fire. She’d also bought a new cellphone and briefcase. She’d backed up all the files on her laptop, but losing everything in her briefcase and purse was disheartening.
Contacting all her credit card companies, ordering a new driver’s license, and social security card had been a pain in the ass. Fortunately, she had checks at home that she could use even though they’d be out of sequence. She’d also withdrawn cash from her checking account and requested a new ATM card.
Her mind worried over whether Greg was the one behind sabotaging her car. Yes, he’d been abusive, but was he capable of murder? Or maybe he’d paid someone? She hoped that Det. Purcell would get to the bottom of things very shortly so that the specter of danger could be vanquished. Then she would be able to get back to normal.
Normal. She was pregnant.
The last two months her life had included Chase. He’d brought fun, joy, and passion into her life, things that had been missing for so long. How could she go from living in a beautiful, colorful world back to the cold black and white existence she’d known before meeting him. And have a child. A child he refused to acknowledge.
Sitting at her desk, she put her hand on her stomach over where a tiny life grew inside her. Chase’s baby. She was torn between happiness that he was going to be a father and the knowledge that they mightn’t raise this baby together. If he was going to be a jerk and deny his child…. She hoped he’d get over his shock and come around, but the pain of him not trusting her made a relationship impossible. She’d never deny Chase his right to be included in her baby’s life, nor would she deny her child his father’s identity, but constantly seeing him without being with him was going to be torture.
Anna couldn’t believe the way everything had blown up the other night. Her car, her sense of safety, her relationship with the man she’d fallen in love with. Why hadn’t she told Chase about Greg? Now he thinks he can’t trust her. Once again, Greg was ruining her life—no, she’d ruined it by being a coward. Chase had been right. He’d trusted her with his worst secret—not being able to have a child. She’d had ample chances to explain about Greg. He had every right to be angry. Her omission almost got them bot
h killed.
Now she was having a child and she would protect her child with her life. Shit. How was she going to explain all of this to her parents?
Tears slid down Anna’s face as everything came crashing down on her. Despair washed over her. She laid her head down on her desk and let her anguish out. She didn’t know how long she’d sat there like that when she felt large hands on her shoulders.
“Anna, come here.”
Anna looked up in disbelief when she heard her father’s voice. “Dad?”
Her big, strong father, Evan Spencer, smiled at her, his green eyes full of concern. “It’s going to be all right, honey. Come here.”
Anna cried harder and launched herself into his arms, soaking up the comfort he offered her.
“Shh. It’ll be okay, sweetheart. I’m here and so is your mother. You’re not alone,” he said.
Anna tried to get a grip on her emotions and raised her head from Evan’s shoulder. “Mom’s here, too?”
“Yes, I am, honey,” said her mother, Sarah.
Evan handed Anna over to Sarah, who hugged and rocked Anna. “We had to come to see for ourselves that you were okay.”
Anna shook her head. “I’m not. Everything is such a mess. I don’t even know where to begin.”
Evan said, “You need to take some time off to deal with all of this. You’re coming home with us. Today.”
“What? I can’t do that,” Anna said. “I have too much work to finish before the holiday.”
“Someone else is going to do it,” Sarah said. “Your father already spoke to your boss.”
Anna looked at Evan. “You did? What did he say?”
“He said not to worry about anything and that he’d see you after Thanksgiving,” Evan said. “Now, get your stuff together and let’s go. That’s an order.”
Anna smiled at his gruff tone. “I love you.”
Evan hugged her. “I love you, too. Now, do as I say.”
Anna gave him a salute. “Yes, sir.”
As she put her laptop and some other things into her briefcase, Anna’s heart didn’t ache quite as much. Her parent’s appearance helped bolstered her spirits. When they left her office, Harper, who’d been stationed outside her office, followed them despite her father’s objections. Evan finally gave up when Harper told him that it was his duty to guard Anna and that he was going to do his job no matter who liked it.
Even though Anna felt guilty about causing her parents so much trouble, she was glad they were there. She needed the support, and she was certainly going to need it in the future. How was she going to tell them about the baby?
Anna decided to delay that for just a little bit. Explaining what had happened between her Greg was going to be hard enough. As she packed to go to Denver, she gathered herself for the coming conversations and cursed Greg for the millionth time.
* * *
Anna wasn’t accepting Chase’s calls, and it was driving him crazy. He’d gotten her new number from Paul. She also wasn’t answering his Skype calls. Despite the rift between them, he wanted to see how she was. His love for her hadn’t diminished one iota and, assuming the baby was his, he wanted to make sure that it was all right, too.
The day before Thanksgiving, he’d decided that he’d had enough and went over to Anna’s apartment. When he arrived, he knocked loudly on the door.
“Anna? It’s me. I know you’re pissed at me and all, but I need to talk to you.” He heard movement inside. “C’mon, Anna. I know you’re in there. Please open up.”
A loud bang went off from inside the apartment and the next second, something hit Chase in the left shoulder. It knocked him back against the wall, and he slid down to the floor. His shoulder felt like someone had run a white-hot poker through it.
Chase pressed a hand against it and felt warm liquid soak his tank top. His hand came away bloody and when he looked at his shoulder, he saw a small hole in it. Shot. I’ve been shot.
The door opened and Chase looked into the crazed blue eyes of the man he knew was Greg from the picture he’d gotten from one of his friends at Turner Security.
“Well, if it isn’t the boyfriend?” Greg asked. “You shouldn’t have gotten involved with Anna. She’s mine, and I will get her back.”
Chase said, “Like hell! She hates you. Why do you think she keeps running from your psycho ass?”
“Shut up! Shut up! It’s time for you to pay for taking her from me,” Greg said, aiming his pistol at Chase’s head.
Chase’s heartbeat hammered in his chest. Unless he thought fast, his brains were going to be splattered all over the wall and he’d be passing through the Pearly Gates. An idea came to him, but it was risky. Could he do it? Chase decided that if he was going to die, he was going to go out fighting.
Looking down the hallway, he yelled, “Jake! Stay back! He has a gun!”
Greg whipped his head around and trained his gun in that direction. It was now or never. Ignoring the searing pain in his injured shoulder, Chase launched himself at Greg’s feet. He took him down, but Greg struck out, landing a blow to the side of Chase’s head as they landed hard inside the apartment.
Chase shook his head to clear his vision and went after Greg’s gun hand. He got a hold of Greg’s wrist, but Greg resisted and they rolled around on Anna’s living room floor, struggling for control of the weapon. Greatly hampered by his injuries and blood loss, Chase was losing the battle.
Then, as he met Greg’s crazed eyes, he thought about Anna and the baby. He wasn’t going to this bastard get away and possibly go after her again. Digging down deep, Chase found the strength to resist Greg as he tried to aim the gun at Chase’s chest.
Gritting his teeth, Chase took his right hand off Greg’s wrist and swung at him, putting every ounce of his dwindling strength behind his fist. Chase’s aim was true and the powerful blow landed squarely on Greg’s jaw.
Dazed, Greg went down and Chase crawled over to him, ripping the gun from Greg’s grasp. Chase backed up and pointed the gun at Greg. “Make one wrong move, mother fucker, and I’ll blow you away.”
Greg groaned and laid still. Chase backed away further and forced his left hand to hold the gun just long enough for him to take his phone out of his back pocket with his right. Sweat trickled down his temples as he switched the gun to his good hand again and dialed 911.
“911. What’s your emergency?”
“There’s been a break in and a shooting at… 2876 Parker Boulevard, Aparttment 18,” Chase said, panting from pain and exertion.
“Who’s been shot, sir?”
“Me. I’m holding a gun on the guy that shot me. Get someone here fast,” Chase said, feeling faint.
“A nearby unit is in route, sir. I’m also sending an ambulance. Stay on the line with me.”
“Okay. If the bastard comes at me, I’ll kill him.”
“Stay calm, sir. Where are you hurt?”
“Shoulder.”
With grim determination, Chase clung to consciousness, refusing to let Greg get away. To his great relief, it wasn’t long until the cops showed up and took over. Only then did Chase give in to the pain and pass out.
* * *
Sitting in her parents’ living room that night, drinking tea, Anna reflected on her conversations with them about Greg and her relationship with Chase. They’d alternated between anger, shock, and worry. It was a relief to Anna that they now knew everything. Everything except that she was pregnant.
She was still coming to grips with that and the fact that she and Chase had a lot to sort out. She wanted this baby. But she’d need help, too. Her worst nightmare was that he was never going to believe her that the baby was his, and who could blame him? Only one simple test would prove he was. Her heart weighed heavy in her chest knowing her did not trust her. She’d lied by omission about Greg and had put him in grave danger because of her cowardice.
Guilt burned in her breast as she thought about the fact that Chase had narrowly avoided death so that he could save
her. What if he hadn’t gotten out of her car in time? She’d never have forgiven herself if he’d died. Keeping secrets had almost cost the man she loved his life.
Her text message alert went off and she saw that it was Chase. She’d been avoiding him, but she couldn’t keep doing that forever. Picking up her phone, she looked at the message.
Chase: This is Tyler. Answer my call. It’s an emergency.
Anna knew from the authoritative way the text was worded that this really wasn’t Chase. Her pulse broke into a fast rhythm as she sent back an affirmative reply. The phone rang a moment later.
“Hello? Tyler?”
“Yes. Chase went to your apartment today to see you. Greg was there.”
Anna almost dropped her phone in shock. “What? Oh, my God.”
“He shot Chase, but Chase got the drop on him, and Greg’s in police custody now.”
“I’m putting his ass in jail! Gonna test…test, go to court and everything. Book ‘em, Dano!” Anna heard Chase say in the background.
“Chase, shut up!” Anna heard another man say. “You need to stay calm.”
“Fuck you!”
Despite the gravity of the situation, Anna couldn’t suppress a smile over Chase’s feisty attitude. They must have him on good painkillers, which would explain his disjointed statements.
Her eyes filled with tears. “Where was he shot? Is he going to be okay?”
“Yeah,” Ric said. “He was shot in the left shoulder. Fortunately, the bullet went right through. He’ll be here for a few days.”
“Anna, come see me!” Chase hollered in the background. “We need to talk.”
“Honey? Is everything okay?”
Anna looked up to see her mother standing by the couch. She shook her head. “I have to go back to L.A. immediately. Tyler, put Chase on the phone, please?”
“Sure thing. Here you go.”
“About time you give that here,” Chase groused.
“Chase, listen to me,” Anna said. “I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay?”
Want Me (Coopers Creek Book 3) Page 16