“Good girl, Cassie. You’re pretty brave, sweetheart. Let’s try and get into the house now. I don’t want Danny coming to where he can get you.”
Cassie saw Chase snag Danny’s gun and then, using his good hand, pushed to his feet.
“Okay, sweetheart, you next. I’ll try to help you.” Chase reached with his good hand, but Cassie knew she would pull him down. He swayed on his feet and could barely stand himself. She got on all fours and eased her legs under her, pushing herself up despite the hammering in her skull and the wave of dizziness that engulfed her. Cassie leaned against Chase as he leaned against the side of the house, and they dragged themselves toward the front door. The sounds of speeding vehicles down their long driveway made them look up.
Cassie felt relief flood her body, and she slumped against the doorframe. It was Zach and Jillian in one truck and Ryan in another. The cavalry was here.
Chapter 17
Zach raced up the long drive feeling his tires slip on the wet pavement. His heart was racing, and Jillian looked terrified. He knew he needed to slow down, but he had to get to Cassie. Ryan had called him as he and Jillian were leaving the doctor and told him that the panic button had been tripped. He had tried to call the house, but there had been no answer. Now he and Jillian were driving like a bat out of hell to get to Chase and Cassie. He slid to a stop and saw a man lying in the yard at the side of the house. Zach panicked for a moment before realizing it wasn’t Chase. Before he could stop her, Jillian jumped from the truck and ran to Cassie and Chase in the doorway of the house.
Christ! They are covered in blood!
Zach jumped from the truck and headed straight for them and could hear Ryan hot on his heels.
Chase was pale and slumped over but managed shakily, “We’re okay. Cassie needs to see a doctor and someone needs to collect Trent from the side yard before he comes to.”
“I radioed for an ambulance, man, and am heading to collect Trent now.” Ryan disappeared out of the house, and Zach helped Chase sit down and lifted Cassie into his arms, stroking her back to soothe her. He could feel her trembling as the adrenaline drained from her body. Jillian disappeared into the kitchen and came out with a couple of dish towels. One had ice in it, and she handed that to him for Cassie. The other she placed on Chase’s chest and held it there, trying to stem the flow of blood. He could see Jillian was pale, but she was obviously holding it together for Cassie.
Zach opened his mouth to ask what had happened but didn’t have a chance before he heard a car start up and peel out of the driveway, fishtailing on the wet pavement. He saw Ryan heading for his truck to go after it.
“Jillian! Take care of them until the ambulance arrives. I am going after Trent!”
Zach handed Cassie to Jillian, ran to catch up with Ryan, and jumped into the passenger side of the truck before Ryan could pull away. Ryan had a lump on the side of his head that hadn’t been there moments before.
“No fucking way, Zach. This is police business. No civilians. I can’t be responsible for your safety.” Ryan looked pissed, but Zach didn’t care. Trent had hurt his brother and his woman. He wouldn’t be left out of the capture.
“I can take care of myself, and you know it. We’re wasting time, Ryan. Let’s go after him.”
Ryan sighed but quickly backed up the truck and raced up the driveway after Trent. His car turned left onto the main road and gathered speed. Zach could hear sirens in the distance and knew the ambulance was on its way for Chase and Cassie.
“I can’t believe Trent is running. He knows he’s been made. What is he thinking?” Ryan was pushing a hundred miles an hour and struggling to keep the truck on the slick roads. Zach didn’t know what Trent was thinking either, but there was one thing he did know—Trent was a man with nothing to lose. He had learned in the military that there was nothing more dangerous than someone who had nothing left to lose.
“There’s a spare gun in the glove compartment, Zach. I hope we don’t have to use it, but I know you know your way around a firearm. If you have to shoot it, shoot to kill. He obviously isn’t going to stay down. He should still be laid out in the side yard from where Chase put a hurt on him, but the motherfucker is determined to go out in a blaze of glory. The bastard hit me with a tree branch.”
Zach could hear the determination in Ryan’s voice. He knew that Ryan took the safety of Plenty seriously. Between the two of them, Trent was going to be in trouble.
It was hard to see anything as the sun had gone down, and Trent had turned away from the town toward the quarries. The only lights were the headlights from the cars as this far out of town there were no streetlights.
“Is that smoke coming from Trent’s car?”
Zach squinted into the distance to where Ryan had pointed. It appeared that the engine on the old car that Trent was driving was overheating and sending billows of smoke into the air. With the lack of lighting in this area and the smoke pouring from the engine, Zach doubted Trent could see much. The road straightened out, and Trent began to pull away from them, obviously trying to use this to his advantage.
“He’s getting away, Ryan, can’t this truck go any faster?” There was no way he was going to let Trent get away if he had to wrestle the wheel from Ryan to do it.
“The curve in the road is coming up, and the roads are slicker than shit. It would be suicide to speed up any faster than we are already going. Shit! I just hope I can make the curve.”
Zach realized they were close to the big lake at the quarry where the Halloween party had been held, and Trent was heading straight for it. A stranger in this area would never see the drop-off this time of night, and the smoke billowing out of his engine would make visibility even worse. He felt Ryan slowing down a little to make the turn. It looked like Trent sped up even faster, and before he knew what happened, Trent’s taillights disappeared from sight. Ryan continued slowing down the truck and brought the vehicle to a halt. They both jumped out with guns at the ready. The chance of Trent surviving the twenty-plus-foot drop into the deep lake was remote, but he still couldn’t believe the bastard had gotten up and walked away from their house, either.
They cautiously approached the edge of the drop and peered over. The back of the car was disappearing, sinking down into the deep water. Although every instinct told him that Trent was dead, Zach knew he couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t try to get him out of the car. He quickly toed off his shoes and jumped into the water. He was a Navy SEAL, a strong swimmer, and was trained for survival. If there was any chance Trent was alive, he would get him out of the car.
He closed off his mind and followed his years of training as he swam through the water, quickly locating the sinking car. Luckily, Trent hadn’t locked the car, and Zach was able to pull the door open as the pressure equalized inside and outside. Trent was slumped over the wheel, and Zach pulled him from the car and headed straight for the surface. His lungs burned from the effort. He pulled Trent toward the bank of the lake, and Ryan was there to help him pull his body to dry land. Ryan placed his fingers on Trent’s neck as Zach tried to catch his breath. Trent had been dead weight as he had pulled him up, and no bubbles had come from his nose.
“He’s dead. His skull and his chest appear to have taken the brunt of the fall, probably crushed. Hitting the water from more than twenty feet up was like the car hitting solid cement. He was probably dead on impact, Zach. There isn’t anything we can do for him now.”
Zach could hear the approaching sirens as he struggled to his feet. There was nothing they could do for Trent, but he needed to see Cassie and Chase to make sure they were okay.
“Easy there, Zach. Catch your breath, man. I’ll have one of my deputies drive you to the hospital to see Chase and Cassie. I need to stay here and deal with this. Will you check on Jillian for me? I’ll come to the hospital when this is all cleared up.”
Zach combed his fingers through his wet hair and let out a long breath. This long nightmare was really going to be over for C
assie now.
“Sure, Ry. One of us will call you and let you know how everyone is, okay?”
Zach stared down at the dead body of Danny Trent. In death, his face looked peaceful, almost innocent. It was hard to believe that, mere minutes ago, he was trying to kill his brother and his girlfriend. Zach had seen plenty of death when he had been a SEAL. He had never celebrated the death of his enemies, and he didn’t do it tonight.
* * * *
Her head hurt like a bitch, and the hospital staff wouldn’t let her see Chase. She had asked Jillian to stay with Chase when they had been separated at the hospital. Chase had held her hand in the back of the ambulance as the EMTs had hooked him to IVs and tried to stabilize him. He had managed to stay conscious for her until they gave him the pain medication. They wouldn’t let her lose consciousness and kept asking her what her name was and who the president was. With her head pounding and her terror over Chase, it had been extremely annoying. Only Jillian’s presence had kept her from snapping the heads off of the EMTs.
Jillian had kept saying, “They are trying to make sure you are okay. They are helping Chase.”
When they arrived, Chase had been taken to surgery and she had been given a CT scan for her head. Now she lay in her hospital room, in pain and irritable. She hadn’t seen Jillian in what seemed like forever, and fear over Chase’s safety was sending her blood pressure ever higher. The nurses kept coming in and fussing over the pressure reading and threatening to sedate her if she didn’t calm down. Cassie wanted to remain awake to hear about Chase and also what happened to Danny. She was worried for Zach and Ryan. She knew Danny was evil, and he would kill without remorse. She almost cried out in relief when Zach and Jillian walked into her room and came to her side immediately. She reached for Zach and hugged him tightly.
“Okay, angel. Everything is okay. I got you. Nothing is going to happen to you ever again. You’re okay, and Chase is going to be okay, too.” Zach stroked her back in a soothing motion. She could feel her tears of relief running down her face, but she didn’t know how to stop them. She was really tired of crying.
“Is Chase really okay? Are you okay?” Her voice sounded shaky, and she felt Zach’s hold tighten a little on her.
“Yes, I am fine and Chase is going to be fine. He is in surgery now, but Jillian talked to the doctor, and there is no reason he won’t make a full recovery. He is going to be hell to live with, darlin’. He’s going to want you to wait on him hand and foot. He likes to be spoiled that way.” Zach’s laugh rumbled in his chest, and she could feel it through the thin hospital gown. He felt warm and strong, and she breathed in the masculine scent that was his alone. He lifted his head, and his strong hands gently wiped the tears from her eyes.
“The question really is, how are you?”
Jillian laughed. “That one I can answer. The doctor says she has a mild concussion. They are going to keep her overnight for observation, and then she needs to take it easy for a few days. The hit on the head, however, did nothing for her personality as she has been terrorizing the EMTs and nurses alike for the last hour or so while I was getting word on Chase.”
Cassie felt her face get warm. Had she been that bad?
“I’ll make it up to them. When can I see Chase?” She tried to sit up and swing her legs out of the bed, and the room began to spin. Zach gently pressed her back into the pillows.
“Whoa! You are staying right where you are. Chase will be in surgery for a while longer then recovery. You can see him in the morning. The nurses are going to come in here and give you some pain medication to help you sleep. I’ll stay here with you tonight. The nurses are going to bring in a cot for me. Jackson will take Jillian home, which is where we’ll take you tomorrow.”
“Jackson is here?”
“Yeah, he is waiting outside. Ryan is still at the scene and probably filling out paperwork.” She saw Zach take a breath and then look deeply into her eyes. “Trent is dead, angel.” Zach’s voice sounded flat.
Cassie looked at Zach in shock. Dead? How do you kill evil?
“When Trent ran, he went down the road to the quarries. The road was wet and slippery, and he was going too fast to make the turn at the lake. Factor in the tires were practically bald and the engine was overheating, making his visibility probably zero. His car went off the drop and into the lake. I went in after him, but he was already dead.”
Cassie blinked as the news sunk in.
“It’s really over? Danny is dead?” She knew she shouldn’t feel relief at another human being’s death, but she couldn’t help it. She hadn’t realized that she had been holding her breath for two years until she slowly exhaled. She looked at Jillian.
“It’s over, Jill. You’re free, too, you know. I am so sorry you had to go through this. You’re the best friend I ever had, and you shouldn’t have had to go through this.” Cassie felt the hot tears again as they ran down her face
“I can’t think of anyone I would rather be in danger with than you, Cass. Gosh, life is going to be so boring now. How will we stand it?” Jillian smirked.
Cassie couldn’t believe she was laughing and crying at the same time, but if anyone could do it to her, it was Jillian.
Zach stroked her hair as the nurse came in to give her the pain medication.
“Get some rest, Cassie. You are going to need it. Chase is going to be a pain in the ever-lovin’ ass when he wakes up.”
* * * *
Zach’s prediction turned out to be true. After the first day at home, which Chase spent mostly sleeping, he was a real pain in the ass. Once Chase started feeling better, he chafed at having to rest. Having to rest made him cranky, and he took that mood out on everyone around him. Cassie was so grateful that Chase was alive. The bullet had missed any vital organs but had damaged the soft tissue. It would be a while before Chase had full range of motion in that arm and shoulder. Yes, she was grateful, but she had about had it with Chase’s mood. He growled at everyone around him, and she was trying desperately not to growl back.
“You have an evil look in your eyes, Cassie.”
Cassie saw Zach laughing as he entered the kitchen.
“I was thinking that perhaps I could hide this pain pill in Chase’s chili, and he might sleep for a little while. We could all get some rest.”
Zach chuckled as he grabbed some grated cheese from the refrigerator and sprinkled it on top. “Remind me never to piss you off. Chase doesn’t like how he feels when he takes the pills. So he doesn’t take them and makes us miserable too. That’s just Chase. He misses working with the horses, and he misses going to the construction sites with me. Let this be a lesson, Cassie. A bored Chase is a bad Chase. He used to drive Mom crazy when he was sick as a little kid.”
“Speaking of your mother, when are your parents arriving?”
“Tonight, and Mom is madder than a wet hen at us for not letting her know about what happened. Let her get it all out when she gets here. She is pissed at me. It was my decision not to worry her, and I will take the heat for it. Got it?”
Zach looked completely serious.
“I mean it, Cassie. No trying to defend me or Chase. I already talked to my dads, and they can handle Mom. Promise?”
Cassie gave Zach a mock salute. “Yes, sir! I don’t think I want to get in between you and your mom anyway. I want her to like me, Zach.”
“She already does and the Dads, too. They love you because we love you. Mom has been bugging us to settle down for a while now. Just relax. Now my brothers are something else. Don’t take anything they say seriously. They are good guys but still pretty immature. They are still in their partying stage and are constantly in trouble.”
“Are you telling me to stay away from them?”
“No, just telling you that Parker and Logan are not the most responsible young men. They like pretty women, so they are going to love you.” Zach gave a little leer.
Great, there would be four of them, not just two.
Chapter 18
> Cassie looked really nervous, and his mom looked mad. Only his dads looked calm. Fucking fantastic.
“So you and Chase decided not to call your own mother when he had been shot! Shot! I cannot believe you didn’t call me! You are not too old for me to tan your hide, young man!” His mother’s face was an unbecoming shade of red as she shook her finger at him. Despite facing death many times in the Middle East, his mother was the most terrifying thing of all. But he was a Harper man, and he wouldn’t back down.
“We didn’t want to worry you, Mom. Chase was fine.”
If anything her face turned a little redder, and her finger shook a little closer to his nose. Shit. Wrong tactic.
“Worry me! Holy hell! You didn’t want to worry your feeble old mother, huh? Don’t do me any damn favors!”
“Now, Nancy, watch your language.” His father looked mildly amused at the situation. Zach admired his dad, but he wasn’t helping.
His mother swung around and narrowed her eyes at her husband of thirty-five years and put her hands on her hips.
“I haven’t even begun with you, Peter, so don’t get me started. I hope you like sleeping on the couch because that’s where you are going to be for the next month!” His mother gave his dad a deadly glare. His dad gave his mother a bland look, the only thing betraying his emotions was a faint gulp at the mention of sleeping on the couch. He saw his dads exchange a glance, and his other dad spoke up.
“Zach and Chase are grown men. If they decided to tell you what happened in their own time, then it is their business. They told me at the same time they told you, and I’m not screaming the house down, now am I?”
Oh, shit. Did Pops really say that?
His mother crossed her arms and stared at her husbands. “Peter, looks like Aaron will be joining you on the couch.”
Valentine, Laura - Plenty to Come [Plenty, FL] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 16