Broken Trust

by Tanya Jean Russell

  For the first time since he’d discovered Dan in bed with his fiancée Chase believed that there were people who would put others first, no matter the cost to themselves. That he’d fall in love with Beth had been inevitable. From the minute he’d carried her out of that church her courage and strength had been inspiring. That she could possibly love him back simply took his breath away. Even knowing what he’d kept from her, knowing his ulterior motives, she loved him. Her trust in him despite his deception was humbling, and he’d let her down.

  He’d sworn to keep her safe, and now he had no idea where she was or how to find her. Slamming yet another door open, he quickly took in the empty office with its single desk and chair, assessed the lack of hiding places and backed out to try the next one.

  “Ace.” Paul’s voice came through again moments later. “She went straight for the supply room but didn’t go in. Looks like the man she was with talked her out of it. Am just tracking their movements now. They headed down corridor 6a into the stairwell.”

  “Where did they come out?” Chase demanded, heading back towards the stairwell.

  “Just looking for them now.”

  He resisted the urge to punch the wall. He needed to find Beth, and he needed to do it now.

  “Floor three, hang on, they went into a room, first one on the left after you come out of the stairwell.”

  “On my way. Keep watching the footage. See if they are still in there,” Chase commanded as he took off, taking the stairs two at a time.

  “Um, Ace,” Paul said as Chase pushed the door open to the third floor.

  “Yes.” He stepped back, making sure he was out of sight in the stairwell.

  “It looks like she’s in trouble.”

  At Paul’s words Chase’s heart about stopped in his chest. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to remain still. He needed to act like the trained professional he was, and to do that he needed as much information as possible about what was going on before he acted.

  “I don’t have much, but about forty minutes ago the footage shows her opening the door. Before she leaves the room properly she jerks back and the door is kicked shut. Whoever closed the door didn’t step into the camera view, but the leg kicking it shut has trousers.”

  “Not Beth then,” Chase said flatly.

  “No.”

  “Any idea if there are any other people in there?”

  “Sorry, no. I can go back through the earlier footage if you give me a few minutes.”

  “No, leave it, get caught up to now and see if they are still in there,” Chase said. He needed to know if Beth was still in there or not before he directed the back-up team Jake was leading to this location. The last thing he wanted was to pull the whole team off of their search only to find she was gone.

  “Shit,” Paul said.

  “What?” Chase barked. His nerves couldn’t take much more of this.

  “I’ve been monitoring the live feed next to tracking Miss Worthington through the earlier footage. They’ve just come out of the room, and she’s in bad shape.”

  “Just tell me what the hell is happening.”

  “The man has his hand around Miss Worthington’s upper arm. They are moving slowly. It looks like she’s struggling to walk. They’re headed your way. He has a gun in his right hand, looks like a Browning, and he’s keeping it pointed at her.”

  Fighting against the instinct to burst into the hallway and take out the bastard there and then, Chase forced himself to think tactically. If Oliver had a gun on Beth he couldn’t do this in close quarters. The risk of a shot going off before he could act was too great. He had to let Oliver think he was getting away with whatever he was doing and take him out from a distance.

  Operating from a distance was a playing field where the odds were stacked in his favor, but for the first time ever the prospect left him cold. Not a challenge to prove his ability, another win to secure, this was about saving the woman he loved. Failure today would be personal.

  Forcing himself to move quietly, he eased his way down the stairs, pausing when he reached the ground floor and heard the echo of a door above him opening. Tactically he knew the fact that Beth was struggling to walk would buy him the time he needed to prepare for her exit from the building, but his fury at the idea of her being hurt meant the struggle to think professionally was tough. It hadn’t been this hard when he’d been on his first mission.

  Reaching the opposite building, he bolted up the stairs with a cursory nod to the policeman standing just inside the doorway. Reaching the first floor, he entered the room Paul had directed him to and moved over to the window. Sitting below the sill, assembling a small tripod, was Jake.

  “Looking sharp,” Chase said. Despite the fact Jake could pull off a suit, the man only ever wore jeans or camo gear. Lifting his head, Jake ran a finger under his collar.

  “Damn stupid clothes,” he grumbled. Chase might not have been with them when the team were told they’d have to wear suits for this op, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t picture their reaction to the news. The fact it was the most sensible way to hide them in the building wouldn’t have kept the air from turning blue. Other than a few engineers and the reporters, anyone else who had a solid reason for being at the site that day would be in a suit.

  “Right, I’ve set up a tripod in case you wanted it. Your L96 is here.” Jake patted the long case on the floor next to him. “Don’t worry, I haven’t touched it. No one’s opened it since you went into hiding,” he added before Chase could ask.

  “Thanks,” Chase said, and crouching to eliminate the risk that Oliver might spot him, he moved over to join Jake.

  “You’ve got this, Ace,” Jake said, nudging Chase with his shoulder.

  Chase swallowed hard and looked at his friend. How the hell was he going to do this? For the first time he really understood what his friend had gone through all those years ago, when his now wife had been kidnapped. The absolute faith Jake had placed in him when he’d asked him to save Bree’s life finally became clear. He just hoped to God he could pull it off again.

  Opening the case, he lifted his L96. He’d had the weapon for years. Despite the endless ribbing over the fact he refused to upgrade to a newer model, he’d never been swayed, a fact for which he was beyond grateful at this moment in time. The L96 had never let him down. Not normally superstitious, he partly believed that his reputation, and the nickname that went with it, was down to this weapon. A fact that Beth’s life could depend on.

  Forcing his body to relax, he checked the cartridge before firmly clipping it into place, pleased to find it slipped in easily, the whole weapon in the same excellent condition he’d left it in just days ago. He focused on calming his breathing. The fear for Beth and the fury at Oliver for whatever he’d done to her raged through his body. Chase had to control it, had to be steady. Concentrating on his breathing, he felt his chest rise and fall in a rhythmic motion that centered him. It was a technique he’d used many times before, and despite everything that was happening it brought him to that place of confidence, of capability. It brought him to a place where he could live up to the name Ace.

  “Ace,” squawked Paul in his ear. “They’re about to leave the building.”

  “Roger that,” Chase replied and in a smooth motion swung himself and his weapon around. Taking a squared stance, he ignored the tripod and positioned the stock squarely into his cheek and shoulder, focusing the scope onto Beth and Oliver.

  Hobbling, barely able to stand, she was being dragged along by Oliver, who was squeezing her arm so tightly his knuckles were white. Her face was pale and wet with tears. At the sight of her obvious distress a soul-deep pain ran through him, as strongly as if he’d been shot himself, but when he spotted the red marks on her neck a red mist descended. That bastard. He was going to kill him. Sod trying to talk him down. Oliver was a dead man.

  Taking a deep breath, Chase was glad he had decided against the tripod. He didn’t usually rely on them, preferring the
total control that came with holding your weapon firmly in your own hands. He’d considered using it, afraid that he wouldn’t have the level of control needed to protect Beth. With the advantage of height there wasn’t an angle Oliver could move to that would take him out of Chase’s line of fire.

  As the certainty of Oliver’s death settled around Chase’s shoulders, he took a steadying breath and focused his crosshairs on the bastard’s face. Firmly in the zone, Chase’s emotions retreated and he squeezed. Barely registering the sound that boomed through the small room and across the open space, he kept his attention on the sight in front of him.

  As if in slow motion Oliver twitched, the start of a movement, a too slow instinctive flinch at the sound of bullet leaving the chamber. The movement cut short as the bullet Chase had fired took the man straight in the head, his body jerking back at the point of impact, releasing his grip on Beth as he fell to the ground.

  The moment Chase was certain Oliver was down permanently, he turned his scope onto Beth. She had sunk to her knees and was visibly shaking. Without any further thought he passed his weapon to Jake and ran, desperate to be with Beth.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  When her eyes fluttered open, Beth quickly squeezed them shut again. The glaring white of the surroundings hurt too much.

  “Beth?”

  Chase’s concerned voice made her open her eyes again, and blinking hard she tried to adjust to the brightness so she could see the man she loved.

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  “We’re at the hospital, sweetheart.”

  She smiled at the endearment. He hadn’t used one before, and she decided she liked it. Finally, all her blinking paid off, and her vision came into focus. She was indeed in a hospital. The white walls were interspersed with equipment, and even in this small private room there was a curtain at the foot of her bed, there to allow patients to be checked over without visitors having to leave the room. A pale blue waffle blanket covered her, and she seemed to be wearing a faded paisley hospital gown, but all of that faded into insignificance as she took in the man sitting next to her bed.

  His dark hair was mussed up, his stubble way past six o’clock, and the shadows under his eyes were almost as dark as his storm-grey eyes. He had never looked more wonderful to her. She moved her arm, wanting to reach out and touch him, but the action sent a pain through her chest that left her gasping.

  “Shit,” Chase exclaimed. “Stay still. They haven’t given you any drugs yet.”

  He jumped from his seat and went to the door. Standing half in and half out of the room, he called down the corridor.

  “Nurse, she’s awake.”

  Thoughts finally pulling together, Beth realized she had to let Chase know what Oliver had told her.

  “Chase,” Beth called weakly, her throat hurting as she tried to get his attention. “I need to tell you about Oliver.”

  “You’re in pain. It can wait,” he said with a frown.

  “No. It can’t,” she said urgently. “He told me he was behind the crash. His dad was behind the earlier crash.”

  Chase’s mouth fell open as he absorbed what she was saying. He stepped back towards her, but before he could speak a young nurse came in, quickly followed by the doctor.

  “Chase, this can wait,” she said, gesturing to the medical staff before they could start whatever they were going to do.

  Chase’s jaw flexed. She knew how desperate he would be to know what Oliver had told her, knew how much it could mean to him, but to her surprise he shook his head.

  “No, it can’t. They need to help you first.”

  She opened her mouth to argue with him but closed it again when she took in his determined look. It would be quicker to just get this done than keep arguing with him.

  With brisk efficiency the doctor gave her a run-through of her injuries. Fortunately, other than her ribs, which were indeed broken, there wasn’t really anything serious. She had heavy bruising on her torso, legs, and arms as well as her neck, hence the sore throat, but otherwise she was unharmed. Throughout it all she didn’t take her eyes from Chase, needing the contact to keep her grounded. His expression darkened as they listed the damage Oliver had done to her, and she wriggled her fingers, gesturing for him to take her hand.

  As his palm slid into hers she squeezed gently, trying to reassure him that she was okay.

  “Now you’re awake we can give you some pain relief if you would like some.”

  Beth nodded her head as enthusiastically as she dared. She had no doubt that Chase would simply plow through broken ribs without a second thought, but she very definitely wanted the painkillers. If the pain of moving her arm a few moments ago was anything to go by she was going to need them.

  The nurse and doctor moved around her, checking things and administering the medication. She knew they needed to do their work, but she just wanted Chase to hold her. Wanted the safety of his arms. She kept her gaze locked with his and refused to let go of his hand. They would just have to work around it. She couldn’t let him go. Couldn’t risk finding this was a dream and she was still in that nightmare with Oliver.

  Finally, they were alone again.

  “Tell me what he said,” Chase said.

  Beth explained everything Oliver had told her, that her Uncle David had been behind the first crash. His face remained completely expressionless as she spoke. His tightening grip on her hand was the only signal that what she was saying was affecting him. Anyone else looking in would have assumed the information meant nothing. When she had finished he sat silently for a few moments, looking at their entwined hands. She held herself still, waiting for the inevitable, explosive reaction. Finally, he looked up at her.

  “I need to make some calls.”

  How did he sound so calm? Beth’s insides were churning. She listened as he called Jack Cheshire and filled him in on everything Beth had said. After that Chase made so many calls she started to lose track of what was going on. Yet throughout it all he never let go of her hand, as though he needed the reassurance of the contact just as much as she did. She slid further down in her bed and let herself relax, listening to the deep timbre of his voice as he did what he always did. Whatever it took to keep her safe. Finally, he finished his calls and just sat staring at her. She couldn’t take her eyes from him. He was her anchor, and she knew that no matter what happened next they would deal with it together.

  She shifted, trying to sit up, wanting to move closer to him. She needed to feel his strong arms around her, feel his solid presence completely. As she used one arm to raise her body she winced with pain, panting as it sucked the oxygen from her lungs.

  “You need to stay still, at least until the painkillers kick in,” Chase said, his expression worried.

  “I need you,” she replied when she had caught her breath. “Will you lie next to me?”

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said quietly.

  “You won’t,” she said, holding his gaze.

  No matter what happened, she believed that with every cell of her being.

  “I know you would never hurt me,” she said, making it clear she was talking about a lot more than the fact her body was a little fragile at that moment.

  The look of wonder Chase gave her let her know he’d heard her message. Without another word, he moved from his chair and carefully eased himself onto the bed next to her. He tentatively reached out and rested his hand on her arm, anger flickering across his face as he took in the fingerprint-shaped bruises on her arm.

  “Where is Oliver?” Beth asked. The last thing she remembered was stepping outside with Oliver, being dragged across the hot tarmac as she struggled to walk. She needed to know where they had taken him. Maybe knowing would help her believe it was really over.

  Chase stilled at the question, and he kept his eyes fixed on hers as he spoke.

  “He’s dead,” Chase said, his voice quiet. He paused before adding, “I shot him.”

  His tone was neutral,
but the tension in his expression told her he didn’t know how she was going to react to the fact he had killed someone, and not just someone but a man she knew.

  Beth let the knowledge that Oliver was dead wash over her, unsure how she felt. There was grief there, of course there was, but it was more grief for the loss of a friend who, if he had ever existed, hadn’t been real for a long time. Overshadowing the grief was relief, relief that he couldn’t hurt anyone ever again. Turning her thoughts from her own feelings she wondered how Chase felt about it. She guessed he’d killed people before, but he didn’t seem like a man who could do so easily.

  “Thank you,” she said, wanting him to know that she understood that there had been no real choice. That she understood that even without an alternative it would still cost him to take a life.

  He stared at her for a moment before leaning his head down and gently kissing her. She turned the arm he was holding so she could clasp his forearm, needing more contact with him. She could feel her lips dry and cracked against his full ones, but she didn’t care. She needed to be connected to him in any way possible. He tasted of cheap hospital coffee and all things Chase, and she lost herself in the sensation. Too quickly he pulled back.

  “You need to take it easy,” he said with a gentle smile.

  She pulled a face at him, thankful she could do that much without it hurting, but didn’t argue.

  “What happens next?” she asked.

  “They have gone to arrest your Uncle David and will be searching all of the Taylor properties for evidence.”

  Beth let that sink in.

  “The Taylors have been part of our lives since long before I was born. How could they do so many terrible things?” she said.

  Chase gently stroked her hair from her forehead.

  “There are some awful people in this world. We just have to remember that there are far more good ones.”

  She gave him a half smile and shifted so she could rest her head on his shoulder with a sigh. She suspected that was easier to remember some days than others. As she let her eyes drift closed again, the steady sound of Chase’s heartbeat soothed her as she started to drift off again.