by Terri Reed
“This way.” Marshal Grant indicated for Ashley to step between him and Marshal Hawks. “We will escort you into the courtroom.”
Every cell in Ashley’s being rebelled. She didn’t want to go inside the courtroom. She didn’t want to become their responsibility. She didn’t want to leave Chase. But she had to. She handed Mr. Grayson back his papers. She glanced up at Chase, wanting to say something but afraid that only a squeak would come out because her throat was closing with despair and anguish. His jaw was tight, his eyes turbulent. She gave him a nod and stepped between the two marshals.
“Wait.” Chase stopped them.
Ashley turned to him, her heart pounding in her ears. She wanted to run into his arms and ask him to whisk her away. She stayed in place.
“I need a moment with Miss Willis,” Chase said, his voice strained.
Marshal Grant sighed. “Deputy, she’s in our custody now.”
“This is personal,” Chase said. “I need to talk to Ashley.”
Desperate to have one last moment alone with him, Ashley looked at Marshall Grant. “Please,” she managed to say, her voice barely making it past the constriction in her throat.
The two marshals exchanged a glance. Marshal Grant nodded.
“Two minutes,” Marshal Hawkes said.
Ashley hurried to Chase. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her out of earshot of the men watching them. She stared at him, memorizing every line and angle of his face.
Keeping their backs to the men, he met her gaze. “I will go with you.”
His words caused confusion to tear through her veins. She couldn’t have heard him right. “With me?”
He had to mean he would go into the courtroom with her. Right?
“Yes.” He nodded as if affirming his decision. “I will go with you into witness protection.”
Her heart fluttered in her chest. The world tilted on its axis. What was he saying? “Why would you do that? Your life is here. Lucinda is here.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I can’t stand the thought of you being alone and unprotected.”
She wanted to weep. It wasn’t a declaration of love but she understood that he wasn’t making this offer lightly. Lucinda’s words replayed in her head, telling her that he loved her. And as much as she wanted to grab hold with both hands and say, Yes, come with me, she would not let him sacrifice his life for her. As much as it wounded her, she accepted what she had to do. “Chase, you and I are never going to work. This is just a momentary blip in the grand scheme of things.”
He frowned. “Ashley, I—”
“No.” She cut him off, knowing that if he said the words, she would not have the strength to deny him. And deny him she must. “I’m sorry. I can’t risk my heart to anyone. Life is too precarious and I’m not willing to be hurt or to hurt anyone else. And that includes you.” Then she sealed her own coffin by uttering the words, “I can’t love you.”
An agonizing cry of grief built inside her chest. Tears burned the backs of her eyes. If she didn’t walk away now, she was going to embarrass them both by breaking down into a sobbing, quivering mess. She turned and ran for the restroom she’d seen on the way in.
“Miss Willis!” Marshal Grant’s shout followed her.
Once inside she slumped against the wall and let the tears flow.
THIRTEEN
Chase watched Ashley dip into the women’s restroom at the far end of the corridor. The two marshals hurried after her, stopping outside the door, their expressions frustrated as they banged on the door.
I can’t love you. The words echoed through Chase’s brain, knocking against his skull until he thought they might break free. His feet were rooted to the floor. He wasn’t sure what to think. He’d thought she’d be happy for him to go with her. But evidently, he’d misread her feelings for him.
“What did you say to her?” Donald Grayson asked.
Rubbing his jaw, which was as sore as if he’d been punched, Chase said, “Obviously something she didn’t want to hear.”
The courtroom doors banged open again. The district attorney’s assistant walked out. She hitched her purse higher on her shoulder as she came over to them. “Excuse me? Where is our witness?”
Chase gestured down the corridor. “Restroom. She’ll be out soon.”
The woman’s gaze narrowed, then she walked past them. She spoke briefly to the marshals. The two men didn’t look happy, but they walked back to where Chase stood.
“Deputy, it would be better if you left the witness to our care,” Marshal Grant stated.
Chase nodded but didn’t move. He couldn’t leave, not like this. He had to make sure Ashley was okay. He hadn’t meant to upset her. He only wanted to make her happy and keep her safe.
* * *
Ashley had ignored the banging on the restroom door and Marshal Grant’s demand that she come out at once and was glad when the noise finally ceased. She wasn’t ready to face them. She wasn’t ready to face anyone yet. She needed this moment to grieve, to let go of the foolish notion that she could somehow live a normal life, fall in love—who was she kidding, she did love Chase—and become part of the Bristle Township community.
There were voices outside the door, one of them definitely female. A moment later, the door to the restroom opened and the Los Angeles district attorney’s assistant, Sarah Miller, walked in, looking cool in her gray pencil skirt, white blouse and high heels. The brunette’s green eyes assessed Ashley.
Self-consciously, Ashley pushed herself away from the wall and pulled herself together as best she could. She splashed water on her face, washing away the tears. However, nothing could wash away the anguish burrowing into her heart.
Sarah leaned against the counter, holding onto her purse strap. “I know this can be hard. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. You can back out.”
Ashley doubted Mr. Nyburg would appreciate his assistant saying Ashley had a choice in testifying. “I want to tell my story. It’s my duty. I have to do the right thing.”
Sarah grimaced. She reached in her purse and pulled out her cell phone, quickly sending off a text. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Ashley asked. She dried her hands with a paper towel and tossed it into the trash bin.
“We all have to do what we have to do,” Sarah said. “Sometimes to protect ourselves, sometimes to protect those we love.”
Ashley didn’t understand the woman’s cryptic remark. And she didn’t have time for riddles. Straightening her shoulders, she headed for the door. “I’m ready to get my deposition over with.”
Sarah pushed away from the counter and blocked her path. “Not just yet.”
Ashley frowned, not liking the anxiety roaring to life within her gut. “What do you mean, not just yet?”
The shrill sound of the fire alarm going off jolted through Ashley. And then the ding of an incoming text punctuated the noise.
Sarah looked at the text message and then shoved her phone back in her purse. When she withdrew her hand, she held a small black gun and aimed the barrel at Ashley.
Stunned, Ashley stepped back, aware there was nowhere to run. “What are you doing?”
The woman’s hard expression didn’t bode well. “I’m sorry, Miss Willis. But you’re going to come with me.”
Was the woman working for Sokolov? Fear slid over Ashley’s skin like sandpaper. “The marshals are right outside the door.” As was Chase and the courthouse security guard. What did this woman think she was going to do?
“Don’t worry about them,” Sarah said.
She gestured with the gun for Ashley to precede her to the door. As soon as she was behind Ashley, Sarah crammed the business end of her weapon into Ashley’s ribs. Fear exploded inside Ashley. Her mind scrambled through the self-defense tactics that
Chase had taught her. Kicks and jabs came to mind, but would she be quick enough or would Sarah pull the trigger before Ashley could get away?
Sarah said, “Open the door slowly.”
Deciding to comply for now, Ashley was met with a face full of billowing smoke. Her eyes instantly watered and her nose stung as she coughed in a lungful of acrid smoke. Where were the marshals? She could hear voices shouting but couldn’t see anything in the thick gray smoke.
Sarah coughed behind her but managed to say, “Make noise and I pull the trigger. Turn to your left.”
Left was in the direction of the door out of the building. But Ashley needed to go right to find Chase. The gun pressed harder into her rib cage.
“Do it. No screaming,” Sarah demanded. “I’ll shoot you where you stand if you so much as make a peep.”
Ashley clamped her lips together and closed her eyes. She sent up a silent plea to God for help.
Letting Sarah get closer, Ashley spun while at the same time jabbing her elbow into Sarah, knocking the hand holding the gun away. Free, Ashley turned to escape but tripped over a body lying on the ground in front of the door. She went down hard on her hands and knees.
Hands grabbed her, lifting her off the floor and securing her in a strong grip. For a moment hope flared that Chase had found her in the smoke, but an arm slid around her throat, putting pressure on her trachea and disabusing her of the notion that her helper was friendly. She kicked and clawed at her captor.
She let out a scream that was cut off as something touched her side and sent an electric shock through her system. Her whole body stiffened as pain ricocheted through her muscles. The shock was only an instant but enough to make her body go limp with relief when it ended.
Her feet no longer touched the ground as the man holding her lifted her and tightened his arm around her neck, cutting off her air supply. She scratched at the arm, trying desperately to turn her head and wedge her chin into the crook of his elbow the way Kaitlyn had instructed but she was so weak from the electrical shock.
“Cooperate or I’ll zap you again,” a deep male voice said into her ear.
She stilled, her mind rebelling at suffering another jolt of electricity.
He released the pressure on her neck.
Her attacker set her feet on the floor and pushed her forward. “Move it.”
Using the hem of her shirt as a filter against the thick gray smoke, Ashley couldn’t see anything so she put her free hand out in front of her. She bumped up against the wall.
“Find the door,” Sarah gasped from behind her between coughs.
Holding her breath, Ashley groped around. She found the hinge of the door. She finally had to breathe in. Her lungs hurt and she doubled forward to cough.
Her attacker shoved her hard into the door and the bar released upon impact. Ashley stumbled out into the fresh air with the man, who wore a face mask and was dressed as the courthouse security guard, and Sarah following her. The door slammed shut behind them.
Ashley breathed in deep, trying to clear the smoke from her lungs. She wiped at her watery eyes. They were at the back of the building. The fire alarm continued its cry and mingled with the sound of the fire engines arriving at the scene.
A big black car rolled up in front of them and the door opened. “Get in!” shouted a gruff voice.
A voice Ashley knew from her nightmares. She shrank back, looking for a way to escape.
“Go.” The security guard shoved Ashley forward so that she had no choice but to climb into the back of the limousine. She settled on the seat and stared at the man who wanted to kill her. Sarah climbed in behind her, while the security guard joined the driver in the front seat.
Maksim Sokolov looked at her like she was gum stuck on the bottom of his shoe. “So you’re what all this fuss is about.”
He knocked on the window separating the back compartment from the driver, apparently giving the signal to go. The Lincoln Town Car drove away from the courthouse, dodging pedestrians and emergency equipment. Ashley twisted in her seat in time to see Chase and the marshals burst through the back entrance door. Chase ran after them but the speeding limo was too fast. Within moments, they were leaving downtown Bristle Township.
“I love you,” Ashley whispered, convinced she would never see Chase again.
* * *
The moment the fire alarms sounded, Chase had known something was wrong. The billowing smoke was thick and hard to navigate. People poured out of the courtrooms and the court’s records room. He’d raced to the restroom, urging people to move out of the way, only to find it empty and the marshals unconscious on the ground.
After making sure they were both alive, Chase ran for the back exit in time to see a black town car speeding away with Ashley in the back seat. Frantic, with fear freezing in his veins, he ran after the car but was no match for the moving vehicle.
Still running, he doubled back and jumped into his truck. As he started the engine, Marshal Grant jumped into the passenger seat. “I’m coming with you.” He had a nasty knot forming on his head that no doubt hurt. “Hawks will follow in our vehicle.”
“Shouldn’t you be checked out by a paramedic?” Chase asked the question as he threw the gear into Drive. Before the man could buckle up, Chase stepped on the gas and drove in the direction the town car had taken.
“I’m fine,” Grant said, bracing himself on the dashboard.
“Call for backup,” Chase told the marshal. “Ashley’s been taken. We have to stop them before they kill her.”
The terrorizing thought robbed him of breath. He fought to maintain his cool and not give in to the rising panic.
At the intersection where he had the choice to turn right toward Denver or left toward the backside of Eagle Crest Mountain, Chase faltered and prayed for inspiration.
He thought about the private airstrip at the top of the mountain attached to the Eagle Crest Resort and the car service the resort provided for its guests. Chase was sure he recognized that limo as one used by the resort. He had to take a chance. He turned left, heading toward the mountain pass.
Beside him, Grant was talking to the sheriff.
“Put that on speaker, would you?” Chase said.
Grant complied. “Sheriff, I have you on speaker now with Deputy Fredrick.”
“Sir,” Chase said, “we’re going up the mountain to the airstrip at the top.”
“Playing a hunch?”
“Yes, sir.” Chase tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he took the corners on the winding mountain road at top speed. “A man like Sokolov wouldn’t go commercial.”
“Agreed.”
Stomach churning with anxiety, Chase said, “But in case I’m wrong, alert the state patrol to watch for a black limousine with the license number 359 XTL.”
“Roger that.” The sheriff’s deep timbre filled the cab of the truck. “Marshal Hawks and Daniel are headed your way.”
Marshall Grant clicked off and frowned at Chase. “I hope you’re right about this. If we lose Miss Willis, it’s your fault.”
Chase didn’t need that reminder. Guilt threaded through his system like the laces of his boots. He should’ve waited until after the deposition to talk to Ashley about joining her in WITSEC. Or better yet, he shouldn’t have said anything at all.
Now that he grasped she didn’t share the same emotions about him, he regretted letting down his defenses and opening himself up for rejection. Though he couldn’t find it within himself to harbor any ill will for the woman who had captured his heart. His love was unconditional. And he would do everything in his power to ensure that the woman he loved lived to see that Maksim Sokolov rotted in prison.
* * *
Ashley noticed the terrain outside the speeding car’s window. They were driving the same road that the fake Detective Peters had taken the day he’d forced her into
his SUV. They were headed up the backside of the mountain. What was Mr. Sokolov’s intention? To throw her off the cliff?
Her insides clenched with dread. She would fight to the end. She would not be easily disposed of. She hadn’t come through this nightmare only to have it end like this.
But they passed the turnout spot where Chase had shot the fake detective and he’d been the one to go over the cliff. Was there another turnout they were heading for?
The car kept a steady pace, rounding the curves that hugged the mountain with a squeal of tires. The seat belt bit into Ashley’s chest, poking at her already tender spots. Maksim Sokolov sat on the bench seat facing Ashley, his gaze never wavering.
He was older than she remembered, his skin weathered and wrinkled. Up close like this, Ashley could tell the man had scars on his hands and one running down the length of his neck that disappeared beneath the collar of his black suit. She shivered with fear as she met his dark reptilian gaze.
Shifting her attention to the woman sitting beside her, Ashley asked, “Why are you a part of this ugliness?”
Sarah stared at her for a moment as if startled by the question. Her green eyes were anxious as the gun in her hand quivered. Her mouth moved but no words came out.
Maksim Sokolov sat forward to snatch the gun from Sarah’s hand. “We don’t want this to accidentally go off. That would be a mess to clean up.”
He set the gun on the seat beside him.
Ashley focused on the weapon, her mind working out how to get her hands on it. Though she’d never fired a gun before, she figured simply pointing the weapon and squeezing the trigger would get the job done.
Maksim shook his finger at her. “Don’t even think about it, young lady. I may be old, but I’m faster than you.”
Ashley jerked her gaze back to his. “You should have just left me alone. I wasn’t going to say anything to anyone until your assassin showed up.”
He shrugged. “I couldn’t take the chance that one day you’d grow a conscience.”