Funny, he used to, if not scare me, impress me.
Now, nothing.
Chase waited, eyes tracking all four people.
Victor tugged down the sleeves of his suit coat as
he strode toward him. “Mr. Ellery.” His name was spoken with a cold
disdain.
“Victor.”
A slight pinching of his lips was the only sign he
gave. “Mr. Boshay.”
“Victor works fine for me. Why were you following
me?”
“Stay away from my daughter. You weren’t good enough
for her back then, and you sure aren’t now.”
He spit again, landing it on the top of Victor’s
shiny black shoe. “Showing concern for the daughter you disowned?
Tell me, does she know you’re doing this?”
“My relationship with my daughter doesn’t concern
you. I won’t tell you again to stay away from her.”
“Good, I don’t want to hear it again.”
“Things won’t go well for you if you don’t heed my
warning.”
He sat up slightly. “Are you threatening me?”
The calculation in the man’s gaze, frost. “I’m
warning you. There are a lot of places around here where accidents
can happen.”
Chase pushed away from the bike and strode toward
Victor. The three men stepped closer, only to stop when he held up
a hand.
“I’m not a little boy, Victor, who is going to be
scared off. If you want to send your goons here after me, do it. If
you want to send your sons, go for it. Nothing you have impresses
me. Vicki does, and from what I hear, you don’t have her anymore,
by your own choice. Anything happens to me, and I’m coming after
you.” He bent his head, voice dropping to a low whisper. “You’re
going to need a
lot
more than three for a protection detail
if that happens.”
The man gulped but didn’t back down. He sneered and
said, “What about your neighbor?”
Cold fire lanced his veins. “You touch her, and I’ll
rip your heart out while it’s still beating in your chest. So much
as her power flickers, and I’ll be all over you. No matter where
you hide, I’ll find you.”
“Stay away from my daughter.”
“According to your own words, you no longer have
one.” He pivoted and walked back to the bike before he did
something like punch the man in the throat.
“I’m not done talking to you,” Victor called
out.
“Such a shame I’m done listening.” He swung his leg
over the bike, started the engine, and rode off as he put on his
glasses. He went to his house and parked. Then, he strode to the
house next door and rapped sharply on the screen’s frame.
“Come in, Chase. You know you don’t have to knock. I
have some chocolate pecan pie here; come have a slice.”
“Mrs. Candace, you’re going to make me have to buy
all new clothing.” He kissed her cheek when he entered the
kitchen.
“You were too thin when you got here. You need some
meat on your bones.” She looked at him. “What’s wrong?” She placed
the plate before him and gave him a fork, as well.
“Ran into Victor Boshay.”
She harrumphed. “That man ain’t got no sense. All
he’s worried about is his money.”
“He threatened you.”
She sat across from him. “Eat. What is he
threatening me for? Because you’re seeing the girl he said wasn’t
his seed any longer?” Chase blinked, and she laughed. “You really
didn’t think I didn’t know, did you?”
“How did you know?”
“You had a thing for her from years ago. Makes
sense. She’s all grown up and beautiful now. On the inside as well
as the outside. Some things are meant to be, Chase. You just take
care you don’t hurt her.”
“Like she did me in school?”
“Ain’t neither of you in school anymore, but if you
act like it, I can take a switch to you if you’d like.” She glared
at him.
“No, ma’am. That’ll be just fine without the
switch.”
“She’s not like the rest of her uppity kin. When her
father disowned her, she had to grow up and fast. She did. She’s
good people now. Perhaps you should get to know her instead of just
sleeping with her.”
Uncomfortable with speaking to Mrs. Candace about
this, he just nodded and ate his pie. Later that day, he went out
and found Vicki sitting in her car along the road, doing some
paperwork. He parked the bike across from her, so she’d see him
coming.
She put down her papers when he approached the
window. “Something wrong?” she asked.
“I was an ass earlier, I’m sorry.”
“Fine.” She looked back to the sheets in her
lap.
He leaned on the car, hands on top and his head
close to the window. “Your father came to visit me.”
She looked up at him, startle obvious in those
blue-green eyes. “What’d he want?”
“Warned me away from you.”
“And you said?”
“Nothing, really.”
“He threaten you?”
“In a manner.” She shook her head, and he reached in
to drag a knuckle along her cheek. “Don’t worry about it. Come on a
date with me.”
“You’re devious.”
He grinned. “I have my moments. Will you come?”
Her retaliatory smile was seductive. “I’d better.
More than once.”
“You can’t be serious, Vicki! I’m your brother!”
She stared at the man before her, one of her older
brothers, Herbert. Pain and fury filled his eyes. The other two
also sat there, on the ground, not cuffed but being watched over as
they cradled their injuries. “According to all of you, I have no
brothers. And y’all’re the ones who started the altercation.”
She sliced her gaze to the left where Tim stood
talking to Chase.
Herbert may have started it, but Chase sure as
hell finished it. Two of them have broken arms, and the third has a
busted nose.
“He could have killed us,” Rich, another brother,
called out.
She took stock of their injuries. “Then, you
shouldn’t have challenged him and thrown those first punches.” Her
gaze traveled back to where Chase stood. He watched her. His stormy
eyes full of fire and anger.
“Why isn’t he in handcuffs?” Chad, the youngest of
the trio, asked.
“According to witnesses, he was just defending
himself. He’d been at the bar, minding his own business, when the
three of you went to start something.”
“So, he’d been drinking,” Herbert snapped.
“I don’t want to hear it. All three of your blood
alcohol levels are above the legal limit, and if, as is stated, you
didn’t drink any in there, then you were driving this way, which
adds driving under the influence to your charges.”
“This is just because you’re fucking him.” Rich
kicked the ground.
“And, it’s about time you three stop acting like
nothing can touch you because of your last name.” She turned to Tim
who’d walked over to her. “I’m done with them. They’re ready to be
transported down to the station and booked after we get them to the
hospital.”
“I’ll take them to the ambulance,” he said. One hand
on her shoulder, and he canted his head to the side. “Are you
okay?”
“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be? I’m not the one who just
got my ass kicked.”
Tim laughed. “True enough. Okay, I’ll get this
moving.”
“I’ll be right behind you and meet you at the
hospital. Hey, Tim. Don’t listen to anything they say.”
“Right now, I’m betting it’ll be nothing more than
moans of pain.”
“See you in a bit.”
She remained where she was as the cars and
ambulances departed. Then, she strolled over to where Chase
stood.
“You okay?” she asked, tipping her head back to look
at him.
“I could use a drink.” His gaze burned into hers.
“Are you okay?”
The concern in his tone was nearly her undoing.
Swallowing back her uncertainty, she nodded. “Fine.”
“Liar.”
“I don’t have any choice. I have to be.”
“Come by my place when you’re done if you want to
talk. I’ll be up.”
“You want me over there?”
His gaze shuttered. “You know where I live; the
offer is there.” Chase strode off and left.
Vicki exhaled and made her way to her patrol car.
She drove to the hospital to make sure all three of them were being
treated, so she and her fellow deputies could put her brothers back
in the station. She smiled at the nurses as she took brisk steps
down the hall.
She slowed as she saw her father standing in the
waiting area, his face turned down in a scowl.
“How could you?” he demanded.
“Excuse me, sir. I have somewhere to be.”
“Don’t you walk away from me, Victoria.”
She stopped at the use of her name. Tapping the
steel she’d had to use a few times to get people to respect her,
she turned to face her namesake. “The name is Deputy Boshay.”
He neared her, and she held her ground and his
disapproving stare. “Let my sons go.”
“I’m sorry, sir. Once they are processed, you can
post their bail, but until then, they are staying in our
custody.”
“You’re a disgrace to the Boshay name.”
“Maybe you should have raised your children
better.”
“It was that ruffian’s fault.”
“Really? They went into that bar looking for him,
already well over the legal limit to be behind the wheel. What if
they’d killed someone driving there? Would that still have been
Chase’s fault? Three against one, just like they did in school.
Only this time, it didn’t go as well as they’d hoped. He kicked
their asses.”
“You sound like you’re proud of him.”
She grinned. “I am.” She walked away, ignoring the
pain in her heart.
The sheriff took his time in booking them, making
them wait even longer to get out. When they were finally released,
each sibling glared at her as they walked by. She maintained her
expressionless face. It was funny, though, if she thought about it.
Herbert and Chad had broken arms while Rich had his nose all
bandaged up. The untouchable balloon that had floated around the
Boshay boys had been more than just popped tonight; it had been
eviscerated.
“Go home,” Sheriff Tanner called out as she finished
typing up her report.
Checking the time, she read it neared one in the
morning. She grabbed her gear, said her farewells, and went to her
car. In the parking lot, she drummed her fingers on the wheel as
she contemplated her choices.
“Why am I delaying? He said to come over.” She
started the car and went in to his house. The streetlights offered
very little illumination as she drove up to his singlewide trailer.
She’d never been to his place other than to drop him off. And never
inside.
Parking in the drive, she stepped from the car. She
made her way up to the door after locking her vehicle. Before her
foot hit the first step, the door opened, and she found herself
staring at Chase’s bare chest. His low riding sweats had her mouth
watering.
“You came.”
She jerked her eyes to his. “You invited me.”
“So I did. Come on in.”
She began to walk by him when he snagged her around
the waist and kissed her. She whimpered and sank into him. He
released her and shut the door behind them. Vicki took in the
décor. Simple but homey.
“Not what you expected?”
“No. There’s more than a slight feminine touch in
here.”
“Mrs. Candace.”
She dropped her bag on the floor. “I figured.”
“Could have been one of the Anderson twins.”
She snorted. “Not and be this tasteful.”
“Want a drink?” He opened the fridge.
“Beer?”
He pulled out two and opened them. Handing her one
of the bottles, he gestured to the couch. He took the other end
once she sat.
“My father ordered me to let them go.”
“I’m sure he did.”
“I didn’t. I made him come down and bail them out.”
A self-deprecating laugh escaped. “If I had any thoughts of being
welcomed back, those are gone now.”
Chase rested his arm along the back of the couch,
bottle dangling from his fingers as he watched her in the low
light.
“No comment?”
“You want me to make one?” He put the bottle to his
lips. “Fine. Here’s a comment. You’re better off without them.
You’re a better person without them. Why do you want to be back in
the fold so bad? Money?”
His questions didn’t even offend her like they would
have in the past. “No, I guess I don’t want to. I don’t know what
to think anymore.” She drank some of her beer then looked at the
label. Midnight Monk by Terrapin. “This is good.”
“Belgium-style black IPA. Tell me why you left
Atlanta.”
She altered position on the cushion and crossed her
legs. Facing him, she studied his face. The chiseled features
showed a harsh man, one who didn’t smile often. His nose had been
broken a few times, the bumps on the ridge divulging that
knowledge. Bow-shaped lips, which did incredible things to her, and
those eyes, she loved his eyes. Had no problems losing herself in
them.
However, right now, she witnessed true curiosity in
his gaze, informing her he wanted to know and wasn’t just asking to
divert her attention to another subject.
She drank some more and weighed her options.
☼
Chase waited for her to talk. He wasn’t going to
rush her; he was a patient man. Always had been. He had no problems
with looking at the woman across from him. Her blonde hair fell
freely past her shoulders. He liked it loose, preferred it to how
she wore it at work, back in a tight braid or bun. Not that he
didn’t understand why she wore it that way, for he did, he just
preferred it loose as it was now.
He rolled the bottle in his fingers. Her eyes
tracked the movement.
“We’d been sent in for a drug bust.”
He held her gaze once she met his again.
“The intel had been wrong about the number of people
in there.”
“What happened?”
“One of the main players picked up a six-month old
and used him as a shield. Why they had a baby in a place they were
making drugs, I still don’t know, but those people who use them are
far from sane I’ve discovered. He wanted to leave. We weren’t about
to let that happen.”