Page 114 of Chasin’s Surrender

“Baby, listen to me. Don’t believe anything that fuckwad told you. He doesn’t have eyes on me. And he’s not gonna touch Bobby again. You did good keeping him on the phone. Micky got a lock on his location, Nixon and Alec are headed that way now. Weston and Jonny are headed to the address he gave you. Jameson and I have a lead someone called in and we’re headed there now. You did good, baby, and it couldn’t have been easy listening to that crazy fuck, but you did it. Proud of you, baby. So proud. This will all be over soon.”

One way or another, it would be over soon.

“What if—”

“Don’t go there. Bobby needs you thinking good thoughts, stay strong for her. Trust me, Genevieve, I’m bringing her home. Do you trust me?”

“I trust you,” I whispered.

“Good. Now I’m gonna let you go. I love you.”

“Love you.”

Chasin disconnected and Holden’s hand wrapped around mine. He pried my fingers open and took his phone.

“Let’s get you something to drink, Viv.”

I didn’t want anything to drink.

“I didn’t tell him to be careful.”

“He will be.”

I nodded because I figured he would, but I still wished I’d told him.

“I’m not offering up my life for my best friend, but I still am.”

“I’m not tracking, Viv. Let’s get you—”

“I’m not giving myself up. Bent’s gonna go to that address and I won’t be there. When he finds out, he’s gonna go back and kill Bobby. I’m not trading my life for hers.”

But I was.

When Bent found out I wasn’t there, he’d go back and finish off Bobby, then blow Chasin’s head off and my life will end.

“Viv—”

“The two people who mean the world to me, they’re my everything, are out there in danger and it’s because of me and I’m not trading myself for them. What kind of person does that make me?”

“A smart one. Trust your man to find Bobby and bring her home. Let me explain to you how you trading yourself would play out. You go to that address and Chasin will abandon his search for Bobby—he’ll pull the team off the search and we’ll go in to rescue you. He likes Bobby, hell we all do, but if the choice is between you and Bobby, he’ll pick you. You are his world, and it would kill him because he knows how much you love Bobby, but he’d still pick you. And he’d do it knowing that if something happened to Bobby it would shatter you, part of you would be lost to him. So if you leave this house, where would that leave her? You’re playing it smart, you’re trusting your man, and you’re saving three lives. Yours, Bobby’s, and Chasin’s. Hang tight, she’s coming home and so is Chasin.”

Holden made a whole lot of sense. But it didn’t do a damn thing to stop my chest from aching.

“Thanks for taking care of me.”

“You’re family, Genevieve.”

Family.

I’d never had one of those.

I wished with all my might Bobby and Chasin were home so I could’ve enjoyed the feel of that.

Maybe I didn’t need luck now that I had Chasin.

Trust your man.

I did trust him. I trusted him with my world.