Page 13 of Rescuing Sadie

She looked at him with her eyes wide with shock and her brows drawn in confusion. Her hands came up and gripped his T-shirt on either side of his waist. “Chase—”

“Jonathan isn’t going to touch you. Tell me you believe that,” he ordered.

Sadie pushed at him for a moment, but when he didn’t loosen his grip, she merely sighed. “Fine. I believe you.”

He brought one hand up to her face and tilted her chin so she had no choice but to look him in the eyes. “Now say it like you mean it.”

“You’re just like some of the guys at McKay-Taggart,” Sadie told him. “All macho dominant, sure that you’re Superman and nothing can touch you. News flash—you can’t promise that. Shit happens, I’ve seen it firsthand. People get hurt. They disappear. Chase, you don’t know Jonathan. You don’t know what he’s like. If he wants to get his hands on me, he will. You can’t guard me all day, every day. Eventually, I’ll have to go back up to Dallas. To my job, to my life. He’ll just wait me out. Postpone the inevitable until you aren’t around.”

Chase wanted to immediately rebuff her words, but he took a moment to examine the woman in his arms before he replied. Her hands were gripping his shirt as if he were the only thing holding her together. Her lips were pressed together in a thin line, and he could see the pulse hammering in her throat. She wasn’t mad, she was fucking terrified.

“Tell me what happened inside that room, Sparky,” he ordered gently.

Sadie shook her head.

“Please?”

Her eyes dropped down and to the right, but Chase didn’t release her chin. Finally, her eyes came back to his. “I don’t want you to think badly of me.”

“Sadie, I absolutely am not going to think badly about you for anything you may or may not have done while inside that hellhole.”

“I think badly about myself.”

Chase’s stomach clenched. He hated that. Abhorred it. “You have absolutely no reason to think that way.”

“I do,” she told him.

Chase looked at her for a long moment, then said, “How about we table this conversation until tonight?”

The relief on her face was easy to read. “Yes.”

“We’ll go shopping with Rayne. Have dinner with Fletch and Ghost. Then tonight when we’re back here, relaxed after a couple of beers, we’ll talk. It’ll be easier.”

“It’s not going to be easier,” Sadie told him.

“It will. Trust me. Talking about what’s fucking with your mind is a lot easier in the dark than the light of day.”

Sadie’s eyes whipped up to his. She peered at him intensely for a beat before whispering, “Okay.”

“Okay.” Then Chase pulled the woman who had stolen his heart into his embrace. She buried her face into his shoulder and they stood like that for a minute or two. Simply enjoying being held by each other.

“I need to call Rayne,” Chase said, pulling away.

“Okay.”

“I’m not sure how long it will take her to get over here.”

“Can I go lie down until she arrives?” Sadie asked.

“Of course. Take a nap. I’ll wake you up when it’s time to go.”

Without another word, Sadie took a step to the side and headed toward the bedroom.

Chase ran his hand through his hair. Sean Taggart had asked him to keep him informed regarding anything he found out from Sadie about what had happened to her. Her uncle knew as well as he did that something had to have transpired between his niece and Jeremiah’s son. He wouldn’t be so hell-bent on getting to her if it hadn’t. Whatever it was had Sadie completely torn up inside.

He’d have to wait until she told him to decide what, if anything, he’d relay to her uncle. The man was lethal. He could be sweet with Sadie and his wife, but Chase knew without a doubt, he’d kill Jonathan if the situation warranted it. Hell, any of the Taggarts would.

But they’d have to get in line behind him. He needed to know what happened between Sadie and Jonathan, what she wasn’t telling him—but he also didn’t want to know. He did know, however, without a doubt, that tonight would change his and Sadie’s relationship. He hoped it brought them closer together, but he also knew, after hearing whatever it was she was so ashamed of, it could drive them apart.