Page 19 of Rescuing Sadie

Chase grimaced. “Might as well get it over with.” He gently pulled his phone out of his pocket, being careful not to jostle his arm, and pressed a few buttons on the phone.

“Taggart.”

“Sean. It’s Chase Jackson.”

“What’s up?”

Chase took a deep breath and didn’t beat around the bush, figuring Sean wouldn’t appreciate it. “Looks like Jonathan is going to be a problem after all, and it’s a good thing I’m looking after Sadie.”

“What happened?” Sean’s voice changed from the casual, laid-back tone he’d had just a moment ago to that of the no-nonsense, ready-to-take-action former Green Beret that he was.

“Shots fired in a public parking lot.”

“Fuck. At Sadie?”

“No. Me. I got her out of the way when I saw someone lurking around my car. While I was tracking him down, the fucker took a shot at me. If it hadn’t been for Sadie warning me, he might’ve succeeded in taking me out. He wants to get his hands on her. Bad.”

“If one hair on her head is hurt, he’s gonna wish he’d never fucked with a Taggart.”

She wasn’t a Taggart, but Chase knew what Sean meant. His wife was Sadie’s mom’s sister. And since Sean loved his wife more than anything, and Grace loved her niece, anyone who threatened Sadie, basically threatened his wife. And one thing Chase had learned from his research into the McKay-Taggart group, no one fucked with what was theirs. He was beginning to appreciate the sentiment.

“You catch the asshole?”

“No. Just like at the school, he disappeared like smoke.”

“Where is Sadie now?”

“She’s on her way to Fletch’s house.” Sean knew who Fletch was. He knew who all the Delta Force men were. He and his brother had researched everyone Sadie had any contact with down in San Antonio. He’d first found out as much as he could about TJ and Milena, and had learned TJ had done a favor for the Delta Force team in the past. And because Sean wasn’t one to let loose strings hang, he’d gone on to research Ghost and the others on the team. If he had found anything he didn’t like, Chase knew full well Sadie wouldn’t still be with him. Sean would’ve forced her back up to Dallas no matter what she or Chase wanted.

“You’re not with her?”

Not liking the accusation in Sean’s tone, Chase said tersely, “No. She’s with Fletch. He took her and Rayne back to the house so we could search the parking lot. Fucker clipped my arm. I wasn’t sure if the cops were called or not, and didn’t want her anywhere near here in case a report was made. Wanted to keep her out of it.”

“Clipped?” Sean asked.

“Yeah.”

There was silence on the other end of the line for a long moment. Just when Chase didn’t think Sean was going to say anything else, or thought maybe he’d hung up, he said, “You like my niece.”

Fuck. This again. But Chase would reassure whoever the fuck he had to about his feelings for Sadie. “I do.”

“You took a bullet for her.”

“I did, and I’d do it again.”

“We researched you, you know,” Sean informed him quietly.

“I didn’t think you’d let Sadie stay with me if you hadn’t.” Chase didn’t know where the other man was going with this conversation, but he wasn’t prepared for his next words.

“I know about what happened with the Delta Force team you were imbedded with over in the Middle East.”

Chase was stunned into silence. He knew? How in the hell did Sean find out about that?

“Jackson?” Ghost asked from next to him, obviously picking up on his nonverbal body language.

Chase waved his hand at Ghost, letting him know he was all right.

Sean Taggart went on. “I’m sorry that shit happened to you, but I have a feeling it made you a better soldier.”