“Chad,” he heard Bree’s voice filled with hope. A door creaked open, and there she was. She was pale, shaking and he didn’t even want to think about what was going on with her wrists, but she was alive.
Chad swung her into his arms, slammed his lips against hers for a fleeting moment, then pushed her behind him and started descending the stairs, far more cautiously than how he’d come up. She didn’t say a word, just followed him, her body brushing against his with each step.
They reached the bottom of the stairs and Chad smelled smoke. The house was so old it wouldn’t take much for it to become an inferno if a fire had already started. He needed to get her out. He looked around the corner and didn’t see anyone so he pulled her tightly against his side and rushed through the room, and straight out the front door, flames starting to creep up the walls behind him.
He looked quickly from side to side and didn’t see anyone so he pulled her to the safety of the bushes. Once they were hidden from view he spoke into the microphone on his shirt.
“She’s safe and out of the house – pull out,” Chad spoke. There were several acknowledgments, more firing, then he saw the guys racing from the burning house, covering each other’s backs.
Chad kept Bree behind him as he lifted his gun and fired into the house, covering the men as they ran from the flames. No one was going to die on his watch. Once the men were safely away he finally focused on Bree.
He ran his hands along her body, checking for injuries. When he reached her wrists, she let out a small gasp. He looked at her damaged skin in the light of day and had to fight the rage wanting to boil over. He wanted nothing more than to go back in that house and destroy the men who’d been foolish enough to harm her.
Instead, he gently lifted her hand to his mouth and softly brushed his lips against her swollen and bloody flesh. He wanted to take her pain away – he should’ve been able to prevent it.
“I’m okay, Chad. Thank you,” Bree told him in a tear choked voice. He pulled her back into his arms and held her tightly, while waiting for her family to join them. He heard the sound of sirens in the distance. Their back-up had arrived.
“I’m sorry, Bree. I promised I wouldn’t let anything happen. They never should’ve been able to get close to you, let alone take you away.”
“I was the one acting foolish. You’re the one who rescued me. I was so terrified when I saw you fall to the ground. I’m sorry I got you shot,” she whispered. She was barely able to talk, she felt so guilty over him being put in such danger.
“Did they…. they didn’t… we should get you to the hospital,” he choked. He couldn’t bring himself to ask her how bad her torture had been. She seemed to realize what he was trying to say.
“My wrists are the worst of my injuries. They knocked me out in the van and when I woke up I was tied to the bed. It took me a long time to get out of the ropes. I struggled a lot – cutting up my skin in the process. They didn’t touch me other than that,” she reassured him.
He didn’t need to know how close the men had come to doing exactly what he feared. She couldn’t even think about it without panic setting in.
“We need to have you checked, anyway,” he said, but she heard the relief in his voice.
“I wouldn’t know what to do if a man in my life wasn’t trying to take control,” she said with a small attempt at humor. He gave her a half grin before standing up. He saw the ambulance coming around the corner and he wanted to get her inside it.
“Chad, watch out,” he heard Trenton yell. Everything slowed down as he turned toward Trenton, who was throwing his arms in the air. First he pointed to his gun, indicating he was out of bullets, then pointed to his left. Chad turned and realized one of the gunmen had gotten away from them. He had a gun pointed directly at Bree and him.
Chad reached forward to push Bree back to the ground, but she saw the gunman at the same time as he did. She dodged his hand, putting her in danger.
Chad whipped his gun back out and put a bullet through the man’s head, but it was too late. He watched in horror as Bree moaned just before her eyes rolled back in her head and blood ran down the side of her face.
She started falling to the ground, but Chad grabbed her before she hit the solid surface. Trenton ran toward them, tears running down his cheeks as he saw the lifeless look on his sister’s face. She’d been shot in the head.
Chapter Seven
Chad cringed at the sight of Bree hooked up to so many machines. Wires ran from her arms to the consistently beating monitors next to her hospital bed. She looked so fragile lying in the stark room.
He’d never felt more fear than in those moments when she’d crumbled in his arms, blood escaping from the side of her head. The bullet had thankfully only grazed her temple. Still, so much blood loss – too much. One more inch and she’d be dead instead of in a coma. She’d been in it for two months, now, and the doctors didn’t know when she was going to wake up. He’d practically lived by her side, guilt consuming him.
Bree’s pursuer hadn’t been caught. The men, who’d been holding her captive, said they’d never met the man they were working for in person. Everything was done through the phone. Whoever it was, scared them badly enough, they’d rather sit in jail than give anything up on him, which made Chad think there were some upper level men involved.
Bree’s family was wealthy beyond what most people could imagine. With great wealth came even greater power. There were people out there who coveted what the Anderson’s had. They weren’t afraid of using terror, force, or even murder to get what they wanted. Chad didn’t know who was behind the pursuit of Bree, but he would find out – and they would pay.
Chad had argued with the doctors countless times already, insisting they weren’t doing all they could for her. She should’ve woken by now. How could her body be working, yet her mind refuse to allow her to wake? He couldn’t understand it.
Bree’s family was at the hospital as much as Chad. Her brothers took every opportunity to shoot him dirty looks – though they knew he’d done his best to save her. They, like him, needed someone to blame – so he was the easiest target.
“Mr. Anderson, we have some test results we need to speak about,” the doctor said as he walked in the room.
“Go ahead,” George replied. He looked like hell, with dark circles taking permanent residence under his eyes, and the loss of about twenty pounds. He was making himself sick with worry. It was hard on him being back in the hospital again. It reopened the wounds of grief over the loss of his wife, and caused a whole new mourning period for him and the rest of the family. Even his voice sounded almost dead – defeated, something Chad had never expected from the powerful man he’d come to know.