Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chase went into the apartment building, but he didn’t go upstairs yet. Instead, he watched Shelby’s car drive away with Ruby inside.
When it came to Ruby’s safety, he really hated being out of control.
But the biggest remaining threat against her—Adrian Peele—was now dead. Shelby would have Ruby’s back, just like she’d had Chase’s in the past.
And if they learned Nora had information about Adrian Peele’s death, Shelby could place the call to LAPD. Chase didn’t even need to get involved. No use pissing Ruby off the very first day they were official.
Yet as he stepped into the elevator, he still couldn’t quiet that sense of unease.
He settled for sending a text to Shelby, asking her to keep a close eye on Ruby. To keep her safe. It wasn’t necessary, because Shelby would be doing that anyway, but he needed to do something to soothe his nerves.
The elevator arrived, and Chase stepped out, still typing. He was halfway done composing his message when the hairs on his arms raised.
Chase looked up.
All the apartment doors in the hall were closed—except one.
Ruby’s door was cracked open by several inches. He could see that gap even from the elevator. Felt the wrongness of it deep in his bones.
Maybe Mrs. Murtree had left it open, either on purpose or by mistake. But she’d never done anything like that before.
Which meant that someone uninvited was probably in the apartment. With Haley.
Unless they took her already.
His training told him to call for back up. But he had to find Haley, and he couldn’t waste a single second.
Fuck. What do I do?
Hands shaking, he added the numbers 459 to the end of his text to Shelby and hit send. Meanwhile, his feet were already carrying him to the apartment door.
His thumbs kept moving over the phone screen, dialing 911.
Chase listened. He heard Haley babbling inside. He wondered if he’d been wrong.
Then his fingertips pushed the door, and it swung open on silent hinges.
Nothing could’ve prepared him for what he saw inside.
Tag Bailor sat in a kitchen chair facing the door. Haley was in his lap with a book, holding it upside-down. She looked up.
“Chay-Chay.” Haley dropped the book and reached out for him.
“911,” the phone said. “What’s your emergency?”
Chase wasn’t breathing.
Tag shook his head.
“Hello?” the operator said.
Slowly, Chase raised the phone to his ear.
Tag’s hands tightened around Haley’s middle, and Chase felt like they were tightening around his own throat.
“I’m sorry. False alarm. No emergency.” He ended the call.
“Drop the phone on the ground.”
“What do you want?”
“Chase, I said to drop it.”
He did.
Tag looked down at Haley, but he continued speaking to Chase. “I wasn’t expecting to see you. I thought it would be Ruby.”
A hundred different impulses battled in Chase’s body. He wanted to demand answers. Lunge for Haley and get her away. But he couldn’t risk it. Not yet.
“What do you want?” he said again.
“To exchange information. That’s all.”
Chase struggled to keep his voice calm. “Where’s Mrs. Murtree? Is she hurt?”
“The babysitter? She’ll be fine.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“You can see for yourself.” He pointed.
Chase came further into the room.
Mrs. Murtree lay behind the open door. She was unconscious, and she had her hands bound behind her back with a plastic zip-tie. But her chest was moving.
“What did you do to her?”
“As little as possible.”
“She needs medical attention. There’s a cut on her head.”
“Then let’s make this quick. Close the door so we can talk.”
“Not until I know what you really want.” Chase took a step in the man’s direction.
Tag’s hands tensed, and Haley whimpered. Her eyes watered like she was about to cry.
“You’re going to scare her,” Tag said.
His tone implied Chase was the intruder here instead of Tag.
Gain his trust. Build a rapport.
Chase closed the door. But he didn’t take his eyes off Tag and Haley.
“Do you have a gun on you, Officer Collins?”
So Tag knew he was a cop. “No. I was suspended. They took my weapon.”
“Turn out your pockets.”
Chase’s wallet and keys fell to the floor next to his phone.
“Lift your shirt and turn around in a circle. I want to make sure you’re not armed. Last thing Haley needs is a gun going off, don’t you think?”
Clenching his jaw, Chase did as Tag had asked. “What about you? Do you have a weapon?”
Tag shook his head. “I didn’t come here to hurt anyone.”
“What about Mrs. Murtree?”
“I came to the door. She didn’t hear me knocking at first, but Haley did. I heard her crying. Then the babysitter opened up, but she wouldn’t let me in.”
So Tag had pushed his way inside, and none of the neighbors had done a thing?
Chase dismissed that thought. It didn’t matter. He had to focus.
He thought of hostage negotiations he’d witnessed. “Look, let’s be reasonable. Okay? Neither of us is armed. We don’t want anyone else hurt. I’m willing to talk. But I need you to give me Haley first.”
Tag’s gaze returned to the baby in his lap. “She’s not yours. But you love her, don’t you? I could tell when you were at the gym. The way you looked at that picture on your phone of the three of you.”
Her little body strained against Tag’s grip as she reached for Chase.
His blood rushed with fury. “If you do anything to hurt her…”
“I asked if you love her. Just answer the question.”
“I love them both,” Chase choked out. “Ruby and Haley. I would die for them.” I would kill for them.