Chapter Twenty-Four
The first part of the mission was a success. Dalton and Bethany waited in the parking lot. Now all Blakely had to do was give it a few minutes, and she could make her exit.
The sound of feet shuffling outside of her door sent her pulse flying. She climbed into bed, turned away from the door and pretended to be asleep. She forgot how often nurses came in and checked on patients. Bethany had complained about getting no sleep while in the hospital after having Chase.
This was so not good. Could she reach for her cell without drawing attention?
Footsteps sounded after the door was closed. The nurse was inside the room.
Hold on.
Something was off.
Would a nurse close the door behind her after entering the room?
No.
Someone was here.
Dalton would have made his presence known.
Squinting, she searched for something to use as a weapon on the nightstand next to the bed.
“You just won’t die,” came a growl from the familiar voice. A jolt of shock rocketed through her. A whoosh sound filled her ears as panic gripped her. Now she knew who was behind the attempts to kill her. And she couldn’t believe who it was.
Blakely stayed quiet. She couldn’t reach for the vase on the table without being caught. The voice was too close. Her heart pounded the inside of her ribcage. She could only hope the bastard couldn’t hear it.
White-hot anger filled her as she clenched her fists. How could he?
As he came close enough for her to hear his breath, she hit the call button and burst from the covers. “Greg! You sonofabitch! I’m not Bethany.”
He dove for her, ramming her in her midsection as voices sounded in the hallway. She crashed into the nightstand, cracking her head against the hard wood. The vase tipped over, slamming into her head first and then the tile floor, where it burst.
“What the hell?” Dalton’s voice cut through the room as the light flipped on.
A nurse rushed into the room beside him.
But it was too late. Greg had pinned her to the floor and had a piece of glass to her throat.
“Back up or I’ll cut her carotid artery,” Greg demanded.
The wild look in his eyes said he was desperate and would kill her if need be, despite the look of apology he shot her.
“This isn’t supposed to happen this way.
” He rocked back and forth, his elbow jabbing her in the chest as he held her down.
“What then? What was your plan? Kill your sister-in-law? For what reason?” Then it dawned on her.
“You were a decoy,” he said. “Bethany is the one who is supposed to die.”
“For what reason?” Blakely asked, distracting Greg while she prayed everyone else was coming up with a plan. “My sister has nothing to give.”
“Life insurance,” Bethany said from behind them.
Her tone said he’d drained her of any love she might have had for him over the years.
“You asked me to sign the policy that you took out a few months ago. If everyone thinks my sister is the real target, and I’m accidentally killed, you’ll get to play the grieving husband role. Is the money for your mistress?”
“I didn’t… I don’t…” Greg stuttered.
“Was I that awful of a wife that you wanted me gone? Dead?” Bethany asked. Now Blakely could hear the hurt.
If only she could somehow wiggle free or get hold of a piece of the vase to turn the tables on Greg. Could she make a move without triggering him?
The desperate look in his eyes, his actions—this wasn’t the Greg she’d once known. How could she have missed the signs of his mental decline?
Busy. Being busy was a lousy excuse, even if it was true.
“I owe people,” Greg finally said. “And they’re coming for me if I don’t pay up. These aren’t the kind of people who let missed payments go unnoticed.”
“How is that possible?” Bethany asked.
“You have no idea what it’s like to try to keep up your lifestyle,” he practically spat out. “I tried to be a good husband. I worked but you were never satisfied.” There was nothing but anger and accusation in his tone now. Like a teapot boiling over.
Blakely made eye contact with Dalton, who gave an almost imperceptible headshake. He didn’t want her to make a move.
Could she buck Greg off without causing him to slice her throat?
“You. You wanted the world handed to you on a silver platter.” Greg’s voice was almost hysterical now. “And you didn’t care enough about me to see that I was drowning.”
“Is this about your mother?” Bethany asked, panicked. “Because I tried to help with her when she was sick.”
“She was all I had,” Greg said.
“That’s not true,” Bethany argued. “You had me and you have a son. Remember Chase?”
Greg’s wild eyes searched the room. “You’ll never find him.”
Oh. No.
“Did something happen to Chase?” Blakely managed to ask as Bethany’s knees buckled and her legs came out from underneath her. Before she could hit the floor, Dalton scooped her up.
“I’m going to set her on the bed, okay, Greg?” he asked, taking a slow, measured step inside the room.
Greg’s body stiffened. The sharp point pressed a little harder into Blakely’s neck.
“Please, Greg,” Blakely managed to say. “Don’t do this. We’ll get help for you. You still have a family.” The thought this man could have hurt Chase had to be pushed out of her thoughts. She had to find a way to win him over. “We’ll be there for you.”
“Where have you been?” Greg asked. “You’re just saying that now because you don’t want to die.”
“No, I don’t,” Blakely admitted as Dalton set Bethany on top of the covers.
“Back off,” Greg said, his full attention on Dalton.
Could she make a move?
Distracted by Dalton, Greg released the pressure on her neck. It was now or never.
Blakely bucked. Greg lost his balance. He brought his hand down to stabilize himself but ended up grabbing a handful of glass.
He bit out a string of curses as she rolled away, out of reach.
Dalton stepped in between them and drew his weapon. He identified himself to Greg and read the man his rights.
Bethany came to. “Where’s Chase?”
“You’ll never find him,” Greg spit out as hospital security flooded the room. “He’s gone.”
Blakely felt sick. She grabbed her stomach as Bethany leaned over and threw up.
“No,” her sister said. “You couldn’t hurt our baby. Could you?”
Greg sneered as he was being placed into zip cuffs.
Please. Please. Please be bluffing.
“Where is he?” Bethany chanted as she managed to push off the bed and throw herself toward Greg. “I wasn’t perfect, and neither were you. But Chase is innocent. He’s just a boy.”
Seeing her sister plead ripped Blakely’s heart out.
“Let’s go,” she said to her sister. “We need to find Chase.”
Dalton helped, asking security to have the police meet them at Bethany’s home.
Fear and anger balled up together as Blakely managed to help her sister to the truck. A decoy. It made sense. The shot had come through the window after Blakely’s attack.
Dalton drove like the street was on fire behind him. Blakely called out directions. Was the stranger who Greg had promised a payout to at Bethany’s house right now? Did he have Chase? Or was Chase…
Blakely couldn’t let herself think her nephew was gone.
All three of them flew out of the vehicle as Blakely fumbled for the key to unlock the door. All the lights were out. From the outside, it looked like a normal home. What were they going to find inside?
Dalton took the lead, flipping on lights as they ran through the downstairs, checking rooms.
“Chase,” Bethany called out.
A sleepy little boy appeared at the top of the stairwell.
“Mommy?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.
Despite everything she’d gone through physically, Bethany found a reserve of strength as she practically flew up the stairs. Adrenaline could do that to a person. Give them a burst of superhuman strength.
Dalton continued checking the home while Blakely joined her sister and nephew, wrapping them in a hug.
“Where’s Daddy?” Chase asked.
“He’s not coming home for a long time, baby,” Bethany said. “But I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. Neither is your aunt Blakely.”
“That’s right, buddy,” Blakely calmly reassured him.
Dalton joined them, cell to his ear. He said a few uh-huhs into the phone before thanking the caller and giving Bethany’s address.
“There’s been an arrest. Kyle Newt is an ex-con who a certain person promised half the insurance money to for his help in removing a certain person from this life.
” He was intentionally speaking in vague terms that a seven-year-old wouldn’t be able to follow.
Greg might be a bastard for what he’d done, but he was still Chase’s father.
The boy would have to be protected as best as the family could.
Greg had been desperate. Desperate people did desperate things.
He was now a criminal.
“Are you coming home, Mommy?” Chase asked.
“What do you think about moving in with your aunt for a little while?” Bethany asked before turning toward Blakely and whispering, “I don’t think I can stay here.”
“You’ll live with me until you figure it all out,” Blakely said.
Bethany wrapped her in a hug.
* * *
The law had taken statements, and it was time to go home. Except Dalton had no idea where home was now. Because it felt a whole lot like Blakely.
“Are you leaving?” Blakely asked Dalton as Bethany pulled together a few items to take to her sister’s house.
“I can drop you off at home if you’d like,” he said.
“Here’s the thing,” Blakely said before capturing his gaze and holding on to it. “My definition of home has changed now that you came back into my life. In fact, it changed the weekend we spent in Galveston, but I was too scared to admit it.”
“What are you saying?”
“That my home is here.” She reached out and placed the flat of her palm on his heart. “If you’ll let me back in, I promise to love you for the rest of my life.”
Dalton covered her hand with his. “There’s only one thing I’ve ever been certain of in my life and that’s you. You are the only thing that makes sense. I’m in love with you, Blakely. But you need to know that I’m leaving my job to work the ranch full-time.”
“Sounds like the perfect place to retreat to on the weekends if you ask me,” she said without hesitation.
“Are you saying that you could see yourself splitting your time between the ranch and your home in Houston?” he asked for clarification.
“Only if you mean our home in Houston,” she stated. “I’m in love with you, Dalton. And I don’t want to waste another day without you.”
Dalton dropped down on one knee. “Then, I have a question to ask.”
She brought her hand up to cover a gasp. When she removed it, all he saw was her beautiful smile.
“From the moment I met you, something inside me changed. Something clicked. And I know it sounds cliché, but I knew right then and there I was supposed to be with you for the rest of my life.” He kissed her hand. “Would you do me the incredible honor of marrying me?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’m so in love with you, Dalton, that it scared me. But I’m not afraid anymore. And I don’t want to wait another day to make us official. I’ll marry you any time, any place and any day.”
Dalton stood up and hauled his fiancée against his chest, wrapping her in a warm embrace. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Marrying you,” she said. Those words sent warmth spiraling through him. He dipped his head and claimed his fiancée’s lips.
“One more thing,” Dalton said. “What do you think about asking for a meeting with my mother?”
“If that’s what you want, I’ll be right by your side the whole time,” she said. With her by his side, he felt like he could pull off anything.
“Do you think it’s a good idea?”
“I think you won’t know until you do it,” she said before pressing a small kiss to his lips.
“Will you come with me?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. “From now on, you couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.”
“Good.” Because he’d finally found home.
Dalton kissed Blakely tenderly at first and then hard, marking her as his as she did the same to him. One word came to mind…
Home.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from Signal in the Storm by Cassie Miles.