Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Free fall.
His stomach up in his throat, breath held as he slipped over the edge — dropped.
Hit a ledge ten feet below them. A narrow rock formation that shook as they slammed onto the slick surface, the sudden stop stealing his breath.
Chase groaned, pain sparking through his chest, then into his skull, scattering his thoughts. He rolled, nearly puked, then pushed onto his hands and knees. Hodges twitched beside him, glancing at him across the wet stone before clambering to his feet — catching him with a knee to his ribs.
Chase tumbled onto his ass, avoiding the next attack by sliding right, hugging that sheer drop before rolling away, putting as much distance between them as the small ledge allowed.
Hodges snarled, teeth flashing white in the lightning. “You can’t save them all, Remington.”
Chase remained alert, ready to react as he mapped out the available space. Four steps. That’s all they had. “It’s over. The only way you’re getting off this hunk of rock alive is with a chopper.”
“Who said I wanted to live?”
“Hodges. Brother, this isn’t you. I don’t know what they did to you, but this isn’t what you trained for. What you dedicated your life to. You’re the hero. Please, let me help you.”
“This is what happens when heroes fail.”
He lunged, catching a piece of Chase’s jacket as he pivoted.
They tripped, fell back to the surface, sliding a few feet from the force.
Hodges slipped off the other side, legs dangling mid-air, chest notched against the edge.
Chase grabbed one arm, securing the other man as he hooked his elbow around a root — anchored them.
Sweat beaded his brow, the rain sloughing off mud and rocks, shimmying that ledge lower.
Hodges laughed, not even bothering to hold on. “You can’t outlast this ledge, Chase. Sooner or later, you’ll either have to let go — save yourself — or we’re both falling.”
He grunted, hands shaking, every muscle cramping. “Not… an… option.”
“Dying’s not so bad. It’s coming back that sucks.” Hodges reached up — clamped one hand around Chase’s forearm, squeezing until Chase’s fingers numbed. “You don’t get to bring back all the pieces.”
“Then, let’s not die.”
Thunder, only deeper. Bouncing off the cliff, shaking the ledge a moment before a chopper roared overhead, banked left, then circled back. A spotlight ate up the rain, the beam settling on them as the helicopter hovered over top, the rotors kicking up the loose rock.
Salt spray misted up the cliff face, swirling with the eddying winds as the doors opened, a familiar silhouette stepping off the skid.
Chase held steady, staring at Hodges as Zain lowered next to them, the gusting winds swinging him across the cliffside. “It’s now or never, brother. You need to show me your other hand, so I know it’s safe for Zain to help you.”
Hodges tilted his head. “Don’t you trust me?”
“Hodges…”
Chase clenched his jaw, then nodded at Zain, twisting so his buddy could loop a harness around his chest — lock him in.
The rock groaned, an eerie screech echoing across the ridge as Chase braced his feet, released the root, then dragged Hodges onto the ledge. The other man collapsed on the surface, eyes unfocused, mouth open as if he’d lost his will to fight.
Chase motioned for Zain to stay back. “On your feet.”
Hodges chuckled, stumbling to his feet, eyeing Zain. “So predictable. Ironic, you’re so eager to save me, now. Five years too late.”
“I…”
A low rumble shook through the stone, mud and gravel raining down from above, tilting the rock toward the ocean. Chase lunged at Hodges, snagged his arm before the ledge dropped out beneath them, the line catching their weight.
They snapped to a halt, Hodges dangling beneath them, the line spinning from the increased downwash as the chopper slowly rose. Chase locked his other hand around the man’s arm, fighting to hold on when Hodges looked him in the eyes.
Hodges reached up — pulled himself a bit closer. “You’ll never be free Remington, because in the end, you won’t be able to save her.”
A glint, then a flash of pain along Chase’s side — hot and bright. Blood bloomed against his shirt, bleeding through the fabric, dripping onto the rocks below.
He kicked at the knife, dropping it into the next surging breaker before Hodges released his hold, nothing but Chase’s flimsy grip keeping him steady.
Chase grunted. “Damn it, I can’t…”
Another laugh, then he fell, body disappearing into the surf. Nothing surfacing as the waves crashed against the shore, his voice still ringing across the cliff.
Zain grabbed him, holding Chase steady as they crested the chopper, got dumped inside. Bodie snagged some bandages, pressing them against Chase’s ribs as Chase stared out the open door, watching the ocean curl in on itself. A light bounced along the water, slowing as it reached the impact site.
Zain claimed the seat beside him. “Saylor’s backing us up. Took one of Bodie’s buddies with her. If there’s anything to retrieve…”
Chase let his head fall back against the seat, cursing the hot line against his ribs. “I can’t imagine what it took to turn him into…”
Zain clapped him on the shoulder. “You gave him a chance. That’s more than I might have done.”
“Didn’t change anything.”
He’d failed. Again.
A habit he needed to break.
He took a breath, inhaled. “Shit, Greer. Atticus. They’re with Buck at that old tower—”
“Mac and Kash already picked them up. They’re halfway to Providence. Seems there was a lightning strike. A trip down that river…”
“Of course, there was. I swear, she invents trouble just to give me a damn heart attack.”
“She’s not the only one. Rest, Foster’s itching to have a come-to-Jesus moment with you, so… You’ll need your strength.”
“I don’t need any pain meds. Just give me some clothes and tell me where the hell Greer is.”
Greer sighed as Chase’s bellow reached her from outside the exam room, the weight of his words lingering in the air. She stopped at the doorway, peeked around the corner. Foster stood with his arms crossed, mouth pinched tight as he stared at the silhouette beyond the curtain.
He glanced over at her, waving her in as he shook his head. “You talk to him. He might listen to you.”
She dodged around the curtain, smiling at Chase as he sat on the gurney, boxers slung low over his hips, all that muscled flesh gleaming in the harsh fluorescent light. The man was stunning.
He caught her gaze, the furrow along his brow lifting.
As if seeing her quieted the voices. Slotted everything into place.
“God, I thought you were in the ICU or something. All they said was there’d been a concussion, broken ribs with some minor lacerations to a lung.
” He curled his fingers. “Are you okay? Should you be walking?”
She laughed, placed her hand over his as she stepped up to the bed. “You might want to let me answer one question before you ask five more. First, I’m fine.”
“I can see the bruises peeking out from your scrubs.”
“Turns out, rocks aren’t that forgiving.” She shushed him when he grunted. “I have a small bump on my head and some cuts and scrapes. Nothing life threatening. Unlike you… Knife wound? Really?”
His shoulders drooped, some of the light leaving his eyes. “I thought…”
She stepped in, wrapped her arms around him, avoiding the bandages covering his left side. “I know. And I’m sorry. I guess I never stopped to consider that he was a victim, too.”
Chase pulled her close, his breath feathering across her shoulder, the warmth of his body finally chasing the chill from hers. “It doesn’t change what he did, but…”
She eased back, brushing her thumb across his jaw. “So, what’s this about not taking any meds?”
He stilled, the tension returning to his muscles. “It’s not my thing.”
“Not abusing drugs is a thing. Not taking appropriate measures to mitigate your pain is something else.” She cocked her head to the side. “Obviously, there’s a story here.”
Chase looked over her shoulder at Foster.
Foster merely shrugged. “It’s your secret to share, buddy. I haven’t said a word.”
She cupped his jaw. “If you’d rather not, it’s okay.”
Chase grunted as he shifted on the bed, holding his side with his other hand.
“My dad was a great guy. Hard-working. Fun. A real family man. Then, one summer, he crashed his motorcycle. Had to have a bunch of surgeries. I guess the pain was pretty bad because the doctor kept prescribing him narcotics. Morphine, then other pills. He never talked about it, just always mumbled something about being cursed. That it wasn’t his fault.
But within six months, he became this angry, violent addict.
I used to tell people that he only got mean when he was itching for a fix, but the truth is…
He was always mean. High. Low. Sober. Drunk. It became his default personality.”
She dropped her hand to his, squeezed it. “I’m sorry. No one should have to live under that kind of threat.”
“My brothers and I got really good at reading him. Knew when to steer clear — stay over at a friend’s.
It worked for a while until this one night…
” Chase closed his eyes, took a deep breath.
“He was supposed to be working late, but he came home early, completely wasted. Swinging at anything that moved. My mom managed to calm things down — get him into bed. The house went quiet. The kind that felt heavy. Wrong. Then, the floor creaked, footsteps padding down the hall. I’m not sure why I jumped out of bed, climbed out the window, but… ”
He swallowed, looked as if he might puke. “There was a pop. Like the night just split open. Loud. Clear. Then, another. And another. Dogs started barking, lights flew on, sirens wailed in the distance. It took the cops five minutes to get there, but it was too late.”
He stared down at his hands. “They found him on the landing, self-inflicted wound. The gun still warm beside him. Blood everywhere. Nothing breathing but the walls. The memories bleeding out on the floor. Since then…”
She nodded, still holding his hand. “You’re worried it’s inside you, too.”
“Can’t really take the chance.”
“I get it. Easier to err on the side of caution.”
Chase glanced at Foster. “See?”
“Though, would a man with that kind of darkness in his soul try to save a killer? Simply because he’d once stood for honor?
Been part of the brotherhood?” Greer inched closer.
“Do I seem like the kind of girl who’d fall head over heels for a man I couldn’t trust with my life, no matter what state he was in? ”
Chase stared at her, eyes narrowed. “Did you seriously just play that card?”
“What card?”
“The love card?”
Her heart fluttered as the word slipped free, hanging between them like a promise. She smiled, dropped a gentle kiss on his mouth. “I believe I did.”
The shadows eased, all that tension melting away. “Not fair.”
“What’s not fair is me telling you I love you, and you not saying it back.”
He stilled, eyes wide, red creeping along his cheeks. He opened his mouth, closed it, then laughed. Low. Genuine. “Say it, again.”
She brushed some hair back from his eyes, all the tension from earlier lifting. “Okay, but that means I’m ahead by two.”
“Greer…”
“I love you, Chase.”
“Damn straight.” He tugged her close, planted a searing kiss on her lips. “And I love you more.”
“Saying the word doesn’t make it real. You’re gonna have to prove it.”
“Challenge accepted.”
“Now, about the meds…” She tsked when he frowned. “I know you’ve taken them before. So, what’s the catch?”
Foster cleared his throat. “Generally, one of us has to promise to tackle his ass to the floor if he so much as twitches while on them.”
Greer smiled. “I like the sound of that.” She trailed one finger along his shoulder and down his chest. “You. On the floor beneath me. Count me in.”
Chase coughed, grimaced. “That’s not exactly what he meant.”
“My interpretation.”
“Greer…”
She hitched out a hip. “Foster? How many times has one of you had to tackle his ass?”
Foster started counting on one hand before chuckling. “Not once.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Chase shifted on the gurney, eyes a bit wild. “And if this is the first time?”
Greer laughed. Damn, she loved him. “I’m an ex-federal agent and the sheriff. I can handle myself.” She shook her head when he simply stared at her. “Fine. I’ll bring my taser to bed. Now, take the meds, and let’s go. I might actually be able to sleep tonight.”
He snagged her hand as Foster mumbled something about getting him some clothes. “You know I’d never forgive myself if I ever hurt you, right?”
She leaned into him, drinking in the subtle hint of pine. Either from their trek through the forest or just his natural scent. “I know, which is why it’s my turn to hold you, tonight.”
The nurse reappeared, handed Chase a pill, then stood there, watching.
Chase mumbled something under his breath, then downed the tablet, staring at her when she didn’t move. “I’m not opening my mouth to prove I swallowed it.”
The nurse shook her head. “Good luck, Sheriff. He’s definitely the worst patient we’ve ever had.”
Greer arched a brow. “I see you’re making friends everywhere you go.”
He looked up at her and frowned.
She sighed. “It’ll be okay. Promise. Now, let’s get out of here before that kicks in, and Foster has to carry your ass.”
He snagged her arm. “I meant what I said. I love you, Greer. More than you’ll ever know.”
Warmth, burning away the chill that had settled in her bones. And all from those three words.
She moved into his arms, claiming his mouth in a dangerous kiss. “I love you, too. And once those stitches start falling out, I’ll show you exactly how much.”