And when he’d arrived, seeing the glitter of broken glass on the pavement and the flashing red and blue against the bent metal, it was nothing compared to the feeling in his gut as he’d caught sight of her being treated on the gurney.
Single mindedly, he’d moved to her, the staties let him move past. He could see her trembling begin to start from all the way back where the staties had stopped him. He needed to get to her to help. Seeing her that way again, the panic attack sending her so deep into herself that she could barely register what people said to her, sent protective feelings warring with anger through him.
No, not anger. Anger was too mild a word. Murderous. Rage washed over him, made him see red until he clenched his fists imagining Terry Sunderland’s neck there. It was war and there was not a f**king chance in hell Shane would walk away the loser. His woman’s life was at stake for real and he would not stop until Terry Sunderland was in prison or dead.
He went to her quietly, brushing his lips across her temple, tucking the blanket around her. Her pulse was normal and her breathing was calm. Blinking back hot tears of impotent rage, he backed out of the room and headed downstairs.
Neither brother was sleeping and Kyle and Maggie had joined the group. Everyone looked up as he entered the living room.
“You all can go home, she’s sleeping soundly. Her doctor said the sedatives would keep her sleeping deeply for several more hours. There’s nothing anyone can do right now. I’m going to go to sleep in a bit too.”
Maggie handed him a cup of hot tea and pushed him down onto the couch. “Nothing anyone can do but be there. Drink that. It’s chamomile, it’ll help you sleep. I imagine you’re pretty wound up.”
“Not every day your woman almost dies.” Kyle watched Shane through knowing eyes. Leaning over, he poured a liberal helping of whiskey into the tea. “That’ll help more than chamomile I expect.”
Maggie sighed. “Why don’t I go up and sit with her for a while? I’ve got a good book with me and you three can plot and not worry.” She kissed his cheek. “I promised Mom I would. She wanted to be here so badly but Penny needed some TLC too. I’m her stand in.”
Shane squeezed her hand. “Thank you so much, honey. I’ll be up shortly, I promise. I’m just keyed up right now. I don’t want to disturb her. But you must be tired…”
Maggie shook her head. “I slept already. I have tomorrow, or today I suppose, off. Kyle is going to make me brunch later on. Now go on, wind down and let me help. She’s my friend, you know, I love her too.”
Shane nodded. “Thank you. Really.”
After she’d gone upstairs the brothers all looked at each other with perfect understanding. One of their own was threatened, no one hurt a Chase and got away with it. Cassie was Shane’s therefore she was theirs too.
“Brian’s plane comes in at two. He’s driving straight here. I spoke with him a few minutes ago. Terry hasn’t been sighted since last week in New York but his mother admitted to a friend that she’d seen him and given him a significant amount of money. More than enough to move around the country.”
“How did he find her? She changed her social security number and name.” Matt punched the arm of the couch.
“Money talks, Matt. You know that. If he knew where she was getting her domestic violence victim advocacy, he had a way of getting to people. I don’t know anything for sure, but I do know that this is not a coincidence. He’s found her.”
“She can’t stay here. We have to get her to another city and right away.” Marc looked to his brothers.
Shane chuckled ruefully. “I wish she would go for that. But if you think Cassie would agree to it, you don’t know her very well. She’s not going to let him chase her away. And he’d just find her again anyway. No. We need to draw him in and take him down before he gets her.”
“Her apartment isn’t safe.” Matt watched Shane through serious eyes.
“Nope. She’s moving in here. I’ve asked her, hell I’ve been asking her for months now. I’ve got a great security system here. I’m going to do all I can to protect her and she’s going to have to deal with that or I’ll sic Momma on her.”
“You aren’t going to get married? Momma’s gonna be hot.” Kyle chuckled.
“What? You and Maggie lived together! And anyway, if I thought she’d say yes, I’d marry Cassie tomorrow. She’s gunshy, you know that. We’ll live together and then I’ll ask her to marry me. I’m charming, she won’t be able to resist me.”
“You let us know what to do and we’ll do it. Nothing is going to happen to her.” Matt looked to his brothers who all nodded solemnly.
“We’re taking Terry Sunderland down. It has to happen. Scum like him has to be taken out. What kind of man beats his woman? What kind of man hurts the person he should be cherishing? He had the best thing in the universe and he threw it away. He tried to kill my woman and I am not having it. It’s her or him and I know how it’s going to end.”
Cassie awoke, sore and disoriented, mouth dry. Within moments, the night before came back to her in disturbing clarity. Terry found her and tried to kill her. Again.
The trembling started in her hands and she gripped the sheets to stop it. She was not going to fall apart.
“Darlin’ I’m here.”
A hand cupped her cheek and she turned to face those green eyes. She let herself fall into his warmth, allowing herself to feel safe with him, to relax. The shaking in her hands subsided a bit.
Single mindedly, he’d moved to her, the staties let him move past. He could see her trembling begin to start from all the way back where the staties had stopped him. He needed to get to her to help. Seeing her that way again, the panic attack sending her so deep into herself that she could barely register what people said to her, sent protective feelings warring with anger through him.
No, not anger. Anger was too mild a word. Murderous. Rage washed over him, made him see red until he clenched his fists imagining Terry Sunderland’s neck there. It was war and there was not a f**king chance in hell Shane would walk away the loser. His woman’s life was at stake for real and he would not stop until Terry Sunderland was in prison or dead.
He went to her quietly, brushing his lips across her temple, tucking the blanket around her. Her pulse was normal and her breathing was calm. Blinking back hot tears of impotent rage, he backed out of the room and headed downstairs.
Neither brother was sleeping and Kyle and Maggie had joined the group. Everyone looked up as he entered the living room.
“You all can go home, she’s sleeping soundly. Her doctor said the sedatives would keep her sleeping deeply for several more hours. There’s nothing anyone can do right now. I’m going to go to sleep in a bit too.”
Maggie handed him a cup of hot tea and pushed him down onto the couch. “Nothing anyone can do but be there. Drink that. It’s chamomile, it’ll help you sleep. I imagine you’re pretty wound up.”
“Not every day your woman almost dies.” Kyle watched Shane through knowing eyes. Leaning over, he poured a liberal helping of whiskey into the tea. “That’ll help more than chamomile I expect.”
Maggie sighed. “Why don’t I go up and sit with her for a while? I’ve got a good book with me and you three can plot and not worry.” She kissed his cheek. “I promised Mom I would. She wanted to be here so badly but Penny needed some TLC too. I’m her stand in.”
Shane squeezed her hand. “Thank you so much, honey. I’ll be up shortly, I promise. I’m just keyed up right now. I don’t want to disturb her. But you must be tired…”
Maggie shook her head. “I slept already. I have tomorrow, or today I suppose, off. Kyle is going to make me brunch later on. Now go on, wind down and let me help. She’s my friend, you know, I love her too.”
Shane nodded. “Thank you. Really.”
After she’d gone upstairs the brothers all looked at each other with perfect understanding. One of their own was threatened, no one hurt a Chase and got away with it. Cassie was Shane’s therefore she was theirs too.
“Brian’s plane comes in at two. He’s driving straight here. I spoke with him a few minutes ago. Terry hasn’t been sighted since last week in New York but his mother admitted to a friend that she’d seen him and given him a significant amount of money. More than enough to move around the country.”
“How did he find her? She changed her social security number and name.” Matt punched the arm of the couch.
“Money talks, Matt. You know that. If he knew where she was getting her domestic violence victim advocacy, he had a way of getting to people. I don’t know anything for sure, but I do know that this is not a coincidence. He’s found her.”
“She can’t stay here. We have to get her to another city and right away.” Marc looked to his brothers.
Shane chuckled ruefully. “I wish she would go for that. But if you think Cassie would agree to it, you don’t know her very well. She’s not going to let him chase her away. And he’d just find her again anyway. No. We need to draw him in and take him down before he gets her.”
“Her apartment isn’t safe.” Matt watched Shane through serious eyes.
“Nope. She’s moving in here. I’ve asked her, hell I’ve been asking her for months now. I’ve got a great security system here. I’m going to do all I can to protect her and she’s going to have to deal with that or I’ll sic Momma on her.”
“You aren’t going to get married? Momma’s gonna be hot.” Kyle chuckled.
“What? You and Maggie lived together! And anyway, if I thought she’d say yes, I’d marry Cassie tomorrow. She’s gunshy, you know that. We’ll live together and then I’ll ask her to marry me. I’m charming, she won’t be able to resist me.”
“You let us know what to do and we’ll do it. Nothing is going to happen to her.” Matt looked to his brothers who all nodded solemnly.
“We’re taking Terry Sunderland down. It has to happen. Scum like him has to be taken out. What kind of man beats his woman? What kind of man hurts the person he should be cherishing? He had the best thing in the universe and he threw it away. He tried to kill my woman and I am not having it. It’s her or him and I know how it’s going to end.”
Cassie awoke, sore and disoriented, mouth dry. Within moments, the night before came back to her in disturbing clarity. Terry found her and tried to kill her. Again.
The trembling started in her hands and she gripped the sheets to stop it. She was not going to fall apart.
“Darlin’ I’m here.”
A hand cupped her cheek and she turned to face those green eyes. She let herself fall into his warmth, allowing herself to feel safe with him, to relax. The shaking in her hands subsided a bit.
