“How did they get a hold of you, Jade?”
Obviously, she wasn’t the only one who had questions and needed answers. She took a deep breath and studied the courageous cowboy who had saved her. There was blood on the upper left arm of his ripped shirtsleeve.
“Chase, you said you were all right. Did you get shot?”
“By a sissy popgun. It’s just a graze.”
“You might need stitches.”
“If I do, Teresa can stitch it. She’s a nurse, which comes in handy on a ranch. The Hummer took a couple of hits before we headed down the hill.”
Tears stinging Jade’s eyes spilled down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Chase.”
“I said you were gonna be trouble, didn’t I?” he teased. Again, as charming as he was funny, and a tiny laugh escaped her. “Now, please tell me how they got you.”
“All right.” Jade wiped her tears and swallowed hard, hoping she could recall the events. “Two mornings ago, I remember waving goodbye to you as you passed by the office. I turned around, planning to go in through the employee entrance at the rear of the house. “But guess who came out of the backdoor as if waiting for me?”
“Franco Spatafore,” Chase grumbled. “I figured he grabbed you in the parking lot because Katy said she didn’t see you at all on Tuesday.”
“You talked to Katy?”
“Yesterday evening.
“Is she okay?”
“Yes, I’ll fill you in later.”
The Hummer soon picked up speed again across the countryside, but Jade didn’t see the ponderosa pine, blue spruce, or aspen trees. She saw the sick and sinister Spatafores like ghostly statues in a shadowy maze. Jade squeezed her eyes shut and then looked at Chase.
“The first words out of Franco’s mouth were a threat to break my modeling and therapy contracts along with my lease.”
“What did you say?”
“Please do, and we’ll go our separate ways.”
“Did that surprise him?”
“I think so because he didn’t make that threat again. Instead, he began talking about a better future, which included fewer restrictions and more of him. We’ve had that talk before, and I said the same thing I always say.”
“Which is?”
“Yes, to fewer restrictions. No, to more of him.”
“That didn’t go over well.”
“It never does. But as a wise man told me, let him sue.”
“I doubt he will after today.” Hands visibly tightening on the steering wheel, Chase asked, “What happened next?”
“I headed past Franco toward the back of the house, but he stopped me. He said they didn’t expect me on Tuesday. So, Margo directed Katy to cancel my appointments for the week.”
“That’s what Katy said right before she asked me if I thought they had you. She told me Franco is obsessed with you.”
“Katy warned me to be careful before I left the office last week for Chloe’s bed-and-breakfast.” Out of the blue, memories played before her eyes. Placing both hands over her heart, Jade looked at Chase. “Chloe, Coop, and Cash. How are they? How is everyone?”
“Worried as hell about you,” Chase said.
“Dear God.” Jade bowed her head and was silent for a moment as she did her best to process the sudden recollection of her new friends. “I’m so sorry.”
