~Chase~
“When are you going home, Daddy?” Elise asked over the video call. I just returned to Rafa’s place, feeling the distance between Sofia and me yet again. Although I knew this was only temporary, with Nikos’ threat hanging above our heads, still, I would give anything to be with my family right now.
“My business trip got extended, Princess,” I said, walking around Rafa’s kitchen and taking a glass from the cupboards. “Maybe this weekend, I’ll be home.” It’s a good thing Elise hasn’t been to Rafa’s. Usually, it was Rafa who spent time over at our place.
Elise stuck out her lower lip in a pout, petting Hunter’s head. She was sitting crossed leg on her bed, stuffed animals scattered haphazardly around her. Dressed in her unicorn onesie, her dark blond curls tumbling past her shoulders. Hunter was curled beside her, eyes closed, savoring Elise’s dainty fingers raking through his fur.
“I miss you, Daddy,” she said, big blue eyes glimmering with longing. “Mommy, Hunter, and I miss you.”
Her words struck a heartstring in my chest. This, by far, was the longest time we’ve gone apart. But Derek insisted that Sofia and I continue this charade to keep Nikos’ eyes on me and away from my family.
I filled the glass with water and leaned on the counter, eyes flitting towards the front door.
“I miss you too, Princess, and Mommy and Hunter.”
Rafa walked in, nodding at me, then quietly slipped through the house, up the stairs. “What did you and Hunter do today?”
Elise’s eyes sparkled; the loneliness in them for missing me disappeared instantly. Jealousy struck me. Hunter was taking so much of Elise’s time these days. But somehow, I’m glad he’s there to keep Elise occupied while I was away.
Fuck my life. So I have to compete over a dog now?
I shook my head at the thought and listened to Elise. “We went to Julian’s. Then we took Hunter and Shooter on the river!” her eyes widened. “Hunter jumped in the water and brought a stone with him. Like this big.” She made a circle with two hands, demonstrating how big the stone was. “It was soooo amazing, Daddy. Uncle Leo said some dogs love to fetch things from underwater, and Hunter was a very good diver.” She wrapped her small arms around Hunter’s neck and kissed the top of his head.
“I think I’m a better swimmer than Hunter,” I said, tipping my chin and glaring at the dog.
Elise gasped, offended for Hunter. “Sorry, Daddy, but Hunter was really good. Julian tried to make Shooter jump in the water and fetch stone, but he couldn’t! I have the best diver dog ever!”
I narrowed my eyes on Hunter. The dog’s brows arched, his eyes locking with mine. Does he understand what Elise was bragging about? “When I get back, we will settle who’s the better driver: me or Hunter.”
“Oh, you’re on, Daddy!” Elise gushed. “We will train very hard, right, Hunter?”
Hunter’s head perked up and barked as though saying yes.
I chuckled, my chest growing tight. I wanted to hug my daughter and kiss her good night. “Alright, alright. Kiss Mommy for me when you give her phone back.”
Elise nodded, lifted the phone to her mouth, and kissed the camera. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you, Princess.” I ended the call just in time for Rafa to come down.
“How’s Cali?” I asked. He rounded the island and dropped a manila folder on the counter, sliding it toward me.
“The reports all there,” he said, opening the fridge, frowning. He pulled out the lasagna I had made the day before I left for Mt. Irid. “When did you make this?”
“Yesterday morning.” I moved away from the counter so Rafa could heat the lasagna. Reaching for the folder, I flipped through the files and read the investigation report from the police and fire department in California. There’s nothing written there that we don’t already know. They finally traced the explosion toward one guest. His name was fake, but I recognized the face. Vincent.
This was freaking useless.
While the lasagna heats up, I updated Rafa about everything I learned in the last twenty-four hours.
“Loco’s ghost is hunting you, huh?” Rafa commented, taking out the heated pasta from the microwave. “You hungry?”
I shook my head no. Rafa sat by the island with his food, and I grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge, setting one in front of him.
“It was Loco, after all,” I grumbled, tipping my beer on my lips. “Turns out the pretend brother died in the warehouse. The real one came to take revenge on Eros, Carlota, and me.”
“Hatred driven by revenge is brutal. This will be bloody, Chase,” Rafa’s voice was solemn, lucid concern blanketing his face.
“I know,” I murmured. “I just hope that Derek’s people will catch Nikos tonight.”
Rafa’s jaw tightened, his brows wrinkling as he chewed his food slowly. “Something is definitely off with this plan. You feel that, right?”
I had been pushing away that feeling since I slipped inside my car and left Mt. Irid early, before everyone else. “What could possibly go wrong?” I reasoned. “Derek will be there with their local contact in the police department. Carlota will be there too, and Santino.”
“I don’t know, man,” he pressed. “If Nikos inherited even a snip of Loco’s wicked mindset, I’m sure he already knew, or anticipated at least Derek is working with Carlota. And, like you said, you are the target. He’s done with Eros and Carlota, right?”
Grimacing, I swallowed the bile rising in my throat just in time for my phone to vibrate. It was a message from Sammy.
“What?”
“It’s Sammy,” I said. “She wanted to meet.”
“You gonna meet her?” Rafa’s brows furrowed in question.
“I have to. I need to know why she tried to run Sofia over, and she said she had something of Cyrus for the DNA test.”
Rafa looked thoughtful for a moment. “I’m coming with you.”
“You don’t have to,” I protested, but he was already on his feet, disposing of the remaining food on his plate.
“Let’s take my car.”
“You sure this is the address?” Rafa asked, killing the engine of his SUV in front of Rosie Motel. The motel was on the outskirts of town. It has three buildings. A one-story building facing the parking lot and two two-story buildings on each side. In the parking lot, the R in Rosie signage dwindled each second and looked as if it would give out with one gentle blow of the wind.
“Yep.” I looked through the rearview mirror. Alice’s men parked on the curve and killed their car’s engine. This must be a different team since they were using a Jeep today. They didn’t tail us from Rafa’s place like I expected, but here they are. I’m pretty sure they put a tracker on all our cars by now.
“Alice’s men?” Rafa followed my line of sight.
I hummed a yes, sliding out of the car. Rafa followed suit. I gave him a pointed glare. “I have a bad feeling about this, Chase. If you’re going in there, I’m going with you.”
There was no winning over Rafa and his intuitions, it seems. “Alright.”
Scanning the surroundings, I quickly located which of the three buildings Sammy was in. It was the one on the right, and being familiar with the hotel structure, Sammy was on the second floor in the farthest room. The light inside the room was on, and with the heavy wind swept by us, the light also died down.
It was a quiet night, which was the only reason we heard a woman’s shriek.Some sentences are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on Jobnib.com. Visit Jobnib.com to read the complete chapters for free. It was faint, but Rafa heard it too. Listening intently, we locked eyes as an unmistakable flash came from the room where Sammy was supposed to be in. Held speechless for a moment, our instinct kicked in.
“Shit,” I grumbled. Rafa and I sprinted toward the building.
Our boots drummed on the metal stairs as we took the stairs two steps at a time. The rooms we passed through were probably empty, or else they would hear things being thrown by now.
Rafa and I were on alert, but nothing would prepare us for what bombarded us when we reached Sammy’s room. The door was open, and we were just in time for a shadow to jump out of the window.
“I’ll go after him,” Rafa murmured and jumped over the railings, landing on the roof of the next building.
The dimly lit room was like a scene in a horror film. The carpet was splashed haphazardly with crimson liquid.
In my head, I was dead set on confronting Sammy for trying to kill Sofia, but this definitely came off the left field.
“Fuck,” I cursed, walking further inside the room, my boots making a trail on the bloody carpet.
The room had a queen size bed, a sink counter wedge to one side, a table and chairs for two, and a door beside the bed. Drawing out the gun from my waist band, I rounded the bed and saw more blood on the carpet. Calculating the time we heard the shriek to this moment, it was impossible for this amount of blood to be spilled. This roars a fucking setup, but if there was any chance I could save Sammy, I still would.
Rushing towards the door beside the bed, more blood greeted me, and in the tub, the gruesome reality made my blood rush to the drain.
I tucked my gun back in my waistband and rushed to Sammy’s side, drawing out my phone and dialing 911.
“911. What is the nature of your emergency?” The operator asked.
While I lifted Sammy’s limp body from the tub filled with blooded water, I gave the operator the motel’s address and Sammy’s situation.
“Stay with me, Sammy.” My voice was surprisingly calm, pressing my palms to the gushing wound on her stomach, putting pressure on it. Her skin was cold and pale, crumpling from being soaked in the water for too long.
She coughed, and relief washed over me, but her eyes were already drooping. “Ch… Chase.”
Lifting her shirt, I cursed at the wide wound on her torso. Her stomach was sliced open, her intestine already spilling out.
“Chase…” Sammy clutched the lapel of my jacket. “It’s Nikos…”
“Reserve your strength,” I murmured, removing my hoody, bunching it up, and pressing it on her stomach.
“Listen…” Sammy coughed. “He’s onto something big.”
“Sammy, shut the fuck up and focus on your breathing!” I grunted. “EMTs are on their way,” I growled.
The door slammed open, and two men burst inside, their guns raised and pointed at me. “What the fuck?!” one of them hissed.
“Put your hands in the air!” The second guy growled.
We ignored them and kept the pressure on Sammy’s wound.
“Chase..” Sammy hissed. “Sofia and Elise….. are in danger….”
I froze. “What?”
“Nikos…. He wants you away from your family. Save..” she heaved, “them.”
“Hands above your head!” the officer repeated.
I locked eyes with Sammy. “I’m sorry… for everything… and trying to kill Sofia. They… made me do it. Cyrus…” she coughed, blood leaking from her mouth. “Take him.”