Random Acts of Malice (Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries Book 3)

by Christy Barritt

  “We’ve paid too much money to you for you to walk away,” Gruff Man said.

  “What’s that mean?” Whiny Man’s voice rose higher in pitch. He was becoming frightened, and rightfully so.

  “It means I need for you to see things our way,” a third voice said. This one had a touch of country twang.

  “Is that a threat?”

  Tension crackled in the silence that followed.

  “Threat would be a strong word.” Gruff Man half chuckled, half growled.

  Footsteps shuffled across the dirt. “I’m done.”

  “You might want to rethink that,” Country Twang said. “We can’t let word of this leak.”

  “I have just as much at stake here as you. This is my reputation. My career.” Each of Whiny Man’s words sounded punctuated with powerless assertions.

  He was a goner, I realized.

  “We have to ensure you remain quiet,” Gruff Man said.

  “Is . . . is that a . . . a gun?”

  Someone chuckled. “Just as backup. In case this doesn’t work.”

  A groan sounded. Then another. And another.

  Scuffling. Shuffling. Scraping.

  Gruff and Twang were beating up Whiny, I realized. I sucked in a breath, but Chase’s hand went over my mouth, silencing me. His eyes locked on mine, calling me down from the ledge. I stared into their blue depths, all my bitterness disappearing in a moment as his strength captured and reassured me.

  “Consider this a warning,” Country Twang said. “Get him out of here.”

  Footsteps sounded, ever so slightly. A steady, consistent sound followed their steps. They were dragging Whiny Man, I realized. Was he dead?

  My heart pounded into my rib cage. What if they spotted us? We were relatively out of sight. But if the men walked any farther, if they leaned against the stall door, then Chase and I would be goners.

  Chase pressed his hand over my mouth now, and I knew that if I made any sound, our lives would be on the line. We weren’t just hiding so we wouldn’t be caught. We were hiding to protect our very being.

  I waited, listening for a sign of what was going on. I prayed Whiny Man was okay, that my mind had exaggerated all this. But my thoughts went to dark, non-rose-colored places, which messed up my equilibrium. Was Chase somehow caught up in all this?

  Just then, I heard another footfall. One of the brutes had come back, I realized. Would he see us?

  Please, Lord . . .

  My gaze traveled beyond Chase. There was no way out of here. If the man spotted us, we’d be trapped with no escape.

  What had I gotten myself into?

  Finally, the footsteps faded.

  Chase’s grip on me didn’t, though. We remained frozen for what seemed like hours. When the silence had gone on for an uncountable amount of time, Chase finally moved.

  “We’ve got to get out of here,” he whispered. “Fast.”

  I didn’t argue.

  He gripped my hand, motioned for me to stay behind him, and then edged forward. Slowly, he peered beyond the wall before tugging me forward. Moving at a fast clip, we slipped from the stall.

  Chase pulled me toward the back of the stables. Just as the sunlight warmed our faces, a sound screeched from my pocket. My cell phone blared “Unforgettable.”

  Before we could even turn around, someone shouted.

  I glanced at the other end of the stable and saw a man. With a gun. Aimed at us.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chase must have seen the man a split second before I did. He no longer tugged at my arm. He jerked it.

  We darted in the opposite direction, toward the woods beyond the building.

  A bullet whizzed past.

  I knew death could come quickly. In the blink of an eye. Before I could mutter the sweet name of Jesus.

  But Chase wouldn’t let up. Despite the way my legs burned, he pulled me. Even though I couldn’t catch my breath, we continued running for our lives.

  An open field waited in front of us. There’d be no cover, no protection, in the field. Just Chase and me out in the open.

  This would be a hard run on a good day. But my lungs and ribs still ached. My stomach revolted. My face hurt.

  Chase pulled me to the right. Thick trees waited beyond a black fence.

  But could we make it?

  Chase didn’t slow down. Moving at lightning pace, we reached the fence.

  Another bullet rang out.

  I wanted to look behind me, but I couldn’t waste the time. I had to focus on my goal: anywhere but here. Anywhere but the men behind us.

  I pictured myself hurdling the fence. But before I could even try, Chase swooped me up in one easy motion and carried me with him across the divide.

  He slowed, though barely, as we reached the woods.

  It was only once the darkness of the forest swallowed us that Chase allowed us to stop.

  I sucked in air, in a very unfortunate manner, as I leaned against a huge rock behind me. Somewhere in the process of escaping, water had started streaming from my eyes. I wasn’t crying. At least, I didn’t think I was. But that didn’t stop the liquid from flowing down my cheeks as if I was.

  “Are you okay?” Chase leaned toward me. He didn’t look nearly as winded as I did. Sure, sweat stained his shirt and he drew in deep breaths. But he otherwise appeared fine.

  Everything about my body hurt at the moment. But I couldn’t admit that. I didn’t even know why, but the words wouldn’t leave my lips.

  Instead, I nodded, continuing to double over and gulp in air.

  “You’re not okay, Holly.”

  I shook my head now, a little too hard. My whole world tilted, and my hand jutted out. I pressed it into the rock, trying to steady myself. “I’ll be fine.”

  “We can’t stay long. We’ve got to keep moving.”

  I closed my eyes, my body aching at the thought of more exertion. “Where are we going, even?”

  “My Jeep is parked in the distance. If we can make it there, we’ll be okay.” His voice turned soothing as he leaned down until our gazes were level. “You can do this, Holly. I know you can. You’re resilient and tough.”

  I hated the boost of confidence his words gave me. He didn’t deserve to have that effect on me anymore. But this wasn’t the time to analyze that. There’d be plenty of opportunity for that later.

  Chase grabbed my hand again, looked over his shoulder, and tentatively started forward. Our pace was slower this time—just below a jog—but urgency still lingered in the air.

  Run. Move. Get outta here.

  A quiet voice in my head kept urging me on.

  Was the man still chasing us? Had he brought out his recruits? Exactly what was going on?

  Survive, Holly. Just survive.

  It didn’t take that long until the woods cleared. Chase’s Jeep appeared there, just out of sight from the road.

  I’d never seen such a blessed sight.

  Chase ushered me inside before climbing in. Moving quickly, he jammed the keys in the ignition, cranked the Jeep into reverse, and sped from the hiding space.

  He didn’t let down his guard. His shoulders remained tight. His gaze looked serious.

  If anything, I could read Chase. I knew even though we were literally out of the woods, we weren’t out of the woods yet.

  Thank goodness he’d been there to help, though. I sometimes had what I called “sitting duck syndrome,” also known as “deer in the headlights malady,” where I simply stared at trouble as it came toward me.

  Maybe we could at least finish our conversation now. I still had burning questions and uncountable hurts that I wanted to address before I went back to Cincinnati. I didn’t want to be a brat, but . . .

  “So, are you going to explain—?”

  “I can’t talk now, Holly.” Chase glanced into the rearview mirror again.

  “But—”

  “Holly, you’re the sweetest girl in the whole world. You really are. But right now you’ve got
to stand down. Our lives depend on it.”

  I clamped my mouth shut, knowing I couldn’t argue with him. He’d never told me to stand down before, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it.

  As if his words were a prophecy, I craned my neck in time to see a car appear behind us. A fast car. With men hanging out the windows. Men with guns.

  “Get down!” Chase yelled.

  He put the pedal to the floor. Just as we swerved around a bend in the road, his back glass shattered. I screamed.

  I didn’t mean to, but I did.

  I’d been scared before, but I felt downright terrified right now.

  I knew from driving to the stables that we still had a good ten minutes before we emerged from the countryside and into anything that vaguely resembled the suburbs. Could we make it that far on this hilly, windy road?

  My only comfort was in the fact that Chase, if anyone, knew what he was doing. He’d been trained for this type of thing. I grasped the door handle and closed my eyes a moment.

  Dear Lord, please help us. Please.

  Chase remained in control. His hands gripped the wheel, and his upright posture screamed focused and capable.

  If it had been Jamie and me, we’d be crashed in the woods by now.

  Jamie . . .

  How could I have forgotten about my friend? Was she okay? Was she still at the equestrian center?

  My stomach clenched at the thought. How could I have forgotten about her? I was a terrible friend.

  Another bullet took out my side-view mirror.

  I supposed the best-case scenario was that these men were after us and probably not paying any attention to her at the stables. I found a moment of solace in that.

  A curve, so sharp it was practically a U-turn, appeared ahead. I remembered it from the drive here.

  “You’ve got to stay down, Holly!” Chase said.

  I ducked lower again, squeezing my eyes together. My stomach went one way and my body seemed to go another as the Jeep swerved.

  My mind turned in circles. What was happening?

  I held my breath.

  Finally, the Jeep righted itself and we moved forward again.

  He’d done it. Chase had conquered the turn.

  Thank You, Jesus.

  Just as the words fluttered through my brain, the sound of metal crunching filled the air.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The other car hadn’t been as lucky, I realized. They’d crashed. Smoke rose behind us.

  Chase eased off the accelerator, glancing in the rearview mirror again. His shoulders relaxed, so I took that as a sign I could return to my regular seated position.

  I didn’t even know what to say. There was so much on my mind, yet nothing seemed adequate, or maybe I didn’t know where to start.

  “I need to get you to the hospital,” Chase said.

  I shook my head. “I’ll be fine.”

  “You don’t look fine, Holly. You weren’t supposed to get involved in any of this.”

  “Any of what?”

  He pressed his lips together. “I can explain things, Holly, but I need time.”

  Time to formulate his story? To figure out if he wanted to be with Peyton or me?

  Or was I overreacting here? Could there be an honest explanation that made sense?

  “Turn here,” I muttered, crossing my arms.

  Awkward silence fell between us. Why had Chase been at the stables? None of this was making sense. No matter what angle I looked at it, I still came up confused.

  Finally, he pulled to a stop in front of Magnolia’s house and put the car in park. The sun was beginning to sink toward the horizon in the distance, and several maple trees on the street had a touch of reddish orange to them.

  The moment, by all appearances, was serene. But nothing felt serene about my heart.

  “We need to get some ointment on those wounds,” Chase finally said.

  “I’ll handle that in a minute. I’m sure Jamie’s friend has a first-aid kit inside.”

  “Holly . . .” He reached for me, but I pulled away until his hand dropped. I had too many questions and uncertainties to easily give my trust back. Even if he was the love of my life.

  Maybe it made me smart. Maybe it made me stupid. I wasn’t sure. But I only hoped I was making the right choices.

  Heaviness settled between us. I hated it. I hated the change. Hated that the something beautiful we’d had was reduced to this.

  “You deserve an explanation, Holly,” Chase said. “I’m sorry I haven’t been forthcoming. I’ve been helping an old friend.”

  “Is that what they’re calling it these days?” I wanted to slap a hand over my mouth at how rude I sounded. But it was too late to take my words back.

  “I guess I deserved that one.”

  I shook my head, squeezing the skin between my eyes. Part of me wanted to take his words at face value. I wanted to believe him. The other part of me knew that being a Pollyanna wasn’t always wise or helpful to my emotional well-being. “I saw you with my own eyes, Chase. You and Peyton exchanging a more-than-friendly hug.”

  He sucked in a slight, sudden breath, so subtle that I almost didn’t notice it. “You saw Peyton and me together?”

  “Yes. More than once, but most recently at the racetrack yesterday. Wyndmyer. You two were cozy.”

  “You were there?”

  I nodded. “Unfortunately. I also saw some strange men in a van deposit a gun by your Jeep.”

  “You’re the one who called the police in the parking lot of the apartments.” His voice sounded raspy with disbelief that morphed into what almost sounded like admiration.

  “That van has been following me,” I said, remembering the exchange between Chase and the driver. “They’re your friends. They did this to me.”

  He shook his head, leaving no room for doubt as to how he felt. “They’re not my friends. You can’t take things at face value. Especially not anything that’s happened with those men. They’re trouble.”

  “Then tell me the truth,” I pleaded with him. Certainly my eyes showed it. I didn’t want to be desperate. But deep down inside, I knew I was.

  He closed his eyes and lowered his head ever so slightly before meeting my gaze again. “I can’t.”

  I let out a long sigh, not bothering to hide my frustration. Keeping up appearances at this point was futile. If there was ever a time to be direct, it was now. “What is going on, Chase? Why won’t you talk to me?”

  “The truth will come out soon. But I’ve made promises, Holly.”

  “Promises to whom?”

  He didn’t say anything.

  I wiped a hair from my face, the action reminding me of the tender skin at my scalp. I flinched, realizing that my entire body would ache even worse tomorrow. “Should I even bother to ask you why you were at the stables?”

  He stretched his hand across the back of our seats, his fingers dangerously close to my back. If he touched me, I might flip out. These mixed signals were making me go crazy.

  “I was looking for something, but then I saw you. Or I thought I saw you. You can imagine my surprise when it actually was you. I thought you were in Cincinnati.”

  I held up my phone. “That Friend Finder app we both installed? It showed you were at the Wyndmyer Park. I was afraid you were getting into trouble, and I became worried. Apparently, I was right to be concerned. Everything spiraled out of control fast from that point.”

  His hand brushed the bare skin at my neck, sending shivers up and down my spine. “I should have known. You’ve never been one to let things go. I’ve always loved that about you.”

  I suddenly lurched forward. Was that what he told Peyton also? I wasn’t in the right emotional state to think about it.

  “I only want to keep you safe, Holly.” Chase’s words sounded raw as his voice cracked with emotion. His gaze looked haunted, pleading, real. I wanted nothing more than to pull him into my arms.

  Instead, I licked my lips, about to say somet
hing. I didn’t know what. That I believed him? That I trusted him? Or would I call him out on his deceit? I wasn’t sure.

  Before the words left my lips, Chase’s phone beeped. He pulled his gaze away from me and glanced at the screen. His face tightened, and when he looked back up, there was an apology in his eyes.

  “Holly, I want to keep talking. I want to explain everything. But I’ve got to go. There’s a window of opportunity that I’ve been waiting for. Please tell me we can talk more later. Please try and trust me.”

  I didn’t say anything.

  With one last glance at Chase, I pulled the door open and slid out. I felt broken and battered, both physically and emotionally. Even Josh had sounded doubtful about Chase’s true reasons for being here, so I knew it wasn’t just me. Other people who knew Chase were also worried.

  “Good night, Chase.” The words hurt my throat. Would this be the last time I told him this? Would the next time we spoke be the end of Chase and Holly forever?

  * * *

  I closed the door to the house and leaned against it for a moment. My heart had been through so many wretched emotions over the past few days. From fear and anxiety, to betrayal and suspicion, to confusion and uncertainty.

  I’d been abducted and feared for my life. I’d heard someone possibly lose his life, separated only by an old wood wall. The man I loved still refused to explain anything to me.

  I pinched the skin between my eyes, trying to control my breathing and calm myself. If I let myself, I could easily break right now.

  “Holly?”

  I jerked my head toward the kitchen, nearly jumping out of my skin. I didn’t think anyone was here.

  Jamie’s face came into view. Jamie. She was okay. She was more than okay—she was alive!

  “What are you doing here? How’d you get home?” Before Jamie could answer, I quickly closed the space between us and pulled her into a hug.

  Thank goodness, my friend was okay.

  She patted my back slowly, as if I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had.

  “I’m fine, but you look like the walking dead.” She stepped back to observe me, her lips pulling back in a mix of concern and disgust. “You look . . . you look like you got trampled by a horse or something. Are you okay? What in the world happened to you?”