by Terri Reed
“The district attorney’s office had a break in last night,” Ryder said. “Ashley’s deposition was destroyed.”
“How could that happen?” Chase fought a wave of confusion. “Surely they had security procedures to safeguard against a situation like this.”
“One would think,” Sheriff Ryder said. “Unfortunately, Maksim Sokolov has been released.”
The crime boss had been arrested late yesterday afternoon on the strength of Ashley’s testimony. And now he was out!
“What!?” Chase ran a hand through his hair in aggravation and dread. “We have a copy of the deposition. Can’t we send it to them?”
“That would be the logical solution, however, the defense has claimed there’s no way to ensure that our video hasn’t been tampered with.”
Gritting his teeth, Chase forced himself to refrain from wishing bad things on the defense. The man had a job to do and despite his poor choice in clientele, the defense lawyer’s job was to defend his client, not be logical.
“District Attorney Nyburg is coming to town to depose Ashley in person, but he can’t make it today,” Ryder said. “Until he arrives tomorrow, we have to be on high alert.”
“I need to take Ashley somewhere off the grid.” Chase’s mind whirled. Where could he take her to keep her safe?
“Agreed. My old hunting cabin would be perfect,” the sheriff said.
“Isn’t the cabin accessible only by horse or ATV?” He had neither one.
“Yes. Because we don’t have ATVs readily available, Kaitlyn has agreed to escort you and Ashley. She’ll provide you each with a horse from her family’s stock. There’s no cell service up there, but you’ll have a satellite phone so I can let you know when Nyburg arrives and you can come back down the mountain.”
Going to the sheriff’s hunting cabin was a sound idea. Chase had been to the rustic dwelling a few times. The place wasn’t a five-star hotel but the cots were decent enough. And it was so far off the beaten path there was no way anyone would be able to find them.
“As soon as Ashley wakes, we’ll head over for the keys,” Chase told him before hanging up.
“Where are we going?” Ashley stood a few feet away, wearing jeans and a lightweight sweater in a pale coral, the hue enhancing the color of her cheeks. Her short platinum hair curled becomingly around her sweet face.
Attraction and affection zoomed through his veins. He wanted to draw her close, tuck her into the shelter of his embrace and keep her safe from the world. This latest development would be a blow. And if he could spare her the distress, he would. But he had to be honest; she deserved to know what had happened, so he told her the disturbing news.
Her face lost its color, making her eyes seem too large for her face. “Now do you see why I must disappear?”
“Yes. And we’re working on it.” He told her about the cabin and the district attorney coming to town.
“But what happens after that?” Her voice shook. “Mr. Sokolov isn’t going to let me live long enough to testify at his trial. You know that, right?”
He didn’t like hearing her say what he knew to be true. Sokolov would do his best to eliminate the threat to his freedom. The man may have a large network of guys willing to do the dirty deed, but Chase was determined to make sure none were successful in their quest.
“You’ll enter the witness protection program as soon as possible,” he said. His heart hurt to think she’d be taken to some undisclosed location and he’d never see her again. But to keep her safe, he had to let her go. She’d take a piece of his heart with her but that was a small price to pay for her protection. Until then he would do whatever was required to protect her.
Her delicate eyebrows lifted. “So we hide on the mountain?”
The way she said the word mountain, one would have thought he was saying they were headed to the moon. “Yes.”
After waiting a beat for her to digest his answer, her lips pressed together and her eyes hardened as determination settled over her pretty face. “Okay. Let’s go.” She started to move toward the front door with quick purposeful steps.
He suppressed a smile. She really was a trooper. “Do you want to gather your belongings?”
She spun and gave him a wry glance. “Oops. Yes. I’ll grab my bag.”
As she headed back toward the guest bedroom where she’d slept, he said, “The place is only accessible by horseback.”
She stopped and slowly turned to face him, her eyebrows rising nearly to her hairline. She held up her hands as if to ward off his statement. “I don’t know how to ride a horse.”
Moving to her side, he said, “I’m a novice as well, but we’ll figure it out. Together.” He held out his hand.
After a moment of hesitation, she slipped her hand into his, their palms melding against each other. The heat of her touch raced up his arm and wrapped around him. She was placing her trust in him. He prayed he didn’t fail her.
EIGHT
Ashley bounced in the saddle as the quarter horse, Othello, hopped over a rut in the trail. She tried to keep her knees loose as Kaitlyn had instructed and not hold on to the saddle horn for dear life, but she was so far from the ground that it was hard not to cling to the horse.
Anxiety twisted in her chest and she kept her gaze straight ahead. Falling wasn’t something she wanted to experience, and if she glanced down, she feared she’d find herself hitting the ground face first, and not even her puffy down jacket would soften the fall.
Adjusting her hold on the reins, she shook her head with disbelief at the situation. To evade any more of Sokolov’s thugs, they were headed up Eagle Crest Mountain to some remote cabin the sheriff owned. In theory, the idea had merit but in practicality... How had she let herself be talked into riding a horse? This was a new and strange experience.
In front of her, Kaitlyn, wearing well-worn denim and a cinnamon-colored leather barn coat, rode a large black-and-white-spotted horse as if she were one with the animal and saddle. No bouncing, just a nice rolling movement. From what Kaitlyn had shared, the woman had been riding since before she could walk. Ashley tried to emulate her. But she was doing a poor job of it by the way her body was protesting every step the horse took.
Glancing over her shoulder at Chase nearly caused her to slip sideways as a grin fought to escape. He didn’t seem to be faring that much better. But at least he’d been on a horse before. He gave her the thumbs-up sign with a cheesy smile as she righted herself. She couldn’t help but return his smile with a small laugh.
Riding into the trees through the valley that separated Eagle Crest Mountain and a smaller hill where the Delaney Estate had been built at the top and could be seen in all its glory, she felt freer, albeit sorer, than she had in a very long time.
No one knew where she, Chase and Kaitlyn were or where they were headed, except the sheriff, Daniel and Alex. She had to trust they wouldn’t reveal her location. She’d had to do a lot of trusting lately and she felt the stretch of it in her soul. There was no way for Sokolov to send anyone after her out here in the wilds of the forest.
Birds sang in the trees and animals she couldn’t see scurried through the underbrush. The horses’ hooves made a slight rhythmic thumping sound against the dry ground. She deeply breathed in the pine-scented air, letting the familiar aroma soothe her.
Kaitlyn held up her hand. Assuming she meant for Ashley and her horse to come to a halt, Ashley pulled back on the reins like Kaitlyn had taught her. The pale brown horse stopped so abruptly Ashley almost went headfirst over Othello’s neck. Chase’s horse bumped up against her horse’s rear flank.
“Whoa,” Chase said.
She glanced back to see his horse dance a little, turning him in a circle. Relieved her horse wasn’t doing the same, she patted the stallion’s neck. “Good boy, Othello.”
Othello pawed the ground, no doubt anxious to keep moving.
; Kaitlyn consulted the map the sheriff had given her with directions to the cabin. She pointed off to the right and led the way into the trees, leaving the hiking path behind.
Holing up in a remote cabin in the woods sounded like an ideal plan. Out of the way, not easy to access and devoid of any way to communicate with the outside world save the satellite phone Chase carried. She doubted her escorts would allow her to stay forever. She didn’t want to go back to town. She didn’t want to go meet with the DA. She wanted this nightmare to end without any more drama.
But she didn’t think that was possible.
The world would keep turning, and she would do what was required of her and go into hiding from a monster with long tentacles. She prayed the US Marshals Service would be able to find her a place far enough and secure enough to be out of reach of Mr. Sokolov.
The sun was high in the sky by the time they reached a clearing where a small single-story building had been erected amid towering pine and evergreen trees. Ten feet away was a wooden corral with a gate. Kaitlyn brought her horse to a halt at the corral and hopped down. She hooked her horse’s reins over the top railing, then turned to survey their surroundings.
Ashley’s horse automatically came to a halt next to the big spotted horse.
“Give me your reins,” Kaitlyn said.
Ashley handed the thin straps of leather over and Kaitlyn wound them around the rail.
Following Kaitlyn’s instructions on how to dismount, Ashley attempted to climb off the beast, but her feet got tangled up in the stirrups and she lost her grip on the saddle horn. Panic stole her breath as she fell backward, but then strong hands wrapped around her waist, lifting her away from the saddle and setting her feet on the ground.
The heady scent of man and spicy aftershave filled her senses. It was all she could do not to lean back into Chase’s strong chest, wanting his arms to slip around her and hold her fast so that he blocked out the world.
He was doing what he could to help her. That was all she could ask. Wanting anything more from him wasn’t wise and would only lead to heartbreak. They both understood her time in Bristle Township was close to an end. Better to put some distance between them or she might give in to her longing for connection and let her heart fall for him.
She stepped away to face him and gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you.” Her gaze included Kaitlyn. “For everything.”
Above all else, she was thankful because these two people were willing to give up their own lives for her sake. She’d never had anyone do that and it left her strangely unsettled. She sent up a quick prayer, asking God once again to watch over them. So far he’d answered her prayers.
She didn’t want to believe it was just coincidence that had allowed her to survive too many scary situations. Trusting the Lord didn’t come easily. Trusting anyone didn’t come easily to her.
She’d learned at her mother’s hand not to trust in promises or in seeming kindness. However, Chase appeared so sincere. She searched her heart and found that she did trust him with her life. And was aware he would do anything to protect her. Trust him with her heart, she wasn’t so sure. But she was learning. Learning not only how to let go of any illusion of control but to appreciate being cared for by others. A hard lesson that pushed and prodded, molding her into a more complete person.
“I’ll take the saddles off and give these guys a rub down,” Kaitlyn said. “You two take the supplies and get the house situated.”
Attached to both of their saddles were packs filled with food, their personal belongings and other necessary items that they would need for their short stay at the cabin.
Chase reached past Ashley and undid the knot holding the packs tied to her horse’s saddles. The packs slipped away, and he handed her two lighter weight ones. “I’ve got the key. I’ll be right behind you,” he said.
She nodded and made her way slowly across the uneven ground to the weathered front door of the cabin. The place was in need of some tender loving care. Kind of like her. Didn’t matter that she was only twenty-eight, she felt ancient. The stress of the last year and a half had taken a toll.
Chase stepped up to unlock and open the door. They stepped into a one-room space. Cots were stacked against one wall. A wood-burning fireplace with a stove stood in the corner. A table with four rickety chairs sat by the window. She bit her lip. “No running water?”
“Nope. Though the facilities are out back.” He shrugged and she nearly groaned, picturing herself fumbling around in the dark behind the cabin.
“But there’s a stream about fifty yards east. We’ll gather some water to boil so that we can use it for washing and cleaning. And we brought bottled water for drinking.”
“This is very rustic.” Though he’d warned her, she hadn’t expected it to be quite this sparse. “You’ve stayed here before, right?”
He nodded. “Yes. Quite a different experience from what I was used to.” He unpacked food supplies. “It’s a bit like stepping back in time to a simpler life. Relaxing in a way.”
She figured she could adapt easy enough. “I don’t mind roughing it. Beats what is waiting for me in town.”
His steady gaze led her to believe that he comprehended what she wanted. His words confirmed it. “We can’t stay here, Ashley. Eventually someone would figure it out. We have one night here and then you meet with the district attorney. By then the US Marshals Service should have everything in place.”
Why wasn’t she as eager as she should be to enter WITSEC? “And then I’ll disappear again.”
He looked away and busied himself unpacking a second bag. “Yes, you will.”
From the tone of his voice, she had the impression he didn’t like the idea of her leaving for good any more than she did. Oh, she wanted to disappear, never to be found by Maksim Sokolov, but she didn’t want to leave Chase. Despite her best efforts, he’d invaded her heart.
She cared for him in ways that made her uncomfortable and giddy at the same time. But she had to put a pin in her emotions and deflate her growing attachment to the handsome, kind, compassionate and honorable man. Nothing good would come from the fallout of leaving her heart behind when she finally did relocate with a new name and blank slate. “If I’m going to be on my own, away from you, who’s going to protect me?”
With a twist of his lips, he heaved a sigh of frustration. “I’m not going to lie to you. You’ll be under the care of the US Marshals Service, but they won’t be able to provide you round-the-clock protection.”
Her heart sank. Once again she’d be alone and vulnerable to attack. There had to be something she could do to protect herself. “Life is so unfair sometimes.”
Facing her, he held her gaze. “God never promised fairness, only that He would be with us through all of life’s circumstances.”
His words slipped inside of her, spreading hope within her like warm butter on toast. She clung to that hope, even though she hadn’t been aware of God’s presence very often in her life. She had to believe God had kept her alive so far for a reason. Having the confidence that God would continue to sustain her through this nightmare bolstered her courage.
Resolute determination squared her shoulders. “Then I need to learn how to protect myself. I want you to teach me how to physically defend myself against an attack. I need to know what to do if someone tries to grab me again like that fake police officer.”
Chase contemplated her request, then nodded. “You know, that’s not a bad idea. Between Kaitlyn and me, we could show you enough basic moves so that you could at least incapacitate an assailant long enough to run away. And really that’s all you want. Run and hide.” His intense gaze bore into her. “Don’t think you can ever take on somebody bigger and stronger than you and hope to win.”
She bristled. He thought she was weak. Okay, so she wasn’t physically strong but it infuriated her to know that he thought it, too.
He made a face and held up a hand. “Before you get upset, I just want to say this has nothing to do with your being a woman. It’s simple physics.”
“So you would give the same advice to Kaitlyn?”
He thought for a moment. “Yes and no. If her life depended on it, I would say fight. But she’s had years and years of training.”
“Not to mention muscles,” Ashley muttered.
A smile played at the corners of Chase’s mouth. “This is true. And she is a deputy with a gun. But the smart thing for you would be to disable your attacker and then run like the wind. Get as far away as possible and hide or find a public place where you can get help.”
That made sense and seemed more doable than single-handedly taking down a bad guy intent on harming her. The thought turned her knees to jelly.
“In fact, I would suggest you should always stay where there’s other people,” Chase continued. “Going into that dark alley by yourself that night—should never have happened.”
“It was my turn to take out the garbage,” she protested.
“I’m not saying you did anything wrong by doing your job.” He gentled his tone. “The responsibility lies with the person in charge.”
“Gregor.”
“Yes. He put you in an unsafe situation.”
“I get what you’re saying.” She blew out a breath in an attempt to release the guilt that had sprung up. Gregor may not have thought she was in danger by sending her out with the garbage, but he’d helped her afterward. And it most likely cost him his life. “I have no illusions that a few hours of some basic self-defense will turn me into a black belt or anything. But it would make me feel better if I at least knew how to get away.”
The cabin door opened and Kaitlyn walked in. “I just heard the very end of that. What is it that you want to do?”
Chase explained Ashley’s request.
Kaitlyn regarded Ashley with an assessing gleam in her blue eyes. “I think a little self-defense clinic is an excellent idea. We can teach you enough to know how to break a nose or crush a foot.”
