He could wait. A few hours. When the Rutherfords left he would as well. And when he did, he knew exactly where he was headed.

16

He was waiting on her. He hated to do this. It was going to hurt him, more than it would hurt her, because if it went right, she would be gone forever, and he would be the one who would have to live with his actions.

But living with it was something he was prepared to do. He lived with worse, daily. He lived with his life spiraling out of control. He lived with his own rage daily. And Chase would suffer.

That was his goal. That was all that mattered, that Chase suffer. Falladay had destroyed his life. The son of a bitch. The bastard. He had taken everything, and now he had this beautiful, sparkling young woman.

He was doing her a favor. Because Chase would only destroy her. Why hadn’t she just remained the sweet, faithful little wife she had been? If she had done that, she wouldn’t have to suffer now. She wouldn’t have to pay for Chase’s crimes.

Kia watched the lights of the city as she rode home in her father’s limo. The twinkling Christmas lights. Christmas was fast approaching. Her shopping had been done for ages. She only bought for her parents and her aunt and uncle. There was no one else. Except the present she had hid in her bedroom. The present she had bought Chase and would likely never give him.

It wasn’t much. A new belt. The exquisite leather was soft and supple, and she had noticed he liked comfortable leather belts.

There was nothing fancy on it. No fancy buckle or decorations. But underneath she’d had it engraved. For the memories. Kia.

She hadn’t been able to help herself. She was insane where he was concerned, and she knew it. She had known it when she forced herself to leave the club. If she hadn’t, she would have ended up leaving with him, and she couldn’t bear another night as she’d spent the night he had come to her.

It was better like this, she told herself. Better to run while she could, to avoid the temptation as much as possible. But when he had whispered he needed her, she had nearly stumbled, nearly begged him to take her then.

Aching for him was going to kill her. It was tearing through her like a bitter storm and it was taking all her energy to stay away from him.

As the limo pulled up to the curb in front of the apartment building, she stared out the window with a sense of regret. Wishing she were with Chase instead.

Insane, she thought again as the chauffeur opened her door.

Kia stepped out of the limo and waved to her father’s chauffeur as he moved around the car toward the driver’s side.

She wasn’t aware of the shadow that moved around the building. As she turned, pain ripped through her skull and darkness swirled around her.

She felt herself falling, and it was Chase’s name she cried out as she felt her purse being torn from her shoulder.

Timothy Rutherford answered his cell phone less than half an hour after his daughter left the club, listened to his chauffeur’s frantic report, and his gaze met Chase’s, terror streaking through his mind.

“Timothy, what’s wrong?” Cecilia, always attuned to him, gripped his arm as he continued to listen.

“Stay with her,” he ordered. “We’re on our way.”

“Kia?” Celia’s tone was frightened as Chase rose quickly to his feet.

“She was attacked outside her apartment building. Ambulance is on its way. She’s unconscious, bleeding from a head wound.”

“My limo is just outside.” Ian was on his feet, as were the others.

Chase didn’t wait for them. He tore out of the club, racing out the door and rushing past the valet area to where he’d parked his car.

He was streaking out of the parking lot, tires screaming, gears grinding as he glimpsed the Sinclair limo pulling away from the club.

Km. He knew he should have followed her. Something had told him to follow her, to stay as close to her as possible. This wouldn’t have happened if he had been there. If he had taken her home himself. No one would have had a chance to touch her, to hurt her.

She wouldn’t be lying on a sidewalk, unconscious, bleeding, if he had been there.

He maneuvered through the congested traffic, cursing, horn blowing. It was a damned wonder he didn’t have a cop on his ass when he swung into a parking slot in front of her apartment and jumped from the car.

The ambulance was there, lights flashing. Chase saw blood on the sidewalk and glimpsed the paramedics inside the lobby.

He pushed inside, slamming the doors open, rage and violence coursing through him until he heard her voice.

“I said I’m okay,” she snapped. “I swear to God, Drew, if you don’t get your hands off me, I’m going to break them.”

Drew!

Chase snarled as he pushed past the small crowd that had gathered and saw her pushing Drew away. An animal force of sheer raw fury overcame him.

“Get the hell away from her!” He grabbed the other man’s arm, swung him back, and stared at Kia.

“Let me go, bastard.” Drew jerked his arm back. “You don’t have the right be here.”

Chase swung back to Drew furiously. “Don’t make me kill you.” Then he turned to look at Kia and felt the blood drain from his face.

A paramedic knelt in front of her, a small light trained on her eyes as she batted at him. Behind her, another was trying to check the gash in her head. She had blood on her forehead, her cheek. It stained her blouse. Chase’s knees began to cave.

“Don’t tell me to get away from her, Falladay!” Drew exclaimed. “You weren’t here. You didn’t see her lying on that damned sidewalk.”

Chase gripped the lapels of Drew’s jacket, nearly jerking him off his feet. He felt like ramming his fist into his jaw. “Out of my face, out of her life, or I’ll make damned sure you regret it.”

He thrust Drew back. ,

“Get away from me,” Kia ordered, fear in her voice, as the paramedic probed at her head.

“Ms. Rutherford, you need to let us transport you to the hospital,” the female tech kneeling in front of her ordered in a firm voice. “You could have a concussion. That’s nothing to play with and that head wound is going to need stitches.”

“I’m fine.” Her voice trembled as Chase rushed to her.

“Kia. Baby.”

Her head turned and a little cry passed her pale lips as she seemed to sway where she had forced the paramedics to allow her to sit instead of lie down.

“Chase.” Her eyes looked dilated, dazed. “Make them leave me alone.”

He knelt beside her, wondering that he had the strength in his legs to keep from falling at her feet in complete terror.

“It’s okay, baby.” He touched her face with fingers that shook from his utter terror even as they smeared through her blood. “It’s okay. I promise.”

“They won’t leave me alone.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Tell them I’m fine. Please. I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

He saw the concern on the paramedics’ faces. From Kia’s dilated eyes and paper-white face, he knew she wasn’t going anywhere but the hospital. Her eyes looked like bruises in white flesh.

“Baby, I’ll go with you,” he promised. “I’ll ride with you, right beside you. We’ll get you fixed right up, and I’ll take care of everything.”

“I don’t want to go,” she whispered. “They don’t let you leave.”

Her voice was now edged with panic. He didn’t understand it, and he didn’t give a damn what he had to promise her.

“It’s okay. Trust me, Kia. I won’t leave you.” He nodded to the techs as they moved back for the stretcher. “Let’s get you taken of Everything else is going to be okay. I promise.”

“You have to make them let me come home.” He saw the first tear slide down her cheek as the techs helped her onto the stretcher. “Promise me.”