Page 79 of Total Abandon

“Hey,” I croak, giving up trying to stem my tears.

He takes Tilly’s place on the sofa, his large frame taking up most of it so that one of his knees hits mine. Tilly perches on the rolled arm behind him with her arms crossed.

“Zeke has dropped off the grid and when I went by his place to try and find him, his housekeeper said you hadn’t been there for days. I figured something had happened.” He plants his elbows on his thighs and frowns at me. Feeling my bottom lip quiver, I curse myself for my weakness. I drop my gaze to my hands that are clamped tightly together in my lap, my bare ring finger a glaring reminder that it’s over. “Talk to me,” he says gently, nudging my knee with his.

When I look up at him, the whole thing starts to flow out of me like lava. I tell him everything, right from the beginning of mine and Anthony’s disastrous relationship to the confrontation with Zeke. It’s everything I wanted to say in his office that day but was too stunned and terrified to get it out quick enough for him to listen. By the time I’m finished, a deep line creases the space between Chase’s brows. Suddenly, I'm terrified that he too won’t believe me.

“Say something,” I breathe quietly, noting absently that my tears have stopped for the first time in days.

“I always knew Sweeney was a prick, but I didn’t realize he is a psychopath.” He sighs, leaning back against the couch. Relief floods my system and I let out the breath I'd been holding. As quick as it hits, it’s snatched away by a knife in my heart as I realize Chase doesn’t know me half as well as Zeke should, and yet he took my word for it without hesitation.

“He’s a dead man if I see him,” Tilly growls softly. Chase’s head swivels to raise his brows at her, and she offers him the smallest twitch of her lips.

“So, the evidence he gave Zeke was doctored?” he asks, turning back to me.

“The CCTV images definitely were. I haven’t been to his apartment since we broke up. But the calls… I think the calls might have been real. I had some emails from work contacts asking me to call them urgently, but I could never get through. I called a few times. When I remembered, I checked my call log, and the numbers were the same.” It had come to me somewhere between day two of hysterical crying and day three of numb disassociation. It was the only way I could explain it.

Chase sighs and rubs a palm up his jawline. “I know he’s been an idiot, but Zeke’s not a bad guy, Chloe. You should try and speak to him again.”

I swallow, trying to ignore the fractured tug in my chest. “He didn’t believe me, Chase. That hurts me more than I can bear.” Tears begin to pool in my eyes again and I rapidly blink, inwardly groaning.

Chase is staring at me contemplatively, his lips pressed into a slight downward turn. “You love him, don’t you?”

The breath freezes in my chest, fear rocketing around my veins as I stare at him. Blinking again, I tear my eyes away and focus on the blank screen of the TV. “Yes,” I whisper, my chest carved open and bared for them to see.

“God, he’s a moron,” Chase mutters, thrusting his hands through his hair. “Can you send me the number you called?”

I nod slowly as I turn my numb gaze back to him.

“Okay good, let me see what I can dig up.” Chase stands, placing his hand out in front of me.

I take it automatically and he hauls me up off the sofa. His long arms wrap around me and I sink into the bear hug without hesitation, leaning on his sturdy strength. “Thanks,” I mumble as he lets me go.

“No problem, and Chloe?” he says as he walks to the doorway, pausing for a moment when he reaches Tilly. “I think youare out-of-this-world hot, so don’t be offended when I tell you it’s time to take a shower.”

Despite myself, I let out a bark of a laugh, and he flashes me a grin, sliding a wink Tilly’s way before he disappears from sight.

Chapter 34

Mason:Is Zeke alive?

Logan:Beats me.

Chase:He’s probably wallowing in self-pity or tequila—him and Red split.

Logan:Pussy would be better.

Chase:Thanks for lowering the tone.

Logan:Have you heard the shit that comes out of your mouth? Your sister’s just as bad, Mace is the only semi-normal one.

Mason:Why semi??

Chase:What do you know about my sister’s mouth?

Logan:More than you would like to know ;)

Chase:Gross.