Worth the Chase

He can’t even look down at me and tell me it’s going to be okay. That his best friend is probably going to die and he won’t hate me for it.

“Everyone I love dies.” I shake my head over and over. The dizziness becomes too intense. Bile rises in my throat. I struggle in his grip as I choke.

“Sir, we’d like to step in.” A man stands next to us. I don’t recognize him. Another paramedic.

“I killed him. I killed him...” I repeat.

“I think she’s going into shock. She’s trembling really bad.”

“We can give her something. Let us take it from here.” The heat of Levi’s hands disappears, replaced by the paramedic, and I become erratic.

“Don’t touch me! I need to be with Anna. Where’s Anna?”

“Miss, I’m going to need you to calm down. We’re going to give you something to relax.”

“Anna!” I call her name over and over, pausing at the pinch in my neck. “Let me go! Anna…” My words slowly start to slur. Before I can call out again, I’m falling.

Chapter 27

Bridget

“Anna, where are you? Come out, come out, wherever you are… Anna? Anna—"

“Anna.” I jolt awake and shoot forward. The fogginess in my head causes me to sway. I latch on to the side of the bed.

“Relax.” My head whips to the right. Jonathon is sitting in the chair next to my bed. “Anna is fine.”

“No, she’s not. She’s—”

“She’s fine. She’s with a counselor right now. Your mother and father just stepped out. I wanted to see how you were doing.”

My parents are here? I look around. I’m in a hospital bed. Memories flood my brain, each horrid detail punching me in the gut. I grab at my chest as his name tears up my throat.

“Chase!” I throw the sheet off and attempt to stand, but I’m restrained by the IV stuck in my arm.

Jonathon reaches for me. “Slow down. He’s in surgery.”

“Surgery. What does that mean? Is he going to be okay? What do you know? I have to go see—”

The hysteria hits me like a sledgehammer. My body shakes violently. Memories of the blood. His pale face. His still body. “I have to go see him.”

“Right now, you just have to rest. They shot you up with some pretty heavy sedatives.”

The last thing I can fathom is resting while the man I love is fighting for his life. When I almost got Anna killed. “Jonathon—”

“Don’t.”

“No, I have to tell you what happened—that woman—”

Jonathon leans forward, resting his palm over mine. “That woman will no longer be a problem.”

My eyes widen. “Did she…?”

“She was pronounced dead when she arrived.”

My head shakes back and forth as hot tears shed down my face. “I did this. I caused all of this. I put your daughter in danger and got Chase—” I cover my mouth as a horrid sob rips up my throat. “I’m so sorry.”

Jonathon stands and sits on the bed, pulling me into him. “This isn’t your fault, Bridget. The disturbed woman who set out to get revenge is at fault.”

“You don’t know why. If you did, you would—”

“I do know. I spoke with your father. I know enough that you’re not to blame.” He pulls back and gazes down at me. “Bridget, I need to know. How did you know the code for my gun safe?”

I blink away the tears. My mouth opens and closes. “Anna. She knew.” His body stiffens. “She—she told me she knew where you kept the bad toy and knew how to get to it. I—she knew the code. I wouldn’t have let her—I took my eyes off her for a second and—what did she tell the police—?”

“Nothing. She hasn’t said a word since she was brought in.”

I become completely still. My eyes widen. “What?”

“She hasn’t spoken. She won’t tell us what happened. There’s been an officer outside your room since you arrived. Two people were shot, and no one knows the story. The only thing they are going on is you screaming you killed him.”

An icy chill spreads down my spine. I slowly shake my head. “No, I didn’t shoot them. I meant I caused it. I didn’t…oh god, they think I did this—”

His demeanor shifts. “No more.”

“Jonathon—”

“Miss Matthews, can I have a word?”

We both shift to the man who entered my room. “I’m Detective Schmitt. I was hoping to ask you a few questions about what went on at the Brooks’ residence.”

Jonathon stands and blocks me. “She is in no shape to answer questions right now. Come back—”

“I’m pretty sure I was insistent you do not speak with her before we did. Your house is a crime scene, Mr. Brooks. There are a lot of questions to be answered here. And tampering with an investigation is illegal.”

Jonathon’s shoulders tense. He clenches his jaw, taking a threatening step toward the detective. “And she won’t be answering any questions until my lawyer gets here.”