Chapter 30

Chloe's Point of View

I had a towel wrapped around me, and my eyes were on Chase's tattooed back as he was outside on the balcony smoking, watching the sun come up, a towel wrapped around his waist.

Perfect was one word for what just happened. I'd never been touched so intimately. I blushed again just thinking about it. I headed for my black lace nightie and dropped the towel, threading it on.

I had never been with another man. I knew it didn't get much better than that.

The way he held and kissed me made me feel like he really cared for me and it wasn't just a one-night stand.

The balcony door slid open, and my eyes bounced from the ground to him. Dear lord, it should be illegal to be that good-looking; those muscles and those tattoos.

"You tired?" he asked, looking at me with concern. "It doesn't look like you've been sleeping."

Was my lack of sleep that noticeable?

"I'm fine." I watched him put on his jeans then I picked up his shirt and handed it to him. Taking them off was much more fun.

"You should get some sleep." He took his shirt off me and then scooped up his leather vest. "I have to head into the clubhouse as I have got a meeting with Bones about this shooting with Oliver. But," he looked me in the eye. "I'll come back."

I nodded my head. Him coming back? Was that really going to happen? I was just one of the many. He had sex with tons of girls the last few weeks for sure. I couldn't expect him to be in this with commitment.

He had sex with me. He didn't propose.

"You don't have to." I looked away from him. The last thing I wanted was him feeling like he was forced to put up with me again. We had a great night, but that was it. I couldn't read more into it than that.

Chase wasn't used to women clinging to him. He didn't do girlfriends so there was no way in the world he would be sticking around for me.

"I want to." He walked over to me, tilting my head up to look him in the eye. What shone in his eyes were the complete opposite to how I was thinking. He looked down at me like he loved me. "Try and get some sleep while I'm gone."

Sleep? After what just happened? Not likely. There was a knock on the door, and Chase let go of me to get it.

"That will be the food I ordered for you." He walked to the door with his shirt undone, his leather vest over top, and he gave me a pointed look as he reached the door.

Geez, so I didn't eat for a couple of weeks. I didn't see the big deal. He, on the other hand, was treating it like I had been in a Third World country.

He opened up the door and I was just out of sight.

"Chase McKenzie?"

I didn't know that voice, but it sounded official. I would see who it was if I was wearing something more.

"Who wants to know?" Chase answered. They sounded like jerks, and they had only said his name so far.

"We’re looking for this woman, have you seen her?"

My eyes widened. Me. They were looking for me. It must be the police.

"Nope," he fired back at them.

"We have witnesses saying you had dinner with her last night?"

"Didn't know I was being watched." His voice was hard and terrifying. This wasn't the soft and gentle Chase that made love to me hours before. This was in your face, biker Chase that didn't give two shits about the law or what they stood for.

"You are a known criminal. You shouldn't be surprised. Now back to the woman. She was last seen with you in Cardigan and again last night. Clearly she has a connection with you, McKenzie so I'll ask again. Have you seen this woman? We know what the answer is so it's in your best interests not to lie."

"Like I said. No."

"Can we come in?"

Panic filled me. Shit. What do I do?

Chase's arm flung across the doorway. "If you have a warrant."

There was silence for a few minutes.

"Don't make this harder than needed, McKenzie."

I should give myself up. I should just let them drag me back home, back to being abused, back to the cult.

"Do you guys get off harassing young girls?" Chase's voice had an edge to it and it was coated with protection.

"This woman is wanted for assault of an officer, credit card fraud, and is now linked to bikers. I wouldn't say we are harassing anyone; we are getting a wanted criminal off our streets."

"I'm guessing I'm the biker link?"

"You would be guessing correctly."

"Well, don't you all jump to conclusions."

"We know you have the girl, McKenzie, and we will be watching you. You should tell her it would be in her best interests to come forward and not dwell with the unwanted. Here's a card, just in case you decide to do the right thing."

"As always, Officers, it's been a pleasure." Chase flicked the card back at them and then closed the door.

I took a deep breath in. I wanted to bolt, but Chase turned around, and his eyes had me pinned to the spot.

"Sit down." His voice was hard and he pointed to the bed.

I backed up until my legs hit the edge of the bed and I sat down.

"Start explaining." He stood in front of me, crossing his arms. His voice was calm and waiting.

Right. How do I explain this? I shook my head. "You should go; Bones and Oliver are waiting on you."

He shook his head, his eyes on me. "Don't even think you are getting out of this that easy."

"I have to book a flight." I got up and headed for my laptop, but he snatched it off the table before I got there.

"You would be flagged, Chloe. You won't have a chance of boarding a flight without being arrested. Now, explain to me how you got into this situation."

I was frustrated, tired and hungry, and fed up with the situation! I groaned and walked back to the bed.

"I don't know, okay? I just saw my picture on television. Joe must have put a warrant out for my arrest. He is now saying that the assault he got from you was from me, and I've been moving around town, hoping not to get arrested."

"So, this explains Maddie Preston."

"Yes."

"And the flying interstate today."

"Yes."

Chase groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, you can't fly."

I didn't know that until now. Lucky for me, I had Chase to tell me that, otherwise I would be getting arrested at the airport.

"I know that now."

"You'll come with us." There was a determined look in his eyes. "They won't dare come near you while I'm with you."

"No. No way." I shook my head. "We have done the traveling together and it turned out awful."

"That was before."

"Before what?"

"Before I made you mine." The look in his eyes stunned me. He meant it. It was like he was never expecting me to leave his sight again.

Why did those four words get my heart pumping faster? My eyes widening and my pulse running? I shallowed sharply.

"The police will be watching you." I crossed my arms. "Joe will be watching you, and he isn't going to stop until I'm back at home to be his whipping pole."

Chase walked across the room and kneeled in front of me. He was so confident and knew what to do while I was melting down and panicking.

"Chloe," he brushed the stray hairs in front of my face behind my ear. "I'm not going to let him get near you."

I knew Joe and I knew what he was capable of. He would go to great lengths to get me back.

"Stay here and get some sleep. I'll be back." He gently lifted my head so I was looking him in the eye. "I promise you, no one is going to hurt you or arrest you."

I closed my eyes as he kissed me on the forehead, as if all my worries and concerns were gone now, as if he could take them all on board and deal with them. As if he would protect me from the world.

"Bye, Chase."

He stood up. "Are you okay?"

I was saying goodbye for the last time, but he didn't know that. I gave him a fake smile.

"I just need some sleep and something to eat," I lied and he nodded his head, believing it.

"I'll be back," he reassured me again. "Don't answer the door while I'm gone."

"I won't." I wasn't planning on being here much longer anyway.

"Bye, Chloe."

"Bye, Chase."

He looked torn at the door, as if to go or not. Please go. Please make this easier on me. I held back the tears and put forward as much strength as I had left.

He nodded his head and opened the door and left.

I closed my eyes, letting the silent tears run down my cheeks. I had less than an hour to get out of here before the police were back with a warrant.

I needed to pack. Just like that, my past caught up with me. I was back on the run from Joe although this time, I wasn't just running from him, I was running from every member of the police force as well.

Of course he would go to great lengths to get me back. He would stop at nothing which was why I had to let Chase go. Chase was a target as long as I was with him.

They would look at him and find me. The last thing I wanted was to cause him any more problems so I opened up my suitcase and pulled out jeans and a top. It was time to start running again, although this time, I wasn't counting on running into a deadly handsome stranger to save me.

Chase's Point of View

"Just have it packed and ready to go, Oliver. I want to be on the road by this afternoon." I spoke into the phone while walking back into the hotel. It was after twelve and I was planning on getting Chloe and then leaving.

"I don't see what the rush is,” Oliver grumbled into the phone. He just didn't want to pack up all our stuff and load it into the van. "And I'm only just out of hospital, so I don't see why I have to load the van."

"You're the youngest."

"Not by choice!"

"Fine, get Archie to help you. Just be ready to leave when I get back." I pressed the elevator door.

"He won't help me."

"Fine, get Dan."

Oliver scoffed. "I have more chances of getting Marc to help me than Dan."

The elevator doors opened up and I walked in, feeling more frustrated by my little brother every minute that passed. "Fine, who do you want to help you?"

"Declan."

"Get Declan then." I pressed the floor again, impatient.

"He will hate this." I could hear the grin on Oliver's face. "Where are you anyway?"

"Getting someone." I muttered. "Tell Declan it's an order too and if he has a problem with it, get him to call me."

"He is going to be loving you." Oliver laughed.

I hung up the phone and walked to Chloe's door. I knocked. Hopefully the police hadn't been back to harass her; I was going to have to do something about that. This stepfather had to be dealt with. If he wanted to harass Chloe, he was harassing me and I didn't take it lightly when someone got on my bad side.

It made my blood boil that he had the guts to come after her after what he did to her. He might want her back, but she was mine and not one other living soul was having her on my watch. As long as I breathed, I would look after her, and he wouldn't be getting anywhere near her.

I should have put a bullet in him instead of a beating.

I knocked again and no answer. I did tell her not to answer the door while I was gone.

I pulled out her room key that I took earlier, just in case she didn't answer her door or she was asleep. After last night, she needed sleep. The door opened up and I walked in, expecting to see Chloe asleep on the bed. I didn't expect to walk into an empty room.

I walked over to the table to find a note.

It's better this way. No need for you to get into trouble because of me. Chloe.

I crumpled up the piece of paper in my hand. Which part of `she was mine` didn't she get when I said it to her? I would be protecting her. I would be deflecting the police from her. It was my job, not hers. She didn't need to run because I would make sure she had nothing to run from.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Chloe's number. If she was smart, she would pick up. It went straight to voicemail.

Scrolling down the names, I called Oliver. She was taking the hard way and I wasn't about to let her be arrested or worse, get dragged back to that hellhole.

She clearly didn't understand me when I said she was mine.

"Yep?" Oliver answered.

"I need you to run a name for me."

"Shoot."

"Maddie Preston. Check trains and buses."

"Right, you going to wait on the line while I do it?"

"Yep."

A few minutes passed.

“Okay, she boarded a train to the bus station and just got on a bus heading to Sydney." Oliver said.

"Tell the boys we aren't heading to Adelaide." I opened the hotel door. "We're heading to Sydney."

“Okay, but who is this Maddie chick?" Oliver was interested. I didn't chase women, but when it came to Chloe, I'd chase her to the end of the earth.

"Someone I have unfinished business with. Watch the bus, then when we get there, start fishing around to see what hotel she's at." I walked to the elevator, hanging up the phone.

I would find her, and, when I did, I'd make sure she understood what I meant when I said she was mine. Mine to love, mine have, mine to protect and mine alone.