The clock hit nine, and Chase waited for a knock at the door. Grace stood in the doorway to her bedroom, ready to duck out of sight the second Mickey arrived. Chase was not going to have her anywhere near the man who thought he could control or take the woman he loved. She was his, and he’d prove it tonight.

The briefcase filled with the payoff sat on the kitchen counter, and Chase smirked. It was definitely more than the measly eighty grand plus ever growing interest she owed the man. The minutes ticked by and finally, at ten after, a fist pounded on the door. Chase waved Grace into her bedroom, and after one long look, telling him to be careful, she closed herself in. Chase took his time answering the door, swinging it open wide and grinning when he saw the surprise on Mickey’s smug face.

“Mickey, please come in,” Chase said and stepped aside.

Mickey scratched his chin and readjusted his jacket. “What’s going on? Where’s Graceland?”

It grated against his nerves to hear another man call her that, but he let it slide, for now. “Not home. You and I have some business to take care of. Please, shut the door.”

“No, I’m not talking to you. I only have business with her.”

“You have business with me. From here on out, you will no longer be dealing with Graceland because she is my fiancée and I will not have her talking to the likes of you,” Chase growled. “Shut the door and we can get started.”

Mickey raised a brow and kicked the door closed. “Fiancée, is it? I thought that was all an act.”

“Was being the operative word. I understand my fiancée owes you a debt because of her mother. What is the amount?”

“Eh, let’s call it an even seventy-five grand,” Mickey leered.

Chase stared him down and nudged the briefcase towards him. “I think that should cover it,” he said, but when Mickey reached for it, he slapped his hand on top of the case. “However, there are conditions you must uphold in order to get this payoff.”

“You don’t get to set conditions, boyo,” Mickey warned and reached into his jacket, but he pulled out an empty hand with a frown. “Damn.”

“You see, Mickey,” Chase continued, “if I’m going to marry the woman I love, I don’t want you to hound her or anyone she knows ever again. Take this money, and that’s what you’re swearing to me. You won’t call her, talk to her, see her ever again.”

Mickey didn’t nod or speak, but Chase removed his hand from the case. “You think you can threaten me?” he snapped, flipping open the case. “You don’t know who... I am… That’s more than what she owes me,” he muttered quietly in disbelief, pulling out a stack of bills. “How much is this?”

“That? That is fifty million dollars,” Chase explained. “You can count it at home. Do we have a deal?”

“Oh, aye, we have a deal,” Mickey said cheerfully and slammed the case shut.

“Good, that’s good.” Chase smiled with Mickey, but the second the man took a step towards the door, he grabbed the front of his jacket, lifted him off his feet, and slammed him into the nearest wall. “If you ever lay a hand on her again—and I mean ever, Mickey,” he growled, “I will make what you do to your late paying clients look like a day at the carnival. Understand me?”

Mickey cursed and flailed, trying to get down, but Chase was easily twice his size. “Alright! Alright, damn you. Put me down!”

Chase let him slide to his feet then decked him so hard he broke the man’s nose. “Get out, Mickey. Now. I’ll give Graceland your heartfelt farewell.”

Mickey held tight to the briefcase with one hand, his other busy trying to sop up the blood streaming out of his nose. “If I ever see you again, mate, you’re dead.”

“You won’t, trust me,” Chase promised. He waited until Mickey was a step out the door then slammed it shut in his face. Barely a second later, Grace sprinted out of her bedroom and straight into his arms. He kissed her fiercely until she pinched his arm. “Ow! What was that for?”

“You punched him! Why did you do that? Do you realize he could’ve lied about coming unarmed?” she snapped and pinched him again. “God, I was waiting for the gunshot!”

“But you didn’t hear one, did you?” he argued and laughed when she clamped her mouth shut. “Graceland, you’re free of him. Does it matter how it happened?”

She glowered at him. “Yes. Never ever punch a man who could have his goons waiting just outside again. Please?”

“As long as you don’t get wrapped up with them again, I think we’ll be alright,” he said and kissed her hard and slow. “God, I can never get enough of you, and as much as I’d like to celebrate, there’s something I want to show you.”

“Now?”

“Yep, grab your shoes! Come on, we’ll be late!”

“Late? Chase, where are we going?” she asked, struggling to slip on her flats while laughing as he grabbed her coat and purse. “Chase!”

He only laughed harder as he rushed out of her apartment, down the stairs, still carrying her purse, hearing her curse all the way down behind him. When they reached the street, he stepped aside so she could get into the limo, the door held open by a smiling Dexter.

“Ah, Ms. Summers, so good to see you again,” he said. A little out of breath, she thanked him and asked where they were headed. “Sorry, but I’m afraid that’s a surprise,” he said and waved her into the backseat.

Chase slid in behind her and smirked when she muttered about the blacked out windows. “Didn’t want you peeking and ruining the surprise. Oh, and you’ll have to put this on,” he said, holding up the blindfold.

She sidled closer and turned so he could tie it around her eyes. “Can we use it later?”

Chase choked back a curse and the urge to tear her clothes off in the back of the limo. “I think I can arrange that,” he muttered and squeezed her shoulders.

The entire ride was spent with her asking questions and him telling her “no” over and over again. When they stopped, she tried to pry up the blindfold to peek out, but he tugged it back down, took her hand, and guided her out of the limo.

“Almost there, just watch your step,” he told her, guiding her up the steps towards the theater, still being renovated, but thankfully, the main stage was intact. “Just a few more steps, then there’s the door.”

She gripped his hand harder and reached her other up to try and see again, but he took it and held it at her side. “Seriously, Chase? What are we doing?”

“Don’t you trust me?” he teased.

“I’m not the one who has trust issues.”

“Had,” he argued gently. “Had trust issues. Come on, just a bit further. Promise, it’ll be worth it.”

When he pushed open the door that led to the actual theater, he waved at Theodore and the man standing on the stage waiting for them to arrive. His heart raced, hoping Grace wouldn’t hate him for what he was about to do, but paying off Mickey wasn’t to get her back. That was to keep her safe and give her the freedom she needed. What he did now… This was to make up for everything.

“Alright, you can take off the blindfold now,” he told her and stepped to the side.

She pulled it off and blinked as her eyes adjusted to the lighting. “The theater? Why are we—oh my God,” she whispered and grabbed his arm when she spotted the men on stage. “Chase, do you know who that is? Oh my God!”

He chuckled and pulled her towards the stage. “Yes, I know who he is because he is also my new business partner.”

“That’s Frankie Cole!” she squealed. “He’s the hottest theater director in the city! You know him?”

“Yeah, I do, and he’s looking for some new talent for his company once the theaters are rebuilt,” Chase told her. “I told him I had the perfect actress for him. So, what do you say? Want to talk to him?”

Grace glanced from him to the smiling man on stage and nodded. “Chase, thank you for this—really.”

He embraced her tightly, kissing the top of her head. “It’s just a start,” he told her. “After today, we have a wedding to plan. Still on for the holidays?”

“With you, I’m game for anything.”

They kissed until Frankie cat-called and Theodore cleared his throat loudly. Chase reluctantly pulled away and led his real fiancée onto the stage to meet his friend and change her life forever. Again.