Page 91 of Her Remarkable Protector
And Damon’s out of jail? I knew he’d get out eventually, but this fast?
“You lying piece of shit!” The words burst from me, refusing to believe. But they can’t drown out the fear tightening in my chest.
Oh, Chase.
It doesn’t surprise me that he’s been looking for me and uncovered Canada.
But he wouldn’t give me up.
Would he?
Patch smirks, feeding off my silence. “Stone’s dealing with him as we speak. So, you’d better play nice.”
He could be bluffing, though I shouldn’t assume. But for now, I’ll treat it like the lie it might be, even as the thought gnaws at the edges of my control.
“What do you want?” I grind the words out.
“Tell me where Oakley and Damon Jr. are,” he says, the pretense of politeness long gone.
Damon Jr. He still doesn’t know. He doesn’t know about my baby being a girl. He’s not as informed as he wants me to believe. But it doesn’t matter. Not really. Damon has found me, it’s only a matter of time before he gets to Oakley—and Laramie.
“Not gonna happen,” I say flatly, meeting Patch’s eyes with all the defiance I can muster.
“Then your Chase will die, Honor. And after that? It’s only a matter of time before we find those kids. Whether you live long enough to see that, well… that’s up to Damon.”
I sag forward, letting my shoulders slump. My head drops, and my arms hang uselessly. I sigh, just loud enough for him to see I’m at his disposal. “Fine,” I murmur.
Patch grins, his victory flashing in his eyes as he starts the engine. “Good girl.”
“On one condition,” I add, lifting my head just enough for him to catch the fire in my eyes.
My hand darts to my boot, fingers curling around the cold, hard handle of the knife I’d hidden there. Patch was cocky—too cocky to be thorough, underestimating how much I learned from the Circle. A rookie mistake for someone who should’ve known better.
Before he can react, I drive the blade into his chest with every ounce of strength I have. His eyes widen in shock, a guttural sound tearing from his throat as he staggers back.
“You’re not coming with me!” I spit, jumping out of the truck and running back to my car.
My knuckles ache as I clutch the wheel, my foot slamming the gas as I race toward Aunt Beth’s house. The line connects, and his voice bursts through the speaker.
“Ethan!”
“Honor? Honor! Where are you?”
“North,” I bark, staying vague.
“Shit. Is Chase with you?”
“Why would he be?” I snap.
“Honor,” Ethan’s tone drops, urgent and raw. “Is he with you?”
“No! He’s not!”
There’s a pause, before Ethan continues, “Chase was looking for you, but—we can’t find him. His car was found down south. Mangled. From the state of it…” He exhales hard, frustration bleeding through the line. “I think Chase might be hurt. Bad.”
Cold dread knots deep inside. So Patch wasn’t bluffing about Chase. He was right: there’s a lot I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter. Whether Chase caved or not, Ethan won’t. He’d die before betraying Oakley and Laramie. I have to trust him.
“I’m in Cranbrook. Canada. Ethan, I need you here.”
