“An intruder, maybe two, knocked out Joshua. One of them got into our rental and attacked Lizzy,” he said in a clipped tone.
“What?” Rock was definitely alert now. “How long ago? Why didn’t Macon call me?”
“I don’t know, but I’m calling you. If your men are at fault in any way …” He didn’t know what to threaten. He loved Rock like a brother, but this was Lizzy and her safety. She mattered more to him than even his lifelong friends.
“They wouldn’t … no way,” Rock protested.
Lizzy blinked up at him. Chase tried to give her a reassuring smile.
“Are you secure?” Rock asked.
“I’m locked in my suite with Lizzy.” It felt awful to lie to one of his best friends. “I’ll attack first and ask questions later if anybody dares come through that door tonight.”
If only he had better weapons. He should’ve demanded a gun from Macon.
Lizzy gasped. Chase slipped his free arm around her shoulder and squeezed gently.
“Understood,” Rock said. “And I don’t blame you. I’ll get ahold of Macon and get the story.”
“He was going back to the rental to question his men. He promised to monitor the cameras himself tonight.”
“Okay.” Rock was obviously at a loss. “Chase, I’m sorry …”
“Sorry?” Something prickled at his spine. Rock was not one to offer an unsolicited apology.
“Something happened with …” He paused and took a breath. “I’ll have answers for you by morning. You keep Miss Birmingham safe.”
“I plan on it.”
“Appreciate ya.”
Rock hung up.
Chase was more confused than ever. What had happened, and why had Rock apologized? Brandon? Had their friend pulled one of his ‘tricks’? He couldn’t possibly have risked Eliza’s safety for a trick.
Lizzy blinked up at him. He wanted to call Robbie and see if anything off had happened with him and Alice. There had been something in the email Madelyne sent about not contacting the rest of their buddies. He hadn’t thought much about it, as he wasn’t one to call and chat.
But if Brandon had instigated this attack … all bets were off.
First, he needed to see how Lizzy was doing.
He brushed a kiss across her forehead. Her eyes darkened with a desire that Chase felt reflected inside him. He wanted to kiss her passionately and for a very long time, but he couldn’t let down his guard right now.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Better now that we’re alone.” She shuddered, and he tightened his grip on her. She placed a delicate hand on his chest and warmth spread through him. “Do you think Grady Worthen could’ve orchestrated all of this?”
“I don’t see how.” The reports he’d read showed Grady lived in a rented single wide and had nothing to his name. “From what I understand, he has no financial resources and is most likely in hiding.”
She nodded but still looked uncertain. Should he share his suspicions about his lifelong friend? It would be just like Brandon to pull a stunt like this. No, not as bad as this, but Brandon had pulled his share of stunts on all of them, and Chase had felt that gut instinct at their meeting in Texas last week.
“I wonder if Darren could be behind it.”
“Darren?” His thoughts were yanked from Brandon’s mischief to whoever ‘Darren’ was.
“My most recent ex.” She blinked up at him, so beautiful and trusting. “He hit and threatened me when I broke up with him, two days before Grady Worthen attacked me.”
Chase’s breath rushed out as if Robbie had slammed his fist into his solar plexus.
