“Ah, Lizzy. So fiery for one so weak and needy.”
His hand pressed even harder. She was having a hard time catching a breath. Her heart raced and fear made everything cloudy.
“You have no hope; you have no help. Your little boyfriend ditched you.”
Lizzy’s heart sank. He was right about that, and she felt as weak as he thought she was. She had to fight. Somehow, she had to show she wouldn’t give in to him.
“I’ve won. Again.” His smile was triumphant. “I’ve been sending you all those notes the past month. Not Grady Worthen.”
Her eyes widened, and she stopped struggling.
“That’s right, love. Then I paid Grady, Tate, and my friend Paul to follow the tracker I put on your phone several months ago all the way to Austria.”
She remembered Paul. Darren’s buddy from the gym. He looked similar to Darren and had been a Marine. Now it made sense that she’d thought she’d seen Darren, and how Grady was able to get to Europe and get past her security.
“See how brilliant I am?” Darren crowed. “Paul helped Grady and Tate on the first night in Hallstatt with the attack, and he helped Grady on the second night after Tate got caught and arrested. Those idiots could never have accomplished anything without Paul, and now they’re both taking the rap for it. I paid them cash, of course. No paper trail.”
He smiled. “You know I’m the champion and I’ve already won. But now we’ve played enough games. You have no choice. You are going to elope with me tomorrow to Cedar Crest Lodge, make Grandfather happy so I get my money, or Paul will kill your European boyfriend. He’s trailing him even now.”
Lizzy couldn’t catch a full breath. Paul would kill Chase? No! She had to find a way to warn him.
She prayed for strength and then she bit Darren’s hand. He screeched in protest and pulled his hand back.
“I will never elope with you,” she screamed at him.
“You’re weak, and you’ll do what I say,” Darren pressed his huge body against hers, glowering.
“No,” she yelled.
He might be able to control her physically but he couldn’t conquer her mind or her heart. She loved Chase, and she’d fight to be free of Darren and protect Chase.
She jabbed her finger into his eye. He yelped and grabbed her hand, cursing at her.
The door flew open and banged against the wall.
Darren released her and jumped to his feet.
Chase stood framed in the door.
“Chase,” she cried out, relief and fear filling her. “Paul is after you!”
Chase looked at her, his blue eyes solemn. “Paul is in police custody.”
“Yay!” She stood, her legs shaky.
“I don’t believe you,” Darren growled.
Chase stepped into the room. “You’d better, and you’d better stay away from Lizzy.”
Darren lunged at him, wildly throwing punches. Chase slammed his fist into Darren’s face and knocked him clean off his feet.
Lizzy cheered.
Darren hollered and struggled to get back up. Chase watched him but didn’t advance. As if Darren were no threat at all. Darren jabbed viciously at Chase again, but Chase dodged, grabbed one hand, and twisted Darren’s arm. There was a sickening pop, and Darren screamed as he fell to his knees.
Two policemen stepped into the room. She recognized them.
“All right, Lieutenant Tenley. We’ll take him from here.” Sergeant Bradley grinned at her. “He pulled rank on us, Lizzy.”
