Page 26 of Rescuing Sadie

“Why does he want you so badly?” Rayne asked.

Sadie bit her lip and looked down at her lap. She didn’t want to tell Chase; there was no way she was telling her new friend and the Deltas.

Luckily, Chase came to her rescue. “It doesn’t matter. It only matters that he does. So let’s talk scenarios.”

Sadie squeezed Chase’s waist in silent thanks and he gripped her hand at his chest in reply. She relaxed further into his side, feeling connected to him in a way she hadn’t felt with anyone in a really long time.

Emily returned after getting Annie settled and immediately went to her husband. She took Annie’s spot on his lap and the conversation continued.

The discussion was fast and furious, ideas and thoughts mostly coming from the men. They discussed ways to keep Sadie, and the other women, safe from Jonathan, what they thought he might do if, God forbid, he got his hands on any of them. They talked about what the women should do if they found themselves taken hostage by the man. Finally, they made a plan on what they should do if Jonathan wasn’t captured in the next couple of days. The last thing anyone wanted was for the threat from the man to drag on for weeks or months.

Sadie knew offering herself up as bait would be the perfect solution to the situation, but she also knew Chase, not to mention her uncles, wouldn’t let her.

As if he could read her mind, Fletch said, “This is just a suggestion—I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t at least throw it out there—what if we had Sadie go somewhere by herself? We could watch her from a distance and if Jonathan showed up, we could grab him.”

Interestingly, it wasn’t Chase who replied first, but Ghost. “No fucking way.”

“We’d be there watching her; so would the Taggarts. Nothing would happen to her.”

“We don’t put one of our own in harm’s way. Period. Besides, Jonathan might be a pedophile and batshit crazy, but that doesn’t mean he’s stupid. He would know it’s a trap. She was with Chase today, and not too long after he tried to take him out, Fletch and I showed up. He knows she has a protection detail. Besides, would you want Emily in that situation? Maybe we should send Annie to the park by herself?”

“No, that’s not—” Fletch began, but was interrupted by Ghost.

“Right. Just because Sadie is new to our group doesn’t mean she’s expendable. She fucking is not.”

Sadie’s eyes filled with tears upon hearing Ghost defending her. It was true, he didn’t know her, nor did any of the other men and women in the room, but it didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to let her put herself in danger just to end the threat to the others.

She started, realizing for the first time that if she were to be Chase’s—really be Chase’s—then Ghost could end up being her brother-in-law and Rayne would be her sister-in-law.

She suddenly wanted that. With every fiber of her being. But she was definitely jumping the gun. She hadn’t even kissed Chase. It was silly to be thinking about marriage…wasn’t it?

Maybe not, considering how many times Chase had said she was his and that he wanted her. He’d even flat-out said he wanted to marry her.

Looking up at Chase, Sadie blinked at the emotion she saw on his face. He was staring at Fletch with his eyes narrowed and his lips pursed. He was apparently upset with him for even suggesting that they use her as bait. She’d thought he was intense when he was talking to that Fish guy on the phone. But that was nothing compared to what she was seeing right this moment.

“You’re right,” Fletch said, then turned to Sadie. “And I apologize to you too. I wasn’t really saying we should use you like that, I was just brainstorming. Trying to think of ways we could get you safe as fast as possible.”

She nodded at the man. She didn’t think badly of him; she was actually surprised no one had brought it up earlier.

After another hour, the men seemed to agree on a plan of sorts. It all hinged on Jonathan and how crazy he was. Sadie had a feeling that Jonathan would make a move sooner rather than later. He was pissed. And obsessed. Those things alone would make him desperate to get his hands on her, and hopefully he’d walk right into the trap the Deltas were laying.

“Emily’s out,” Fletch said softly. “She has a tendency to conk out because of the pregnancy. I’m going to take her to bed.” His wife had moved to lie on the couch next to him and was dead to the world. Even though she was tall, she looked almost petite sleeping next to her muscular husband.

“I’m half asleep too,” Rayne told Ghost, yawing as if to emphasize her point.

As the group began to break up, Fletch came over to where Sadie was sitting with Chase. He squatted down in front of her and said, “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, Sadie. I didn’t think it was the best idea, but I was just trying to think of something that would help end this for you.”

She hadn’t been expecting him to apologize again, so she didn’t say anything. Chase answered before she could think of a reply.

“Don’t do that shit again, Fletch. I get that in the past, offering people up as bait was something your team discussed, and even did, but those times are gone. Too many of us have our own women to even consider that a viable option anymore.”

“You’re right. It was a dick thing to even suggest, given the circumstances.”

When neither man said anything else, Sadie knew she had to end the pseudo standoff. She put her hand on Fletch’s arm. “It’s okay. I understand, I do.” She gave him a small nod.

“We’ll keep you safe, Sadie. We’re trained in this shit. You worked at McKay-Taggart for a while before you went to San Antonio, right? I’m guessing the operatives up there were just as protective of their spouses as we are with ours,” Fletch said.

Sadie nodded. She did know. Ian and the others always looked after their significant others. And if she was being honest with herself, it was pretty awesome knowing she had someone to lean on, to help her make decisions about important things in her life, and who would stand up for her and protect her if push came to shove. “I understand,” she told Fletch.