Beautiful Music (23 page)

Jena’s phone chimed in her purse and her body went cold. He was calling. He was outside, she was sure of it. A knowing look passed between her and the housekeeper.

“Chase Reiss, you are going to do what I tell you. Jena is going to answer that phone and pick a fight with you. It’s imperative for the safety of this family you go along with what she says and wait for her to explain. Do you understand?” The authority in Mrs. R.’s voice amazed Jena and she gaped openly.

He nodded abruptly and exchanged a look with Jena. “Let’s do this,” he replied.

Jena glanced from Chase to Mrs. R. who nodded in encouragement. Her hands shook as she answered the phone. The enormity of the moment struck her soul. Mistakes were not an option. “What?” she snapped, squeezing her eyes shut.

“Are you breaking up with him?”

“Leave, Chase,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Do you need me to come in there, Jena?”

“No, I’m fine.” She raised her voice an octave. “Leave.”

“I’m not leaving here without you,” Chase said calmly.

“It’s over, Chase. Finished. I can’t deal with your lifestyle.” Chase flinched at the statement, and she fought back the tears, knowing she was a little too close to the truth. “Leave.”

“Fine. I don’t beg any woman…including you.”

Jena spoke calmly in the phone, definitely a calm she wasn’t feeling. “I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later. I have to escort someone to the door.”

“Who was on the other end of that phone?” Chase demanded as Jena ended the call. “You’d better have a good explanation for this, Jena.”

“Go!” Mrs. R. pointed to the back door. “Don’t worry about Andrea. I’ve got this here. Tell him everything, Jena. Don’t let anything out. He won’t be able to get through Chase’s gates. Call Detective Burrows. Do you have his card?”

Jena nodded.

“Tell him to come in his personal vehicle. Do you understand?”

“You should be in the military,” Jena muttered as she reached for her purse.

“I’ve run a lot of households in my day. No different. Now, go!”

Chase was waiting at the kitchen door and Jena followed him to the garage. He opened the driver’s side door and she climbed in the back, hunching down. He shook his head at her in disbelief.

“Maybe you should slam the door like you’re angry,” Jena suggested.

“
Like
I’m angry?” he questioned sarcastically.

“And don’t talk,” she warned.

He opened the garage door, slammed the door shut, and pulled hastily out of the driveway, tearing up the street.

She remained quiet for a few moments. “Did you see anyone?”

“I was busy keeping my truck on the road,” he grumbled.

“Make sure no one is following us.”

“I take it someone is threatening you?”

“I promise I’ll explain everything when we get to your house. Please don’t talk to me, Chase. This is important.”

“You’re going to tell me what the hell is going on?”

“I promise.”

How had it come to this? She was hunched up in the back of his truck for God’s sakes. She was second-guessing. No, she wouldn’t do that. She focused on the love in his eyes when he sang to her tonight. They could do this. She wasn’t going to back down in fear. The truck stopped. They couldn’t be there already.

“What are you doing? Why did we stop?”

“I’m waiting to see if we’re being followed. Is there a particular car I’m looking for?”

“A white SUV,” she answered tensely.

“Well, imagine that. One just drove by. Should I follow it?”

“No!” Her voice rose to a panic pitch.

Chase pulled back out into traffic and, moments later, opened the gate to his driveway. He waited until the gate closed behind him, allowing no one room to enter.

“Stay down, Jen. Our car in question did a drive by.”

“Oh, dear God,” she gasped.

He entered the garage and waited for the door to close. “Get in the house. I’m in need of an explanation.”

Chase unlocked the door and waited for her to go in before him. She turned to him with eyes, she was sure, matched her fear. “I have to call him. He’s on edge. That’s why he’s driving by.”

“Who?” he pushed.

“Todd.”

“You told that scum we broke up?” Chase’s voice shook with anger. He ran a hand through his hair and turned away from her.

“I had to…just…just…let me explain. I had to protect you.”

“You had to protect me? From him? Thanks, Jen, for believing I can take care of myself…take care of us.”

“Stop!” She had little patience left. “This isn’t about your ego. I had to buy time until I could tell you. I do trust you. Why do you think I’m standing here? I need to get him to back off. There’s more to this than you know. I have to call him.”

“Why don’t you let me call him? I’ll take care of this right here, right now.”

“Because he’s delusional. Back him in a corner and I don’t know what he’ll do. We have Andrea to consider. We can’t act on emotion, Chase. We have to be smart. He needs to be put away.”

Chase turned away from her, dragging a hand through his hair.

Jena dialed the number and waited for him to answer. “Todd? Jena.”

“Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick.”

“Why would you be worried? I told you I was handling things.”

“I wasn’t sure…” he paused, “if you’d change your mind.”

Todd didn’t trust her. “He won’t be bothering us anymore, Todd.” Jena glanced at Chase and saw him watching her, his eyes black with anger.

“Good. I’m glad it’s done. Now we can get on with our life together.”

“I still need the week. I have my sister’s affairs to handle.”

“I can help you.”

“No,” she blurted. “I mean…this is something I need to do myself. Please?”

“All right. My patience is running thin, but I did say a week. The clock is ticking.”

She didn’t miss the veiled threat, but chose to ignore it. “I’m really tired. I’m going to bed. We’ll talk soon,” she promised.

“You’re home?” he questioned with doubt in his voice.

“Yes, where else would I be?” She attempted to convey confusion as Chase paced in front of her.

“Sleep well, Jena.”

“Goodnight, Todd.” She exhaled sharply and threw the phone on the counter. Rubbing her hands together, she couldn’t stop the trembling. “Where are you going?”

“Stay put,” he demanded as he rushed from the room.

Jena put a hand to her mouth and closed her eyes. What was he going to do?

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chase ran up the back steps to his bedroom. He left the light off and moved the blind aside. Richards wasn’t buying her story. He pulled the curtains across the windows to his ocean view. He rarely did this, but he wouldn’t put it past the guy to be sitting on the beach with binoculars.

He went downstairs, but not before grabbing his .38 from the gun box. He tucked it away, so she wouldn’t see. She was scared enough. He didn’t want to add to her anxiety, but he wouldn’t be caught off guard.

Her eyes jumped to his as soon as he entered the room. “Come with me, Jen.”

“Where are we going?”

He shut off the light over the kitchen sink and replaced it with a night-light over the stove. The rest of the house was dark. “To my bedroom.”

She looked at him with apprehension. “I…don’t…know.”

“Are you afraid of me?”

“Of course not.”

“He’s outside…in a parking lot across the street. I want him to think I’ve gone to bed. You can tell me the entire story.” He held out his hand to her.

“Okay.”

She was exhausted. Chase didn’t know how much more she could take. If he got his hands on this guy…five minutes was all he wanted.

He walked in the room and motioned for her to sit. She lowered hesitantly to his bed and looked to him with wide eyes. “Start at the beginning.”

“You have to promise me you’ll remain calm.”

“Calm? I passed that hours ago.”

“Chase, you’re not making this easy for me.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” He brushed his hand over his face.

“Todd came to the house today,” she blurted.

“And you let him in?” he asked in disbelief.

“I invited him for lunch.”

He was dumbfounded. Words escaped him.

“It was stupid. I know that now. I didn’t realize he was so sick. He’s always been so kind and when I saw him on the beach this morning…”

“You saw him on the beach?”

“Yes, when I took my walk. He wanted to apologize.”

“You do realize he was following you?” The look on her face made it clear she hadn’t thought of that.

“He was like the old Todd.”

“Jen, for God’s sakes…”

“Are you going to let me get through this?”

“Go on.”

“I figured it was safe enough. Mrs. R. would be there….only she wasn’t. She was grocery shopping. He arrived. I invited him in and we started to eat. That’s when he started on me about going back to Ohio. He told me I was throwing my life away. I belonged with him.”

Chase noticed her eyes focused on the scene in her memory. He forced himself to remain quiet.

“I told him I was staying in Clearwater, that it was better for Andrea. I told him we were trying to work things out. I wasn’t going back to Ohio. That infuriated him. He told me he was going to marry me and he started to…touch me.”

“I’m going to kill him!” Chase squeezed his fists together at his sides.

“I was so scared. He told me I had a week to end our relationship. I’m to be his perfect wife.”

He stared at her with his hands on his hips, then paced like a caged animal. She seemed dazed. “Jen, I don’t know how much more of this I can take before I go find him.”

“I need to tell you everything. This is serious.”

“Oh, I get how serious it is. He has a death wish.”

“Chase, stop! Listen to me. He’s crazy.”

“He hasn’t seen crazy, but I’m going to show him.”

“Please.” The desperation in her voice stopped him from going on and she continued. “He told me I had one week to get rid of you or he would. At first I didn’t get the implication…until he told me he knows people who would handle it for him. Chase, he was threatening to kill you.”

“He’s trying to scare you, manipulate you. He’s gutless.”

“No, he’s serious. I used to warn Todd about the people he advised back home. They had reputations for their business dealings.” She paused, searching for the right words. “These people have money, lots of money, and they didn’t get it being honest. If someone gets in their way…they disappear. Todd was chummy with these people. He told me they owe him favors. Don’t you understand, Chase? If you’re in the way he will make you disappear.” Jena exhaled before adding, “Mrs. R. found a knife on the floor.”

He was stunned. “A what?”

“It was across the room. Nowhere near the counter they sit on. I think he took it. Maybe to use on me.”

“You realize,” he said evenly, “you’re in danger too, if you cross him?”

“What are you saying? I should go with him?”

His eyes narrowed. “Of course not! I can’t believe you let him in the house.” He sighed, shaking his head.

The tears fell down her face and he went to putty. He sat next to her and held her close. “I’m not going to let him get away with this.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you he was coming to lunch.”

“I am too, but I have a confession of my own.” He walked to his dresser and picked up the note.

****

“What’s this?” She took the note he held out and carefully opened it. Her mouth dropped as she searched his face for an answer. “Where did you get this?”

“It was left on my windshield when I grabbed a burger today.”

She reread it and looked to him for an honest answer. “Do you think it’s possible? That’s she’s alive?”

“Most likely, it’s from the slime sitting outside my house. This is another way to attempt to manipulate us. He knows I would do anything to keep you safe, so he throws a little danger in the mix. I’ll stay away from you and he can take you back to Ohio without a fight.”

She looked at the note again. “What if it’s not? From him, I mean.”

“Jena, Jasmine’s gone,” he said gently.

“They said she’s gone, but I have no body to prove that. My gut has been telling me something isn’t right. This note adds to that doubt.”

Chase sat down beside her. “We’ll show it to Detective Burrows and we’ll tell him everything…together.”

She nodded. “I have his card in my purse. I’ll get it.”

“Let’s wait until morning. It’s really late,” Chase reasoned.

Jena sighed. “I suppose, but how am I going to get home?”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“I can’t stay here.” Panic moved through her body like a tidal wave.

“Why not? We’re both of legal age, aren’t we?”

“Chase, seriously. I can’t spend the night with you. What if he finds out?”

“He won’t know. Mrs. R. will cover if he comes to the house. No one gets past her.” Jena conceded with a small nod. “Besides, if he calls you, your phone is right here. I need to know you’re safe. I need you in my arms tonight.”

Her heart jumped. Was it in protest or agreement? “I can’t…”

“You can lie in my arms and sleep.”

He went to his dresser, slid open the top drawer, and grabbed a t-shirt. He held it in front of him with a serious look. “What do you think of this one?”

Jena read the words, EDGE OF REDEMPTION, and smiled. “It’s perfect.”

“The bathroom’s behind that door. Take your time.”

Jena was alone only moments before fear got the better of her. She didn’t want to be alone, imagining all types of scenarios. She even imagined Todd on the other side of the door. Chase made her believe everything would work out. She loved him so much. Fate wouldn’t bring them together only to tear them apart. She couldn’t accept that.

She splashed cold water on her face and took some deep breaths. Closing her eyes, she whispered to herself, “Chase is on the other side of this door, not Todd. You’re safe. He’s safe.” She slowly opened the door, peeking into the room. Chase was gone.

Jena slowly approached the closed bedroom door and reached for the doorknob. She pulled her hand away as if it were on fire. The fear of the unknown had her blood thumping in her ears. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she muttered to herself. If Todd, or anyone else, were in the house she would have heard a struggle. She inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm her nerves as she turned the knob. The door moaned in a protest that echoed down the hall. Jena crossed the threshold and turned in the direction of the stairs. The hallway was so dark. She was having a difficult time focusing. Her imagination was running wild.