Page 43 of Master of My Heart

Jayson raised his eyebrows. “Why?”

“Well, Sabrina’s former director said some unsavory people had been asking about her. I thought maybe Chase might be able to help.”

Her heart pounded and she looked back up at Martin. “Is Mr. Baker okay?” she asked worriedly, ignoring the fact that her heart skipped a beat every time Chase’s name was mentioned.

Martin nodded. “He’s fine. They don’t suspect that he knows anything or was involved in your disappearance. He had someone get rid of the car you drove.”

Sabrina sighed in relief. That had to mean only Ramon’s guys were looking for her. Khyan could have read Mr. Baker’s mind, but Ramon’s guys were human. Maybe his brother from Mexico took over.

Martin looked back at Jayson, who sighed. “I called him earlier today, but he’s still out of town. I left him a message, but he won’t get it until... later.”

Martin frowned slightly. “Any idea when he’ll be home?”

Jayson shook his head. “Before he left, he said it might be a long one. He’s only been gone a week or so.”

Sabrina closed her eyes, willing her heart to slow down. She’d only missed him by a few days. But that was good, right? She didn’t want to see him. Didn’t want to be confronted with the fact that he was happily married and probably had kids.

She winced at the thought.

“You okay?” Jayson asked, putting his hand on hers.

Sabrina jumped slightly at his touch. “Yeah,” she answered, trying to mask the pain in her voice. She hoped if he heard it, he’d think it was just her ribs bothering her.

But this pain was far worse and emanated from a much deeper place in her chest.

*****

Before she went to bed that night, Sabrina dragged her bag out of the closet and dug through it until she found the rolled-up socks holding Chase’s ring.

She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since she’d heard his name earlier that afternoon. The knowledge of how her life had turned out was as painful as the bruise on her side. Maybe more so. Chase still lived in Boston. Maybe even had a place not too far from her own new home. And yet... Life would never turn out the way she’d dreamed of for so long. There would be no sweet reunion with him running to her and embracing her, saying how much he missed her. That he’d waited for her.

No man would wait so long without so much as a word from a girl. And even if there were the tiniest chance of that happening, he’d never want her once he found out the truth of what had been going on all these years. No man wanted a whore and a murderer for a wife.

If he even remembered her.

But she remembered him. Oh, how she remembered him.

Sabrina sat down on her bed, cross-legged, and untwisted the socks until the heavy ring fell onto the bed in front of her. She reached out to touch it, expecting it to be cool, but found it warm. As always.

She could almost feel Chase standing in front of her, almost hear his voice.

“It’s my promise that I will return for you.”

Why? Why did she cling to a hope of a promise from so long ago? How could she expect him to have kept it after so many years? They’d only had the one night.

“I will return for you.”

She could hear his voice in her heart as clearly as if he were standing right next to her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she picked up the ring and stared into the depths of the diamond in the center.

She had no doubt he meant it at the time. He was that type of man. If she hadn’t disappeared, she was sure he would have come back for her. Who knew? Maybe he even tried.

But she wasn’t there.

The thought of seeing him again was killing her. She wanted to rip her heart out of her chest and throw it through the window. Or stab it with a long blade. Anything to stop the pain. The pain of the what-ifs.

The physical pain she went through for the past several years was nothing compared to the pain she felt right then. Possibilities, dreams torn away, along with the innocence of her youth. Replaced with the reality of what she’d become. A whore. A murderer.

She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, hoping she would have good dreams tonight. Maybe of dancing with Jayson.