Page 57 of SEAL'S Secret Vows

Maxwell's responds with a scornful laugh, his voice dripping with contempt. “You think you can stop me, Chase? You think you can bring me to justice? You're a fool if you believe that. I have the power and the resources to do whatever I want. And nothing—not you, not anyone—will stand in my way.”

“What does Dallas have to do with any of this?” Chase exclaims, throwing a hand up.

Maxwell glowers at him, and I inhale sharply. “All I care about is ruiningyourlife. I don’t care how that is accomplished.”

A loud blow comes fast and hard, sending Chase crashing to the ground with a grunt of pain.

“Chase!” I scream, my voice filled with panic as I watch him scramble to his feet. Maxwell hits him again, but Chase dodges the next blow and tackles him to the ground.

“You! You ruined my life and now you have to pay!” Maxwell screams, grappling for control and trying to shoot his gun. They wrestle with the gun until a deafening bang echoes through the hallway and both men go still.

I drop the knife with trembling hands and stay rooted in place. Tears start forming in my eyes at the scene.Have I lost Chase?

“Chase?” Blood gurgles out of Maxwell's mouth as he crumples to the ground. Chase and I stay rooted in place looking at the scene in front of us.

Maxwell becomes still.

The rest of the team gathers around followed by a paramedic. They wrap Maxwell’s body in a bag and wheel him outside. I remain on the same spot trying to block the image from my mind repeating one sentence. I could have lost Chase; I could have lost him, and we would never have had a chance at something.

Snap out of it, Nora. Chase barks some orders to his team and they move in different directions to carry them out. I move closer to him and put my hand on his shoulder.

“Chase, are you okay?”

“I'm okay, Nora,” he reassures me, his voice strained but firm.

“I was so scared I lost you.” I whisper, my eyes shining with unshed tears as I pull him into a hug.

“I'm fine Nora. Nothing happened. I'm safe. In fact, I should be thanking you for saving all of us.”

“Us?” I ask, feeling confused.

“Yes.” He points to the silver briefcase being carried out. “The bomb. If that thing had gone off, we'd all be dead. And you saw Maxwell before he shot me or you.”

Tears slip down my face, and he wipes them away. “Oh, Nora. Don't cry. It's all over now.”

“I love you,” I blurt out. He freezes, and it spurs me on. “I’m in love with you. I’m sorry I was too afraid to say it before. But—”

Chase grabs me close, kissing me hard. “I love you,” he groans, and I throw my arms around him.

We’re still hugging when the rest of the team bursts in, and looks around, baffled by the scene.

Laughing, Chase pulls away, though he leaves a hand on me. “We dealt with Maxwell.”

Joseph looks between us and the dead body and the bomb. “Seems like it.”

“We found the old man and his accomplice,” Lena says, reporting to Chase. “They’re being shipped back to base now. As far as we can tell, it was just the three of them.”

Chase grins at me. “So it’s over?”

“Not quite,” Joseph adds. We all tense up. Joseph gives Chase a wink. “Someone’s gotta talk to the news vans outside.”

Chase groans. I laugh at him, and he gives me a playful growl before kissing the side of my head. Lena’s eyes widen, but Joseph elbows her first.

“I should get my things from the room,” I say softly.

“Okay.” He squeezes my hand firmly as if reassuring me that he's here before letting go. “Let's meet in twenty minutes.” I see Commander Keith coming in from the entrance with a proud look of achievement on his face, and Chase walks up to him. I couldn't be happier for Chase knowing that he will sleep easy now.

I leave the stairway. A few reporters are already recording, pointing their cameras at me, but I get away as quickly as I can and go back to the hotel room.

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