Page 63 of CHASE: Captive to the Dark

“I know all of this,” I said, confused. “I know Rory worked for Jim. He was my replacement when I became a priest. Jim couldn’t do it alone and I didn’t want to have anything to do with the illegal activities. I’ve seen what drugs do. I lived it for years.”

Kit nodded. “Jim once confided in me, when I think he didn’t mean to. I had no idea he was talking about drugs at the time, but it makes perfect sense now that I think about it. He talked about expansion. About new connections. They had such big plans and he expected things to ‘blow up’, as he put it. Father…” Kit came closer, meeting my eyes with such need, I couldn’t help but take her words seriously. “Jim’s not dead. He’s not missing. I talked to him when I left my motel today. I think he’s the one responsible for your attack.”

“What? No. No…” The words sank in, but I couldn’t believe them. Jim and I had been raised together. He wouldn’t turn on me like that. Sure, we didn’t get along at times, but that was no reason for him to try to murder me.

“Please, listen to me,” she said calmly. “Jim is hiding from something. You were trying to get him to stop dealing. If he saw you as a threat, isn’t it possible? Don’t you find it a little mysterious that he disappeared the day after you were injured and he hasn’t once tried to contact you or anyone here? You all think he’s dead.”

She had a point. I went over it again, only to shake my head once more. “All the men waited for me to leave the church before they made their presence known. I was safe there. They were trying to figure out who did this and what to do? Jim’s probably doing the same thing, except this time, he’s looking out for himself, which is smart. Especially since some asshole tried to run me down on my way back here today. Bastard even shot out my back window.”

Kit’s hand flew to her mouth while the other reached out to the bed for support.

“I think it has to do with outsiders. Not anyone we know. But enough about me, how are you?” I moved closer, clenching my fist and stopping as it rose to settle over the middle of her back.

“That’s another reason why I’m here.” Her eyes cut over to me. “There was something wrong with the first tests. Palo thinks the box contained duds.”

“Duds?”

Kit reached into to her back pocket, handing over a familiar stick. Except, this one was bigger. Thicker.

I flipped it around and couldn’t stop the floor from falling out beneath me. It wasn’t lines I was looking at, but a word. Just one.

PREGNANT.

My eyes lifted, connecting with hers. While we stared at each other, there was so much I wanted to say, so much I couldn’t say if she was going to view me in any light besides an evil monster.

“What are you going to do?” My question was plausible enough. I was offering her a choice, even if I wasn’t sure I could let her go through with any of them that didn’t involve staying with me.

“I’m not sure I want to leave until I know what’s going on. That doesn’t mean I want to be a prisoner here,” she rushed out. “I just don’t know how safe it is for me to go home. Jim said he was meeting me at the airport. That I needed to come with him so I could help get Rory back. I don’t trust him.”

And she trusted me?

“I think it’s a good idea that you stay. For as long as you like.” I turned, glancing at the door, relieved as a solution made itself available. “I’ll clear out the gym. I can make my room in there. This can be yours.”

“I can’t take your room. I—”

“Need to be safe,” I said firmly. “You will be if you stay here. If anything happens, lock yourself in the safe room. Lock the door and don’t open it for anyone. There’s a number taped underneath the mousepad in front the monitors. You call it immediately.”

She peeked at the closet and nodded. The action flooded me with a sense of relief. I had her back. I had her and…she was carrying my child.

My hand started for her stomach, only to once again stop. Trust. She needed to learn I wasn’t bad all the time. She had to see both sides of who Chase Harrison was.

“May I?”

Shaking was evident in her hands as she moved them to her sides. I reached in slowly, trying to let her adjust to what I was doing. The moment my palm connected with her shirt, I was pleased she didn’t jerk away.

“I can’t believe this. Me…a dad. It doesn’t seem real. Even before when I tried to grasp the idea, it was so hard to comprehend. I never thought this would happen.”

Kit lowered her head. “Me either. I always told myself I’d wait. I’d…” She grew quiet again.

“You’d what?” I led her to the bed, sitting down next to her as I angled her to face me. “How did you picture your life turning out?”

“As far unlike my mother’s as possible. She didn’t finish high school. I promised myself I’d graduate college. She was seventeen when she got pregnant with me. I swore I’d wait for marriage, which I didn’t even want to consider until I was closer to thirty and was established in my career.” She took a deep breath. “But I chose this. I consented and the consequences are not something I regret. I can still finish school. I can get a job and still have a career as a single mother. Women do this alone all the time. I can, too.”

Did I argue? I sure as hell wanted to.

“You’ll have me. I want to be a part of the baby’s life, too.”

“I know you do, but let’s be realistic, Father.”

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