Page 25

Chapter

Fourteen

Lizzy savored every moment of the Sound of Music day on Friday, except for the disturbing chasm between her and Chase.

The rift had been growing between them all week.

She’d tried to reassure herself he was focusing on protecting her, but last night flipped that reasoning on its head.

They’d been alone, and he had still yanked away from her.

He had said he was interested, but his running away didn’t back that up.

Despair filled her. She felt like she’d already lost him.

Their kissing session last night was the most intense, passionate, and beautiful thing she’d ever experienced.

Instead of continuing to kiss her, he’d said ‘no’, asked her to forgive him, and said he couldn’t.

Then he’d rushed away without a real explanation, slamming the door behind him.

It all felt decidedly un-Chase-like. Yet what did she know about Chase?

She’d known him for less than two weeks.

She wasn’t some expert on his feelings and desires.

He’d hardly said a word as they got ready for bed, and he slept on a pullout couch in the main room.

The air had felt thick and awkward between them since he interrupted those beautiful and intense kisses.

Why was he shutting himself off from her?

She understood he needed to protect her, but did that mean he couldn’t let down his guard and love her?

All of Lizzy’s insecurities rose to the surface.

Chase had seemed like her dream man; he’d accepted her and made her feel like his ideal woman.

What had happened? Was he upset he had to protect her?

Maybe he realized what a mess she was and was growing increasingly annoyed with all of her problems like her other boyfriends had.

That must be why he’d slowly distanced himself from her all week.

Lizzy couldn’t blame him. Chase was perfect, and she was far from the ideal.

She buried her pain, said a prayer for peace, and tried to enjoy this last day.

The scenery was off the charts, and she was finally seeing the sights of The Sound of Music .

They had a private tour with a hilarious guide named Charlotte.

Their verbose and informative guide, and being at real Austrian locations from one of her favorite movies, distracted her.

Except when she caught Chase looking at her, or their arms brushed, or he treated her with respect and kindness despite his obvious reluctance to kiss and love her.

Those moments stung like a million bees swarming her.

They went through Mirabell Garden and saw Pegasus Fountain.

They spent a lot of time in Hellbrunn Palace.

The gazebo wasn’t as romantic as she’d hoped when Chase simply gave her a smile at Charlotte teasing they could reenact the kissing scene from the movie.

Then he strode outside, murmuring about checking something.

Charlotte gave her a sympathetic smile, and she felt even more awful.

The Felsenreitschule Opera House was incredible, built on the site of an old rock quarry. Lizzy sang ‘So Long, Farewell’ on the very stage where the von Trapp children sang in the movie. It was delightful to be on this stage singing, but her choice of songs was prophetic.

Tomorrow, she’d tell Chase so long and farewell.

Charlotte teased Chase that with his husky and lyrical voice, he should sing. He stared right at Lizzy as he sang out, ‘Don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone’, an old eighties rock song by the band Cinderella.

Charlotte laughed at his choice, but Lizzy was sick inside. Did he want her gone? Why was he shutting himself off?

Finally, they reached the Nonnberg Convent.

They couldn’t go inside the convent, but they toured the church and the cemetery.

The cemetery was more incredible in person than it had been in the movie.

There was a sacred feeling there, and Chase seemed to feel it too.

Instead of guiding her with his hand on her elbow, he took her hand in his.

The world suddenly felt right.

They said their goodbyes to Charlotte after Nonnberg Abbey. Chase gave their day guide an extra tip. She tried to refuse it, claiming she’d been paid plenty, but he insisted.

“Last night,” Chase said, gazing down at Lizzy.

Last night, last night . The words echoed through her mind.

Was he sad their time was coming to an end?

What would happen when she flew home tomorrow?

Chase had said Brandon would pay for her security.

She wanted him to be with her, but if he was only her security and couldn’t let down his guard, maybe it would be easier to have regular security and not feel ripped apart like this.

“Does anything sound good for dinner?” Chase asked.

Lizzy fought the sting of disappointment. She’d hoped he would say they could skip dinner and kiss the rest of the time away.

“Thai food sounds amazing, but I doubt we’ll find it a second time in Austria.” She smiled up at him, but it wobbled.

“I bet we can find some.” He released her hand and pulled out his phone to search for Thai food.

Lizzy forced herself not to stare at him, or worse, grab him and kiss him. He’d made it more than clear that he didn’t want to kiss her.

She glanced around at the abbey one last time. She’d probably never see this spot again. Tourists were still milling about even though it was late in the day.

A man across the parking lot caught her eye. His shape and bearing looked familiar.

A shudder ran through her.

Instinct. That was all. It wasn’t Darren. It couldn’t be.

He turned slightly, and she caught a glimpse of his profile. She gasped and her stomach flipped over.

“What?” Chase’s gaze darted to her face.

She focused on Chase, reassured by his protective stance and his blue eyes. He might not be into her, but he’d protect her. She eased closer to him. “I think I’m losing my mind, but I swear I saw Darren.”

“Your ex?” Chase whipped around. “Where?”

She pointed the direction Darren had been. He wasn’t there now. “He’s gone,” she managed. “I must’ve imagined it.”

“Macon,” Chase commanded. “Help me search. Tony, Conrad, James, stay with Lizzy.”

Lizzy hadn’t even heard the names of their new guards, but Chase knew them.

“What does he look like?” Chase asked. “What was he wearing?”

“He’s tall, built like a bodybuilder, dark hair and eyes …

” she trailed off. She hadn’t even noticed what he was wearing.

“Maybe a gray shirt? It would be high quality.” She shook her head.

“Chase. He’s long gone, and what are you going to do?

Grab every guy who looks like that and question why he’s in Austria? ”

He bit out, “If he’s following you…”

Lizzy raised her hands. She doubted Darren had followed her here. Wasn’t it Grady they were worrying about?

“We’ll be back.” He tilted his head to Tony, and the man escorted her into the SUV, where they waited in tense silence. The other guards, who were like silent wraiths, watched over her from outside the vehicle.

The minutes passed slowly. She wrung her hands and prayed that Darren was nowhere in the vicinity.

Chase came back after about fifteen minutes. He shook his head at Tony’s questioning glance. He didn’t say much to her.

They picked up Thai food and went back to the hotel, eating in their room after it was secured.

Chase spent most of the time on the phone with his friend Rock and the security expert Aiden Porter.

He was trying to get updates on Worthen and sifting through any information they had about Darren Falmouth.

Darren was reportedly in Lawrence, Kansas, and looked ‘lily white’ according to Aiden.

Lizzy shuddered again and couldn’t even enjoy the fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce or her Thai chicken basil loaded with a variety of delicious vegetables that had been lacking in the local Austrian food.

Before she knew it, they were both lying in bed—her in the bedroom, him in the main area on the foldout bed. The silence between them was as thick as it had ever been. Even though he was in the other room, she’d kept the door ajar and could hear him, sense him.

What would happen tomorrow? They’d both fly home. She’d never see Chase again.

Maybe Grady Worthen would find her and kill her this time without Chase around to protect her.

Her mind spun with all the awful possibilities.

Chase’s breathing went slow and even. She tried to match her breathing to it and calm down, but she couldn’t.

The anxiety that Darren and then Grady’s attacks had created hadn’t manifested these past two weeks with Chase close, but it was hitting right now.

She slipped out of bed, slid into flip-flops, and walked quietly past him. When she reached the door, she grabbed the key off the side table and slid it into her pocket. Pressing the alarm to turn it off, she swung the door open, slipped outside, and shut it silently behind her.

There was a guard in the hall, one of the newer ones who hadn’t shared their names with her. Conrad? Was that what Chase had called him? He tilted his chin up to her.

“I just needed some air,” she said, then guessed, “Conrad?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He gestured. “I’ll follow you.”

“Thank you.”

Now that the men weren’t monitoring an entire house, they only had the one guard waiting in the hall outside the room.

Lizzy wasn’t even sure where she was going, but moving felt freeing and helped calm her. The hallway was quiet and dimly lit. The palace was so beautiful. She walked down a floor and then down the grand staircase. Gorgeous.

She should’ve turned around and gone back to bed, but all she would do tomorrow was sit on a plane and sleep. She nodded to the worker at the front desk and then headed for the rear of the building.

Finally getting outside and onto the grounds was even more freeing.