14. Chase

I hadto be fucking insane. Hell, the moment I walked into the IT room and faced Rae's incessant questions, I knew what I was doing was wrong. Mercy shouldn't want to be with someone like me, but from the moment I saw those tears in her eyes when I left her hospital room, I wanted more.

More tears.

For me.

Some would call that sadistic, but I didn't want her tears because I hurt her. I just wanted them to be all mine. Every emotion she had, I wanted to drag it out of her and know her from the inside out. I wanted her thoughts to be consumed by me, and vice versa. Hell, she already took up permanent residence in the center of my chest.

Every move I made since I left her was to rid myself of her intoxicating charms. It hadn't worked, and when Asher called me out for being an idiot, I knew it was pointless to argue with him. I hadn't even told anyone where I was going. I just packed a bag and took off halfway across the country to find my Mercy.

And now here I was, hovering over her as she looked at me the way I dreamed she would.

"If you leave me again, I'll have to stalk you and key your car."

"I have a minivan," I told her, pressing soft kisses to her lips.

"I'll key that too."

"I count on it," I said, pressing my lips to hers as I gripped her hair in my hand. She squirmed underneath me, grinding her hips up into me. My cock hardened, swelling behind my zipper. I couldn't take another minute without her skin pressed to mine. I sat up, kneeling and dragging her with me, pressing kisses along her neck as my fingers skimmed down her sides and slipped beneath the hem of her shirt.

She shivered from my touch, pulling back slightly as if looking at me for the first time. Her eyes were glittering with lust and her red, swollen lips were so kissable I had a hard time being separated from them. I tore her shirt over her head and quickly unhooked her bra. I took in every inch of her beauty, her scar, the very thing that saved her life so she could be part of mine.

I would never take that for granted, never forget what she survived. I ran my tongue along her neck, savoring the flavor of her skin as I kissed my way down to her faint scar. Her breath shuddered in her chest as I laid her down and made love to her.

"Chase," she panted as I swirled my tongue over her nipple. Pain shot through my scalp as her fingers dug into my hair. My teeth sank into her pebbled skin as I sucked her nipple into my mouth. Her panting turned into gasps as I trailed my fingers down her belly and brushed them over the fabric covering her pussy. Even now, I could feel the heat radiating off her as she ground her cunt against my hand.

I flicked the button on her pants and quickly rid her of her constraints. Goosebumps broke out over her legs as the cool air hit her. I stood, taking my time unbuttoning my jeans. Her pupils dilated as I stripped in front of her. Gripping the back of my shirt at the neck, I pulled it over my head, catching the way her jaw dropped as my muscles contracted.

Balling up my shirt, I tossed it at her face, nearly coming on the spot when she inhaled my scent. My brain glitched as I watched her lower the shirt from her nose and rub it over her body. She laid back and spread her legs, lowering one hand toward her pussy while the other hand clutched my shirt to her breast.

Was she masturbating to my scent?Fuck, that was hot.

Her fingers slid through her wet folds and then one finger entered her pussy. She cried out softly, her eyes opening and landing on me. I couldn't move. I was so transfixed by what I was seeing that the fucking building could collapse around me and I still wouldn't move.

She shifted the shirt to her nose again and inhaled. I fucking lost it at the erotic look on her face. In a flash, I was between her legs, sliding my tongue in tandem with her fingers. Fuck, she was sexy. No inhibitions when it came to anything in life, and I found myself turned on by that.

I slipped my tongue into her pussy, sliding it alongside her finger. My other hand traced the smooth line of her curves up to her face. When her mouth opened, I slipped a finger inside and fucked it into her. She sucked hard, sending shocks down to my cock with every lick. I replaced one finger with two, and then three, until her mouth was stuffed with me. She moaned around my fingers as I sloppily fucked her pussy with my face.

I could taste her forever, lick her pussy and eat every drop she saved for me, but my cock was desperate to be inside her, to feel her strangling me. I grabbed her hand stuffed in her pussy and shoved it in my mouth, sucking every last drop from her fingers. Her foot slid up my thigh, then around to my ass, pulling me closer.

"You need my cock?"

"Desperately," she whispered.

I settled between her legs, teasing her clit with my tip, driving her insane. Every gasp and moan drove me insane until I lined up and slammed home inside her. She cried out as I pulled out and thrust hard back inside her. Her screams echoed around the room and I clasped my hand tightly over her mouth, hovering just inches above her.

"Fucking scream for me," I whispered.

I jerked my cock harder inside her, but never allowed her screams to be heard by anyone but me. The harder I pressed my hand to her mouth, the wetter she got. My dick was soaked with her juices and her cum dripped down my balls. Fuck, it was sexy.

I lowered my head and bit her nipple again, setting her off like a rocket. Her pussy clenched hard around me and she screamed beneath my hand. As she came down from her high, I sat up, wrapping my arms around her legs and holding her in the air as I drove my cock into her, using her body for nothing but pleasure. When she came again, I couldn't hold back. My cum coated the inside of her pussy, dripping down in long strings to her couch. It was only after I dropped her and collapsed on top of her that I heard her chuckle.

"You owe me a new couch."

Mercy was passedout beside me, her gorgeous body hidden by only a thin sheet. I couldn't stop staring at her and running my fingers over her soft skin. This was real. I had her with me and everything was going to be okay.

Asher's words flooded my head, constantly reminding me that I had to face my fears and earn what I had with Mercy. Technically, he hadn't said that, but it's what I took from it. I bent down and pressed my lips lightly to hers, reveling in the fact that I had her in my arms when only twenty-four hours ago, I was depressed as hell.

Shouting outside caught my attention and I climbed out of bed, pulling on my jeans before walking over to the window. I pulled back the drape with two fingers and watched from the edge of the window as two men walked quickly away from the building, glancing over their shoulders suspiciously.

What the hell were they doing?

And then, as if they knew I was watching, one of them looked directly at me. I didn't imagine the glimmer of humor on his face as he waved to me, then turned and ran away from the building. A feeling of dread sank in my stomach. I turned to wake Mercy when the building shook with a rattle so fierce I thought there was an earthquake. Mercy sat up, her eyes wide as she stared at me for what seemed like minutes when, in reality, only a second had passed. I moved fast, yanking her to her feet and pulling her behind me, but it was too late. The world shattered around us in an instant.

The ground buckled beneath my feet and Mercy fell, her eyes wide as I gripped her hand tighter, grabbing hold of anything I could to keep from sliding down to the next level where the floor gave way. My muscles strained as her weight pulled hard.

But no matter how hard I tried, it wasn't enough. The building groaned and collapsed inward. I fell through the remaining floor, losing my grasp on Mercy as we plummeted through the building. I lost track of Mercy as I twisted in the air, trying to find something to grab onto, and then crashed to the floor with a thud, slamming my head against what felt like a brick.

The light faded in and out around me as rubble crushed me beneath what was left of the building. For a moment, all I could do was stare above me at the dark sky, trying to catch my breath and get a grip on my bearings.

Slowly, the feeling came back into my limbs and I started shoving pieces of rubble off me, easing into a sitting position. It hurt more than I cared to admit, but none of that mattered. Somewhere in the building, Mercy was hurt. I knew it without having to see her. A fall like that…it could have killed her, but I couldn't focus on that now.

I shifted to my side, leaning on my hip as I looked down into the dark hole where another floor used to be. I was right on the edge, and it was only by sheer luck that I hadn't fallen through myself. "Mercy!" I called out in a strangled voice.

A coughing fit took over as I inhaled dust into my lungs. I waved away the lingering dust, though it did little to help. I struggled onto my knees and searched my pockets for my phone. It wasn't in any of them, but as I searched the ground, I found it just a few feet from where I landed. The screen was cracked, but the flashlight feature still worked.

Coughing again, I shone the light around the dark space, nearly having a heart attack when I saw a person staring at me. But the metal bar protruding from his chest and the massive amount of blood pooling around his body was enough to know the man hadn't survived.

"Chase."

The faint sound of Mercy's voice had me scrambling around to find her. "Mercy!"

"Down here," she coughed.

I leaned over the edge and held my flashlight out, sighing a breath of relief when I saw her laying on a couch. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, struggling to get up. "The couch broke my fall. Not that it didn't hurt."

"Don't move!" I shouted in a panic. The building isn't stable."

"I'm not staying down here," she shouted, her voice laced with terror. "If I stay down here, the rest of the building will fall on me!"

And while she was right, anywhere she stepped could end with her falling further or something landing on top of her. "Just wait a minute. Let me look around!"

She nodded and I quickly resumed my search of the area. Across from me, the building wasn't as damaged. Whatever happened, it must have come from the south side. I must have landed in a bedroom. Under the debris were blankets or sheets. Putting my phone between my teeth, I carefully walked across the room and snagged whatever I could, ripping them from under bricks and large pieces of plaster, praying the whole time the building didn't collapse again.

Hurrying back to Mercy, I held the light over her again. "Are you still okay?"

"Yeah," she called up.

"Give me a minute. I'm gonna tie some sheets together."

I got to work, making sure the knots were extra secure. The last thing I needed was for them to fall apart under her weight. Once they were ready, I dropped the line down and planted my feet against the floor on the other side of the hole. If I was lucky, it would hold. I wasn't feeling too lucky right now, but I didn't know how else to get her out.

"Alright, Mercy!" I shouted, "Grab on and I'll pull you up!"

When I felt her weight on the end, I started hoisting her up little by little. I tried not to go too fast. There were too many factors at play that could make this end in a bad way. The ceiling could collapse, the sheet could rip, the building could explode…and the entire time I was pulling her to safety, that was all I could think about.

Sweat slicked my back as I pulled with all my strength. It shouldn't be this hard. Hell, I did this kind of shit with men twice her size. A drop of sweat dripped into my eye, but when I blinked, there was a red tint. I'd think about the head injury later.

Finally, I felt her hand as I shifted my grip.

She let go and grabbed my wrist, doing exactly what I would have told her to do. Pulling with all my strength, I hauled her up until she fell over my body. Together, we lay panting on what was left of the floor. I ran my hands over her body, reassuring myself that she was okay.

"We need to move," I said when I was sure she wasn't bleeding out.

I slowly rolled her to my side and sat up again, grabbing my phone. "If we can make it over to that wall, we might be able to climb down from the building."

"Alright. Just tell me what to do."

"Step only where I step."

I grabbed her hand and stepped across the hole, testing my weight before moving fully across the expanse. I turned and helped her across, then slowly made my way to the other end of the apartment. Every step had my heart racing out of control. The fear of losing her was too strong, unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. Now I understood what it was like for Asher—the difficult choices he had to make that tortured him when his wife was gone.

I grabbed the edge of the window when we finally reached the other side of the building. I needed to find a way out, but Mercy needed something to cover up. Searching the room, I found a dresser still intact. I carefully made my way over, holding my breath as I slowly pulled the drawer out. When nothing happened, I started rifling through it until I found an old shirt and some boxers. Men's clothes would have to do until I could find something more suitable. I pulled a t-shirt over my head and handed clothes to Mercy.

Going back to the window, I looked outside, surprised to see we'd fallen four stories.

"We could jump from here," I said to myself.

"It's kind of high."

"We can't risk it," I muttered. Glancing around, I saw a throw pillow and picked it up, swiping it over the broken glass in the window frame. I took her hand and placed it around the frame. "Do not let go."

Her eyes widened in horror when she realized I was leaving. She shook her head as tears filled her eyes. "No," she whispered. "You promised me. You said you wouldn't leave me."

"It's just for a minute. I need to find a way down from here. This is just a precaution."

She grasped my shirt, shaking her head wildly. "I'll go with you."

"I don't even know if there's a safe way down. It's safer if you stay here until I can figure out the best way out of here."

I placed my hand on her cheek, forcing her to keep her eyes on me. "I will come back for you. Trust me."

She nodded, but tears dripped from her eyes as she tried to compose herself. With one final look, I swung my leg over the window frame and gripped the ledge. Looking to both sides of the building, I still couldn't see anything. The air was filled with smoke and dust, making it impossible to see obstructions from my vantage point.

I climbed the rest of the way out, keeping my toes on the thin ledge running under the window. Little by little, I shifted my hands from the window to the small ledge running above the window. One wrong move, and I'd plummet to the ground. Without being able to see below, I had no idea what I might land on.

When my fingers brushed something metal, relief flooded me. I scooted closer to it and wrapped my hand around it, giving it a firm yank. When it didn't move, I gripped it and pulled myself to it.

It was a fire escape.

"Mercy!"

"Chase?"

"I found a fire escape. I'm going to get you and help you over?—"

"You want me to climb out the window?" she shrieked.

I started back for her. The sooner I got her out, the faster we'd get to safety. "I won't let you fall."

"Chase…"

I moved faster than I should have in my desperation to get to her, but the moment I saw her face again, I knew it had been worth the risk. With straining muscles, I grabbed the inside of the window frame and held myself against it.

"There's a ladder. We can get out."

"I can't do it," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I can't?—"

"You can do this. Okay? There's no time to wait. We don't know when anyone will come for us or if they'll even find us. The building is in shambles. We need to leave. You can do this," I said again."

The fear on her face was clear, but like the tough woman she was, she sucked in a breath, then blew it out in a calming manner and nodded. "Alright."

I guided her out of the window, telling her where to place her hands. She wasn't as strong as me and her hands cramped several times as she tried to hold the ledge. But through the whole thing, she stayed calm, only stopping when she absolutely had to. By the time we reached the ladder, she was a shaky mess. I climbed down below her to catch her if she fell.

"Just a few more rungs," I said, guiding her the bottom few feet.

She jumped into my arms, refusing to stay on the ladder a moment longer than she had to. I wrapped my arms around her shaking body and held her to me, taking deep breaths to tell myself she was okay. Now that we were safe, I could hear the sirens and the loud voices shouting as they searched for survivors.

"You ready to go?"

She nodded, keeping her head tucked against me.

I took her hand and helped her climb over the jagged pieces of building littering the ground. As we stepped away from the burning building, a rush of people ran around us. It was as if we were invisible. Every firefighter and police officer ran toward the building, desperate to get out any survivors.

A face flickered through the crowd and I rushed after him, pulling Mercy along behind me. But the mob of people was too thick, and all I saw was that slick smirk before he disappeared around the corner of the building.

"Come on. We need to go."

"Go where?" Mercy asked, tugging my hand as I tried to pull her from the scene.

"Someplace safe." I turned and faced her, knowing I couldn't keep the truth from her. "The explosion wasn't an accident."