Chapter 15

Chapter

Fifteen

Elizabeth congratulated herself for somehow managing to keep her focus and get away from Hays. His arms around her had her head cloudy and full of dreams of them escaping to Greenland and living out their days in a cottage by the icy sea. When she'd kissed his neck and then he'd spun her so quickly, made her tremble with his hands caressing her arms, his dark eyes filled with a meaningful look, and then bent to kiss her, all she'd wanted was to return his kiss. Thankfully she'd remembered his instructions, dropped in a heap, and rolled away.

She wanted to kiss him again. Horribly. The beautiful kisses they'd shared were never far from her mind. How could she justify kissing him over and over again when she knew they wouldn't be together long term?

Now she was watching outside the ring as Hays and Easton sparred. They were both incredibly strong, their upper bodies well-muscled with some significant scars. She wanted to ask Hays about each scar and kiss each one. She pushed that thought away and focused on what impressive fighters they were. She didn't know fighting terminology, but she appreciated them wrapping their hands with white tape and wearing headgear to protect their brains as they hit and kicked at each other. It looked painful.

Easton continually taunted Hays, and Hays patiently smiled in return and got in another hard hit. No matter how hard Easton hit him in return, Hays had a grin on his face. It wasn't his usual easygoing smile; it was a smirk that said, I am a master at this and I'm holding back. I'll destroy you soon.

She might have been putting thoughts into that smile, but she felt as if she knew Hays so well. He was the nicest man she'd ever been around, but then he'd gone and decimated Peter to protect her. She hadn't realized as an eighteen-year-old when she'd teasingly called him Superman how well it fit. He was understated and thoughtful like Clark Kent, not wanting the glory or the praise, but he could beat anyone and make his lady yearn with longing for him. Elizabeth was grateful that unlike Lois Lane, she knew both faces of her Superman.

"Is that all you got?" Easton shot at Hays.

Hays grinned and kicked him in the head. Easton swayed. Hays backed off, watching Easton when he could've finished him off.

Shaking his head, Easton called out, "Come on, you beast, stop toying with me. I'm not a pansy mama's boy."

"You sure?" Hays asked.

Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh. She thought Hays was asking if Easton was sure he didn't want to be toyed with, but Easton seemed to think he was referring to not being a ‘pansy mama's boy.'

Easton growled and launched himself at Hays. Hays dodged and threw Easton against the corner. Easton bounced back, whirled and fought wildly, his hits growing increasingly desperate.

Hays patiently went at Easton with a series of well-executed jabs and backed him into a corner. Elizabeth clapped her hands together, half-cheering and half unnerved by the battle. She'd think a fight like this would dredge up the memories of her father's men beating somebody, but it had such a different feel to her. These men were willingly fighting and having fun with it.

She could sense Hays would knock him down soon. Easton was blustering and bragging more than ever and swaying on his feet.

"Come on," Easton crowed. "Maybe you're the pansy mama's boy."

Hays chuckled. Elizabeth sensed Hays could knock him out anytime he wanted, but he didn't want to decimate Easton's pride.

The door leading into the barn burst open and Walker rushed through. "Papa needs you all. Now."

"What's happened?" Hays demanded, flipping off his headgear and dodging out of the ring and toward her, hurrying to unravel the tape on his hands as he came.

"Breaking news about Elizabeth's guards being found."

Breaking news? Where had they found her guards? Still tied up? For two days? That was miserable, but they were all her father's henchmen and deserved some discomfort.

Hays finished pulling off the tape on his hands as they ran after Walker and out of the barn. Easton followed them at a stumbling jog.

"You all right?" Hays called to Easton.

"I'm great. Just been used as a punching bag by an elite SEAL who won't stop smiling about it."

"He's all right," Walker said. "His mouth is still running. If he shuts that mouth, then we'll worry."

Elizabeth smiled at that, but her gut was churning at whatever had happened with her guards. Did they somehow know where she was? Even now, they could be heading their way. Her eyes darted around the picturesque ranch as they ran. Hays steadied her with his hand on her elbow. His presence reassured her, but the fear of her guards coming and killing all these welcoming and loving people, taking Hays to her father so Elizabeth could ‘learn a lesson' horrified her.

They entered the house through the garage and raced into the laundry room and through the kitchen. Hays shoved the hand wrappings in the garbage. Millie was nowhere to be seen. They approached the security center, and Millie and Jared both spun to face them. Trent, their foreman and head guard, sat at the desk.

"What's happening?" Elizabeth asked.

Jared pointed at a female blonde reporter frozen on the screen. Trent pushed play.

"Retired Captain Aiden Porter is wanted for questioning in the murder of six men and the kidnapping of Elizabeth Oliver. Currently the renegade Porter is at large. Police have long said Porter thought he was above the law, but this is the first time he hasn't been on the side of the law, played the ‘good guy,' and gotten away with a slap of the hand if he used unconventional methods. If you have any information about his location, please call …"

Elizabeth swayed against Hays. He wrapped her up and held her tight. He was sweaty, but she didn't care. She'd feared she would risk the people who tried to help her. How could anyone believe the famed security expert Aiden Porter, who had protected and helped so many innocent people, would kill six men and kidnap her? This reporter was trying to play up the ‘renegade' angle. It made her sick. Guilt swirled in her gut. More death at her father's hands, but it was ultimately her fault. She'd thought the guards deserved some discomfort, but not death.

Two faces came on a different screen, and she was grateful Hays held her up. Her father. And Peter.

Peter was alive while six of her guards were dead. Her father had murdered the other guards for failing him, then used them to frame Aiden and claim she'd been kidnapped.

"We were ambushed," Peter said stoically, one eye black and blue, his lip split, and a long, thin gash on his cheek. "Porter and his men killed my men and left me for dead. They took Miss Oliver." He looked ashamed and humiliated. Elizabeth wondered if Peter had given himself the black eye and the cuts, but she could only imagine the scenario.

Peter and his men had likely escaped their bonds and made it back to her father. Her father would've made them kneel, expressing his ‘disappointment' in them. Then his other men would've shot them one by one, leaving Peter for last. Peter was evil, but those men had been his ‘team,' his friends. He would've waited for that shot, but Father would've had him beat up instead.

Peter had been bested by Hays and let her escape. He'd failed her father. He was lucky to be alive, and he knew it.

"Please." Her father's simpering look at the screen made her stomach revolt. He was a murderer hundreds of times over and the most hypocritical devil on earth. "If you have any information about my beloved daughter, please help me find her."

Trent silenced the television.

"We have to do something to clear Aiden's name," Elizabeth said, leaning heavily into Hays's strength. "I knew my father would come after all of you. He might be coming here as we speak. I have to give myself up."

"Never." Hays wrapped her up tighter with his strong arms. His physical strength was unparalleled, but nobody could win against her father's devious mind.

"Elizabeth," a voice said through the speakers.

She jolted. "Quaid?"

"It's me. You need to calm down. It's a curveball, but we can still swing at it."

"What are you talking about? Father will ruin Aiden's life, kill his wife and her royal family to prove a point, a bomb, poisoning the water supply ... He will take apart all of Aiden's security teams. He'll come after all of you and take great pleasure in it."

"Elizabeth." There was a charming lilt to the voice speaking now. "I would love to see your father try to invade the kingdom of Magna, get past Chalisa's brother-in-law General Kingston and our men. All travel has been shut down to Magna. No terrorist paid by your father will get in. They are on high alert, and I promise you we will prepare for every eventuality."

"Aiden! I am so sorry. You should never have tried to help me." If she turned herself in, her father might stop.

He chuckled at that. "I told you I love a challenge. All this does is expedite our plans. Jarom Love is in. I've got a jet en route to pick you and Hays up with plenty of men to make certain you're safe. Sorry, Colevilles, but you're out of this one. If we want to keep that fabulous ranch of yours off the criminals' radar so we can infringe on your hospitality in the future, we need to not have a Coleville name associated with this op."

"Dang," Easton muttered, earning a sharp look from Millie. "What? We had to leave with the ‘townfolk' from Cade and Jacey's party and miss Hays taking out their top guard."

"You'll be fine," Millie said shortly.

"We'll meet Jarom at his Aspen home," Aiden continued, "shoot a video for the media, and then call your father. If he wants you back, he'll have to play by our rules."

Tears streaked down Elizabeth's face. "Not if he quietly starts murdering or kidnapping everyone you love."

"So little faith in this one, eh?" Aiden teased.

"None," Elizabeth admitted.

"It's all right, Liz," Hays said softly. "I've got you."

"Lizzie," Quaid said.

She startled. He hadn't called her Lizzie in years. Only Jacey used that term.

"It's going to be okay. We're done cowering to him and his manipulation."

Quaid had escaped nine years ago and even when he'd been recaptured four months ago, she'd heard that he bravely never succumbed, even when beaten almost to death. She wasn't so certain she was done cowering. She still feared she was the only one who understood her father's tactics and deviousness.

"Jacey, Cade, and Anna?" she begged to know.

"Safe."

"You promise?" Her voice quavered and she bit her lip to hide the emotion.

"Yes, sis, I do." He paused. "The Colevilles will protect their ranch, town, and Cade's family."

Jared and Easton nodded. It was as serious as she'd ever seen Easton.

"Sutton Smith sent some of his people to help Aiden's operatives watch over Hays's family and Anna's."

"Thank you," Hays said.

Elizabeth was grateful for that as well. She tried to think if they'd overlooked anyone, but she also had to reiterate, "You know how he works, Quaid. Sneaky, stealthy, under the radar. Please have everyone be suspicious and careful about anything—carbon monoxide poisoning, a vehicle or plane tampered with, food poisoning, kidnapping, water poisoning?—"

"I know, Lizzie. I know. We are taking this very seriously. We won't underestimate Father, Peter, or any of Father's associates. Thanks to you, we have a long list of who to watch, and thanks to Aiden and Sutton, we have a lot of trustworthy allies in the FBI, CIA, military, police forces, Interpol, and other government organizations."

"Okay," she managed. Hopefully it would be enough.

She looked up at Hays.

"I won't leave your side," he said, his dark eyes full of promise.

She wished that could be true, but she'd eventually have to leave him in order to save him. She would sacrifice herself every time. It was second nature to her.

"You all are so lucky," Aiden quipped. "You get to claim friend status with not only the second top security specialist in the world, but now the most wanted renegade." He chuckled. "Chalisa's going to hate that term. See you all soon."

"Thank you, Aiden," Jared said.

"My pleasure." A click and he was gone.

Hays had told her that men like Aiden quipped and teased to deal with the darkness and heaviness of their occupation. Aiden was too much for her. She couldn't make light of her father setting his target on Aiden's head. Who else would he go after if Quaid was right and Cade, Jacey, and Anna were in a safe space? Hays? Definitely. Maybe the Colevilles would be safe since they hadn't stayed at Jacey's party past when the rest of the innocent people from town had left, but she wouldn't put it past her father to track down everybody who had been at Jacey and Cade's the night she ‘disappeared' and start torturing them to see who would make Elizabeth, Quaid, and Jacey break and come running to him.

Elizabeth focused on Hays's dark eyes and his strong arms around her. He was her safety net, her love, her life. And her father was going to destroy him, cut him apart bit by bit.

She straightened and tried to step away. He didn't let her go.

"I don't want you as my bodyguard any longer," she told him in a firm, business-like voice, tilting her chin imperiously. "Aiden's men will be sufficient. You should go back to the SEALs."

Hays's dark eyes reflected hurt, then determination. He leaned in. "Nothing you say will displace me from your side, Liz. Quaid hired me and I won't leave you."

"Please, Hays. Please." Tears leaked out of her eyes. All self-control was gone. She crumpled against him and clung to his strong back. "If my father sees you, he'll either realize you're the voice from Jacey's closet or he'll put together that you're the man I fell in love with at eighteen and sent away. Somehow he'll know. He always knows. He'll take special delight in torturing you to punish me for trying to escape and making certain I never disobey him again."

Hays wiped a tear from her cheek. "Don't cry, Liz. I will protect you and I will stay by your side. Even if it goes so far that you have to marry the cupcake."

"Jarom," she corrected. How was that his biggest concern? Did he not hear what she'd said about torture and murder?

"I've been trained to handle torture." He gave her the cockiest smile she'd ever seen on his face. "If they can capture me."

Elizabeth sucked in a breath. He was brave and strong, but nobody except Quaid had ever beaten her father in the long run.

"I'm here, Liz." Everything about Hays from the set of his jaw, the firmness of his muscular body surrounding her, and the determination in his eyes screamed he was Superman and would defend her. "And I'm not going away."

Elizabeth should've pushed him away, but she couldn't resist his comforting strength and safety. It was the first time in her life she'd chosen not to give herself up. It might still come to that, but right now she only wanted to rest in Hays's strength. She leaned into his shoulder, his light, his confidence, his love for her. He hadn't said love, but she felt it clear through. Soon she'd have to be strong and face her father on her own.

"Lizzie." Quaid was still on the phone. "I'm going to say a prayer, then we'll sign off."

"A prayer?" she repeated. Jacey had stayed faithful to what Nanny Maria had taught her and Quaid, but she didn't think Quaid had.

"Yeah. Anna's showed me the love of Jesus."

"Oh." She had no better response to that. Hays had offered to help her find Jesus and heal together, but that could never happen. Love and peace wasn't her path, and she could only hope her brother and sister wouldn't lose the loves of their lives because they'd tried to rescue Elizabeth and take on their father.

"Dear Lord," Quaid began. "We thank you for our relationships, for love and light, for Jesus. We thank You for sound minds and strong bodies, the ability to fight for what's right. We ask You to protect Anna, Jacey, Cade, Elizabeth, Hays, the Colevilles, Aiden and his family and men. We ask You for success to stop Benjamin Oliver. We ask You for Your guidance in these endeavors. In Jesus's name. Amen."

"Amen," everyone but Elizabeth echoed.

She swallowed against the lump in her throat. Peace seemed to envelop the room and nobody moved for a few breaths. Would heaven help them? Maybe if she wasn't in the equation. Heaven had never been there for her.

Hays rubbed his hand along her back, and she glanced up at him. This strong, kind, determined man could have been sent to her from heaven. If that was true, why would heaven want someone as wonderful as Hays to stand between her and her father?

"I'll meet you at Jarom's in a couple of hours," Quaid said. "Don't worry, Lizzie. You've got too many winners on your side. We're not kids anymore. You've given us the information we need with that brilliant brain of yours, and we're preparing to take him down from every angle. We'll share what we can of the plan soon. Stay strong, sis."

He hung up before she could respond. Stay strong. That was all she'd done her entire life, and it had gotten her nowhere. Quaid should know how connected, smart, and devious their father was, but no one except her truly saw the full scope. He'd murdered six of his own loyal men to try to take down Aiden Porter and flush her out. Not many devils would be so depraved.

Hays still held her, and that was the only thing strengthening her right now. If only she could send him away and keep him safe. Sure, she'd be unsteady and even more terrified without him, but she'd been standing alone and hiding her fears for years. Hays was much more important than how she felt or what she needed.

He tenderly kissed her forehead and then smiled at her. "Knock knock," he said.

"Who's there?"

"Boo."

"Boo who?" As soon as she said it, she smiled and heard Easton laugh.

"Don't cry," Hays said. "It's just a joke."

Hays leaned in and kissed right below her eye, where a bit of moisture from a tear had stuck. She sucked in a breath.

"You never need to cry or worry about me," Hays said. "I'm taking care of you now."

Elizabeth stared at him. Nobody had ever taken care of her. Could she allow him to? She didn't dare. All she knew was she couldn't handle him being in her father's power. She wanted to take down Benjamin Oliver more than anyone, but she wouldn't risk Hays, her siblings, or any of the other people helping her.

There had to be a way to sacrifice herself to keep them safe.