In the distance, sirens blared. Lily cradled her baby girl, thankful she was safe and alive and healthy. Chase hovered over her, like the new father he was. He hadn’t taken his eyes off either of them.
As the first ambulance arrived and the EMTs disembarked, Chase gave her hand a final squeeze and met her eyes. Within their depths, Lily saw all the things she’d always known in her heart. He loved her. She loved him, too. She always would. But she knew it wasn’t enough to change who he was or what he did.
The thought of him walking away, of her never seeing him again, was like a giant hand reaching into her and yanking her heart from her chest.
“I’m going to check on Ben,” Chase said.
Lily thought she saw something now in his eyes. Something vague, unsettling and slightly sad that she didn’t quite understand. It was as if he’d closed himself off emotionally.
“Thank him for me.” She looked down at her precious baby. “Thank him for both of us.”
Chase nodded and gave her a smile. But as he turned and walked away, all Lily could think was that she was never going to see him again.
Chapter Thirteen
Chase had always prided himself on having the integrity to do the right thing, even when the right thing wasn’t necessarily the easy thing. He’d learned at an impressionable age to take the high road over the low. He’d always been a firm believer in the adage that adversity built character.
For the first time in his adult life he was tempted to take the easy way out. To hell with his self-imposed code of honor. But he also knew a relationship with Lily, and with his infant daughter, would be anything but easy. As much as he didn’t want to face it, Chase was going to have to walk away from both of them.
He hadn’t seen Lily since he’d delivered her baby—their baby—a few hours ago. It felt more like years. Better get used to it, a harsh voice reminded him. But it had taken him that long to muster the nerve to do what he needed to do.
He and Lily had made statements to both the police and the FBI. Chase found out later that Aidan Shea had died at the scene. The nightmare should have been over.
But Chase knew Liam Shea and his other sons were still out there. And they would like nothing more than to hurt the people Chase loved most.
The authorities were looking for them, but the Sheas were still at large. A fact that brought Chase’s line of thinking full circle.
The truth of the matter was he’d made a lot of enemies in the years he’d been with Eclipse. Too many, if he wanted to be honest about it. He had no way of knowing if—or when—one of them would reappear. All he could do now was protect what he loved most. In this case, the two people who meant the most to Chase: Lily and his daughter. In order to keep them safe, he had to sever ties with them once and for all. He had to end it right here and now.
It was going to kill him to walk away. It had only been a few hours since he’d last seen Lily, since he’d last spoken to her, heard her voice, touched her skin, and already he felt he was dying inside. She was the one great love of his life. He would never love another the way he loved her.
And then there was Chassidy. One look at his precious little girl and Chase had been a goner. She had Lily’s red hair and his nose. Already he loved her more than his own life. How was he going to walk away? How could he live his life without them?
The ache went clean through his chest as he walked into the lobby of New Hampshire Medical Center, a small local hospital just twenty miles from Shane’s house. He took the elevator to the maternity ward. He promised himself he wasn’t going to look in on Chassidy. This would be easier if he didn’t let things get too complicated. But as he passed the glassed-in nursery, the sight of a dozen or more screaming, squirming babies stopped him dead in his tracks.
His eyes were drawn immediately to the crib with the pink zebra blanket and the name “Garrett” printed on the placard. He couldn’t keep the stupid grin off his face as he ogled the baby inside. His little girl.
In the past, babies had always been more like small, mysterious and screaming alien beings. Tonight, he felt a connection to the little girl such as he’d never before experienced in his life.
A man standing a few feet away wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt snagged Chase’s attention. Disbelief swept through him when the man turned and he saw his half brother, Shane.
Chase was surprised all over again when his half brother grinned. “Which one is she, bro?”
Chase’s heart tripped, his pulse rate jacked at seeing Shane here. “Uh, the little girl on the right. In the zebra blanket.”
“Ah, the little redhead. I should have known. Too damn cute to be yours.”
“Takes after her mom.”
“Good thing, I guess.”
“Yeah.” Staring at his daughter, pride swelled in his chest with such power that for a moment Chase couldn’t draw a breath.
The baby kicked her little legs and let out a squeal loud enough to make both men jump. Chase couldn’t help it; he grinned at the toothless, screaming, red-faced baby girl.