Her eyes are wild with a touch of desperation. The pupils have a shade of copper around them blending into the green. “You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep, Chase. They drug us, use us, sell us and throw us away like trash. I will no’ let them get away with it.”
Fire, that's what he sees in her Irish eyes. A fire for justice and it's a sight to behold.
“I know you’re angry. You have every right to be, but I give you my word as a U.S. Marshall that I will bring those responsible to justice.”
Disappointment flickers, he isn't getting it, yet. Bronnah pushes away from him, backing up until she's against the bed.
“Something isn’t adding up, Bronnah. Why are they hunting you so desperately? The others were murdered in cold blood. They slit their throats, tied them up and tossed them in the railcar, but not you. Why?” he asked dreading the answer.
Bronnah chews her lip and wonders how much to tell him.
“When I realized they were drugging us, I… well, I vomited. Repeatedly. To get as much of it out of my system as possible. It wasn’t enough, but it may have saved my life. I had a bad reaction to the opium. They believed me to be asleep, and when they weren’t looking Kai, helped me escape by slipping some into someone’s tea.”
"Brilliant thinking, tell me more," he says, wrapping a blanket around her trembling form and sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Thank you," Bronnah whispers. "On the way out of the hotel, I couldn't find my clothes or papers. I needed my bag, my money, they took everything. Desperate, I grabbed blindly at anything that might have my papers in it. I stole a ledger, cash, a gun and a bag of clothes. It wasn't until later that I realized the importance of that book. Names, dates, ships, countries, and… Chase, some of those names are U.S. Marshalls."
"Of course! Now it's all coming together." It doesn't surprise him that some of the Marshall's are corrupt. Running a hand through his hair, he thinks about where to take her until he can call in help.
“There’s more, Chase,” she whispered. “I used the ledger to find out where the next shipment of girls was coming in, and I … stole them back.” Bronnah spills the story of how she saved the girls.
Chase is stupefied. He leaps to his feet, and she crosses her arms over herself.
“Of all the reckless, careless… what on earth were you thinking woman? You could have been killed!” He snarls at her. Bronnah steps in front of him and pokes him in the chest.
“I was helping those who couldn’t help themselves. Just like you do! So, don’t tell me…”
“No!” He grabs her by the upper arms and shakes her gently. “I am trained to do my job. You’re a victim.” She shoves him away from her violently shaking her head.
"I am no one's victim!" Her eyes flash as she tosses her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "I wasn't a victim when I snuck into that hotel room and rescued those young women from a fate worse than death. Nor when I fought back against the Chen, and I will no' stop!" Her declaration touches him and terrifies him. She has no clue what she's up against here.
Chase's hands rest on her waist and squeezes gently.
"So, help me, woman, if you don't stop talking, I won't be responsible for my actions." Desire rages through his body. She doesn't realize the temptation she represents. His instinct is to rip the shirt from her body. She should only be wearing his shirt. Or better yet, his body!
Bronnah is stunned silent at the desire reflected in his eyes and revels in this newfound power. Her hand reaches up, and she does what she has been longing to do. She touches his face and runs her fingers through his hair. Chase steps back and sits hard on the bed, and Bronnah follows him.
In the seated position on the bed, she only has to lean over to taste his lips. Never, not even with her husband has she experienced such a strong physical reaction to someone.
He groans, raging with the instinct to claim, possess and …make her his. When his hand moves from her waist to her bare skin, she leaps at the sensation. Chase pushes her back realizing that he is rationalizing taking her. He snags her discarded blanket from the bed and wraps it around her shoulders.
“Bronnah, hear me. You’re not to put yourself in danger again. You’ve proven yourself to be more than a simple threat. They will send more than Chen warriors after you. That was an attempt to reclaim their property. The next time they will seek to eliminate the threat.”
Bronnah draws the blanket tighter around her shoulders and takes a shaky breath. “I have the ability to save lives, Chase. Would you do any less with that knowledge?” Her voice trembles with too many emotions to count.
“No, I applaud you for caring, but where is the fear for your own life?”
“I have no hope left, Chase. They destroyed it,” she whispered rubbing at the mark on her wrist.
Chase ignores the impact of her statement. It burns its way into his heart, and his soul recognizes a wounded spirit. "I'm taking you to a safe house, Bronnah. Then I will go after them."
“I want to help,” she hisses.
“I respect that, truly, I do, but I can’t do my job and worry about keeping you safe. I need you to promise me that you will trust me.”
"You ask too much, Marshall. I don't even know you, and there is no such thing as a
