“One more game,” he said to her.
“Nope. You owe me a lunch and a dinner, oh, and dessert, deputy,” she teased and he covered her mouth and kissed her deeply. That kiss grew a little wild until they heard someone clear their throat.
C.J. looked over her shoulder.
“Hi, Ed, Liah,” he said to the couple who came to use the other court. Caroline chuckled as she hugged C.J.
“Deputy Mantel,” Ed said and looked at the two of them. Liah smiled and gave Caroline a wave.
“Have a nice game,” Caroline told them and her and C.J. headed out of the courts with their rackets and down the path through the little woods.
“That was so much fun. I think I’m getting better,” she said to C.J.
He gave her ass a slap. “Oh, I think so, too. I’m going to have to warn Hunter and York. You just swindled me into lunch and dinner.”
She hugged his waist. “And dessert,” she teased. He ran a finger along her ass cheek, and she jerked away.
“C.J.,” she scolded.
“You fucking whore.”
Caroline gasped and froze in place the moment she saw Cameron. C.J. turned to the right and exchanged looks with Caroline and went to move in front of her when the gun went off.
It was crazy. The look in Cameron’s eyes, the sight of the gun pointed at C.J. and then him firing it. C.J. went down and Caroline screamed and went to run to him. She saw the blood oozing from his chest and the look of fear. He went to run and still protect her when Cameron pulled her up by her hair. He kept the gun on C.J.
“No. No, Cameron, don’t shoot him again. Please.”
“Fucking bitch. You’ll suffer for this.” He kicked C.J., who moaned and grunted as Cameron pulled Caroline by her hair down the pathway. Caroline tried to pull his hand from her hair but couldn’t. She looked back and saw C.J. He wasn’t moving.
“Oh God, you killed him. Why, Cameron? Why?” She cried hysterically as he dragged her faster through the park. She didn’t see a soul around. It was a weekday. Most people were working and this was a path that was never frequented. He got her to a car that was parked between the trees.
“Get in the fucking car, whore.” He released her hair and she shoved at him.
“No. I’m not going anywhere with you.” He backhanded her across the mouth, shocking her. She came at him again and he struck her with the gun and hit her again and again. She saw stars and felt like she was losing consciousness. He won. He’d killed C.J. and now he was going to kill her.
He shoved her into the car, grabbed her wrist, and connected it to handcuffs and the handle on the door.
“I’ve been watching you for the past two days. You’re fucking three men. You make me sick.” He slammed his firearm against her face and her head hit the door. She couldn’t move as he sped out of the park and her mind felt fuzzy. Oh God, C.J., don’t die. Please don’t die because of me.
* * * *
The call came out over the radio and York sped down the highway and onto the exit ramp for Chance. He was flying, his concern for C.J.’s life and for Caroline’s. There were mixed reports coming in. Numerous 911 calls about a gunshot, about C.J. being shot and a man abducting Caroline.
As he got into town and saw all the police vehicles and the ambulance, he hurried onto the scene as they were getting C.J. into the ambulance. Hunter was there.
“He got her. He fucking shot C.J. while they were walking from the tennis courts.
“Oh God, how is he? Is he going to make it?”
“The bullet appears to be lodged in his shoulder.”
“Find her, York, Hunter. Find that fucking asshole and kill him before he kills Caroline,” C.J. yelled out and grunted as the gurney bounced into position in the back of the ambulance.
“We will. We promise,” Hunter said and he and York approached the sheriff and the other deputies and their friends. Everyone arrived on scene and were gathering clues.
“We have a description of the vehicle and a license plate. I’ve got Mike and Taylor trying to find out if this guy has been staying local. They’ll hopefully come up with something fast,” Max told them.
“Hunter! Hunter!”
York and Hunter turned to see Shelby running toward them as the ambulance pulled away.
“Caroline and C.J.? What happened?” she asked, tears rolling down her cheeks.
York placed his hand on her shoulder. “Cameron showed up. He shot C.J.”
Shelby covered her mouth with her hand and cried harder. “Is he okay? What about Caroline? Is she hurt, too?” she asked as Bender stood next to her along with Kenneth. “He took her, Shelby. Cameron has Caroline.”