Finally Found (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 10)

Josh couldn’t stop smiling. “Now all we have to do is ask Carrie.”

“Any ideas when you’ll do that?” Sean asked.

“Soon,” Jacob said. “But we want to make sure we do it right.”

“Yes, we do,” Josh said, thinking about all the possibilities of time and place that might work. “We want to make it special for Carrie, something to remember forever.”

“I thought Matt and I were hopeless romantics,” Sean said. “But you two take the top prize.”

* * * *

On the ground next to the Mother Dragon statue, Carrie felt her heart thudding in her chest. According to the last announcement, only three players remained in this round—her and two others. She had no doubt that one of the other two was Ethel O’Leary. I’m coming after you, Ethel. She wanted to bring back the trophy to her family.

She heard a twig snap. Looking north, she saw a player crawling west across the ground. Was it Ethel? Too far to be sure. She squinted, looking through her scope. She had a clear shot.

But the distance was farther than any shot she’d tried. Would she hit her opponent? Once she fired her location would be revealed. She only had one chance.

And then her newbie luck kicked in again. The player stood and fired at someone nearby, giving her a chance to move closer.

She scurried along the ground several feet.

“We are down to two players in this round. Ethel O’Leary and Carrie Dixon. Good luck, ladies. May the best player win.”

Carrie took aim at the dear woman she had so much respect for. She fired and saw the yellow paint hit the back of Ethel’s shirt. A perfect hit.

Ethel turned around and smiled before falling to the ground.

Carrie felt her cell vibrate in her pocket. Who could that be?

* * * *

Jacob’s mind was swirling with possibilities to pop the question to Carrie.

“Go get some sleep, guys. You deserve it,” Matt said.

“Hold on,” Sean interrupted. “Matt, take a look at what just came over the ROC from Grayson and Ross.”

Matt brought out the tablet that all members of Shannon’s Elite carried with them at all times. “Fuck, the bastard was in Money yesterday.”

“What bastard?” Josh asked.

“Willie Mayfield, the crooked minister who killed my parents and kidnapped Carrie.”

* * * *

Carrie brought her cell up to her ear. “Hello?”

“You didn’t think you could escape me forever, did you?” A voice like a sledgehammer slammed into her eardrum. His voice.

“What do you want, Willie?” She closed her eyes and saw the black smoke of her past swirling in her mind.

“What I’ve always wanted. I want my money and I want you.”

“Go to hell.”

“Someday, maybe. But right now I’m visiting with the sweetest woman and her little grandchild, Kimmie.”

The earth seemed to quake underneath her. “Don’t you dare hurt them, you son of a bitch, or I’ll kill you.”