Town of Chance: Sweet Caroline (The Dare 5)

“It’s me. I’m five minutes away.”

“Oh thank God. I’ll meet you at the house. You have the directions?”

“Yup. All is good.”

She disconnected the call and sighed.

“Thank you, God. Now help us out some more and keep my sister safe. Please don’t let Cameron find her. Please.”

Chapter 1

Cameron Elliott slammed the beer bottle against the concrete wall. His friend Curtis grabbed onto his shoulders and pulled him back. Curtis needed to calm him down. Caroline disappeared three weeks ago, and no one knew a thing. Cameron was hot tempered. He loved Caroline but he was abusive to her and they all knew it and did nothing about it.

“Calm down, man. They’re going to call the police and have you arrested. Then what? Your old man will be fucking pissed at you. He’ll fucking lose it.”

“Fuck, I can’t take this. I can’t live without her.”

He pulled away and Curtis placed his one hand onto his jeans pocket. They were outside of the bar on the side deck but they’d drawn attention to themselves because of Cameron’s antics. Their other friends were pulling attention away from Cameron and him. That was what they did, covered one another’s asses to keep the others out of trouble. How far would they go?

“You don’t understand. I need to find her. I fucked up.”

“Yeah, you did fuck up,” Curtis told him, and as he thought about poor Caroline, the petite, sweet knockout of a girlfriend his friend had and how Cameron broke her arm, he got angry all over again.

Curtis grabbed his buddy, Cameron, and pressed him against the wall.

Cameron was drunk, really drunk, and even came to work today buzzed. As a cop he could get fired and put in jail.

“I know I did. I know.”

“No. I don’t think you do, Cameron. You’ve been nothing but abusive to her and she was the best fucking thing that ever happened to you. You broke her fucking arm. You forced yourself on her and she had to threaten pressing charges against you.”

“If I had the chance to talk to her. If she would just listen to me and hear me out, I know I can make it up to her and change.”

Curtis shook his head as he stepped back.

“You need to cool it, bro. You need to give her space and get your shit together. Come on, man. You’re a cop, a soldier. You need to do the right thing here.”

Cameron looked up at him with bloodshot eyes. He knew that expression. When Cameron had it, anyone in his path was done for.

“You’re supposed to be my friend, my brother, and now even you’re turning on me?”

Curtis ran his fingers through his hair.

“Come on, man. I’m your friend and I’m telling you that this isn’t right. You’re going about this all wrong and you’re going to lose your job and wind up in jail. Just take some time and give her some space. Then try to work things out.”

Cameron was breathing heavy and looking so far gone and angry that even Curtis wondered just what his friend was capable of. He’d never seen him this obsessed before. It made Curtis wonder why Cameron hurt Caroline and how he was even capable when she was so beautiful and sweet. Any of the guys would have loved to have her as their woman, hell, their wife even. She was that perfect and kind.

“I need to find her. If I know where she is and that she’s safe then I can get my shit together and give her some space then ask for her forgiveness.” He reached out his hand and covered Curtis’s shoulder as he stood in front of him. Cameron was a big guy—six foot three, dark blond hair, big muscles, and a badass through and through. “Help me find her, Curtis. Help me to make things right.”

Curtis took a deep breath

and looked away a moment. Cameron squeezed his shoulder.

“Come on, man. I’ve been there for you. I need the favor now. Please,” he begged and Curtis nodded his head. Cameron had been there for him when he fucked up one night and took some pills. He woke up in bed with some woman he met and her boyfriend showed up ready to fight him and things got out of hand. Curtis beat the guy so badly but somehow Cameron got him not to press charges and to forget it ever happened. Curtis didn’t know how he did it, but he saved his ass.

“After this, I don’t owe you anything else. It’s behind us and we’re friends who have one another’s backs.”

Cameron nodded his head.