Town of Chance: Sweet Caroline (The Dare 5)

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.”

She stepped back only for Bender to hold her around the waist.

“Oh God no. He’ll kill her. He’s going to punish her and kill her.”

Bender pulled her into his arms and held her tight.

“We’re not going to let that happen, Shelby. We promise,” Hunter said and then looked at York. “What do we do first? Because I’m ready to go hunting.”

Chapter 9

“I can’t just sit here and do nothing. It’s been hours,” Shelby said as she sat in the waiting room at the hospital with Eliza Grace and Missy Ann.

Marlena and her other friends were all there, too. Martha, Jake, Rich, and Paul were all there waiting to get news from the doctor about C.J.’s condition.

As Shelby looked around and saw all the angry faces and the sadness, it confirmed her need to stay clear of Kenneth, Sam, and Bender. She wouldn’t put these people in harm’s way. There was no doubt in her mind that Skip would kill them to get to her or kill them just because she cared about them.