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The weight of the racket in her hand made Kami feel like Wonder Woman. All-powerful, able to stop bullets with her wristbands. Complete.
Using the cane as lightly as she could, she shifted her feet, getting a feel for the court. The deep blue was the exact shade her mom had drawn for their logo years ago. Two Ks back to back with a net strung between them. Kami’s Kamp. Soon it would be emblazoned on a sign outside and the dome would be filled with laughter and sweat.
For now, it was hers.
Taking a deep breath, she looked up to find Rayce watching her from the other side of the net, eyes bright and grin giddy. He’d done this for her. Put aside other parts of the build to get this court ready. For her.
Because he knew how badly she’d been broken over the last year. He knew she was scared, and that she hated being scared. He knew her. All of her. Inside and out. The good, the bad and definitely the ugly.
He knew her.
And loved her?
Maybe.
This gesture was full of love.
Time to accept it. Accept him. All the way.
She had to tell him she loved him.
After she’d hit a few balls.
“Bring it on, LaChance.”
The men lining the side wall, careful to keep their work boots off the new floors, cheered and yelled. How had she forgotten they were even there?
This had to be the most pro-Rogers audience she’d ever had, and it filled her heart.
Rayce lobbed an easy ball toward her forehand, and she didn’t even have to move. Her weight shifted naturally, causing a twinge in her knee but nothing she couldn’t handle. Leaning on her cane, she shifted her stance and sent the ball flying back over the net, right down the sideline.
Claude and the other men went nuts and cheered her on as Rayce lobbed her ball after ball, making each one a little harder.
They hit for twenty minutes. Forehands, backhands, volleys. No serves or smashes, nothing that would put too much stress on her knees but actual tennis shots.
When she reached too far for a backhand, her knee weakened and she shuffled a few steps, searching for her balance. Using the racket and the cane, she managed to not fall on her face, but it was a close call.
A peek at the crew on the sidelines showed a dozen men holding their collective breath.
Gathering her own, she waved off their concern and nearly hit Rayce, who’d appeared at her side. “I’m fine. No worries.”
Ignoring her words, he put his arm around her waist to keep her steady. The workout had drained her, so she didn’t resist his touch. Instead, she leaned into his side and his strength.
It wasn’t scary, wasn’t threatening.
Not anymore.
He’d been right. Being independent didn’t mean being alone. She was ready to trust, ready to try. Ready for Rayce.
“We’re heading back to work, LaChance. When you’re done licking your wounds from your defeat here, feel free to join us.” Claude’s booming voice had everyone laughing and more jeers filled the room as everyone filed out to do their jobs.
Leaving them alone. Well, as alone as they could be in an unfinished room with a wall of windows leading out to the hallway where several men were putting up drywall.
Alone enough?
Rayce kept his arm on her waist and he angled himself to stand in front of her, then he wrapped his other arm around her as well. “You like it?”
She kept her eyes locked on his. “It’s perfect.” She brushed her lips over his. “Perfect.”
One of the rumbles she loved so much started deep in his chest, vibrating through his skin into hers.
Kami pulled back from the kiss, knowing it was time to take the risk, to tell him how she felt. Taking a deep breath, she dropped her racket to the court and reached up with one hand to cup his jaw. Even in the afternoon, a light scruff was growing, making him even sexier. “Rayce, I—”
She broke off as a huge crash echoed through the space. Rayce tucked her into him and covered as much of her as he could. The ground rumbled. Did Vermont get earthquakes?
Nothing hit them, nothing fell, and the noise didn’t sound again, so Kami straightened and Rayce loosened his grip enough for them to look around. The men in the hallway were running to the front entrance, so Rayce grabbed her hand and headed out. Even with the cane, she wasn’t quick, but he didn’t force her pace, didn’t leave her.
By the time they reached the door, they could see and hear the crowd around one of the huge machines that drove all over the site performing minor miracles. Instead of standing solidly on the ground, the backhoe was tilted on an angle, its body resting against Claude’s truck and the scoop part of it had crashed into one of the side walls, leaving a gaping hole.
Rayce swore and squeezed her hand. “Stay here. I need to find out what’s going on. Okay?”
She nodded and watched him walk out the door, knowing she’d only be in the way on the uneven grown. Swinging the racket had worn her out completely, and her knee felt more like ketchup than cartilage.
If she’d brought her own vehicle, she could head home and let the crew sort out whatever had caused the crash.
Wishing for a convenient chair, Kami watched out the window and realized Rayce was outside in only his socks. He’d taken off his work boots to play on the court. She’d taken off her sneakers, too. The least she could do was get their footwear. As a bonus, she’d sat on a bench to take hers off so she could take a break for a minute, too.
Kami turned and walked back to the courts, all of her muscles starting to protest the unexpected exercise session. She’d be sore tomorrow, but it would be worth it.
She had tennis courts. Real courts.
And she’d hit the ball for the first time since that car had crashed into her car in London.
And she was in love.
If only Carolina hadn’t died. If only she’d lived to see her dream come true. Kami thought of Rayce and knew that was another dream her mom had harbored. She’d be happy for them.
If only she’d taken the elevator that day, she’d be able to see it all.
In the dome, Kami stopped to enjoy the view. Even unfinished, it was full of hope and amazing details. The logo Carolina had designed was on the tape at the top of the net and on the floor behind the courts, which was the exact same shade of blue.
The rest of the floor was a soft grey, and the combination of colors was classy. And strong. Nothing wimpy or tentative. Being in here would make her feel powerful, maybe even whole.
Kami was smiling as she walked to the bench and sat. She’d have loved a place like this when she was a kid. That made her laugh. No past tense needed. She loved it now.
As she leaned down to tie her shoes, a bang rang through the building. Still a little shaky from the backhoe tipping over, Kami slipped off the bench and landed on the floor.
Laughing, she almost missed the other bang, but she felt the air move as something whizzed by her right arm.
A bullet? Was someone shooting at her?
Terrified, she whirled around but kept her head behind the bench. Was it Freaky Fan or her father? Unless she’d picked up another crazy stalker.
“That idiot wasn’t even smart enough to stay with you. He was supposed to stay here.” The voice shrieked across the room, coming from the unfinished side of the courts where lots of boxes and machines were scattered over the floor.
Not her father. While most of her brain wanted to scream and flail, relief swamped her. Her father wasn’t the one trying to kill her.
“It was supposed to be him. He was supposed to stay with you, not abandon you.” The voice was male, definitely male.
Freaky Fan.
Freaky Fan had found her. He was here. In Bloo Moose. In her Kamp.
Kami swallowed against the dizziness threatening to overwhelm her. Breathe. She had to breathe.
“He left you but I won’t leave you, Kami.”
Which would probably be more believable if he wasn’t shooting at her. Hysterical giggles threatened, but Kami swallowed them down. He was shooting at her. Wanted to kill her.
“I’ll take care of you like I promised. The pain will be over soon and I’ll make it better. You’ll see how great it’ll be.”
The strident voice was vaguely familiar, but Kami couldn’t place it. Someone she knew? Or a reporter or someone she heard on TV? Thinking past the terror was impossible.
“It got better after the accident and that probably seemed like a bad thing at the time.”
Seemed like a bad thing? It had ended her career and almost her ability to walk.
“But look how well it turned out. It gave you more time. There’s no way we could be together if you were still on the tour. And you’ve had enough time to heal from Carolina’s death. I knew that would be difficult, but you came to the right place. I was right, again. You’ll see how it’s meant to be.”
Kami’s brain spun. Was he saying he’d caused the accident and killed Carolina?
She’d believed those were both accidents. Was he crazy enough to claim responsibility for accidents after the fact?
Or was he crazy enough to have done them?
Carolina.
Kami had never believed her mom had tried to walk down the stairs, but she’d never considered murder either. The computers showed no cards had been used to enter the room, so her mom had opened the door willingly. Kami had always believed she’d gone to the stairwell willingly, as well.
How could she know what was real?
Kami had to shove aside the fear so she could think. Was it possible that this man had killed her mom and caused a car to careen into her, ending her career? She had to find out more, but she couldn’t find her voice. Or her courage.
“You need me, Kami. You always have. You should have realized it earlier, but I’ll forgive you.”
Forgive her? Seriously nuts.
“If you’d paid attention before, it would have been different, but you were too caught up in the tour. You didn’t have the time we needed for us so I made sure you did.”
“You killed my mother?” Her voice wasn’t much more than a whisper, but she managed.
“I didn’t want to, but you wouldn’t see me or hear me. You were so caught up in the tour and taking care of her. I didn’t have a choice. You’ll see, it was the right thing to do.”
“The right thing to do was killing my mother? You’re a psychopath.” Her voice rose until it ended in a screech. Her body shook so hard she wondered the bones didn’t drop out.
He’d killed Carolina, caused her accident. She had to get away before she was next. The bench wasn’t on a great angle to protect her, but a quick look around showed nothing better close by. Because she was sitting on the floor, she’d have to take the time to shove to her feet. Even with her cane and the bench, it would take too long.
All she could do was wait and hope for rescue.
No.
Shove past the fear and decide on a plan. Any plan had to be better than sitting waiting while he took potshots at her.
Find some of the bravery Rayce thought she possessed.
Between the slats of the bench, Kami saw one of the boxes shift. Details. Focus on the details. The scraping sound was louder than her ragged breathing, so it had to be a heavy box. Which might mean he was strong. Big.
Scary.
Not helping.
Think about her plan instead. The only weapons within reach were her cane, her sneakers, and Rayce’s work boots. Against a gun.
Tears wanted to fall, and a scream was building in her gut and climbing up her throat, but she forced it all back.
“We’re going to be happy together, Kami. I’ll take care of you. We’ll do everything together. We won’t need anything else. Or anyone else. Just you and me, sharing one heart.”
Kami’s stomach roiled. The man was completely bat-shit crazy. And he was getting closer. His voice nagged at her brain, but she still couldn’t place it.
The tip of a gun poked past one of the machines, only a dozen yards from where she crouched and she clamped her lips together to keep in the whimper. He was going to kill her or take her.
She gripped the cane in one hand and picked up one of Rayce’s boots in other. She wasn’t going down without a fight.
Rayce slid to a halt at the sound of a gunshot, then the glass of one of the hallway windows blew out, sending shards of glass all over the corridor. Two more steps and he’d have been lacerated.
It hadn’t taken long to realize that the backhoe had been deliberately tipped and when he’d turned to see Kami wasn’t standing where he’d left her, he’d headed straight to panic.
Forcing himself into control, he squatted down, then peeked around the corner of the door.
The sight in front of him made his stomach lurch and his bones melt.
Off a bit to his left, Kami sat on the floor, hiding behind the bench where they’d slipped off their shoes. She was peeking through the bench and gripping her cane.
Fear and fury roared through him as he tore his eyes from her to search out the attacker.
Dan Wilding stepped out from behind a stack of boxes containing lighting fixtures, smiling and holding a rifle.
A rifle trained on Kami.
While part of his brain freaked out that the physiotherapist was apparently her Freaky Fan, or some other crazy psycho with a gun, the other part was working on a plan because no way in hell was Wilding hurting her.
Rayce had taken off his tool belt to play tennis with Kami and he hadn’t put it back on, so he didn’t have any real weapons, only a utility knife.
The shards of glass scattered in the hallway weren’t big enough to be any help. He pulled the knife out of his pocket and opened it up.
Wilding’s voice filled the gym. “The coward won’t even come out to protect you, Kami. He left you like he always has and he always will. I’ll never leave you, you’ll be mine forever.”
Holy hell.
Rayce pulled out his phone and dialed 911. As soon as it picked up, he started to speak, overriding the dispatcher. “Get out to Kami’s Kamp. Dan Wilding has a gun, he’s trying to kidnap Kami. I’m leaving the phone connection open so you can hear but don’t talk.”
Putting the phone back in his pocket, he crouched and looked around the corner. Wilding hadn’t moved much closer and his eyes kept scanning the space. The rifle was lowered but still aimed in Kami’s general direction.
That had to be his first priority.
He needed something to pull Wilding’s attention from Kami. Heading to get the men was too big a risk. The asshole’s distraction had worked, time to create his own.
Rayce grabbed one of the larger shards of glass from the ground and, calling on his old third base skills, threw it through the hole in the glass to land on the far side of the tennis court.
As he’d hoped, Wilding turned to the noise, and Rayce slipped through the open door and toward one of the pillars holding up the second level viewing gallery. Wilding took a few steps toward the court, aiming his rifle in a wide arc. When he turned around, Rayce pulled himself behind the pillar.
The scream of triumph told him he hadn’t been quick enough. Bullets shattered the silence and blasted into the remaining glass behind him.
The pillar shielded him, but he had no idea about Kami. Calling out would draw Wilding’s attention back to her, so he kept silent while he tried to think of what to do next. He had the asshole’s attention. He had to use it.
“You’re a fucking loser, Wilding. You can’t get a woman on your own, so you think attacking her is going to help you? A real man doesn’t use a gun to get a woman. A real man doesn’t hide behind emails and fake names. A real man doesn’t play games and tricks. Ever tried being a real man, Wilding?”
The words spewed out before Rayce could think them through. Hopefully, they would at least focus the rage on him, not Kami.
More bullets sprayed the pillar and shot into the hallway, through the gaps that had once been windows. Okay, obviously not the best plan.
“You think you’re something, LaChance but you’re nothing. Worse than nothing. You threw her away like a piece of trash. You’re not worthy. You have no rights to her. She needs me. Only me. I’ve set it up. Prepared it all. It’s me she needs now. Me. And I’m going to have her.” Wilding sounded like a wounded animal, his voice keening and raising in pitch.
Heart pounding like a nail gun, Rayce slid down the pillar to a crouch, keeping his body as tight as possible and aligned with the pole.
Leaning down as low as he could, he chanced a quick glance. Wilding was closer to Kami, but he wasn’t paying her any attention at all.
Having all the pissed-off aimed his way was better than it being pointed at Kami, but he needed a third option. Quickly.
Thankful that Wilding hadn’t thought of looking down, Rayce watched him approach. Throwing something probably wouldn’t work twice, so he changed the grip on his knife. Once he knew which direction Wilding was going to take around the pillar, he’d reach around to jab him with the blade and grab the gun.
Easy as pounding in a nail.
Right.
“You think you’re an obstacle, LaChance? I got rid of them all before and now I’ll get rid of you. Kami Rogers belongs to me. No one and nothing is getting in my way. She doesn’t need anyone else, only me.”
Shit. Did that mean what he thought it did? Had Wilding killed Carolina?
Unable to figure out a way to send Wilding running in any other direction, he watched as the man approached, closer and closer to Kami, who had frozen behind the bench. It gave her some cover, but the jerk and his gun were going to pass far too closely. It would only take a second for him to remember her and turn his attention and the rifle toward her.
Rayce tensed, ready to spring. If Wilding’s eyes so much as shifted toward her, he’d yell and move. It would take a few seconds for him to reach their position, but he hoped the noise and the action would put the attention right back on him.
“She’s mine. She needs me. No one else can take care of her like I can. I planned it that way and you’re not screwing it up. I did it so I get to fix it.”
Did it? The accident? Had it been Wilding? He’d killed her mom and taken her career away from her. Now he wanted to take her. No freaking way.
Another step closer.
As Wilding neared the bench, Rayce’s heart flopped over in his chest. He needed to ensure Kami was safe, somehow tell her she was okay, but he couldn’t risk even a glance.
Almost parallel to the bench.
He willed Kami to remain still, to keep Wilding’s attention off her.
He should have known better.
The bench was to his left, sitting on an angle to view the action on the courts, which meant Kami was on the far side, her head farthest from him.
As Wilding approached, Rayce saw movement below the bench. He wanted to yell at her to stay silent, to keep still, but he couldn’t take the chance with that gun so close to her. Instead, he kept his body alert, ready to spring.
Another step.
One more.
Kami’s cane whipped through the air, catching Wilding below the knees. As the man scrambled for balance and tried to aim at Kami, Rayce roared and exploded from behind the pillar.
Rayce closed half the distance before the man reacted and tried to turn the rifle back in his direction.
Kami hit Wilding again, and he fired off a shot. Rayce felt the pain in his shoulder like a distant memory and he managed to shove it aside as his feet kept moving.
Another strike from Kami saved his life as the next shot flew by his ear and then he rammed into Wilding, good shoulder first. The men went down in a heap, both scrambling for control of the gun.
Rayce realized he’d dropped the knife somewhere along the road and hollered at Kami to find it.
Two more shots fired, but he had no idea where they were aimed or if they hit their target.
Fire burned in his left shoulder, but Rayce continued to wrestle for the rifle. Insanity gave Wilding strength, and the two men rolled over the floor with the weapon between them.
On the next roll, Rayce rammed into something with his shoulder and the pain overtook him long enough for Wilding to twist again and wrest the rifle to himself.
Rayce tried to scramble to his feet but looked up to find the rifle in his face, with Wilding laughing like a madman behind it. “I wanted you to watch while I had her but you’ve pissed me off, LaChance, so you’ll die first, knowing she’ll be with me for always.”
Swearing, Rayce calculated the odds of survival if he lunged up. His shoulder would slow him down, but it might be his best chance.
As he gathered his muscles to make the leap, a stick came whirling from Wilding’s far side. A cane, not a stick.
Kami’s cane. She’d always had a hell of a backhand.
The wood swung up and hit the rifle, sending the muzzle to point up in the air. A shot rang out, but he knew it wasn’t anywhere near Kami because the cane continued to move, swinging at the gun again and sending it flying away.
Rayce shoved to his feet while Wilding turned to Kami, but she was ready and the cane cracked across his face.
The man yowled like an injured cougar and went down. Rayce moved to stand in front of Kami while he kept an eye on Wilding and searched for the gun. It lay a few yards away, so he took a second to turn to check out Kami.
Her eyes were wide, her face pale and her breath shaky. But no blood that he could see. Relief poured through him, making him light-headed.
Instead of allowing the weakness, he turned back to Wilding, who was wailing as he clutched his face. Blood poured from his nose and a slice across his cheek.
Using his right arm hand to keep tabs on Kami and to keep himself between her and Wilding, Rayce edged her behind him and they moved along the floor until they were between him and the gun.
“You’re hurt, Rayce, you’re bleeding. Did you get shot? Oh my God, he shot you. We need to get help. You have to get to a hospital.”
Kami’s hands raced over him, stopping when she found the blood leaking from his shoulder. Tears streamed down her face as he tried, unsuccessfully, to keep her from examining the wound.
“He shot you. I’m so sorry, Rayce. He shot you. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t come to Bloo Moose, you’d be okay. Come and sit down. I’ll call for help. How bad is it? You’ve lost a lot of blood.”
Her entire body was shaking and keeping her focused on the danger Wilding continued to present was impossible.
Kami pressed her hands to his shoulder in an effort to staunch the blood and tried pushing him toward the bench.
Rayce resisted, needing to be closer to the gun. Focusing on the movement left no energy for speaking, so he put everything he had into keeping her safe.
Wilding’s wailing stopped, and he gulped in deep breaths as he started to move.
Drawing Kami with him and ignoring her protests, Rayce edged backward, moving the gun with his feet as they walked.
Kami continued to talk, her panicky words focused on his injury and getting him help. While he knew he needed medical assistance, he wasn’t ready to deal with that. Not until Kami was safe.
“Stop moving, we’ve got to stop the bleeding. He shot you, Rayce. Because of me. I’m so sorry. You have to be okay. We’ve got to get help.”
Wilding shoved to his knees so Rayce squatted down to reach for the rifle. The world went fuzzy around him and he put down one hand to keep his balance. Kami cried out his name and knelt in front of him, holding him up with her strong arms.
“Get the gun, Kami.”
His harsh tone broke through and she blinked away the tears and reached around him to grab the rifle. He felt her flop to the floor beside him and fought the fogginess in his brain. Had Wilding caught her or had her knee collapsed again?
Squinting and blinking helped clear the fog enough for him to see Kami holding up the gun.
It shook badly. Unless that was him.
Rayce dropped all the way to the floor, hoping if he didn’t have to work to keep his balance, he’d have more ability with the gun. As far as he knew, Kami had never shot one, and he didn’t want her first shot to be a kill.
Taking the gun from Kami, he turned to aim and found Wilding weaving in front of him. And blurring. And doubling. Damn it. The shot in his shoulder was taking more out of him than he’d thought.
“Stop right there, Wilding or you’re dead.” Definitely more optimistic than he felt, but maybe his enemy wouldn’t realize.
The man smiled and said something too quickly for Rayce to catch.
And crept closer.
Shoot? When he couldn’t clearly identify the target? He had to do something to protect Kami before he passed out.
Noise burst out from all directions, throwing off his sense of direction and reality. He scooted to the side, keeping himself between Wilding and Kami. The noise swirled in his head, blurring reality even further.
He had to keep Kami safe.
Safe.
He had to shoot. Now.
Keep Kami safe.
More noise, closer.
Shoot.
He squeezed the trigger, then everything went black.