Charlee woke to an annoying buzz. It grated on her nerves, pulling her out of a really sweet dream in which Hunter stood in the ocean, water sluicing off his finely sculpted muscles, that killer grin on his face. He crooked a finger, inviting her to join him in the water. She shed her cover-up and raced to the water’s edge, toes in the warm blue water, ready to dive in to meet him. I’m coming.
The persistent noise came again, and the dream vanished.
No. Come back.
She opened her eyes, blinked as she tried to orient herself. Bedroom. Cottage.
The sound came again. Phone.
She automatically groped around the nightstand, then realized the sound came from the kitchen. She hopped up and raced into the room. She scooped up the phone just before it stopped ringing. “Hello?”
“So where did all the law-enforcement types rush off to, Charlotte? It seems they left you behind.”
Charlee froze as she realized several things at once. Hunter had indeed left her behind. He’d knocked her out, the dirty, rotten, lousy scoundrel. And she recognized the voice. Goose bumps popped out on her skin, and she wrapped one arm around her middle. Somehow James knew they’d left. She eased away from the windows, chilled to the bone. Was he out there right now, watching?
And how had James gotten her cell number? She had to get him talking, see if she could hear any background noise, get some information she could pass along that would help them catch him. “Who is this?” she asked.
He laughed. “Oh, come now, Charlotte. Don’t be coy. I figure by now your lieutenant and his cronies would have discovered my identity.”
“Fine. Should I call you James? Or Oliver?” She refused to show any hint of fear, even though her knees were banging together like a couple of old bones.
“Oh, good. You have figured it out. That will make things easier. I thought for a moment the other day—the day dear Brittany left this earth—that you’d recognized me, but no. Guess you’re just not that smart, eh?”
Charlee clenched her jaw to keep from saying the wrong thing. She’d let him lead the conversation. “I guess not. Just out of curiosity, how did you get my number?”
He laughed, an ugly sound. “It’s amazing how helpful eavesdropping can be. Dear old Dad gave it to Travis the other day.”
Charlee wouldn’t think about this guy being anywhere near her father. “What do you want, James?”
“Aren’t you going to ask about your sister? She’s a lovely girl. All that pretty skin and sheen to her hair.”
Charlee’s hand shook so hard, she almost dropped the phone. “Let me talk to her.”
He laughed again, a chilling, evil sound. “Tsk, tsk. You’re not calling the shots here. Best remember that.”
“What do you want with Natalie?”
“Nothing, really. She’s just here to serve as a way for us to get reunited. You upset me that day, Charlotte, showing up when you did. Now it’s time to make things right.”
Charlee wasn’t playing his game. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just let me talk to Natalie.” She gritted her teeth. “Please.”
He sighed, and then she heard struggling in the background.
“Charlee? Is that you? Help me, please. He’s crazy.”
“I’m coming to get you, Nat. Just hang on.”
Charlee heard a muffled scream. Seconds later, James came back on the line. “See? She’s fine.” He paused while Charlee thought through what that scream might mean. She pushed the terrifying images away, or she wouldn’t be able to think, to plan.
“Here’s what’s going to happen, Charlotte. First, you’re going to tell me where your law-enforcement friends are headed right now.”
She wouldn’t let Hunter and her brothers walk into a trap. “They got a call and rushed out of here. I don’t know where they went.”
“I don’t believe you, but it won’t really make a difference. I’ll figure it out, and afterward, you’ll pay for lying to me. That’s never a good idea, Charlotte.”
“Just tell me what you want. I’ll do anything, as long as you let Natalie go.”
“Are you proposing a trade? Your life for hers?”
Charlee didn’t hesitate. “If that’s what it takes.”
He laughed long and hard. “You Tanners. And Boudreau. What a loyal bunch. It would be quite amusing, really, if it weren’t so stupid.”
She heard a loud noise, another muffled scream, and she jumped up, pacing. “Let her go, James. Please. It’s me you want.”
“It is. And I will get you.” He paused, and Charlee gripped the back of a chair, straining to pick up any background noise. There was nothing, so she figured he had Natalie inside somewhere. Which didn’t help much. She tried another tack.
“Is Nora there, too?” she demanded.
The silence lengthened, and she feared she’d said the wrong thing.
“Nora should have been nicer to her brother. She should have been the one who died. Not JJ.”
Her instincts had been right. He had tried to kill Nora last year. But had he snatched her now? Charlee’s hands started tingling, and she forced herself to take slow, deep, even breaths. She needed all her wits about her.
“Is she there?” Her voice was hard, demanding. “Answer the question.”
He laughed. “Silly Charlotte, still trying to take charge. You. Are. Not.” He hissed the last, then lowered his voice. “Get in your car and start driving. Take SR-40 to CR-326 to US-301. Head north for exactly forty miles and pull over into the Shell gas station. I’ll call you with more instructions. If you’re not there in an hour, your sister dies. And if I find out you called Hunter or any of your family members, well, same thing. Natalie dies a very painful death.”
“Don’t hurt her. Just…don’t hurt her.” Charlee raced around the room, searching for her keys while he talked. She checked her purse, the hook in the kitchen where she usually kept them. Nothing.
“Do you understand?”
“I can’t find them. Oh God.”
“What?”
“I can’t find my keys. They’re not here.” She ran outside to her car and checked the ignition. No keys. She stopped. Looked at the car. The hood wasn’t quite shut. She pulled it up and glanced at the engine, saw the wires sticking up. Hunter had not only taken her keys, he’d disabled her car. She slammed the hood. “I’ll need more time. My car won’t run.”
“Then you’d better think fast, Charlotte. The clock is ticking.”
He hung up.
Dammit, Hunter. Charlee’s heart pounded, and pictures of Brittany’s and JJ’s still faces flashed before her eyes. This couldn’t be happening. Panic threatened to buckle her knees.
NO! She straightened, swallowed back the fear, and let her training kick in. Think, Charlee. First, she needed a car. Her parents’ place was closest. She’d take her mom’s. She rushed inside for her tennis shoes and then sprinted toward their house.
Natalie’s life depended on her. And maybe Nora’s, too. Oh God.
* * *
As Hunter, plus Pete and Josh, along with Sanchez and Fish, raced toward Lake City, guilt rode shotgun beside him. Hunter knew Charlee would be beyond furious when she woke up. She’d never forgive him, and he couldn’t blame her. But he wasn’t sorry. He’d do it again if it meant keeping her safe.
He’d think later about how much he’d miss her. After they had Jennings in custody.
As they neared Tommy Jennings’s cabin, they pulled off into a restaurant parking lot. Hunter spread a hand-drawn map on the hood of his truck. “We’ll drive partway down the dirt track, then go the rest of the way on foot. Otherwise, Jennings will see the cloud of dust a mile away. Pete, Josh, and I will approach from the front. Sanchez and Fish, you come from behind.”
They needed the element of surprise.
Josh came up beside him as Hunter climbed into his truck. “If this piece of garbage hurts a hair on Nat’s head…” He let the thought trail off.
“I hear you. We’ll find her.”
Josh narrowed his eyes. “How’d you get Charlee to agree to stay behind? She’d been pretty adamant up until that point.”
Hunter put his sunglasses back on. “Let’s just say I convinced her to take a little nap instead.”
For a moment, Josh said nothing. Then his eyes widened. “You didn’t.”
Hunter nodded, braced for a blow. “I did. I couldn’t risk anything happening to her.”
Josh shook his head. “She will tear you limb from limb.”
“I know.”
Josh studied him as though he’d just figured something out, then one corner of his mouth kicked up in a small smile. “I think my sister may have met her match in you.”
Hunter shrugged. “She means the world to me.” It surprised him how easily the words slipped out, along with the knowledge that he meant every one.
Josh slapped him on the shoulder. “Good luck with that, man. At best, I foresee a severe beating followed by major groveling in your future.”
“I don’t think it’ll be that easy, but let’s get Natalie home safe first.”
“Absolutely.” Josh hurried back to his vehicle, and they headed out.
Hunter knew the cabin was empty before he reached the front door. Every instinct screamed that this wasn’t the place.
Still, they circled the house and burst in, guns drawn, just to make sure. No Jennings. No Natalie, either. They searched the perimeter of the property, but thankfully found no blood or other evidence of more recent violence.
Hunter walked away from the others, pulled out his phone to call Charlee. Again. But again, he stopped before he finished dialing. If she was still out cold—please, God—he didn’t want to wake her. Because the foolishness of what he’d done had just fully occurred to him. The minute Charlee’s eyes popped open, she’d find a way to go after Natalie herself. And that was even scarier than having her with them.
“Where to now, Lieutenant?” Sanchez asked as they all gathered outside the cabin.
Hunter yanked his focus back to Natalie and the map. “The next logical choice is Big Shoals, where JJ died.”
“What if you’re wrong?” Pete sounded like he was working hard to keep the panic at bay. “Maybe he took her back to the Ocklawaha, where he tried to kill Brittany.”
Hunter nodded, understanding Pete’s panic. He wouldn’t add his worry about Charlee. “It makes as much sense as anything. We know everything he does revolves around water.” He nodded to Josh. “Your boat blowing up, forcing Charlee and me off the bridge, your mom in the bathtub.”
“What if he went back to the Outpost? Hiding in plain sight?” Fish asked.
“Also possible,” Josh said.
“I agree,” Hunter said. “So let’s cover all our bases. You and Pete head back to the Ocklawaha. Fish, you and Sanchez head for the Outpost, check that whole area, river and land.”
“Where are you going?” Pete asked.
“Back to Big Shoals. But first I need to check on Charlee.” He grimaced. He hadn’t meant to say that last out loud.
Josh just shook his head and snorted.
“What’s going on?” Pete wanted to know.
“He knocked her out so she couldn’t come with us.”
Pete’s eyes widened, and he whistled. “She’ll be eight miles past spitting mad when she gets hold of you.”
Hunter met his gaze. “I know. But I couldn’t risk it.” And now he was more worried she’d rush off on her own, without anyone to watch her back.
Josh glanced over at Pete. “He loves her.”
Hunter nodded, then climbed back in his truck, ignoring Pete’s shocked expression. He picked up his phone, set it down again. He muttered a prayer that Charlee would stay asleep for a while longer and then hit the gas, determined to stop this scumbag before he hurt Natalie.