Dangerous Protector (Red Stone Security #14)(37)
Kali fell into place next to them, prancing as only she could as they made their way to the merry-go-round.
He grinned up at her. “Yep. I even got you a present.”
She blinked. “You did?” Oh, crap. She needed to get them presents. With everything going on she hadn’t even thought about Christmas. Not really. The holiday had been in her face since November with decorations all over the city and on television but it had been an abstract thing for her. She hadn’t thought about Christmas because she’d planned to be alone again this year. For her, holidays had never been a particularly fun time of year. Her mom had barely put in a half-ass attempt to celebrate with her and her brother. Forget about lights or a tree. She and her brother had always gotten one present for each other but that had been the extent of their holiday celebration. After her mother had died, Tegan hadn’t really cared to put in much effort either. She’d usually just done something with her single friends.
“Yep. It’s awesome, too.” He continued chattering, telling her about what he’d gotten his daddy for Christmas and how he hoped Santa brought him Thor’s hammer. It took her a moment to realize it was a reference to The Avengers.
As they headed across a grassy incline, an SUV slowly steered through the parking lot. The windows were tinted dark. On the back she saw one of those little stick family sticker collections, including a dog.
She glanced over her shoulder, looking for Aaron. The place was big but he’d find them. Still, she wished he was with them.
God, she had to get over whatever this weird anxiousness was. After the bombing, the doctor had mentioned she might have some lingering effects, including panic attacks. Maybe she really did need to talk to someone. The thought of opening up to a complete stranger felt weird, though.
As they reached the merry-go-round, she glanced over as the SUV backed into a parking spot. The parking lot spanned around three sides of the park and everyone had parked by the main entrance, their vehicles clustered together. This driver parked about twenty spaces away from the other vehicles.
“Spin me!”
Tegan started spinning Dillon as a man wearing a sweatshirt, jogging pants, and a black knitted cap got out of the SUV. When he started stretching she realized he was going to use the running track that looped through the park. Rolling her eyes at herself, she turned back to the merry-go-round where Dillon was still hanging on and giggling.
A smile broke over her face—until she saw a man jogging across the other side of the parking lot in their direction. He was coming from a nondescript truck parked far away from everyone else. It took all of a second for her to recognize the man. She didn’t know his name but she knew that face. A large scar slashed over his left cheek on a ragged angle, almost looking like a sideways V covering most of his cheek. It was very memorable.
Terror jolted through her, the jagged lightning bolt edges making her freeze for a moment.
A sidewalk and fence separated them but he was moving in their direction with purpose.
Everything funneled out as she jerked the merry-go-round to a halt. “Dillon, come here. We’ve gotta go now.”
Next to her Kali whined, maybe because she sensed Tegan’s tension. There was still no sign of Aaron.
“We’ll get ice cream and whatever you want. Come on—” She stopped talking as the man’s gaze connected with hers.
She yanked Dillon into her arms, ready to run. The man broke into a sprint. Without pause, she started running, Dillon wrapped around her like a little monkey.
Her heart was in her throat as she tore over the grass. “That man’s bad. We’ve gotta find your daddy. If I tell you to run and hide, you’ve got to listen. Okay?” Her words were coming out in gasps, her heart galloping in her chest as she raced toward the two buildings in the middle of the park. That was where Aaron had gone.
“Okay,” Dillon whispered, fear flickering across his features.
“Aaron!” she screamed, not caring that she looked like a crazy person. She didn’t care about anything other than getting Dillon to safety. “Aaron!” His name tore from her throat. She knew she sounded like a savage animal.
Dillon stared at her wide-eyed but just clutched her tighter. Kali growled low in her throat as she ran next to them. Oh God, where was Aaron?
One of the moms screamed. “He’s got a gun!”
Panic exploded inside her as they raced past one of the jungle gyms. She glanced over her shoulder to see the man jumping the fence, a huge pistol in his hand.
Adrenaline rocketed through her as a shot rang out. She braced for pain, for an impact, but felt nothing.
She didn’t slow down as she sprinted, but the restrooms were too far. Holding Dillon tight she raced toward a cluster of trees. Clumps of dirt flew up in the air as she veered to the left.
Screaming Aaron’s name again, she dove behind a huge oak as wood splintered inches from her head.
*
Aaron leaned against the brick wall exterior of the multi-bathroom building, his cell phone to his ear as he talked to Porter. “Yeah, I’ll be good to go in a week. I still want to take off the next few days—”
“Aaron!” The sound of Tegan’s scream made all the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Aaron shoved away from the wall, pocketing his phone as he withdrew his weapon in a fluid, practiced move. Fear gripped his chest. His son and Tegan were out there. Years of training kicked in.