Page 58 of The Missing Couple

Billie heard movement on his right. He whipped toward the trouble. Too late. A muzzle rested against his forehead.

“Well, now, the gang’s all here. Shall we start the party?”

Paul Grant.

“Where’s Charly?” Billie inquired. His fingers tight around his weapon.

“He’s armed,” Rogers announced.

“Of course he is,” Grant said with a chuckle. He pressed the muzzle of his own weapon a little harder against Billie’s forehead. “Give me your gun and we’ll talk about your question.”

Billie reached outward as if he intended to hand over his weapon…but there was a problem with that move. A smart man never gave up his gun…otherwise, he ended up a dead man.

His arm went up fast, slammed against Grant’s while his upper body plowed into the man’s midsection.

The blast of a bullet leaving the chamber of Grant’s gun echoed in the darkness.

Grant hit the ground, Billie on top of him. He scrambled up, his gun still clenched in his right hand. He grabbed the bastard on the ground and yanked him up as well. He dragged him toward the other cart, the one Laney Rogers had been driving.

Screaming drew his gaze over his shoulder. Laney was attempting to staunch the flow of blood coming from her husband’s shoulder. The round Grant pulled off must have nailed him.

Billie shoved Grant across the passenger seat and into the driver’s seat. “Take me to Charly or I swear to God I will shoot you right now.”

While the scumbag drove, Billie’s gun boring into his temple, he called Malone and warned there was a gunshot victim near cabin fourteen on the property at Lost in the Woods Getaway.

The beam of the headlights bobbed across the front of a cabin. Grant stopped the cart, shut off the engine. “She’s in there.”

Billie switched the gun to his other hand so he could grab Grant by the collar and drag him out of the vehicle. He didn’t care if the bastard walked, crawled or was dragged…they were going in together.

They reached the steps. Billie pulled Grant up with him, then he shoved him against the door. “Open it,” he ordered.

Chapter Sixteen

It was the screaming that Charly heard first.

Woman…blood curdling sound.

She tried to sit up. The gag in her mouth was too tight. She listened. She’d heard something. Screaming, she was certain of. But a popping sound before that. Gunshot, she thought.

Please don’t let it be Briana.

She rocked herself to her side and tried to see through the darkness. There was something happening outside.

Paul had tied her up while Laney yelled at him about how the hell they were going to fix all this. Paul had said something about putting her with the others. Charly had a sick feeling she understood exactly what that meant.

A sound at the door had her heart stuttering.

Were they coming back?

Had they decided to kill her instead?

The door opened and someone stumbled in, hit the floor. Charly drew back against the wall. Her heart thundered.

The light came on…the brightness blinded her. She tried to force her eyes open…to see.

Paul Grant was on the floor. Blood on his face. He raised his head and stared at Charly.

“Charly!”