Free Tennessee Takedown by Lena Diaz

the island the man who’d abducted her was tying her up. I managed to handcuff one of his wrists when another man came out of the woods and got the drop on me. You pretty much know the rest. We ran and hid in the cave.”
    “Tell me about these guys.”
    “I can’t say much for the second guy, didn’t get a good look at him. But the first one, the one who abducted Miss Parrish, he was hardcore, stone-cold dangerous, focused on his mission.”
    “He must not have been too focused, since you two are still alive.”
    Dillon shook his head. “He wasn’t trying to kill us, or at least, he wasn’t trying to kill her. He could have done that back at her house. His goal last night was to kidnap her.”
    “Any clue why?”
    “Not yet.”
    “I don’t suppose it occurred to you it’s a heck of a coincidence that Miss Parrish was involved in two different shootings in one day?”
    “I’ve thought of little else since last night. There’s got to be a connection. Either that or she’s the world’s most unlucky accountant ever.”
    “I’m hoping for bad luck, personally,” a feminine voice interjected. “Seems to be the lesser of two evils.”
    Dillon and Chris turned to see Ashley sitting up, shoving her hair out of her face.
    Chris stepped over to her and offered his hand. “I’m Chris, in case you forgot. We met at Gibson and Gibson yesterday morning.”
    “I remember. I’d say nice to see you again, but I’d be lying. No offense.” She shook his hand.
    He laughed. “None taken.”
    A sound near the entrance had Dillon standing protectively in front of Ashley while Chris drew his gun.
    “Police,” a voice called out. Seconds later, Max and Randy stepped into view.
    Chris holstered his weapon.
    “You didn’t find them,” Dillon said, disappointment heavy in his voice.
    “No. Looks like they had a boat on the east side of the island at the community dock. They must have left some time during the night, or maybe early this morning before we got here. We didn’t hear a boat motor.”
    Dillon introduced Max and Randy to Ashley. “Destiny’s a pretty small town, so our police officers fill many roles. Max, Randy and Chris—like me—are detectives and SWAT, when needed. They were at the office shooting yesterday, too.”
    Ashley waved and offered a small smile.
    Dillon noted the light flush of embarrassment on her face and the way her eyes slid longingly toward the entrance. He had a pretty good idea he knew why. “Where’d you moor the boat?” he asked Max, meaning the police boat.
    “Back side of the island, about a hundred yards due west, by the old Cub Scout campground.”
    “You guys go ahead. Miss Parrish and I will catch up in a few minutes. I need to ask her a question.”
    The men filed out and Dillon squatted down beside Ashley. “Can you walk?”
    She nodded and started to push herself up. But the moment she put her weight on her feet, she gasped and fell back.
    Dillon caught her and scooped her up in his arms, cradling her against his chest. “That’s what I thought. We’ll get you to a doctor first thing.” He carried her out of the cave and set her down on a boulder near some bushes.
    She glanced up, her eyes questioning. “I thought we were going to a boat.”
    “I figured your bladder might be suffering the same as mine after spending the night sleeping in a cave. And I didn’t think you’d want to bump around in a boat without taking a quick break first. These bushes should offer you some privacy.”
    Her face turned a light shade of pink. “You’re right. Thank you.”
    He bent down at eye level with her. “Do you need me to hold you up? I promise I won’t look.”
    She shook her head back and forth, her face turning a darker shade of red. “No, thank you. I’ll manage, somehow. Just give me a few minutes. Please.”
    “All right. I won’t be far. Call out if you need me.” He watched her hobble over behind the bushes, her face a mask of pain every time she took a