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.
“He’s got a gun!” A woman’s terrified scream ripped through the air.
Adrenaline poured through him as he raced toward the woman’s and Tegan’s cries. He had to get to Dillon and Tegan.
When he heard the sound of gunfire, only years of training forced him to slow down as he reached the end of the brick wall. Weapon out and crouching low, he peered around the corner of the building.
For a moment he froze, all the muscles in his body tightening. Tegan and Dillon were huddled behind a tree as a man with a SIG raced toward them.
There was no cover for Aaron, but he was going to take this guy down before he got to Tegan and Dillon. There was no other option.
He’d keep his son and the woman he loved safe.
Suddenly Kali burst out from behind the jungle gym, a rabid, feral warrior that looked nothing like the sweet husky she was. She was racing for the gunman at full speed. The man turned to the left, facing the threat and putting his back to Aaron.
On a burst of speed, Aaron raced for them as Kali lunged at the gunman. Shots rang out as Kali jumped into the air. Everything else around Aaron funneled out as Kali slammed the man to the ground. The SIG went flying so Aaron kicked it out of the way as he reached them.
The man was unmoving under a motionless Kali. Oh God.
There was no time to check on the dog. He needed to secure the threat immediately. Keep Tegan and Dillon safe.
Before he could move, the man kicked out with a snarl, knocking Aaron’s feet from under him. Aaron fell back as the man jerked up, shoving the dog off him.
Blood soaked the man’s hoodie. He lunged at Aaron.
Aaron went on the offensive, slamming his fist against the guy’s jaw. It didn’t slow the asshole down. With fevered, dark eyes he swung at Aaron.
Aaron ducked his head to the side and rolled to his feet. He didn’t want to kill the guy, but he would if he had to. He aimed his weapon at him. “Don’t fucking move,” he snarled.
The man was on one knee, calculation in his gaze. He had to have another weapon.
Aaron’s aim was steady. He would absolutely shoot this son of a bitch if he had to. “Go for it. See who gets off a shot first.”
Something like resignation flared in the man’s eyes. He lifted his hands in the air and lay flat on his belly. “I’ve got a gun in my ankle holster and a knife at my back.” Breathing heavily, he turned his face to the side against the grass.
Gone was the fighter from moments before but Aaron wasn’t going to let himself be lulled into a false sense of security. He didn’t bother disarming the guy. He had faith in his abilities to disarm him, but he wasn’t risking it right now. With Dillon and Tegan so close, he wasn’t going to take the chance that the guy would attack when he got Aaron at closer range. Anything could happen in a split second. He’d wait for the cops to get here and do their job.
With his free hand he started to pull his cell phone out of his pocket when Dillon’s scared voice came from behind the tree.