Chapter 32

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Cam hit the parking lot running. A hundred different scenarios had flitted through his mind on the drive here, all of them involving some kind of bodily harm. She sounded healthy enough, but still… He wouldn't be able to relax until he saw her with his own eyes.

Inside the store, he flashed his badge to the store manager who led him to the break room, then left Cam to speak with Kinley alone. His lungs felt tight, his chest so constricted that he couldn't drag in a full breath until he saw her sitting in a chair beside the table, looking small and vulnerable as hell.

Thank God, whatever had happened must have just scared her, because she didn't appear to be hurt in any way. Whatever it was had to be serious, though—Kinley wasn't the kind to make a big deal of nothing. In fact, she tended to downplay things, so it made him even more curious to find out what the hell had happened.

He stopped a foot away, scanning every inch of her from head to toe. His chest constricted as he peered down into those big blue eyes. "Are you okay?"

She nodded but didn't say a word, and he extended a hand her way. She slipped her palm into his and stood, moving instinctively toward him. A moment later she leaned into him, giving him all of her weight, and he pulled her into his embrace. Keeping one arm locked around her lower back, he buried his free hand in her hair as she tucked her face into his chest.

He wondered if Kinley could hear his heart slamming against his ribs where she rested against him, her cheek pressed to the space over his heart.

Her body shook but she didn't cry, and neither of them said a word for what felt like forever. The silky curtain of hair tickled his skin, and he slid his hand down to cup the back of her neck. Her face lifted, and he brushed a lock of hair away from her cheek. "Don't ever scare me like that again."

She nodded again, and Cam shifted her against her side, keeping one arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. "Can you tell me what happened?"

A shiver racked her body, and she fixed her gaze to a spot on the floor before continuing. "I was walking out to my car, and I'd just unlocked it when a man came out of nowhere. He was… he had a mask and gloves, and he pointed a knife at me and told me to get in the trunk."

His blood boiled, and a red haze bled into his vision at the thought of anyone pulling a knife on her.

His grip on her tightened. "What did you do?"

Her gaze slowly rose from the floor, over his feet and legs and finally up to his face. "I punched him."

His eyes widened with surprise, and he saw a tiny flicker of a smile dancing at the corners of her mouth. "I—I punched him as hard as I could, then ran inside."

Most people, men and women alike, would have followed the man's instructions and climbed right into the trunk, hoping that he would eventually let them go. But not Kinley.

Now that the fear had finally begun to recede, pride glowed brightly in her eyes, and she straightened away from him. He stared down at her as she slipped her palm into his. He squeezed her fingers gently before lifting both hands to cup her face.

"You gave him hell, honey." He stroked her hair, her cheeks, every inch of her pretty face, thanking every deity known to man that she was okay. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks." A real smile finally broke through, and his heart seized in his chest.

He hated to abandon her now, but there were some loose ends that needed to be tied up before they could leave. "Will you be okay here for a few minutes? I need to speak with the manager."

Understanding lightened her eyes, and she gave a sharp nod. "I'll be fine."

He gave her hand a quick squeeze before pulling away. "I'll be right back."

Cam left the office and wound his way down the stark white hallway toward the store. He caught the manager's gaze and tipped his head, indicating for the man to join him. "I understand you have cameras covering the parking lot?"

The manager, Roy, nodded, already turning to lead the way. "Yes, yes. We do. Follow me."

They retraced their steps down the hallway until they reached a small office across from the break room where Kinley currently sat waiting. Roy fumbled with a set of keys before unlocking the door.

The office was cramped, filled with stacks of papers, old receipts, and a couple of outdated computer monitors. Roy gestured to one of the screens, where a grainy black-and-white feed from the parking lot was displayed.

"Here it is," Roy said, tapping a few keys to bring up the recorded footage from earlier that day. "This should be around the time it happened."

Cam leaned in, watching intently as the footage played. The camera's angle covered a wide section of the parking lot, but the resolution was poor. He could see Kinley walking towards her car, carrying a few bags. Suddenly, a figure emerged from behind another vehicle, moving swiftly towards her.

"Can you zoom in on the attacker?" Cam asked.

Roy shook his head. "This is as good as it gets, I'm afraid."

They watched as the figure approached Kinley. There were no distinguishing features, just a dark silhouette. The attacker grabbed her, and there was a brief struggle. She fought back fiercely, kicking and striking at the man. Cam's heart pounded as he saw her break free and run toward the store, her face a mask of terror.

The man didn't pursue her. Instead, he turned and fled in the opposite direction, disappearing out of the camera's range.

"Damn it," Cam muttered. "No clear image, no license plate, nothing."

Roy nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I wish I could offer more."

Cam sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's not your fault. We'll have to work with what we have."

He turned to the young officer. "Get a copy of this footage and distribute it to all units. Maybe someone will recognize the way he moves, or his build. It's a long shot, but it's all we've got."

As the officer set to work, Cam turned back to Roy. "Thank you for your help. We'll need to keep in touch in case anything else comes up."

Roy nodded. "Of course, anything you need."

Leaving the office, Cam couldn't shake the frustration gnawing at him. Kinley had escaped, but her attacker was still out there. The image of her terrified face replayed in his mind, fueling his determination to find the man responsible.

Striding toward the parking lot, Cam dug his phone from his pocket and dialed Dare. The sheriff answered on the fourth ring, his voice tired. "Yeah?"

"We have a small issue." Cam's gaze swept the parking lot, quickly finding Kinley's car. "Kinley was attacked this evening."

Cam relayed the story to Dare as he gathered the things Kinley had dropped in the parking lot. "We checked the cameras but didn't get shit."

"Did she see anything?"

Cam transferred the bags and her purse to the back seat of his car. "Not that she could remember, but I'll ask her again later when she's calmed down a bit."

On the other end, Dare swore softly. "Have you found anything else on Hayes?"

"Not yet."

"I'll reach out to a few local departments—have them keep an eye out for him. In the meantime, keep an eye on her."

"Will do." Cam disconnected then headed back into the store. He rapped quietly on the break room door before opening it.

Kinley's wide eyes met his, and he forced a small smile. "Ready to go?"

She nodded and pushed from the chair, and he settled a hand on her lower back as he guided her from the room. Outside, she paused. "Oh! I completely forgot?—"

"It's fine." He waved her off. "I already got all your stuff."

Relief flooded her expression. "Thanks."

He nodded. "Are you up for driving home? If not, I'll make arrangements to have your car brought back."

She blew out a shaky breath. "I can probably manage…"

He scrutinized her for a moment before shaking his head. "Let me drive. We'll stay at my place tonight."

"Okay."

She moved a little closer, crowding into his side, and Cam tightened his hold on her. "Don't worry. We're going to figure out what the hell is going on."