Page 53 of Sensual Nights

"I'll take Mitch with me."

Mason hustled back to the office. "Mitch, let's go out to Carley's house and make sure they didn't take her there."

"Will do." They rushed out to Mason's truck and hopped in. He drove them quickly toward Carley's house.

Mitch inhaled. "I doubt that they would take her there, it would be the obvious place to look, and they think police have already been there.”

"That's true, but at least I feel like I'm doing something."

"Well, there is that."

As Mason sped to Carley's house, Mitch's phone rang again. "DeMario."

"This is Tray Fielding from Blossom Springs PD. We just got word that Jonathan Roberts out on County Road AA found a woman who had been kidnapped. We have units on the way."

Mason slammed on the brakes just before turning on Golden Acres Road, where Carley lived, and made the left to stay on Hospital Road. About two miles past the hospital, he took a left on County Road AA.

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Carley fell to the ground; the sharp pain caused her to lose her breath. She heard the truck slam on the brakes, and another shot rang out. Another shot and sirens. Tears streamed from her eyes, and she struggled to breathe. She gasped, and foam came out of her mouth.

Panic spread through her body. She saw Mason's blurry face. He was so handsome. He yelled something. She didn't understand what he was saying, and he was floating away. She tried to ask him to stay with her, but he was so far away now. She couldn't hear him anymore and that made her sadder than anything. Mason.

***

Carley woke to the sound of a monitor beeping and something that sounded like air whooshing in and out. It was so annoying. It kept going and she wanted to go back to sleep.

She felt as if she were floating. She heard voices speaking in hushed tones. It smelled like medicine. Her stomach growled and she tried to move her hand over her stomach, but it felt like lead.

The heartbeat went faster, and the whooshing air did, too. She felt panic. She was tied to a bed, and she couldn't move. They found her.

She called out, "No!"

Strong hands rested on her shoulders, and Mason's deep voice whispered, "You're safe, honey. I'm here. You're safe."

"Safe," she said. It hurt to talk. It hurt to breathe. "Hurts."

"I know. It will for a little while, honey. You had surgery. But you're going to be just fine."

"Surgery."

Nothing made sense to her. She was running, then sharp pain and she fell to the ground.

She whispered, "I fell down."

"Yes. You fell."

She swallowed. "Water."

"You can have some ice chips, but no water just yet."

She heard the clinking of ice dropping into a cup.

"I'm going to raise the head of your bed a bit, so you don't choke on the ice."

She nodded but didn't say anything.

The soft buzz of a motor and the feeling of floating up. The floating stopped and it felt as if someone sat next to her.

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