Her Dangerous Promise - Part 4: (Romantic Suspense Serial) Read Online Free
Author: Ashley Stryker
light from the partially closed bathroom door, Mary could see he held Fizgig tucked like a newspaper under one arm. The flash of a long blade gleamed from the other hand.
Mary stumbled backward into the living room. “Thom.” She choked out the single word. Sucking in a shaking breath she forced herself to focus and called louder, “Thom!”
The man stepped into the full light of the living room. This was Adam Fielding. Even though she’d never laid eyes on him before, she recognized the man who’d held her hostage and had curled up beside her like a child. The man who’d strangled her and beaten Nancy. She’d been right about the details she’d told Thom but she never put them all together. Even if she had, she wouldn’t have pictured the man who loomed before her now.
More muscular than she’d imagined and a bit taller, Adam’s physical presence exuded malice. He wore a black hooded sweatshirt pulled tight around his face, Unabomber-style. Thick eyebrows knit angrily over his sharp eyes. There was no hint of the developmental condition in his face. Wide scratches marred his left cheek near his eye where Nancy left her mark of defiance. His lips, too large for the dimensions of his features, twisted in a pure expression of hate.
“You made a promise,” he growled. There was no mistaking his voice. Mary would never forget that voice. Her strength melted and drained like water out of her limbs. Adam brandished the knife under the cat’s chin. “You lied.”
Mary screamed, “THOM!”
Chapter Five
Dread saturated the air like a thick, black oil slick but Thom pressed onward. Each step compelled him closer to the terror but he couldn’t turn from it. Police and men in suits conferred in solemn voices outside Tammy Jo’s home. Thom slipped passed them unnoticed.
As he climbed the incline around the side of the family home, two officers led Tammy Jo’s mother, with her hands cuffed behind her, the other way.
The earthy fragrance of freshly tilled ground flavored the morning air. Thom rounded the corner of the house. In the backyard the recently planted flowers wilted in a heap of muddy topsoil. A hole less than two feet deep marred the garden like a pockmark. The void in the Earth mirrored the void he felt inside.
Thom ached to run away, to escape the truth. The muscles of his legs locked in anguish, preventing his escape. With a heart wrenching moan, he noticed the black plastic body bag. The man beside it zipped it up slowly and unable to resist, Thom’s gaze followed. The flaps came together as the zipper growled hungrily up, consuming inside the black shroud the shape of a young woman. First her long legs vanished, and then her dirt smudged dress. Her narrow wrists, bound with clothesline and unnaturally purple, rested sedately over her stomach.
A scream boiled inside Thom’s chest. He bit on his fist to block its escape but Thom couldn’t stop himself. His eyes slid up to the woman’s face. Her dirt packed blond hair matted around her lovely face. Only this time, she wasn’t Tammy Jo.
This time she was Mary Seeton.
“No!” Thom cried, his voice as torn as his heart.
A tender hand rested on his arm. “Thom.”
He turned toward the woman beside him and blinked. “Tammy Jo?”
Tammy Jo smiled. Her beautiful features were unmarred and peaceful. Sun burned in her hair, casting a soft glow all around her. “She needs you Thom.”
He turned back to Mary. Her eyes opened and darted about in panic.
Tammy Jo stepped back away from him. “Go to her, Thom. Go to her now.”
From the body bag, Mary reached for him.
Thom lunged forward and grabbed her bound hands. He tugged her toward him but the body bag twisted tight around her like an anaconda in a strangle hold.
“Help me!” she gasped, clutching to him.
He embraced her around the middle and struggled with all his might to snatch her out of the body bag.
She screamed, “Thom!”
The scream ripped through Thom’s head like a
Mary stumbled backward into the living room. “Thom.” She choked out the single word. Sucking in a shaking breath she forced herself to focus and called louder, “Thom!”
The man stepped into the full light of the living room. This was Adam Fielding. Even though she’d never laid eyes on him before, she recognized the man who’d held her hostage and had curled up beside her like a child. The man who’d strangled her and beaten Nancy. She’d been right about the details she’d told Thom but she never put them all together. Even if she had, she wouldn’t have pictured the man who loomed before her now.
More muscular than she’d imagined and a bit taller, Adam’s physical presence exuded malice. He wore a black hooded sweatshirt pulled tight around his face, Unabomber-style. Thick eyebrows knit angrily over his sharp eyes. There was no hint of the developmental condition in his face. Wide scratches marred his left cheek near his eye where Nancy left her mark of defiance. His lips, too large for the dimensions of his features, twisted in a pure expression of hate.
“You made a promise,” he growled. There was no mistaking his voice. Mary would never forget that voice. Her strength melted and drained like water out of her limbs. Adam brandished the knife under the cat’s chin. “You lied.”
Mary screamed, “THOM!”
Chapter Five
Dread saturated the air like a thick, black oil slick but Thom pressed onward. Each step compelled him closer to the terror but he couldn’t turn from it. Police and men in suits conferred in solemn voices outside Tammy Jo’s home. Thom slipped passed them unnoticed.
As he climbed the incline around the side of the family home, two officers led Tammy Jo’s mother, with her hands cuffed behind her, the other way.
The earthy fragrance of freshly tilled ground flavored the morning air. Thom rounded the corner of the house. In the backyard the recently planted flowers wilted in a heap of muddy topsoil. A hole less than two feet deep marred the garden like a pockmark. The void in the Earth mirrored the void he felt inside.
Thom ached to run away, to escape the truth. The muscles of his legs locked in anguish, preventing his escape. With a heart wrenching moan, he noticed the black plastic body bag. The man beside it zipped it up slowly and unable to resist, Thom’s gaze followed. The flaps came together as the zipper growled hungrily up, consuming inside the black shroud the shape of a young woman. First her long legs vanished, and then her dirt smudged dress. Her narrow wrists, bound with clothesline and unnaturally purple, rested sedately over her stomach.
A scream boiled inside Thom’s chest. He bit on his fist to block its escape but Thom couldn’t stop himself. His eyes slid up to the woman’s face. Her dirt packed blond hair matted around her lovely face. Only this time, she wasn’t Tammy Jo.
This time she was Mary Seeton.
“No!” Thom cried, his voice as torn as his heart.
A tender hand rested on his arm. “Thom.”
He turned toward the woman beside him and blinked. “Tammy Jo?”
Tammy Jo smiled. Her beautiful features were unmarred and peaceful. Sun burned in her hair, casting a soft glow all around her. “She needs you Thom.”
He turned back to Mary. Her eyes opened and darted about in panic.
Tammy Jo stepped back away from him. “Go to her, Thom. Go to her now.”
From the body bag, Mary reached for him.
Thom lunged forward and grabbed her bound hands. He tugged her toward him but the body bag twisted tight around her like an anaconda in a strangle hold.
“Help me!” she gasped, clutching to him.
He embraced her around the middle and struggled with all his might to snatch her out of the body bag.
She screamed, “Thom!”
The scream ripped through Thom’s head like a
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