Her Dangerous Promise - Part 4: (Romantic Suspense Serial) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Ashley Stryker
thunderbolt. He jerked awake but immediately fell back on his side. His head hurt worse than the time during his rookie year when his patrol car slipped on an icy road during a high speed pursuit and collided head-on into a bridge abutment.
Gradually, he became aware of his surroundings. First and foremost was the pain, which seemed to soak into and distort all his senses. Pushing the aches aside as best he could, he opened his eyes.
The darkness was close and smelled of sweat and motor oil. Most sounds were muffled. But not the voices.
Thom tried to reach up to touch the ear where the voices talked so loudly but his hands were pinned behind his back. Twisting around, Thom managed to sit up on the metallic and grooved ground beneath him.
Pale light coming from the right faintly illuminated his surroundings. The light shone from a street lamp and it spilled through the windshield of a van. Besides the two captain’s chairs up front, there weren’t any seats. Thom struggled to get his feet under him but they were bound too.
His ankles were crossed and secured with several layers of duct tape. From the hot sticky feeling across his mouth preventing him from speaking, Thom suspected a strip of duct tape covered his mouth as well. His wrists were crossed and no matter how hard he twisted, the bonds held him fast.
Thom searched around beside him for something he could use. Toward the back of the van he spotted someone else. Thom scooted closer and carefully brushed the dark hair covering the man’s face with his knee.
Even with the tape covering the lower half of his face, Thom could tell Brad still breathed. Dried blood matted his hair just above his ear. Thom nudged him but received no response. He required medical care, fast.
“Leave me alone,” the woman’s voice in Thom’s ear begged. Not just any voice, Mary’s voice. She was in trouble and from her tone she was terrified.
“How could you lie to me?”
Adam.
Run, Mary! Thom thought, Run!
But she didn’t run. Thom closed his eyes tight. Adam had missed the ear bud headphone Thom wore allowing him to tune in to the wire Mary wore. Helplessly, he listened as Mary pleaded with Adam.
Thom growled against the gag. The woman he loved was in mortal danger. He paused for the briefest of moments and acknowledged that thought. He did love her, more than anything he’d ever felt in his life, he loved Mary. Without question. Without reservation.
And she was in trouble.
In his arrogance, he’d put her at risk.
In order to save her, he needed to focus. He put the conversation buzzing in his ear out of his mind as best he could and searched the van. His gun, which had been on his waist, was gone. So was Brad’s. His radio was missing too. The utility belt he wore remained.
Thom backed up to Brad and probed the pouches. He felt and discarded his cuffs, a palm sized can of pepper spray and extra ammunition clips. No knife.
Leveraging himself against the side of the van, Thom inched his way up to his feet. He scooted closer to the handle at the back door. Just as his fingertips brushed the handle he lost his balance and crashed like a fallen tree to the floor. The sound echoed like a gunshot.
Cursing himself, Thom tried again. Every muscle complained as he forced himself back to his feet. He hooked his fingertips under the handle and tugged with all his might.
Locked.
Thom slid back down beside Brad.
Over the ear piece, Thom heard Mary cry his name.
Chapter Six
“Don’t hurt him,” Mary begged. She held her palm out as if the gesture alone might stop Adam.
Adam glared at her. “You said your cat was sick.”
Fizgig peered up at her doubtfully. He was trusting, too trusting. Even with a knife so close to his throat, he didn’t realize his danger, because if he did he would bite and scratch his way free. He depended on Mary for everything—food, water, protection. She loved the little guy.
“He is. He would get very sick without his medicine, like I
Gradually, he became aware of his surroundings. First and foremost was the pain, which seemed to soak into and distort all his senses. Pushing the aches aside as best he could, he opened his eyes.
The darkness was close and smelled of sweat and motor oil. Most sounds were muffled. But not the voices.
Thom tried to reach up to touch the ear where the voices talked so loudly but his hands were pinned behind his back. Twisting around, Thom managed to sit up on the metallic and grooved ground beneath him.
Pale light coming from the right faintly illuminated his surroundings. The light shone from a street lamp and it spilled through the windshield of a van. Besides the two captain’s chairs up front, there weren’t any seats. Thom struggled to get his feet under him but they were bound too.
His ankles were crossed and secured with several layers of duct tape. From the hot sticky feeling across his mouth preventing him from speaking, Thom suspected a strip of duct tape covered his mouth as well. His wrists were crossed and no matter how hard he twisted, the bonds held him fast.
Thom searched around beside him for something he could use. Toward the back of the van he spotted someone else. Thom scooted closer and carefully brushed the dark hair covering the man’s face with his knee.
Even with the tape covering the lower half of his face, Thom could tell Brad still breathed. Dried blood matted his hair just above his ear. Thom nudged him but received no response. He required medical care, fast.
“Leave me alone,” the woman’s voice in Thom’s ear begged. Not just any voice, Mary’s voice. She was in trouble and from her tone she was terrified.
“How could you lie to me?”
Adam.
Run, Mary! Thom thought, Run!
But she didn’t run. Thom closed his eyes tight. Adam had missed the ear bud headphone Thom wore allowing him to tune in to the wire Mary wore. Helplessly, he listened as Mary pleaded with Adam.
Thom growled against the gag. The woman he loved was in mortal danger. He paused for the briefest of moments and acknowledged that thought. He did love her, more than anything he’d ever felt in his life, he loved Mary. Without question. Without reservation.
And she was in trouble.
In his arrogance, he’d put her at risk.
In order to save her, he needed to focus. He put the conversation buzzing in his ear out of his mind as best he could and searched the van. His gun, which had been on his waist, was gone. So was Brad’s. His radio was missing too. The utility belt he wore remained.
Thom backed up to Brad and probed the pouches. He felt and discarded his cuffs, a palm sized can of pepper spray and extra ammunition clips. No knife.
Leveraging himself against the side of the van, Thom inched his way up to his feet. He scooted closer to the handle at the back door. Just as his fingertips brushed the handle he lost his balance and crashed like a fallen tree to the floor. The sound echoed like a gunshot.
Cursing himself, Thom tried again. Every muscle complained as he forced himself back to his feet. He hooked his fingertips under the handle and tugged with all his might.
Locked.
Thom slid back down beside Brad.
Over the ear piece, Thom heard Mary cry his name.
Chapter Six
“Don’t hurt him,” Mary begged. She held her palm out as if the gesture alone might stop Adam.
Adam glared at her. “You said your cat was sick.”
Fizgig peered up at her doubtfully. He was trusting, too trusting. Even with a knife so close to his throat, he didn’t realize his danger, because if he did he would bite and scratch his way free. He depended on Mary for everything—food, water, protection. She loved the little guy.
“He is. He would get very sick without his medicine, like I
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