Her Dangerous Promise - Part 4: (Romantic Suspense Serial) Read Online Free Page B

told you.”
    “You said he was shy, that no one else could touch him.” Adam held up Fizgig as evidence.
    Mary shook all over. The more she tried to prevent it, the harder she trembled. Adam would kill her cat and then her. Where was Thom? They circled each other in the living room, in full view of the front window. Thom had to see her from across the street. He had to hear her over the microphone.
    Adam stepped closer, “You said that and it was a lie.”
    “No,” Mary retreated. “Not a lie. I didn’t lie. He never lets anyone but me hold him.” Mary tried to smile but it failed to feel convincing. “He must sense something special about you.”
    A flicker of curiosity crossed Adam’s face.
    Mary forced herself to breathe, forced herself to think. She had to be brave, like Nancy. She needed to take control of her situation, for Fizgig, for herself, for her kids. This stopped tonight, one way or another.
    “He knows he can trust you,” she whispered. “He knows you won’t hurt him.”
    The knife drifted away from Fizgig’s throat.
    “That’s right,” Mary soothed. “He never hurt anyone. You don’t want to hurt him. Just put him down.”
    He was listening to her. Mary felt as if she’d convinced a pit bull to stand still. At any moment he could strike but for this one second, he seemed to listen. Awkwardly, she stepped closer to the couch.
    Mary swallowed hard. Adam wanted to let Fizgig go, she was sure of it. She inched up next to the back of the couch. Cutting her eyes sideways, she saw the baseball bat right where she’d left it. “Go ahead and let Fizgig go. You are not mad at him, right?”
    Adam bent over at the waist and set Fizgig down. “You’re right,” he said. “I’m not mad at him.” He raised his eyes to burn at her. “I’m mad at you.”
    “That’s okay,” Mary whispered. With a lunge, she snatched up the baseball bat. “I’m mad at you, too.”
    Adam spun aside but not quickly enough. The blow came down on his shoulder, knocking the knife from his hand. The next strike caught him in the middle of the back and he dropped to the ground on his stomach.
    From the corner of her eye, she saw Fizgig, startled by the activity, streak toward the bedroom. He would stay out of sight now. At least he would be safe, she thought. At least she’d been able to protect someone.
    Mary rushed to the front door and yanked on it. Locked. She fumbled with it.
    Adam snatched the baseball bat from her hand and tossed it across the room, where it struck the glass shelves displaying photos and china figurines, smashing the lot of them.
    She flipped the last lock open. Mary jerked the door open but a hand pushed past her and shut it just as quickly. She tried to turn away from that arm but his other one shot between her and freedom. With him barring her escape and the heat of him against her back, Mary knew she was trapped. He hadn’t yet touched her but she could hear his angry breathing by her ear.
    “Leave me alone,” she begged.
    “How could you lie to me?” There was genuine hurt in his voice. “You swore on the lives of the kids in your class. How could you do that to them?”
    “How could you do this to me?”
    Adam grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. He slammed her back into the door. “What I did to you? I let you go. I kept my word.”
    He pulled her toward him so their faces nearly touched. “You,” he slammed her against the door, making her head bounce painfully off it, “lied!”
    He’d kill her now. Mary didn’t doubt his intentions in the least. In desperation, she shouted, “I know about your mother!”
    “What?” Adam fisted his hands in the collar of her sweater.
    “I know she died. She left you alone.”
    Adam slammed her against the door again. “Everything is falling apart!”
    “I can help you!”
    “You called the cops on me.” He grabbed her around the throat. “They’re hunting me.”
    “No,” Mary choked. She couldn’t breathe. Adam crushed