Free Books by Maggie Shayne by Maggie Shayne Page B

"Hurry. They're in the office now, they won't hear us leave."
    "How did they find us?"
    "Damned if I know:' Torch tore his gaze away from her, scanning the room to be sure they left nothing behind. As he checked the bathroom, he tried to figure it out, talking it through as he did.
    "You said you found out about the safe-deposit box when you were going through your father's papers, after he died. Are those papers still in the house?"
    She groaned, closed her eyes.
    "Right in his hedroom God, why didn't I think of it before?"
    "I didn't think of it, either." But he should have. Dam-reit, hadn't he learned anything? Not anticipating crap like this had gotten his family murdered in their own home. So what did it take to get through to him?
    "What is it? What's wrong?"
    He shook himself, met her gaze. She was staring at him, and she' was scared half out of her mind.
    "Nothing. Just that they knew where we were going, knew we were in a hurry, took the only sensible route, and started checking Maggie $hayne motels. Child's play for these guys. My mistake. I'm supposed to know better."
    Her brown eyes probed his, narrowing, searching. It was as if she knew his words had some double meaning, as if she were trying, even now, to see the source of his consuming pain. The way she looked at him made him shiver, and he was damned if he knew why. He averted his eyes, slung the duffel over his shoulder and took her arm. He held his gun at the ready in his right hand and opened the door.
    "I can't do this. I can't go out there." She whispered the words, but Palamaro either didn't hear or didn't want to. He tugged her through the door and outside into the night. She moved on legs as stiff as boards, which she figured was just as well. If her knees bent 'at all, they'd probably dissolve.
    She tried to look around, tried to search the area for threats, men in black, men with guns. It seemed at lb-st that they were everywhere, but it was only that the parking lot was alive with moving shadows. It took one panicked moment for her to realiTc the cause--headlights passing on the highway out front, casting their glow slowly as they moved, making the shadows come to life. There could he twenty men in black lurking out here, and they'd he invisible.
    Torch Palamaro stood still just beyond the door, and she thought he was testing the air. The nfotel room behind them was dark. He'd flicked off the lights before dragging her out here. He'd left the door wide.
    In case they had to retreat? But if they went back in there, they'd he trapped, wouldn't they?
    From somewhere on the highway, rock music came faintly, then louder, then faded again. Motors purred and sputtered and roared. She could hear the tinny voices and canned laughter of a TV sitcom coming from one of the rooms nearby. And there was a throaty gurgle of rushing water from beneath the grate just under her feet. Nothing else. Utter silence. But that didn't mean they were alone.
      Palamaro leaned close to her.
    "Give me the key. But don't make it obvious."
    She stared at him, but he didn't meet her eyes. His were Wide, alert, moving back and forth as he scanned the parking lot's dancing shadows.
    "I ... I don't understand what you want me to" -- "Now, dam it His whisper was all but silent, and still managed to be harsh, demanding.
    He'd given an order. Alexandra prayed she was doing the right thing and reached toward the back pocket of her jeans.
    He faced her, moving so suddenly she jumped in surprise. One arm snagged her waist, jerking her against him hard and fast. And tight.
    So tight she could barely breathe. His mouth covered hers, and he stole what little remained of her breath, taking it into his own body, sucking the very life from her, it seemed. He pressed her back to the wall, nudging her mouth open, thrusting his tongue inside, dip-p'mgand tasting and taking without ~i~ion or hesitation. His hand slid down over her back, and her eyes fell closed even as she relied his remained open.