Free Her Dangerous Promise - Part 2: (Romantic Suspense Serial) by Ashley Stryker

Chapter One

    Thom covered Mary’s hand to reclaim the keys but Mary tightened her grip. The flair of excitement shooting through her at the touch rivaled her terror. “Don’t go,” she begged. “Call the police.”
    “Honey, I am the police.”
    “Then call for backup or whatever.”
    Thom stroked the back of his hand so tenderly down Mary’s cheek, trembling webs of sensation vibrated through her. “I’ll handle this. Just stay in the car.”
    Mary surrendered the keys.
    Keeping his weapon down and slightly behind him, Thom approached the house casually. The way he held it, no one watching from the windows could see the gun. But Mary could. Her anxiety notched up as she saw Thom flex and resettle his fingers on the pistol grip.
    He approached the front door cautiously before unlocking it. With his hand on the knob he raised his weapon, waited a beat and bolted inside.
    Pressed against the window glass, Mary wished she could see inside the dark house. Straining, she listened for any sound, expecting to hear a gunshot at any moment. The silence stretched painfully.
    The squawk from the police radio jolted her so badly she nearly hit her head on the ceiling of the SUV. Unintelligible police jargon spilled from the speakers. Apparently, someone designated Twelve Charlie required assistance with a fifty-one-fifty, whatever that was. Mary examined the contraption, wondering if she should try using it to call for help.
    Unable to figure out the knobs and buttons, Mary disregarded that option for the moment and turned back to the house. How long had Thom been gone? Two minutes? He should have returned by now.
    Unless he ran into trouble.
    The longer she waited, the more humid the closed vehicle became. Her own nervous body heat and the midday sun cranked up the temperature to an unbearable level. She cracked the window and a flood of cooler air spilled in and raised goose bumps on her bare arms.
    An eerie hush blanketed the neighborhood, making it unusually quiet for a Saturday morning. Where were the children riding bikes and chasing Frisbees? Where were the homeowners raking leaves or cleaning gutters? Fear crept into Mary. If something bad happened right now, would anyone ever know it?
    Another minute passed. Surely Thom had encountered someone. An intruder could have caught Thom from behind. Someone could hide in that sneaky spot between the refrigerator and the pantry. She should have warned him.
    With each passing second, Mary became more certain of Thom’s fate. Frantically, she felt under the seat for anything she could use as a weapon and discovered a small lug wrench. It weighed enough to do some damage but was not too heavy for her to wield. At this point, she either had to attempt to call for help, which might not come in time, or go in after Thom.
    She looked back to the house one last time. Fear twisted her heart into knots.
    Thom appeared in the doorway with Fizgig, Mary’s cat, tucked like a football under his arm. Thom grinned at Mary and waved one of Fizgig’s paws at her.
    With relief, Mary dropped the lug wrench and leapt from the SUV. She hurried to Thom and scooped Fizgig into a fluffy hug. To the cat she murmured, “Hey there, baby boy. Did you miss your mommy?”
    “He was in the window watching for you.”
    “Poor Fizgig.” Mary snuggled the cat. “Were you scared? Huh? You didn’t know where your mommy had gone?”
    Once they stepped inside, Thom closed the front door. “The house seems secure. You keep your windows and doors locked at all times?”
    “Yes, I do.” Mary toted Fizgig to the kitchen counter and poured out a small pile of kitty treats for him. While the cat munched, Mary refilled the water and food dishes.
    “Do you have an alarm system?” Thom plucked the cordless phone from the cradle. “No caller ID?”
    “No.” Mary opened her refrigerator. “Something to drink? I have diet soft drinks.”
    “No, thanks.” Thom began pushing buttons on the phone. “You never