Her Dangerous Promise - Part 3: (Romantic Suspense Serial) by Ashley Stryker Page A

probably didn’t make it home after work.”
    “I can’t believe there weren’t any witnesses.” Thom hooked his thumbs in the belt loops of his jeans and surveyed the scene. Two main streets bordered the shopping center. A video store and a laundromat blocked the view of the lot from one street. Traffic funneled through a narrow strip of asphalt to access the lot between those two buildings. The other street had a clearer view of the lot but Nancy Miller’s car was parked on the far side of the lot from the street and would have been surrounded by other vehicles at that hour. Thom scanned the shops. “There.” He pointed.
    “What?”
    “That check cashing place. They’ll have a camera pointed toward the lot. It might have been at the right angle. Contact the owners and get a hold of that tape.
    “Right.”
    “Mary recalls Miss Miller wore a long summer dress, color unknown and a white sweater. Get a hold of her co-workers. See of you can get a better description of what she wore last. Also, find out if she told anyone about her plans for yesterday.” Thom regarded Mary. No doubts lingered in his mind. Her abductor, foiled in his desire to reclaim Mary, chose a substitute. Nancy dressed similarly enough; he might have even followed her by mistake from the elementary school. Once he nabbed her, he’d realize his mistake. Thom knew the perpetrator couldn’t risk releasing this victim, at least not alive. He couldn’t spare Mary’s feelings any longer.
    Thom turned back to Brad. “Call me on my cell when you know something.”
    “Will do,” he said, heading off.

Chapter Two

    Mary watched Thom working the scene. Other officers poured over Nancy’s car and rummaged around but nothing distracted her from Thom. His black tee molded to his muscles. She had firsthand knowledge of how exquisite those muscles were. The black jeans sculpted to his rear and waist like the designer made them for him. His long legs stretched down to his hiking boots.
    Despite sleeping beside each other twice, Thom hadn’t made a move once. Sexual frustration accounted for a growing percentage of her anxiety. After that single lapse on the front porch, Thom stoically kept his hands, lips and every other part of his anatomy to himself, much to Mary’s disappointment. As much as his body intrigued her, Mary felt more and more drawn to Thom’s heart. A girl just didn’t stumble across a guy with traits like Thom’s every day. He worked hard, got along great with kids and animals and had a healthy relationship with his mother. Thom seemed to genuinely care for Mary’s safety, even after all the trouble she’d caused. So why, after that underwear-melting kiss, had he backed off?
    Tammy Jo Resnick, she thought. Thom’s mother implied he didn’t date much. Had he ever loved anyone else? Did Thom still carry a torch for his lost love?
    She couldn’t hear the conversation but she could tell by the way Thom rubbed his fingers through his dark hair in aggravation the news wasn’t good. A sinking feeling dragged her heart into her stomach. Until now, Mary clung to the hope Nancy had met up with one of her dates and left her car temporarily, that she’d show up embarrassed about all the concern and reassure everyone she was fine. After all, her abductor threatened the children in her class, not the staff at the school. But with herself and the children so closely guarded, would he have gone after an easier target?
    Thom spoke with several officers before stalking back to the SUV. The way he slammed the driver’s door worried her.
    Thom sat stone still, staring at the action beyond the windshield. His powerful hands clenched on the wheel until his knuckles whitened. “I can’t handle you with kid gloves anymore.”
    “What do you mean?”
    He cut his flaming green eyes over to her and they stabbed her with their intensity. “I’m not going to pretend this isn’t the same bastard who snagged you. We don’t have proof yet but my