Read Online Our Little Secret by Starr Ambrose - Free Book Online
Authors: Starr Ambrose
Tags: Fiction, General, Suspense, Romance, Contemporary, Man-Woman Relationships, Missing Persons, Sisters, Extortion, Legislators
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run, leaving Drew and Gerald to be shot? She couldn’t do either. Gerald was still pinned under Hawknose’s knee, cursing up a storm. And Drew… Drew had saved her from a kidnapper. She couldn’t just cut and run.
Undecided, but knowing she should at least get to her feet, Lauren backed against the Lincoln. Grabbing the outside mirror for support, she watched the gun as she pulled herself up and eased around the front of the car, putting it between herself and the drama playing out on the sidewalk.
As she suspected, the gun stayed on Drew. She’d bet on the fact that they wanted her alive and wouldn’t shoot her. But they might have no compunction about shooting someone else. She couldn’t let that happen.
Drew’s attention was on the gun, too. He held perfectly still as he knelt over Trenchcoat’s body.
“On the ground, asshole! Hands behind your head!”
She heard Hawknose bark orders at Drew as she crept around the car. She couldn’t see him, which meant he probably couldn’t see her, either. With his partner out cold, at least for the moment, and Gerald pinned beneath his knees, Hawknose focused on Drew as the threat to eliminate. He’d either forgotten about Lauren or didn’t consider her a threat. If she played it right, that would be his mistake.
Drew saw her as she rounded the back of the car, coming out behind Hawknose with Gerald struggling and cursing beneath him. Drew’s mouth dropped open as his expression changed from caution to fear. She knew he wanted to warn her off yet didn’t dare give her position away. Tension vibrated from every muscle as he froze in place, watching her stealthy advance on Hawknose.
“Now! On the ground!” Hawknose screamed at Drew, sighting along the gun as he braced his other hand on the back of Gerald’s neck.
Bystanders scattered at the sight of a gun. She couldn’t blame them, but it meant there was no one to help Drew but her.
She saw only one option. Her purse was too small to be an effective weapon, and bashing Hawknose over the head with her shoe wouldn’t even give him a headache. But she could land a kick that would make him see double for hours. The trick would be staying on her feet.
The back door handle of the Lincoln provided the best support. Grasping it with her left hand, she raised her knee, turned her foot sideways, and kicked as hard as she could. Her leather pump impacted with Hawknose just behind his ear with a satisfying smack.
Hawknose pitched forward. His out-flung hands hit the pavement and the gun slid across the frozen surface.
It happened fast, but Drew wasted no time deciding on a course of action. “Go!” He was already on his feet, and lunged toward the car, grabbing Lauren’s hand. “This way,” he said, tugging her into the drive. “There’s no ice.”
She hesitated just long enough to see Gerald scurry across the ice on hands and knees to the trunk of the car, where he pulled himself to his feet.
Drew wasn’t waiting for Gerald. He practically shoved her past the Lincoln to an area where traffic and vehicle exhaust had kept the ice melted. Pulling her down the row of waiting cars, they ran for Drew’s rented Taurus with Gerald on their heels.
Lauren spared a glance backward. The man had retrieved his gun and tucked it back inside his coat before turning to his prone partner. By the time Drew shoved her into the passenger seat, the black Lincoln had roared to life. Tires spinning, it slid into traffic and fishtailed, disappearing up Second Street with Hawknose at the wheel.
“They aren’t coming after us,” she said with relief.
“Too many witnesses.” Drew swerved the Taurus around the waiting cars, eliciting angry honks, and took a cross street away from the Hart Building. His gaze left the street for several seconds to sweep over her with concern. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” It wasn’t exactly true. Her whole body shook from the inside out.
“You sure? No cuts or
Undecided, but knowing she should at least get to her feet, Lauren backed against the Lincoln. Grabbing the outside mirror for support, she watched the gun as she pulled herself up and eased around the front of the car, putting it between herself and the drama playing out on the sidewalk.
As she suspected, the gun stayed on Drew. She’d bet on the fact that they wanted her alive and wouldn’t shoot her. But they might have no compunction about shooting someone else. She couldn’t let that happen.
Drew’s attention was on the gun, too. He held perfectly still as he knelt over Trenchcoat’s body.
“On the ground, asshole! Hands behind your head!”
She heard Hawknose bark orders at Drew as she crept around the car. She couldn’t see him, which meant he probably couldn’t see her, either. With his partner out cold, at least for the moment, and Gerald pinned beneath his knees, Hawknose focused on Drew as the threat to eliminate. He’d either forgotten about Lauren or didn’t consider her a threat. If she played it right, that would be his mistake.
Drew saw her as she rounded the back of the car, coming out behind Hawknose with Gerald struggling and cursing beneath him. Drew’s mouth dropped open as his expression changed from caution to fear. She knew he wanted to warn her off yet didn’t dare give her position away. Tension vibrated from every muscle as he froze in place, watching her stealthy advance on Hawknose.
“Now! On the ground!” Hawknose screamed at Drew, sighting along the gun as he braced his other hand on the back of Gerald’s neck.
Bystanders scattered at the sight of a gun. She couldn’t blame them, but it meant there was no one to help Drew but her.
She saw only one option. Her purse was too small to be an effective weapon, and bashing Hawknose over the head with her shoe wouldn’t even give him a headache. But she could land a kick that would make him see double for hours. The trick would be staying on her feet.
The back door handle of the Lincoln provided the best support. Grasping it with her left hand, she raised her knee, turned her foot sideways, and kicked as hard as she could. Her leather pump impacted with Hawknose just behind his ear with a satisfying smack.
Hawknose pitched forward. His out-flung hands hit the pavement and the gun slid across the frozen surface.
It happened fast, but Drew wasted no time deciding on a course of action. “Go!” He was already on his feet, and lunged toward the car, grabbing Lauren’s hand. “This way,” he said, tugging her into the drive. “There’s no ice.”
She hesitated just long enough to see Gerald scurry across the ice on hands and knees to the trunk of the car, where he pulled himself to his feet.
Drew wasn’t waiting for Gerald. He practically shoved her past the Lincoln to an area where traffic and vehicle exhaust had kept the ice melted. Pulling her down the row of waiting cars, they ran for Drew’s rented Taurus with Gerald on their heels.
Lauren spared a glance backward. The man had retrieved his gun and tucked it back inside his coat before turning to his prone partner. By the time Drew shoved her into the passenger seat, the black Lincoln had roared to life. Tires spinning, it slid into traffic and fishtailed, disappearing up Second Street with Hawknose at the wheel.
“They aren’t coming after us,” she said with relief.
“Too many witnesses.” Drew swerved the Taurus around the waiting cars, eliciting angry honks, and took a cross street away from the Hart Building. His gaze left the street for several seconds to sweep over her with concern. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” It wasn’t exactly true. Her whole body shook from the inside out.
“You sure? No cuts or
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