Read Online Resurrecting Charlie's Girl by Debra Kayn - Free Book Online

more from the chill of the
night and nerves, than from exertion.
    "We
have to move around the corner. I'm parked far enough away from that
streetlight—he pointed up ahead—so the light doesn't reflect inside the
car."
    A
car downshifting and coming closer raised Charlise's awareness. Her fingers dug
into Tom's arm. Did it all come to an end now? Cowering in the bushes?
    "It's
not them. Unless Jared's hired an older lady who drives a classic coupe."
Tom gave her hand a squeeze. "Breathe, Charlise. I'll get you out of
here."
    Tom
moved away from the hedge. She gripped his hand and moved with him. They
sprinted across the parking lot to the car.
    Tom
opened the door and she scrambled over the gearshift and landed in the
passenger seat. She reached over her shoulder for the seatbelt and buckled up.
    "Hurry,
hurry, hurry." Her fists bounced on the top of her thighs.
    Tom
followed her into the car and slammed the key in, but made no move to start the
car. She frowned. "Tom?"
    He
held up his finger and tilted his head, and Charlise's heartbeat skittered. She
frantically looked up and down the parking lot for any sign of a black car.
    She
urgently whispered, "We have to get out of here. If Jared brought others
to help, he's not going to let us leave alive."
    Tom
shushed her. She watched his face in silence. The only sound was her breath
coming in gasps.
    "Get
out of the car. Now!" He undid her seatbelt.
    Charlise
groped for the door handle and scrambled out of the car. Tom motioned to her
and she hurried around the car to his side. She didn't understand why they
weren't in the car, where they at least stood a chance of outrunning Jared. On
foot, they were doomed.
    "Let's
walk." Tom threw his arm around her shoulder and pulled her tight against
him.
    "What's
wrong? Why aren't we driving away, Tom?" Charlise didn't want to move
until she had answers. Tom nudged her forward, and she said, "Talk to me,
dammit. What's going on?"
    Her
protector leaned over, kissed the top of her head, and kept her tight against
his side. "Someone rigged a bomb in the car when I left to get you. I
could feel the catch in the ignition. All it would have taken was for me to
complete the turn to start the car and we'd be history."
    Charlise
halted in shock. "What? A bomb?"
    "We're
okay." Tom put his arm around her shoulders and forced her move forward
again. "See that big sign down the street?" He pointed in the
direction. "It looks like a restaurant. If we can get in there and
surround ourselves with people, I can call G.P.I. and figure out our next move.
Let's go. We've still got three blocks to clear."
    Charlise
slid her arm around Tom's waist and hooked her thumb in his back pocket. A cozy
scene of two people holding on to each other and sharing the night, but she
knew Tom held her close to protect her body from being shot at if Jared's car
showed up.
    Traffic
picked up the closer they got to what she could now see was an all-night diner.
Tom's arm over Charlise's shoulders tensed.
    "Let's
cross here." Tom didn't go to the intersection crosswalk, but jaywalked
across the road.
    The
streetlights lit up the sidewalk. Tom stopped and wrapped his arms around
Charlise, his legs spread wide. He kept his back towards the oncoming traffic.
    "What?
Tom!" Her voice was muffled against his chest. He wasn't budging. She
couldn't get her hands free to push back to breathe.
    "Hang
on, keep your head tucked." Tom whispered in her ear. "There're two
black sedans cruising down the street, back to back."
    "Oh
God." She squeezed every muscle in her body, trying to shrink herself.
    "Keep
your head down. One of the cars stopped across the street." He nuzzled her
neck. "Let's pretend we are a couple making out on the middle of the
sidewalk."
    She
found it hard to breathe smothered against Tom's chest with his mouth on her
neck. "Let's make a run for the diner."
    "No.
I can't protect you on the run." He kissed her temple. "They can't
see our face, and I'm guessing there are