Read Online Unlawful Contact by Pamela Clare - Free Book Online Page A

couldn’t think straight, why she was stumbling along with Hunter like a puppet, why she hadn’t tried get away from him. Well, that—and the fact that he’d threatened to kill her and had a gun to her head.
    And to think she’d come here to help his sister.
    Rage, hot and sudden, burned through Sophie’s panic and fear. She twisted, kicked, scratched, brought her knee up hard. “Let…me…go!”
    “Son of a—!” His curse became a grunt as her knee met his groin.
    In a heartbeat, Sophie found herself pinned up against the wall, the hard length of his body immobilizing her, her arms stretched over her head, his forehead resting against hers.
    His eyes were squeezed shut, breath hissing from between his clenched teeth, his face contorted in obvious pain. He drew a deep breath, then opened his eyes and glared at her, his expression shifting from pain to fury.
    “I’ll give you that one because, God knows, I deserve it. But don’t try to play rough with me, Sophie! You’ll only end up getting yourself hurt!”
    He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then his gaze dropped to her mouth.
    For a split second, she thought he might try to kiss her, and a completely new fear unfurled in her belly. “Don’t!”
    He thrust her in front of him and pushed her down the hallway. “I’m a convicted murderer, not a rapist! Besides, now isn’t the time. Move!”
    Her rage spent, she did as he demanded, trying not to trip, trying not to cry, trying not to throw up. Just ahead lay the lobby and beyond it the front entrance and visitors’ parking lot.
    When I’m safely away, I’ll let her go.
    His words came back to her, and she latched onto them, clinging to the hope they offered, repeating them in her mind like a mantra.
    I’ll let her go . I’ll let her go.
    They passed the abandoned registration desk where Sergeant Green had checked her in and hurried through the now vacant lobby. And then they were outside.
    Sophie barely noticed the cold wind or the fat snowflakes that had begun to fall or the fact that the sun had set, her thoughts riveted on Hunter and what he would do next.
    He surprised her by stopping just outside the door and drawing her back against the brick wall with him. “Give me your keys! Which one is yours?”
    “Wh-what?”
    “Which car?”
    “The blue Toyota. But you can’t—”
    “There’s no time for this!” He covered her mouth with his hand. “Listen close, Sophie. The moment we step away from this building, a dozen snipers with high-powered rifles will sight on my skull. Perhaps that idea pleases you, but it makes me a little nervous. I don’t have time to call a cab, so we’re taking your car. Understand?”
    He lifted the hand from her mouth.
    She nodded, her pulse skyrocketing. “Y-yes.”
    He was kidnapping her!
    No! No! Please, no!
    She swallowed a sob and fumbled in her purse for her keys.
    Marc heard Sophie’s breath catch, felt her body jerk, and realized she was crying.
    Goddamn it! God damn it!
    He fought the urge, so instinctual, to reassure her. He couldn’t afford to think about what she was feeling. Not now. Not yet. One mistake out here, and he’d be a dead man.
    She drew her keys from her purse and held them out for him, metal jangling. “P-please just take my car and leave me!”
    “No can do, sweetheart.” He grabbed the keys from her hand, glancing from the parking lot, which was flooded by searchlights, to the lobby, where a dozen COs had gathered, waiting for him to slip and offer them a clear shot. “Go!”
    He realized his mistake as soon as they hit the parking lot. Dressed in those ridiculous heels, she could barely walk on the ice and snow, much less run. She skittered and slipped, more than once nearly toppling them both to the ground. If she fell, she’d give the snipers the clear line of fire they were waiting for.
    “Jesus Christ! It’s winter, woman, or hadn’t you noticed!” Marc lifted her off her feet, held her hard against him and ran, his