part.
Clean Levi’s hugged her slim hips and brushed the tops of black running shoes. A black sweatshirt was tied around her narrow waist and a tank top with TULANE printed on it stretched across well-rounded breasts. Shiny hair the color of mahogany was parted on the side and splayed well below her shoulders. He put her height at five-six or so. She looked delicate standing in front of him, but he’d felt the repressed strength in her curvaceous body for himself.
He swallowed and tried to focus his wayward thoughts. “I haven’t got all night.”
“It’s the property of Dallas S & L. I’m supposed to deliver it to them on Friday.”
“You don’t understand.” He stepped toward her, his patience brittle. “This car stays put until you tell me who you are and what you really want with a fifty-thousand-dollar ride.”
“I told you. I repossessed it.”
“Yeah, and I’m the tooth fairy.” He was getting nowhere with her and he didn’t have time to mess around.
“Look, lady, I’m not going to shoot you.” He raised his hands, feigning peace. “I need information. If you hadn’t taken the car, I’d have it.” Otis was probably miles away by now.
“Come on.” He grabbed her elbow, steered her around the car and back to the table. If she wouldn’t tell him who she was, then he’d find out for himself.
He shuffled through the contents of her backpack, a virtual smorgasbord of paraphernalia fit to rescue a spy from any situation. Rope, a Swiss Army knife, first aid kit, cell phone, even a cache of tissues to blow her perfectly shaped nose. He’d never seen anyone so prepared. But she wasn’t going to be prepared for him, if she didn’t take him where he needed to go.
His gaze settled on her wallet. He grabbed it, popped the clasp and flipped it open to her driver’s licence.
Kate Robear, 415 Murray, New Orleans. Hatred exploded in his chest, burning him like a red-hot poker. He sized up the woman in front of him while the knowledge ricocheted deep into his brain.
He had a Robear? The family resemblance was indisputable. Dark hair, fair skin, expressive eyes socketed innocently in a beautiful face. For an instant he wanted to make her suffer as he’d suffered, but he sucked it up and tossed her wallet onto the table.
Kate studied the slight tic along his jawline, the faraway flicker in his eyes, and waited for the moment she could reach for the Taser.
“Robear. I might have known, no junk for a Robear.”
His words knifed into her mind. There was contempt in his voice. His body stiffened and revulsion flared in his eyes.
What did he know about her family?
As if lost in some distant memory he looked away for a second.
Attack. She grabbed the Taser and jerked to the right, avoiding his bear-paw swipe.
The device came to life like a live-voltage wire. She slammed the weapon to his thigh and pushed the button. A muscle-incapacitating zap hissed into his body. He stumbled back and collapsed.
She fell forward onto her knees and stared at the man laid out in front of her.
His eyes were wide with surprise, but he lay motionless.
She crawled toward him, determined to get the key before the Taser gun’s effect wore off. He was fit. It wouldn’t take long for him to regain his motor skills. She shoved her hand into his pocket and felt through its contents. Change. Pocketknife. She brushed the elongated metal shaft of the padlock key with her fingertips, pinched it and pulled her hand out.
Sticky red liquid coated her fingers.
Blood.
Her heart raced in her chest as one horrible thought chased another. She stared at the man sprawled on the concrete floor. He was bleeding. Could she leave him here? What if his injury was serious? He could die in front of her.
She slipped the key into her pocket and edged close to him. “You’re hurt. I’m going to have a look, but if you so much as touch me, you’ll get this again.” She jabbed the weapon at him.
He blinked.
Kate’s hand trembled as she pushed his jacket aside and pulled his T-shirt out of his waistband. Carefully she moved the blood-soaked fabric up, trying to avoid touching his bare skin. Under all that black, he was muscular, taut and seething. She sucked in a breath. If masculinity was a crime, he’d be doing life, and if he weren’t incapacitated, she was certain he’d have her on the ground with his hands around her throat.
The thought of her son slammed into her mind like a tidal wave. She stopped. What would happen to Cody if she wasn’t there to take care of him? This man could do that. Take her life.
She swallowed the knowledge and returned to her task. She couldn’t let him bleed to death. She had to take a chance.
A trail of blood crisscrossed his chest. “You must have taken some buckshot when you were in the trunk.” She looked into his face for confirmation.
He blinked.
“It looks bad.” She still hadn’t found the source of the blood trail.
Pushing the shirt higher, she brushed his bare skin with her fingertips.
He groaned.
A wave of warmth burst inside of her and rushed to her cheeks. She let out a labored breath and stared at the spot just above his heart and slightly to the left where a pellet had burned a trail, marring his perfect chest.
“I’m dialing 911.” She stood up, riffling through the stuff on the table for her phone. She reached for it at the same time his hand wrapped around her ankle.
Hot…relentless…inescapable.
Chapter Two
He jerked hard, pulling her off balance. Her right hand slammed against the tabletop, the Taser dislodged from her grip and clattered onto the floor.
She hit the ground.
In slow motion, he pulled her toward him.
Elbows against the concrete floor, her heart pounded and she kicked, swimming against a wave of fear that threatened to drown her, but he was too strong.
Catching sight of the Taser, she reached for it, straining to touch it in a final desperate move.
One more second and she would be his, but he suddenly let go. Hope for survival surged in her veins. She sat up and fixed her gaze on him.
He pulled himself upright and leaned against the front tire of the Beamer. “Kate Robear. Detective Mick Jacoby. New Orleans Police Department, auto theft division.” He held the badge in his hand like a trophy. “Battery on an officer is a crime.”
She tried to shut out his words, but an image of Cody staring at her through prison glass was the only thing that came into focus.
“Can’t
