Her Dangerous Promise - Part 2: (Romantic Suspense Serial) Read Online Free PDF Page A

asked me a question and I thought maybe you’d be a good person to answer it for her.”
    Mary smiled encouragingly to Jena, “What’s your question, Jena?”
    Biting her lip, Jena looked from Thom to Mary and then said, “If someone knows something. Something bad. But was told not to say anything, is that wrong?”
    A chill shivered through Mary. “What do you, I mean this person, know?”
    Jena glanced to Thom again. “Like if someone did something bad but they said not to say anything.”
    Mary knelt in front of Jena so they could speak on eye level. An uncomfortable twist pinched in her gut. Softly, Mary asked, “Did someone hurt you, honey?”
    Jena twisted her foot so the toe of her shoe dug into the carpet. She shrugged.
    “Honey, if you know it is something bad…” Mary squeezed Jena’s little hand between her own. Such a small, delicate hand, Mary thought too fragile to fight back. What monster could harm this sweet, defenseless child? “Or even think that it might be bad but you are not sure, you should tell an adult you trust. They can help you decide what you should do about it.”
    “So I should tell, if I know something bad, even if I promised not to?”
    Mary scanned the girl for obvious marks. Had someone hurt her? Frightened, angry tears burned in her eyes but she forced them down. She didn’t want to upset Jena any more than she already was. “Jena, sweetie, if this person did something bad, you need to tell someone right away. You can talk to me, or Inspector Brady, or the nurse.” Mary lifted Jena’s chin so their eyes met. “Who did the bad thing, dear?”
    Jena cracked a small smile, “I don’t know. I have to go to class now.” She beamed up at Thom. “Did I ask it right, Uncle Thom?”
    Mary frowned. “Uncle Thom?”
    With mild chagrin, he glanced over to Mary. His expression seemed to say he’d learned his lesson about employing a grade schooler for an undercover mission. “You did great. I’ll see you later.”
    Jena hugged him around the middle and he patted her on top of the head. “Bye, Miss Seeton!” Jena called and she raced after her class, leaving the auditorium empty, except for Thom and Mary. The clamor of children’s voices receded as they bundled back into their classrooms.
    Crossing her arms, Mary stood up and glared at Thom. “Would you care to explain yourself, Uncle Thom?”
    “She asked a valid question. I think you should take your own advice and tell what you know.”
    “Here’s the difference. She is a child. I am an adult. I can make my own judgments about when and with whom I should speak.”
    “Really? Then why are you acting like a frightened child?”
    “I am not acting like a child. Nor do I need children to lie for me in order to do my job.”
    “We are on the same side, Mary.” Thom reached for her but she twisted away.
    “I’m on my own side, thank you.”
    He grabbed her elbow before she could get away and forced her to listen. “If you’re expecting everything to magically go back to the way things were, you’re a fool.” He cut off her squeak of protest. “If you think we are going to find and arrest this guy without your help, you’re dead wrong. Forensics came up empty. The only evidence we have that anything even happened to you at all are those injuries you so carefully disguised with makeup.”
    Mary shook free of Thom’s grip and self-consciously felt her neck. No one had noticed the marks. No one had even asked her about Friday. Everyone else was willing to pretend nothing had happened. Why couldn’t Thom?
    “I can’t keep protecting you.”
    “Protecting me? You left me on my own yesterday.”
    “I had a black and white patrolling your neighborhood the whole time.”
    “You can’t do that.” Mary felt as if the room tilted. “You can’t have police cars driving past my home a hundred times a day.” God, had her attacker seen those cars? Was he watching to make sure she kept her word? If he saw those patrol