Touching the Past Read Online Free PDF

than to step into the street without looking? If he’d—” Zac cut himself off and took a deep breath. Releasing Mallory, he stepped back without looking at her. “A kid. He was texting and driving. Not watching what he was doing. He was going too fast. I got his plate. That will give us his address. I’ll call it in.”
    Missing his support and the warmth of his body, Mallory hugged herself as Zac stepped to the car. Why wouldn’t he look at her? What was wrong?
    When he pulled her into his arms, she felt… Safe. Protected. Cared about.
    Mallory shook her head. What was wrong with her? Zac had done what anyone would have done in the same circumstances. Just because he’d held her. Cradled her. She—
    She was acting like a fool.
    Annoyed with herself and her unexpected neediness, Mallory ran her hand through her hair and down her neck. She was just shaken up. It was lack of sleep. And deliberately trying to use her ability after suppressing it whenever possible. The near miss. No wonder she was ready to cling to Zac like a limpet. Read things in his embrace that weren’t there. She needed to pull herself together. Be cool. She’d done it in high school. Hid her crush from him. She could do it again. Keep him from guessing how just being near him caused her mind and emotions to swirl in confusion.
    Mallory sighed. How stupid could a woman be?
    “Dispatch is sending a car to his home.” Zac turned from his car. “Someone will talk to him. If we’re lucky, the message will get through.” He stopped at the back bumper. His tone was distant. Even though he was facing her, his gaze seemed focused on something else. “Did you pick up anything before you were nearly turned into street pizza?” A hint of anger seeped into his voice.
    Was he angry with the driver? Or her? Was the cop mad at people’s stupidity? Or had the man been worried about her? “There was something,” she murmured absently, turning the question over in her mind. Did Zac care about her?
    Of course, he cares about you, she answered herself. You were friends. Sort of. But did that mean anything now?
    “What?” Zac’s impatient query yanked Mallory back to reality. He worried about her because he needed her help.
    “I think Kim knew whoever took her.” Mallory’s tone was flat. She turned her head toward the street when Zac looked at her oddly, pushing a strand of hair off her face. “Not someone close, but definitely someone she knew and wasn’t afraid of.”
    “She went with him willingly?”
    Mallory frowned, trying to recapture the image from the past. She couldn’t. All she had was a sense.
    She shook her head. “I don’t get that.” She went on before Zac could respond. “But she wasn’t unwilling. And there’s no feeling of violence. He didn’t…” Mallory swallowed. “Kill her.”
    “Not here at least.” Zac shoved his hands into the pockets of his windbreaker.
    “I don’t think he wanted to hurt her at all.” Mallory looked away from Zac, trying to ignore the way his pulling on the windbreaker emphasized his strong shoulders. “He wants her for some special reason.”
    Zac’s voice was grim. “I hope not.”
    “No!” Mallory’s swift denial was out of her mouth before she realized it. “I don’t…I don’t think that’s it.” Zac lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t get that kind of vibe.” She shrugged, angry at her inability to sense more and angry with him for not only dragging her into this but for not believing her. “I’m sorry I’m not a bigger help.” Her voice was sharper than she intended.
    Zac either didn’t catch her tone or was ignoring it. His face was creased with frustration. “What does he want them for? What makes these three people so special?”
    He’d forgotten her. Zac’s mind was focused entirely on Kim Gerson and what could have happened to her.
    For just an instant, Mallory felt a sharp stab of something she recognized as jealousy. Horrified, she pushed the ugly emotion