Thief by C.L. Stone Read Free Book Online Page B

pretzel stand that badly?”
    He broke out into laughter, twisting his hands at the wheel and leaning forward. “No, no, I don’t work there. They make a pretty good pretzel dog though.”
    “How do you know who I am?”
    “Followed you home last night and talked to the manager at the hotel. He’s not a really nice guy but for a hundred bucks, he was willing to tell me a few things.”
    “Is that why he was anxious to get us to move out? You spooked him?”
    “He’s not going to kick you out. You’re a solid gold star compared to his other tenants. Which reminds me, why are you living there, anyway?”
    “Oh so there’s stuff about me you don’t know?” I shoved my arms over my chest and sat back. “Well, at least I get to keep some secrets.”
    “Come on, Bambi. Don’t be like that. I’m trying to do you a favor here.”
    “Stop calling me that. And why?”
    He stared hard out the windshield and his hands tightened on the wheel. “You just don’t seem like the type that really wants to steal. I saw how you hesitated. You really didn’t want to. That wasn’t greed on your face. That was desperation.”
    “Why does that matter to you? You don’t know me.”
    He twisted his lips, staring off at the cars in front of us. “Do you want a shot or not? I won’t force you into this.”
    “Is that why you practically had me kidnapped?”
    “I just want you to hear us out before you make a decision. Unless you really like being a thief or in jail. Because that’s where you were headed.”
    I mumbled a little, not wanting to admit he was right and not wanting to pretend to be in denial about it. Every time I stole, I was spinning the barrel of the gun one more time in a twisted bit of fate, hoping the bullet never caught up with me. Now it had, I supposed. What kind of police force was this though? He still appeared my age, so he couldn’t have been a detective or something similar.
    “I’m taking a chance on you.” He turned his head, meeting my gaze. There was an edge. A wild, unforgiving stare, daring me where I was sitting. Like his command, it rocked me breathless. “Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me there’s no chance in hell you’ll stop stealing.”
    I narrowed my eyes at him. He didn’t know me. I didn’t want to admit to anything. “I didn’t ask for a chance.”
    “None of us do. But you don’t throw away one when you get it.”
    I stared off out the front windshield. I didn’t mind having a chance, I just wasn’t so sure I wanted one from him.
    I sensed a movement and turned my face to see what he was doing. He poked at the bruise on my chin. I winced, covering it, and smacked his curious finger away.
    His eyes narrowed on me. He slowed the truck, pulling off to the side of the road. My heart roared into a panic. Traffic sped onward to our left as he stopped in the grass. What was he doing? We were on the interstate!
    He turned fully to me. His hands clenched into fists. “What happened to you? You didn’t have that yesterday.”
    I kept my hand cupped around my chin. He could tell? Did the makeup wear off? And why did he care?
    “Who touched you?” his voice was full of the command he’d had the day before. How did he do that? “Is it that brother of yours? Was it Wil?”
    “No,” I snapped at him. “Don’t worry about it.”
    “That manager said there were complaints about a fight and yelling every night. Does that dad of yours beat you?”
    “Not if I can help it,” I said, and realized too late what I was admitting. “Don’t give me any crap about it. Once you hold him down long enough, he gives up the fight and falls asleep. And it’s none of your business .”
    He stretched out, popping my hand to get me to drop it. He caught my chin. His eyes begged me to allow him to do what he needed. I grasped at his forearm, not pushing away, just holding it in warning as if to say I would.
    Time slowed. My breathing slowed. My heart thumped hard against my eardrums, and my