Read In The Arms of a Stranger for Free Online

“No. No one is expecting me.”

Chapter 3
    L uke nodded, trying not to be distracted by the sudden moisture in her eyes. In his experience in law enforcement, emotion that intense could be traced to one of two things. Either the suspect had just bared their soul or they were desperately lying. The thought struck him as odd. He had no logical reason to think Dana Langston would lie.
    He flexed his free hand, wishing for the familiar feel of the radio, for the chance to call for backup. And to check her story, he admitted. He lifted the cell phone from the floor where it lay among the spilled contents of the diaper bag and optimistically pressed the power button. The phone came to life, its face illuminating in the dim lighting of the storage room. Luke cast a questioning glance at Dana.
    â€œI couldn’t get through earlier when I tried. Maybe the mountains, maybe the storm…”
    Luke punched in the number for the police station and hit the send button. Nothing happened for a few secondsand then the familiar no-connection tone sounded. “Still nothing,” he announced.
    His shoulder muscles tensed beneath the thin fabric of his shirt, reacting to the cold in a painful spasm. There was nothing more bone-chilling than an empty house, no matter what shelter it offered. Luke looked at Dana and the baby. Dana’s jeans were encrusted in mud and melting snow, as his were. And the baby just looked vulnerable as hell. Without a means to call for help, they were stuck for the night. He had no intention of spending it shivering in a supply closet.
    â€œDo you know how to use a gun?”
    Dana’s eyes widened in response to his question. “I—I did a segment once on personal protection. The instructor at the range showed me how to shoot the targets.” She shook her head and Luke noticed she was making an effort to breathe slowly. “It was just for the camera.”
    Luke grinned. “How’d you do?”
    The corners of her mouth twitched slightly. “Pretty good for a city girl.”
    My God, she almost smiled. Luke had a feeling that didn’t happen often, even under better circumstances. “Good.” Luke noticed that Dana held the baby in the crook of her left arm, propping the bottle with the same hand, which left her right hand free. He laid the gun on the floor and gently slid it toward her. “I’m going to leave this with you while I—”
    â€œNo.” She shook her head. “Please don’t. Don’t leave me.”
    â€œShh…” Luke placed his hand on her knee, absently caressing her leg beneath his discarded jacket while he spoke. “The temperature is dropping, and we’re stuck here for the night. We’re going to need a way to stay warm. The good news is, the porch light was on, so I know there’s anelectrical feed.” He gestured behind her at a dusty space heater. “I just need to find the fuse box and switch the circuit breaker. If that doesn’t work, I’ve got to see if there’s any firewood.”
    â€œNo—you can’t build a fire. He’ll see the smoke. He’ll know where we are.”
    â€œHe already knows where we are, Dana.”
    She went perfectly still, but her eyes registered fear so deep that Luke regretted the words. “Look, whoever is out there can’t stay out there in this storm for long. He’ll freeze to death before he gets another chance at us. We’re safe here.”
    Dana looked around her, as if considering where she was for the first time. “What is this place?”
    â€œAn old forest ranger’s station. They gave me a key a couple of years back when they built a new observation tower. It’s no longer used.” He smiled, for some reason determined to see the worry lines disappear from her face. “At least not normally.”
    â€œHow far are we from town?”
    Luke shook his head. “Too far to walk, which