Read Online Beautiful Storm (Lightning Strikes Book 1) by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Freethy
Tags: Romance
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Honda Civic that belonged to my boss's grandmother," she said with a laugh. "It's not sexy like this car, but it gets me where I need to go."
He didn't think she needed a car to be sexy. Since they'd left her apartment, she'd pulled the band out of her hair, and thick, dark waves now tumbled around her shoulders. Her eyes were intelligent and wide-set, with long, sweeping black lashes, and aside from the bruise on her forehead, her skin was flawless. She also had a really sexy mouth, full lips, and a warm voice that seemed to steal the chill out of his body.
His nerves tightened as he realized how much he'd noticed about her, what a strong connection he felt to a woman he'd met only a few hours earlier. It was the circumstances, he told himself. Every emotion was heightened and Alicia was now caught up in his nightmare. But her entrance into the situation had given him optimism. He would hang on to that as long as he could.
"Take a left at the next street," Alicia said, adding, "You'll be on this road for about three miles."
As she finished speaking, his phone rang through the car's audio system. "That's Diego. It's probably best if you don't let him know you're in the car."
"Who's Diego?"
"The cop who has been helping me." He answered the phone. "Diego, how did the search go?"
"Unfortunately, we did not find any other evidence that can be connected to Liliana."
His heart sank. He'd really hoped there would be something besides the ID tag.
"What happens next?"
"We keep looking. I heard you were at the park this morning. You shouldn't have gone out there, Michael. You just drew more attention to yourself. Kellerman thinks you were there trying to cover your tracks."
"He should think I was there because I have nothing to hide," he retorted.
"It would be better for you if you just stayed out of the investigation. For once in your life, take my advice. I'm trying to keep you out of jail."
"I appreciate that. Call me if anything new comes up."
"I will."
He ended the call and glanced over at Alicia. "Nothing else in the park."
"That's disappointing, but maybe it's a good thing. Liliana could have gotten away."
"Or she was taken somewhere else."
"Or that," she said with a sigh. "So who's Diego? Why is he helping you?"
"I grew up with Diego. He's one of the kids I got into trouble with when I was a teenager. Like me, he was also arrested, but that experience made him want to be a police officer. They definitely scared him straight."
"So you both got on the right track."
"We were lucky to get caught for something small. It didn't ruin the rest of our lives."
"Turn right at the next corner," she said, glancing down at her phone. "And then it's a quick left on Baker and we're there." She paused. "Why didn't you tell Diego about Brad?"
"You heard him tell me to stay out of the investigation."
"True, but maybe the police need to speak to Brad as well."
"They may have already talked to him, and I just don't know about it. Let's see if we can get anything out of him. Then we'll figure out what to do with the information, if there is any." He gave her a quick smile. "Okay, partner?"
She smiled back at him. "You like that word, don't you?"
"It's nice to have someone on my side."
"Don't make me regret it," she warned.
"Right back at you, partner."
"The shop is there." She tipped her head toward the large building on the right.
"Got it." He pulled into a parking spot in front of the motorcycle dealership.
As they walked through the display area, the shiny and expensive bikes impressed him. Brad Harte was obviously still living his passion for motorcycles.
"Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?" Alicia asked.
"I have, but not in a long time."
"I don't see the appeal."
He raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You, the fearless storm chaser, don't see the appeal of a motorcycle?"
"I like going up against nature, not traffic. Plus, I look really bad in a helmet."
"Somehow I doubt that."
"I think that's him," Alicia said,
He didn't think she needed a car to be sexy. Since they'd left her apartment, she'd pulled the band out of her hair, and thick, dark waves now tumbled around her shoulders. Her eyes were intelligent and wide-set, with long, sweeping black lashes, and aside from the bruise on her forehead, her skin was flawless. She also had a really sexy mouth, full lips, and a warm voice that seemed to steal the chill out of his body.
His nerves tightened as he realized how much he'd noticed about her, what a strong connection he felt to a woman he'd met only a few hours earlier. It was the circumstances, he told himself. Every emotion was heightened and Alicia was now caught up in his nightmare. But her entrance into the situation had given him optimism. He would hang on to that as long as he could.
"Take a left at the next street," Alicia said, adding, "You'll be on this road for about three miles."
As she finished speaking, his phone rang through the car's audio system. "That's Diego. It's probably best if you don't let him know you're in the car."
"Who's Diego?"
"The cop who has been helping me." He answered the phone. "Diego, how did the search go?"
"Unfortunately, we did not find any other evidence that can be connected to Liliana."
His heart sank. He'd really hoped there would be something besides the ID tag.
"What happens next?"
"We keep looking. I heard you were at the park this morning. You shouldn't have gone out there, Michael. You just drew more attention to yourself. Kellerman thinks you were there trying to cover your tracks."
"He should think I was there because I have nothing to hide," he retorted.
"It would be better for you if you just stayed out of the investigation. For once in your life, take my advice. I'm trying to keep you out of jail."
"I appreciate that. Call me if anything new comes up."
"I will."
He ended the call and glanced over at Alicia. "Nothing else in the park."
"That's disappointing, but maybe it's a good thing. Liliana could have gotten away."
"Or she was taken somewhere else."
"Or that," she said with a sigh. "So who's Diego? Why is he helping you?"
"I grew up with Diego. He's one of the kids I got into trouble with when I was a teenager. Like me, he was also arrested, but that experience made him want to be a police officer. They definitely scared him straight."
"So you both got on the right track."
"We were lucky to get caught for something small. It didn't ruin the rest of our lives."
"Turn right at the next corner," she said, glancing down at her phone. "And then it's a quick left on Baker and we're there." She paused. "Why didn't you tell Diego about Brad?"
"You heard him tell me to stay out of the investigation."
"True, but maybe the police need to speak to Brad as well."
"They may have already talked to him, and I just don't know about it. Let's see if we can get anything out of him. Then we'll figure out what to do with the information, if there is any." He gave her a quick smile. "Okay, partner?"
She smiled back at him. "You like that word, don't you?"
"It's nice to have someone on my side."
"Don't make me regret it," she warned.
"Right back at you, partner."
"The shop is there." She tipped her head toward the large building on the right.
"Got it." He pulled into a parking spot in front of the motorcycle dealership.
As they walked through the display area, the shiny and expensive bikes impressed him. Brad Harte was obviously still living his passion for motorcycles.
"Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?" Alicia asked.
"I have, but not in a long time."
"I don't see the appeal."
He raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You, the fearless storm chaser, don't see the appeal of a motorcycle?"
"I like going up against nature, not traffic. Plus, I look really bad in a helmet."
"Somehow I doubt that."
"I think that's him," Alicia said,
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