Read Online Blank: Alpha Billionaire Romance by Cassie Wild - Free Book Online Page B

else is there. She was studying to be a forensic scientist with the FBI. Did you know that?”
    “I didn’t,” he told me. “She must be smart. Lucky girl, having people who care about her.”
    He didn’t know the half of it.
    His phone rang, and he excused himself to take the call, leaving me alone with Preslee’s file.
    I flipped through rapidly, trying to glean as much information as possible. There was nothing at all in the file indicating potential suspects. They hadn’t even questioned anybody. There were no witnesses, and on such a deserted stretch of road there were no traffic cameras. The whole file might as well have been empty for all the progress they’d made.
    This was bullshit. I couldn’t fathom that this pitiful folder was all they had. They had to have missed something.
    I went back to the photos and noticed something I’d missed previously.
    “There are no skid marks,” I supplied as soon as Gracen returned.
    “What’s that?”
    “There are no skid marks, anywhere. Doesn’t that mean the car that hit her didn’t even attempt to hit the brakes?”
    Gracen’s eyes glowed, appreciation in his eyes. “Yeah, that’s exactly what it means.”
    “So what do you think happened, the brakes malfunctioned or the guy didn’t see her?”
    “Normally it means the person behind the wheel was unconscious or so drunk or high that they had no idea what was happening. Sometimes happens if something went wrong with the car, but considering that there was no second car found, I’m thinking that alcohol or drugs played a part.”
    His words chilled my blood. Some asshole who couldn’t handle his liquor had been reckless enough to get on the road, then cowardly enough to flee the scene. Whoever it was deserved to rot in hell, and I’d do my best to put them there.
    I stood and shook the detective’s hand. “Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me, Detective. I know Preslee will appreciate it as well.”
    “Any time, and I mean that.” He handed me his card. “Unlike my partner, I don’t like having an open case hanging over my head. He’s pressuring me to close it and move on, but I don’t want to leave any loose ends. Preslee deserves more than that.”
    I sighed and looked back at that photo of the ruined car. I tried to reconcile that image with the memory of the beautiful girl I’d woken up to that morning.
    “I know what you mean.”

Chapter 9
    Preslee
    After Kris dropped me off, I spent a lot of time thinking. Ava was still asleep. I’d texted her sometime late last night, just to let her know that I hadn’t ended up in the hospital again, but we hadn’t really had a conversation or anything. That was to come, I was sure.
    I fixed some coffee and sat by the window overlooking the street. It was already bustling with activity for so early on a Saturday. I didn’t really want to think about it, but I knew I couldn’t put it off. If I was going to work with Kris and his father, what happened last night couldn’t happen again. End of story. It was a lapse in judgment, nothing more.
    But I couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt when he touched me. My skin tingled at the memory. I felt like I’d fall apart, the pleasure so intense I could have broken into a million pieces. I couldn’t lie to myself and say I wished it hadn’t happened. Far from it. Waking up in his arms this morning had been a revelation. I’d never felt so protected and cherished. His soft lips on my forehead and cheeks, coaxing me out of sleep, nuzzling into my hair. The gentle way he cradled my face and looked down at me with such adoration made my heart stutter.
    I wouldn’t beat myself up about it, but I couldn’t let it happen again. I’d have to push it to the back of my mind when we were together. I couldn’t be thinking about the way he’d used his tongue on my nipples, or his fingers between my legs. Too bad my short-term memory was perfect. I nearly laughed at the irony.
    I didn’t