Read Online Stop at Nothing by Kate Serine - Free Book Online Page A

his, squeezing back. “I don’t want to get you mixed up in all this, Kyle. I’m sure you have your own cases back in New Orleans to worry about.”
    In spite of her words, he didn’t miss the note of hesitant hope in her voice.
    He smoothed his thumb over her knuckles and shook his head. “I’ve been reassigned,” he explained. “I’m in the office up here now. I haven’t officially started yet—just moved my stuff into my office today.” He frowned, catching the time on the clock. “Or yesterday , I guess. And I’m using a week of vacation time to get settled, so don’t worry about me.”
    When he glanced Abby’s way, her eyes were wide and her chest was heaving a little as if she was out of breath. “You…” Her words trailed off and she swallowed hard before continuing. “You’ve been reassigned? Permanently ?”
    Was that a note of hopefulness in her voice again? Was it possible that she was happy to have him back in the area? Kyle’s stomach rolled with some tentative hope of his own. “Well, you know, it’s never permanent. But, hey, who knows? I could get transferred again—maybe to Middle of Nowhere, Alaska, or something next time.”
    â€œMiddle of Nowhere, Alaska?” she repeated with a chuckle.
    He turned the full force of his grin on her. “Hey, what can I say? It’s a glamorous life I lead.”
    Abby laughed a little harder than his joke warranted, and he was glad to see some of her tension dissipate. God, he wished he could help her out in that regard in a few other ways.
    Well, hell. Here we go again… Way to go, genius.
    He shifted in his seat once more, hoping she thought he was just antsy and wasn’t on to the party in his pants.
    He could feel the weight of her stare and glanced her way again but wasn’t quite sure how to interpret her expression. “Abbs?”
    â€œWhy did you call me?” she asked.
    He offered her a halfhearted smile. “I’d wanted to let you know I was back in the area and find out how you were doing.”
    â€œYeah, well,” she drawled, “guess you got the answer to that question. Welcome to the latest episode of Morrow Family Dysfunction .”
    Kyle chuckled. “Have you met my family?”
    She laughed a little at that. “Touché.”
    They rode in silence for several moments before either of them spoke again.
    â€œThank you,” she said so softly he almost didn’t catch it. “You don’t have to do this…”
    He squeezed her hand, wishing he could respond truthfully with, Of course I do. I love you. I never stopped loving you. But he settled for, “I know I don’t. But I am. So where should we start?”
    * * *
    Good question.
    She gently extracted her hand from his grasp and drew her legs up to her chest, stalling a moment as she collected her thoughts. “At the beginning, I guess.” God, the old saying about hindsight being twenty-twenty certainly couldn’t have been truer than in this case. “A few weeks ago, a man named Patrick Hamilton contacted me. Have you heard of him?”
    Kyle shrugged. “Nah. Who is he?”
    â€œHe’s the owner of a whole network of companies, including an investment firm called Hamilton Whitmore,” she explained. “He suspected that one of his employees was involved in unethical activities, and wanted to hire me to investigate and provide any evidence I came across as to who it was and the transgressions being committed.”
    Kyle glanced at her. “Mac was cool with you freelancing?”
    She squirmed a little, remembering how she’d pulled at the sheriff’s heartstrings, explaining how the money from the job could help her mother. “He wasn’t wild about me using county equipment for some big shot out of Detroit, but he finally agreed.”
    Abby could tell Kyle was frowning even