Dark Passing (The Ella Reynolds Series) by Liz Schulte Read Free Book Online Page B

stop pulling away from me. Regardless of what you want, your decisions do affect me, and they always will.” He pointed at the ground and his voice gained intensity. “Your staying in Jackson affects me.”
    I blinked. His confession wasn’t at all what I expected. I didn’t know how to react. I stared at his shoes and tried to make my brain work.
    “I just thought you should know.” He turned to go, and panic lurched in my stomach at the thought of him walking out of my life.
    “Wait,” I managed to say. “Just wait.”
    “I’ve been waiting.” His hand was on the doorknob.
    Blood roared in my ears and my heart thundered. “Everyone I have ever loved has died.”
    He closed the distance between us, and his hands cradled my face. Goosebumps spread over my arms. “I’m not going anywhere.”
    “I wish that were true,” I whispered, knowing everything in my past spoke contrary to his promise.
    His lips brushed mine.
    I wanted so much to give in and believe that, despite the odds, I would be happy—we would be happy. Fear paralyzed my throat and kept the words he wanted to hear from leaving my mouth. Instead, I kissed him without reserve and hoped I could hold on to him for just a little bit longer.
     

 
    I lay in Gabriel’s arms, his thumb traveling up and down my spine. The hair on his chest tickled my skin with each breath, but it was a pleasant sensation, and my foot rubbed against the inside of his calf as my mind reeled over the fact that we really hadn’t settled anything. I could deal with him being in love with me, but I wasn’t leaving Jackson. I’d committed to helping Jennifer and I wouldn’t crush her. I let the quiet go on until it felt like my head would explode. “I’m staying until this is over.”
    His hand paused for a moment, then resumed its motion. “How about a compromise?”
    “What?”
    “You stay here during the week, but come home on weekends. You’ll need the break. I don’t want this investigation to become your life.”
    “What makes you think it will become my life?”
    “Ella,”—he kissed the end of my nose—“you obsess over everything.”
    “I do not.”
    Laughter rumbled in his chest before I heard it. “You’re 40% curiosity, 35% stubbornness, 15% gumption, and 9% mad as a hatter.”
    I rolled my eyes. “What about the last 1%?”
    He smiled at me. “Perfect.”
    I laughed and softened, kissing his chest over his heart. “If I agree, will you teach me to drive?”
    “Of course, and I’ll come up as often as I can.”
    “It’s a long commute.”
    “Not unmanageable.”
    “You know, despite my best efforts since I met you, you’re impossible to deter.”
    “As are you.”
    I laughed, though my mind had moved on to the case. I glanced at the file sitting on the nightstand, but I forced myself to stay still. This wasn’t the time to think about murder. I needed to relax.
    Gabriel kissed the top of my head. “Have you looked at the case yet?” he asked, as if reading my mind.
    “Not yet.”
    “Let’s have a look.”
    He climbed out of bed, pulled on his jeans, and headed for the bathroom. I slipped on his shirt and sat cross-legged under the covers with the file on my lap. The white pages inside were redacted and stamped with a blood-red “copy” sign across the top. I scanned the names and home addresses on the first page. On the second page, the incident report began:
    “On April 12 th , 2011, at approximately 10:45 p.m., the reporting officer received a phone call from Jennifer Nelson who resides at 12181 County Road 154 Jackson, IL 87548. Phone 555-555-5555.
    Mrs. Nelson relayed the following information. At approximately 9:15 p.m., her daughter, Mary Nelson, age 19, called her on her way home from her boyfriend’s, Bryan Jenkins, home. At approximately 9:25, the call disconnected and contact was lost. Mrs. Nelson reported she waited approximately fifteen minutes and when Mary Nelson did not arrive home, she drove to Bryan Jenkins