Nash: A Rough Romance by Piper Stone (book series for 12 year olds txt) 📕

ragged breathing yet surprisingly, she’d remained calm. Maybe calmer than I felt, my rage ready to burst at the seams. At least I knew her story wasn’t a fabrication, although I had the distinct feeling that she wasn’t telling me everything. At this point, it didn’t matter. We had to get the fucking hell off this mountain.

“I’m fine.” Mitch’s answer was curt, said through clenched teeth.

I darted a single look in her direction. Her hand remained clenched around the dashboard, her fingers white-knuckled. Wind whistled through the impressive-looking hole. Thank God the windshield remained intact. The back window, however, allowed additional frigid air into the cab.

“There’s a shirt behind the seat. Try and plug up the hole.” I knew my words were more of an order, but the bratty girl was going to start listening to me.

And obeying.

This wasn’t about the deal she’d made but about trying to save both our lives. There was no telling how many other men were likely scouring different areas. “You need to tell me anything you know about this asshole.”

“Giordani? How would I know anything about him?”

“Let’s just say I have a feeling you know a hell of a lot more. My instinct is usually right.”

“Well, it’s loaded with crap this time. He’s a criminal. He’s a murderer. He’s a monster.”

“All those words have a very personal slant to them, not simply based on your experience in a courtroom.” I shot her another look before glaring into the rearview mirror. While I didn’t think we were being followed, I couldn’t let my guard down. I had limited ammunition and we still had a long ass way to go in order to find some kind of safety.

Her exhale meant more than any words could tell me. She knew this guy on a personal level. “What was he to you? Your boyfriend?”

“No!”

Uh-huh. Her quick and sharp answer left a trail of crumbs. “Spill it or so help me God, I’m going to stop this truck and kick you out.”

“You’re a fucking asshole.”

“Another thing we’ve already agreed on. However, this asshole just saved your life. I think that affords me the truth.”

Mitch shifted in her seat, wiggling her ass as if the spanking I’d given her kept her uncomfortable. Good. She deserved to feel a little pain in this.

“I don’t know what to tell you. The district attorney has been trying to make charges stick against Giordani for years, using private time to launch an investigation. That much I learned while sitting in the courtroom. He’s suspected of killing at least a half dozen people. All horribly I might add.”

“That gives me nothing. There’s always some asshole selling drugs and creating street wars. My guess is the shitasses he killed were thugs.”

“Are you saying they deserved to die?” she asked, as if disgusted I would even suggest such a thing.

“I’m saying that while all lives are important, why would the DA waste his private time? Plus, I doubt you heard that kind of thing in a courtroom proceeding. He’d keep that aspect top secret in order to continue his undercover investigation. Otherwise, the information he obtained could be tainted.”

She snorted and threw me a hard look. I could feel the heat from her glare from where I sat. “Sounds like you know a thing or two about a courtroom yourself.”

Now she was trying to get under my skin. I sucked in my breath, hissing as the tires skidded on a patch of ice, throwing the truck close to a bank of trees. After getting the vehicle under control, I chose my words carefully. “I’ve been around the military judicial system. I’ve talked with various attorneys given my expertise. So, yeah, I know a thing or two about the way things work. That doesn’t get you off the hook. This DA offered you his personal cabin out here. Right?”

Another huff passed those perky little lips of hers. The woman needed a hard spanking every freaking day of her life. I wasn’t entirely certain that would do any good. She wasn’t just a handful. She was an entire little red wagon of issues and disobedience.

“Yes, the cabin belongs to his family, but his name isn’t attached to it so he thought it would be a safe location.”

“Because he was certain this Giordani would come after you.”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Because it was personal, not just about you being a witness to a crime.” I made the sentence a statement. There was no doubt I was correct in my assumption.

She finally dropped her head into her hands, groaning.

I shook my head, trying to figure out the best way down the mountain. While one road was a hell of a lot shorter, it could be even more treacherous. Snarling, I decided to take it anyway. I had to use what limited time we had to get as far away from the assassins as possible. Maybe they weren’t trying to kill her. Maybe they’d actually come to bring her back to Giordani. Everything was on the table at this point.

When she jerked her head up, she removed her seatbelt, digging behind the seat. I remained quiet, allowing her to follow through with my command. She cursed under her breath the entire time she tried to reach for my shirt, yanking it out with force.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” she exclaimed.

“Such a beautiful woman but one with a caustic mouth.”

“Yeah? Well, fuck you and fuck this shit and fuck my life, motherfucker. Does that make you happy?”

“That makes me want to wash your mouth out before I gave you another spanking.” I had to admit, her feisty attitude had made my cock rock hard.

“That bullshit will never happen again.”

“You made a deal and you’re going to stick to it. You will obey me.”

She continued to curse as she shoved the material into the hole, folding her arms afterwards and shivering.

“Talk,” I commanded again.

“He’s just a criminal.”

“He was your boyfriend.”

Her foot stomping on the floorboard gave me an easy answer. How the hell had she gotten involved with