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

stranger. There may be more to her story than she’s willing to tell you.”

“I’m certain there is more to the story, but one this is certain. She’s in danger and given I helped her, I’m going to guess that places my life in jeopardy as well.”

“Did you happen to see a driver’s license?” she asked, still taking notes as we talked.

“No. She left everything in the truck she drove,” I answered.

“The one you didn’t find on the side of the road,” Hawk stated, adding a slight chuckle under his breath.

I slowly turned my head in his direction then shot up from the chair. “Look. I didn’t ask for you to believe me, Hawk. I just asked if you knew if I could find any information. From what I understand, you were the one who suggested coming here. I can see it was a waste of my fucking time.”

“Hold on, both of you. You’re still the same hotheads I remember,” the sheriff said gruffly. “Let me do some digging. I know a few people in Chicago on the force. I assure you that they’ll know exactly what’s going on. My suggestion is to lay low and let me have your phone number in case I find anything. After this next storm, I’ll send a couple deputies to see what they can find. In the meantime, don’t do anything stupid.”

“Like what?” Scorpion asked.

“Like trying to go up that mountain. You know how unpredictable these storms are. The last thing I want to have happen is for you to break down or worse. Also, make sure Ms. Donovan doesn’t contact anyone, and I do mean anyone. Stay put. If her vehicle is there, we’ll find it.” The sheriff gave all of a hard look. She knew exactly how our former selves would react in this situation.

Ignore all the rules as well as any common sense.

Maybe we were still that way.

After she shoved a blank piece of paper and a pen across her desk, I hesitated before yanking out my phone, finding the burner number then writing it down along with the location where I thought they might find it. “Whatever you find, I need to know.”

“I understand,” the sheriff said as she slid the paper closer. “Try not to worry. We’ll figure out what we need to do.”

Worry. She had no fucking idea the way I felt or the anger that continued to swim inside of me.

I moved toward the door, pushing past Hawk roughly.

“I will need to talk to Ms. Donovan at some point. That is if she really does want help.”

The sheriff’s words rang loud and clear. She wasn’t buying any of the story.

“I’ll bring her by in a couple of days.” I kept my words even before walking out the door and storming down the corridor.

Fuck this shit.

I might have to head back up to the mountain myself.

I stood by Scorpion’s truck, staring up at the mountains, wondering if there was any part of the story that she’d lied to me about. After a few seconds, I slid my hand into my jacket, tugging the phone into the light. I wasn’t certain whether to be relieved or angry that she hadn’t called. More than two hours had passed. She couldn’t obey a single order. I shoved the phone back into my pocket, taking a deep breath. I could smell another storm rolling in, which was late for Missoula.

I heard the jangle of keys seconds before they were eased over my shoulder. Stiffening, I snagged them out of Hawk’s hand, wrapping my fist around them.

“Don’t you even want to know where you’re going to be staying?” Hawk asked as he shifted around and leaned his back against the side of the truck.

“I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

Scorpion moved closer, although he remained looking away from both of us as well as a solid three feet from the back of the truck. I didn’t blame him for not wanting to get into the middle.

Hawk sighed. “I’m not doubting you at all. You should have realized that by what I said at the house. I just want to make certain that you don’t get your heart broken. That’s all. I don’t think you can handle that.”

“How the hell do you know what I can handle, Hawk? First you tell me that I need to learn to trust as well as toss the guilt aside. Then you act like Mitch is a lying sack of shit. I have no idea what I’m supposed to believe. And another thing. Maybe you found it really easy to forget everything that happened during those two missions. Maybe you don’t remember the agony that all of us went through, the horror of watching our buddy die when there was no reason for him to. And maybe, just maybe, you can pretend that it wasn’t our fault that he’s dead. Dead. If that’s the case, well, good for you. I can’t do that. You want to know why? Because I actually have a conscience. I’m no longer certain that you do.”

The words were as horrible as any I’d said before this day. I recoiled from knowing I’d said them within seconds, finding it difficult to breathe. I was shocked when he didn’t react on any level. No anger. No violence. No sadness. Nothing. He kept the same damn blank look on his face that he’d had every time we’d been forced to relive the fucking incident with our CO and members of what we’d all called the inquisition.

I almost laughed at the irony of my earlier thoughts in speaking with the sheriff. That had been nothing in comparison to what we’d been through.

I could hear Scorpion’s ragged breathing from where I stood, could feel the tension so thick that a knife couldn’t cut through it.

Hawk casually closed the distance until we were only inches apart. “Do you want to know how guilty I do feel, Nash? Do you want to know the depths of my pain the moment