Nash
I gave Linaโs door an official-sounding knock and waited.
Finally, the door opened a crack and she peered out at me, then smiled and opened the door a little wider. โHey. I was just taking a
bath.โ
I brushed past her and stepped inside.
โUh, come on in,โ she said, sounding nonplussed. She was wearing nothing but a towel and a pair of fuzzy flip-flops. Her skin glistened with water droplets. I had to look away because I didnโt trust myself. I felt like a volcano ready to blow. Betrayal and need. Those two opposing forces mixed in my blood, fanning the need to explode.
I shouldnโt have come when I was this keyed up.
โYour ibuprofen is on the counter,โ Lina said, her voice more tentative now.
The box of files caught my eye. It was open and there were papers lined up in neat stacks around it.
I headed for it. โNash. Wait!โ
She caught up to me just as I picked up the first folder. Her front met my back and she reached around me, but I shrugged her off and flipped it open. My gut rolled in on itself. I absorbed it like I would a blow.
โI can explain,โ she said quietly.
I slammed the folder down on the table with Duncan Hugoโs face staring up at me. โTalk. Now.โ
โNash.โ
โYou can start with what you were doing visiting Tina Witt in prison today. Or maybe you should start with why youโve got the guy who shot me in your files. Your choice.โ I wanted the cold, the dark. But sheโd unlocked something in me, and instead of the nothingness Iโd gotten used to, I was burning alive with rage.
She crossed her arms in front of her defiantly. โThis has nothing to do with you.โ
Wrong move.
โDonโt fucking lie to me, Angelina. This hasย everythingย to do with me.
And Iโm not leaving until you tell me why.โ
โIs this an interrogation, Chief? Do I need a lawyer?โ
My stare was hard, unyielding. โYou tell me,โ I said. I was spoiling for a fight. I needed it more than my next breath.
She met my gaze with her own anger.
I gave in to the need and wrapped my fingers around her elbow. Hating the way I reacted to the feel of her against my palm, I pulled out a chair and pushed her into it. โSit. Talk.โ
Her chin came up defiantly.
โIf the next words arenโt an explanation of why the fuck youโve been paying Tina Witt visits and looking for Duncan Hugo, then I swear to God I will haul you down to the station right now and you can sit in a cell in nothing but that bath towel for the rest of the night.โ
โYouโre making a big deal out ofโโ
โIย trustedย you, Angelina. I opened up to you and you played me.โ
I saw the wince before she smoothed it over with indignant anger. โI didnโtย playย you. Iโm sorry your feelings got hurt. It wasnโt my intention.โ
โGod, youโre worse at apologies than Knox,โ I observed. โIโm just doing my job! Itโs not a crime.โ
I slammed my hand down on the table. โDamn it! Why are you looking for Hugo?โ
She should have been scared, but she wasnโt. She looked ready to deck
me.
โWhat are you after that made you come here? That had you cozying up to me asking me about the shooting. That put you inย myย bed talking to you about fucking panic attacks and memory loss.โ
โYouโre gonna want to walk that back,โ she said with an icy calm.
โDoย notย try to tell me what I can and canโt do right now, Lina. Iโve had a long fucking day and youโre making it longer.โ
โI was going to tell you.โ
I swept her from head to toe and willed myself not to be affected by the way her chest heaved with every breath she took. โThatโs how youโre gonna play this?โ
โIโm not playing. Thatโs why I texted you today, you idiot.โ
โOh, so you werenโt worried that Lucian was going to poison me against you with the truth?โ
โHe didnโt know the truth. And I stupidly felt like I should be the one to tell you.โ
I shoved the paper with Duncan Hugoโs face at her. โTalk. Now.โ
She was silent and I could practically hear her calculating her options.
โHave it your way.โ I moved fast so she wouldnโt see me coming. I ducked my shoulder low, wrapped my good arm around her waist, and hauled her over my shoulder. Her furry slippers went flying in opposite directions.
โNash!โ
โI gave you the chance to do this here,โ I said as I headed toward the door.
โDonโt youย dare!โ she shrieked. She struggled against me and I slapped a hand to her ass to hold her still. My other hand locked around her bare thigh. I was instantly hard, and that pissed me off even more. But my dick didnโt seem to care about things like betrayal.
I made it all the way to the door before I heard what I wanted. โOkay!
Jesus. You win, you gigantic asshole.โ
โHowโs that heart rate?โ I asked her. I barely dodged the kick she aimed at my groin.
โI swear toย Godย Iโm going to have you singing soprano,โ she said through what sounded like gritted teeth.
I started for the door again. โYouโre gonna have to ride in the back and Iโm definitely gonna have to cuff you,โ I said conversationally. โI hope that
towel holds up. Wordโll probably spread real fast. I canโt promise your mug shot wonโt make it into the papers.โ
โOkay! Oh my God!โ She went limp against me. โJust put me down and Iโll tell you everything.โ
โThatโs all I wanted, Angel.โ
I bent at the waist and let her slide off my shoulder until her feet hit the floor.
Her towel was barely hanging on at this point. One good breath or the lightest tug from me and it would be around her ankles. Her eyes sparking with fire didnโt do anything to alleviate the pressure building in my balls. โFuck. Go put on a robe,โ I ordered, looking away.
She spun on her heel and stormed toward her bedroom.
โIt takes you longer than thirty seconds, Iโm cominโ in there after you,โ I called after her.
I looked back in time to see the middle finger she held over her shoulder.
For the twenty-eight seconds it took her to reappear, I fantasized about marching into that room, pinning her to the bed, and throwing that towel on the floor.
The robe wasnโt much better than the towel. It covered more skin, but the silky fabric didnโt do a damn thing to hide those insolent nipples that begged for my attention.
Eyes flashing, she returned to the table and sat.
I took the next chair and picked up Hugoโs file. โTalk.โ โAre you asking in an official capacity?โ
โIโm sure as hell not asking as a friend. How many times have you visited Tina Witt, keepinโ in mind that I have her list of visitors, so donโt bother lying.โ
She blew her breath out through her teeth. โThree.โ โWhat did you two talk about?โ
โI was trying to get information on Duncan Hugoโs whereabouts,โ she said to the brick wall across the table.
I plucked another folder off the pile and opened it. She reached for it, but I pulled it back.
โYou canโt look at those without a warrant,โ she insisted.
I raised an eyebrow. โYou want me to go get one? โCause I will. Your old pal Marshal Graham might even help me. He wasnโt any happier than I
was to see your name on that visitation list. In fact, why donโt the three of us meet up down at the station and clear this whole thing up while the judge approves a warrant?โ
โDamn it, Nash!โ
โWhy are you looking for Hugo?โ
โIโm not looking for him. Iโm looking for something he took,โ she said. I leaned back in the chair. โIโm listening.โ
The glare she shot me would have incinerated someone with thinner skin. โIโm never going to forgive you for this.โ
โBack at you, baby. Now talk.โ
I could all but see the steam whistling out of her ears. โYou already know my company insures things for wealthy clients. When insured assets are stolen, we run parallel investigations with law enforcement. One of our clients lives in a DC suburb. His car was stolen a few days before you were shot. I was assigned the case and started digging.โ
โA car. Youโre hunting down an attempted murderer over a fucking car.โ โYouโd be doing the same thing as a cop.โ
โIโd be doing it to protect and serve. Youโre doing it to save your company an insurance payout and to earn a bonus.โ
โI guess we canโt all be heroes, can we?โ There was fire beneath all the ice she was throwing at me.
โWhat makes you think Hugo took the car?โ
โProcess of elimination. There was a spike of grand theft auto cases within a ten-mile radius of Hugoโs warehouse. Six other cars were stolen the same day, two from the same neighborhood as my clientโs. All those cars, or at least pieces of them, were found in Hugoโs warehouse after he got away.โ
โSo you show up to a hostage situation unarmed with a civilian to find a fucking car?โ Sheโd arrived on scene with Sloane. I could still see her walking in the door in slow motion. She came straight to me. And the second sheโd put her hands on me, Iย knewย I wanted to keep them there.
Wasnโt that a fucking kick in the goddamn teeth?
It was official. My instincts were gone. I couldnโt see through a leggy temptress with secrets in her eyes.
โFirst of all, I didnโt know Duncan Dumbass Hugo was into kidnapping in addition to running chop shops. But Iโve been in high-stakes situations
with and without law enforcement. And if I hadnโt gotten in Sloaneโs car, she would have driven there herself and probably put herself in danger.โ
โYou didnโt just come here and coincidentally end up in the middle of Hugoโs crime spree.โ
โThe thefts happened less than an hour from here. The plan was to swing through town and see my old friend on my way. I was going to stay in town long enough to catch up, and then everything went to hell the next day when they took Naomi and Way.โ
โWhy should I believe that?โ I asked.
โI donโt care what you believe,โ she snapped.
โYeah, I got that too, sweetheart. You get all your sources to tell you things the way you did with me?โ I asked.
โSubtlety doesnโt become you, Chief.โ I leaned forward. โI trusted you, Lina.โ
She crossed her arms defiantly. โYouโre acting like a scorned lover when the only thing we are isโฆโ
โWhat? What are we, Angelina? You want to say neighbors? Acquaintances?โ I slapped the file down on the table in a display of temper. โYou know my darkest fucking secret. You let me tell you.โ
She threw her arms up in the air. โYou think anyone besides my family knows about my history? You werenโt the only one opening yourself up, Nash.โ
โThen youโre either a cold piece of work or at the very least that made us friends.โ
โMade?โ
โI told you I donโt tolerate liars. Anything that we had or could have had is gone now.โ
Her jaw ticked.
โYou deliberately lied to me,โ I said.
โI didnโt lie. I omitted part of the truth.โ
โYou used me being vulnerable against me.โ
โOh please,โ she snapped. โI was walkingย yourย dog when I found you on the floor. I didnโt give you a panic attack.โ
โNo, but you sure as hell took advantage of it.โ
โHow?โ she sputtered. โDid I pump you for law enforcement secrets?
Am I blackmailing you with your secrets?โ
โMaybe not. But you made sure to get access to me, my place. You started pushing me about what happened that night,โ I pointed out, fitting the pieces together.
โFor your own good,ย ass. If you want to block it out forever, itโs none of my business. But youโll just keep ending up on the floor if you donโt eventually work your way through it.โ
I shook my head. โIโve got a hunch of my own. I think the only reason you pretended to care was you thought you could get something out of me. Something that would lead you to Hugo and that damn car.โ I picked up another folder and opened it, but my gaze was on her. โI bet you couldnโt help but take a look at those files I have on my table, could you?โ
Her face turned to stone, but not before I saw the flicker of guilt.
โYeah. Thatโs why you agreed to our little sleepovers. The more access you had to me, the more time youโd be able to spend at my place.โ
Lina stared at me with fire in her eyes. She laughed bitterly. โAnd here I thought Knox was the asshole brother.โ
โGuess it runs in the family. Youโre gonna want to stay away from all of them from now on,โ I warned her.
โThatโs gonna be a little tricky since Knox asked me to be in the wedding party,โ she shot back.
โI donโt trust you and I donโt want you anywhere near my family. Youโre reckless and you use people to get what you want. Youโre going to get someone hurt.โ
She blanched but covered immediately.
โMy brother might be an asshole,โ I continued when she said nothing. โAnd we might not get along all the time. But do you really wanna go up against me when it comes to testing his loyalty? Because I wonโt hesitate to make sure you lose your oldest friend.โ
โGet out,โ she said on a whisper. โIโm not done with you,โ I warned.
She slammed her palm down on the table. โGet. Out. Now.โ
I sat for a beat and studied her. โI catch wind of you hounding my family for information or interfering with an official investigation, I wonโt hesitate to throw your ass behind bars.โ
She said nothing but stared at me stonily until I rose. โI mean it, Lina.โ
โGo home, Nash. Leave me alone.โ
I went, but only because looking at her made my chest hurt. Like sheโd managed to do more damage than the two bullets Iโd taken.
When I opened the door, Piper wasnโt waiting for me. She was under the table, looking at me like it was all my fault somehow.