Nash: A Rough Romance Read online

  Maybe.

  Mitch had her head down as I slid back into the truck.

  “You all right?” I asked after shifting into second gear.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Yeah, you don’t have to lie to me.”

  “Why is this happening? Why?” she asked vehemently. “I did nothing wrong in my life. Nothing.”

  “Shit happens. The sooner you figure that out, the better.”

  There was no need to turn my head in her direction. I could feel her cold, hard stare.

  “I’m sorry you’re so damn jaded, Reaper, and that you have to use a fucking name that denotes death. What a shame you have such a chip on your shoulder. Whatever you went through while serving in the military doesn’t give you the right to judge my life.”

  She was right. Of course she was. However, given the circumstances, I was in no mood to coddle her. “Let’s get this clear. You asked for my protection. You made a deal. You reneged on the deal and you almost got yourself killed. It’s time for you to shut your mouth and listen.”

  “God, I hate you.”

  “Hate me all you want, sweetheart, but I’m probably the only man in this state who can keep you alive.”

  “You know what? I’m not sure I give a—”

  A single shot echoed in my mind as glass flew, the truck skidding. I was losing control. Hell, no. Fuck!

  Chapter 6

  Reaper

  Dangerous bullshit.

  Terror.

  I’d dealt with a certain amount of fear, but this shit was ridiculous. We were lucky that the bullet had entered through the center of the windshield, immediately smashing through the back window. I slammed my hand on the steering wheel as cracks continued to spider in every direction.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, my tone demanding. I could hear her 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 a slice and dicer like Giordani?

  “Okay, I didn’t know who Dante was except for a nice guy who flirted with me more than once. After we ran into each other at a coffee shop, we sat down and had a conversat
ion. He asked me out. I didn’t think anything of it. He told me he was some kind of real estate developer. He had a business card and discussed his work, so I believed him. When he asked me to have a drink with him, I agreed. He was a perfect gentleman until…” Her words dropped off.

  “Until he tried to make certain you knew you were his property.”

  “Yes,” she managed, her voice wavering. “He got so possessive and nasty, demanding I quit my job and come live with him. I laughed. He didn’t like that very much. That was the first time he… Well, it doesn’t matter.”

  “Yeah, it matters.” I rubbed my jaw and made the turn off onto the shorter road. “Then as far as he’s concerned, you are his property. Men like him don’t let go of their pets easily. He will keep trying to track you down.”

  “He’s a real bastard. I had no idea how horrible he was. If I had, I never would have agreed to coffee, let alone a date with him.”

  Now her words held a true ring of sincerity. “What about going to stay with your parents in North Carolina?”

  “I refuse to get them involved. They don’t deserve to be in the middle of this mess.”

  “How do you know this Giordani guy hasn’t already reached them?”

  Her eyes opened wide as if she hadn’t thought about that before. I doubted the DA wouldn’t have warned them. “Where is everyone in your family?”

  “My brother is in Canada for work and my grandmother lives in California in a senior living facility.”

  “Well, they might be protected given the location.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “As I said, get the hell off this mountain. I’ll figure it out after that. You’re going to keep your mouth shut and let me drive. If we’re lucky, there won’t be any additional boogeymen at the base of the mountain.” Luck. Hell, I didn’t believe in luck on any level. But with one vehicle and no communication, they’d have to wait for backup. The shit continued to nag at me. I wasn’t buying her entire story. I’d learned a long time ago that when things had a distinct smell to them, I should follow my gut.

  My instinct told me to get the hell away from her.

  My cock?

  Well, it was telling me something else entirely. Grousing wasn’t going to do any good. Spanking her bottom until it was cherry red then forcing her to start from the beginning would.

  And that was going to happen.

  Once we got the fuck into town.

  She did as I asked, remaining quiet for over an hour. While the road was slippery, the closer we got to the bottom, the less snow had accumulated on the road. If my calculations were correct, we’d make it into Missoula within the next two hours.

  “I’m sorry,” Mitch said out of the blue.

  “For what?”

  “For getting you involved in my mess of a life.”

  I chuckled under my breath, able to take a full look in her direction. She remained tense, her entire body hugging the passenger door. “I’ll do what I can to help you.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get out of your life soon. That much I do promise.” While she issued the words with conviction, I heard a hint of remorse. We’d shared a few moments together. It shouldn’t mean a damn thing, especially to a man like me. For some fucking insane reason, I liked the girl.

  Her pouty mouth.

  Her long hair, the kind that made a man hungry to snag his fingers around the silky strands, yanking her face toward him.

  Her incredible hourglass figure.

  Her long legs meant to wrap around a man’s hips just seconds before he fucked her.

  And damn.

  I wanted to fuck her.

  For hours.

  Days.

  I rolled my hand through my hair, once again glancing into the rearview mirror. We weren’t out of the woods but our chances at avoiding another attack were much better.

  “Like I said to you before, sunshine. You’re going to obey me. Every. Single. Command.” When she didn’t say anything, I glanced over again, huffing.

  She’d fallen asleep.

  What the fuck was I going to do with her?

  Get a grip, cowboy. She’s not yours to keep.

  While the voice deep inside my head told me that was the truth, the rest of me thought otherwise. Only playing with this kind of fire wouldn’t end well.

  Unless I killed the bastard.

  I actually breathed a sigh of relief when we entered the Missoula city limits. At least there were other vehicles on the road, the conditions much improved. While the entire area was covered in approximately four inches of snow, some ice accumulation on the streets, I had no difficulty driving. What I wasn’t certain of was where the hell to go.

  I’d left my damn cell phone at the cabin. Given the lack of reception and the fact I hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone, it hadn’t seemed to matter. I didn’t even have my wallet, just a few bucks in my pocket. As far as Mitch, she’d been lucky to have the clothes on her back, the ones she’d arrived in. I wasn’t entirely certain if she could provide any identification. I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel, noticing a convenience store up ahead.

  I had few choices, especially with a runaway in tow. One thing that we both needed, time to figure out what the hell we were going to do. Fuck it. There was no other choice but to seek help from my buddies.

  As I pulled into the parking lot, I wasn’t even certain if Scorpion was in town, although from the last conversations I’d had with Hawk, Mustang, and even Scorpion, they were all planning on returning to Montana at least for a while. I’d give it my best shot, even though I wasn’t ready mentally to reconnect.

  I left the gear in park, turning my head toward Mitch. She remained sleeping peacefully, her head pressed against the passenger door glass. There was no need to wake her until I knew where the hell I was going.

  As I climbed out, I could see the guy behind the counter staring at the truck, obviously noticing the damage. It was tough to miss a gunshot. I rubbed my hands together as I walked inside, realizing I likely looked like shit.

  The clerk shifted from foot to foot as I moved closer, the look of fear on his face matching his tense body language. “You got a phone I can use?”

  “No public phones here.”

  I shifted my gaze toward the all-glass front of the door. The dude should be able to see my precious cargo. “We’ve been in an accident. I’m just trying to get to my friend’s place. Not sure of his address.” I locked eyes with his, trying to fake a smile. “My gal isn’t doing well.”

  “You don’t know your friend’s address?” he scoffed, giving me a hard look then glancing back out the window.

  “Just moving back into town. Been a few years.”

  He sized me up, his breathing scattered. After taking another look out the window, he tugged his personal cell phone from his pocket, typing in the passcode. “Here. Just don’t do any long distance shit.”

  “I appreciate it and he lives here.” Or so I hoped. I moved away from the counter, shifting to the internet, uncertain if I’d be able to find him. As I typed in Scorpion, I almost laughed. How long had it been since I’d called him by his real name? Not since the day he’d been given the moniker. Cooper McKenzie. One bad ass mother. We’d had our share of arguments over the years, sparring over everything from women to military operations. However, he was a good man, much more so than I would ever be.

  I was lucky to find his name, the address sparking a memory. He must have taken over his uncle’s ranch. I remembered Jasper fondly, as well as the bar he used to run. I allowed a few memories to sink in, the limited times I’d been in the bar, only to be tossed out because of my age. This wasn’t the time to go down memory lane.

  At least I had somewhere to start.

  “I really appreciate it,” I said as I slid the phone across the counter.

  “Why don’t you get a soda or some coffee on the house? I think your lady could use something.”

  I’d never been a man to accept charity from any
one, but given the shit we’d just been through, I’d make an exception. “Thank you again.”

  The coffee was bitter but exactly what I needed, my muscles still ripped from a heavy dose of adrenaline. I knew it was only a matter of time before exhaustion settled in. It was already getting dark, the drive taking a hell of a lot longer than I’d realized.

  When I opened the door, the light caused Mitch to stir. She blinked several times, her eyes finally opening wide. “Where are we?”

  “Missoula,” I said as I handed her the second cup of coffee. “Drink this. My guess is you need it.”

  As I climbed in, she hesitated before taking the cup out of my hands, holding it in front of her for a few seconds.

  “If I wanted to hurt you, Mitch, I guess I would have tossed you to the assholes.”

  “That’s not…” When she burst into tears, I had no idea how to react. I wasn’t good with comforting anyone and never had been.

  Yet I felt compelled to at least attempt to make her feel better. “Look, it’s going to be all right. I’ve got a buddy who lives in town and I’m certain he’ll put us up for the night. We’ll figure out what we need to do in the morning.”

  “I have nothing. No clothes. No money. Hell, I don’t even have my wallet. What am I supposed to do?”

  I placed the coffee into one of the cup holders before shifting closer, easing my arm around the seat. “You’re in cowboy country now. We take care of our own.” When she refused to look me in the eyes, I slid my index finger under her chin, lifting gently.

  She blinked several times, tears continuing to slip past her lashes. “I was such a fool to think I could get away.”

  “No, you knew that’s what you had to do.” Using my knuckle, I wiped several of the salty beads away, bringing my fingers to my mouth without thinking. When I licked her tears, she gave me a half smile before inching closer and leaning her head against my shoulder.

  “Maybe you’re not such an asshole after all.”

  I closed my eyes, doing everything I could to push the ugly memories of my past aside. “No, you were right. I am an asshole.” After a few seconds, I shifted into the driver’s seat. There was no reason to feel such anxiety over seeing an old friend after several months, but in doing so, I knew the scab would be ripped away from the wound that had never fully healed. I’d be forced to face the ugly past and all the nasty trimmings that went along with it.