He releases a long breath and runs a hand through his hair, as he glances toward the office where Nellie is. When he locks eyes with me this time the storm is raging deeper and darker. It’s as if he ages right before my eyes.
“If you knew Nellie couldn’t remember anything before you and that she had no one to make sure she was safe in every sense of the word, could you stay away?”
I don’t have to think twice. “No.”
“Exactly. I don’t know how to explain it. She needs me whether she’ll admit it or not. Until she remembers something, or I figure it out, I’m going to guard her.”
“Are you two a thing?”
“Wyatt,” he warns.
Nellie comes out of the office and John shuts down, turning to grab the menu and focus on it. I straighten and take Nellie into my arms as soon as she reaches me. I kiss her forehead before looking at John again.
“If you need me you know I’m here,” I say, pulling his attention.
“I know. You know the same, in this life and the one after.”
I grin and nod. And the one after that. My family is my world. All I want is to see John happy. Right now, he’s somewhere in between and I wish I could do more to help him get there.
“I’m fine, Wyatt,” he says without looking up.
I pat him on back and nod. “I love you.”
He turns his gaze on me. “I’m not taking that case. You and Noah were handpicked.”
I roar with laughter. “Fuck you. This has nothing to do with that.”
His pretty ass winks at me. “I know. I love you too, bro. Now you two let me know what you want before I starve.”
Chapter 25
Forgive Me
Roni
I walk into the cafeteria beside Torque as he talks excitedly about his driving lessons. Looking up, I give him a smile. He’s so tall now. Almost a year and a half can change a lot.
Each day I watch as the boyish look falls from his face and a young man appears in his place. He’ll be seventeen this year. I can’t help wondering if Natasha looks as healthy and well taken care of as Torque.
“We pair off in teams tomorrow. Someone said something about them mixing driving and target practice,” Torque breaks into my thoughts with his deep voice.
I can’t remember when that happened. It’s like one day he started to speak and my eyes nearly popped out of my head from how deep his vibration registered. He’s still a kid in so many ways, but he’s not a baby anymore.
“That sounds cool. I’ll be taking the chopper up again tomorrow,” I say and give him a smug grin.
He frowns and his shoulders sag. “Man, you get to do all the cool shit.”
I lift on my toes to pop him upside the head. “Aw, come on. You say tons of worse things.”
“I’m also older than you.”
“Sure, sorry,” he mumbles. His frown deepens as he looks over my head.
I turn to see what has caught his eyes. When I find John with his arms crossed over his chest as he leans against one of the pillars in the cafeteria, my heart leaps. It takes everything in me not to show any of the emotions I feel.
I want to run to him and jump into his arms as I inhale his cologne, but I keep all that to my fantasies. Public affection seems so off putting to me. Or as if it’s something to rejected or shunned. Instead, I stroll over to him and look up into his handsome face.
“Look who flew in on a breeze. Thought you weren’t coming around for a few weeks,” I say as I stop in front of him.
“Go change. We’re heading out.” I knit my brows at his tone.
“What’s going on?”
“I need to clear my head. You’re coming with me.”
I nod and turn to head back to my room. However, I bump into Torque’s chest. He’s scowling as he looks between me and John.
“Have you found anything that can help us? Are you even trying?”
I look over my shoulder to catch John shaking his head. “Not yet, Kid. I’m still working on it.”
“I’m not a kid,” Torque grumbles.
“Hey, I told you let me handle it,” I say as I place a hand on Torque’s arm. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Yeah, whatever. You’re forgetting about her. We’ve done nothing in over a year, and he’s been useless for a whole five months.”
John’s chest presses against my back as he closes the distance to get closer to Torque. “Kid, if this was easy, I would have found her by now. I’m doing everything I can. It would be a hell of a lot easier if I didn’t have to cover your tracks, while you leave a messy ass trail.”
Torque’s cheeks turn red and his mouth pops open. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. You have no idea who I am, kid. Don’t test me, today is not the day.”
“Fuck you,” Torques snaps then storms off.
I spin around and glare at John. “He’s just a kid. Did you have to talk to him like that?” I hiss.
He covers his face with both hands and exhales. Dragging them down and away, he grits his teeth and steps around me. I turn and grab his arm.
“Where are you going?”
“To talk to the kid. Go get ready.”
I narrow my eyes at him, taking in the stress on his face. “Leave him. Give him some time to calm down. I’ll meet you out front.”
He searches my eyes for a moment before he nods. He reaches out as if he’s going to lift his hand to touch my face, but he drops the hand as fast as he raises it. I watch as he turns and walks out, looking lost. Something I never thought I’d be able to say about John.
I knit my brows as I try to figure out what could have him so unhinged. John is always so unfazed. When I told him about how they tortured us, he listened without saying a word or showing a reaction, although I know he was boiling inside. The more I get to know him the more I learn to read him.
“Whose ass am I going to have to beat?” I say to myself as I narrow my gaze on his back.
John
“Fuck,” I growl as I pace in from of the training dorms.
I was already pissed off when I arrived. Having that kid throw in my face that I haven’t been able to deliver on the only thing Roni has ever asked me for gets so far under my skin, it feels like my flesh will burn off. Trying to find out what happened to her friend has proven to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. I never fail at a mission and yet, I can’t find this girl, and if I’m honest it’s because I’ve been so fucking distracted for the last five months.
“Hey, what’s up?” Felix answers his phone.
He sounds exhausted. I know he has a huge workload and shit going on of his own. Which is why I haven’t pulled him into this for help. That stops here though.
“I need a favor. I’m sending you a file. I need you to try to find this girl. I’ve hit wall after wall. Something isn’t right about the entire thing,” I say in frustration.
“Who is she?”
“She was a captive in that trafficking ring. Roni says she told them her name was Natasha.”
“I’m assuming you found out that’s not her name,” he says.