Nash: A Rough Romance Piper Stone (ebook reader for comics txt) 📖

of your asses or I just might chop them off.” Hawk glared at both of us again before storming out of the room.

“Why the hell is he pissed off?” I asked, still rubbing my jaw.

“Maybe because he’s got a fiancée and a little girl to take care of now as well as a sprawling ranch.” Mustang’s words remained biting.

“Little girl?” I was shocked. The man worked fast.

The way Mustang and Scorpion looked at each other was maddening. Were there dirty little secrets hidden behind closed doors?

“His brother’s kid. Ashley was left in Hawk’s care after Drake’s death. Hawk took it pretty hard. Now, he’s enjoying fatherhood.” Mustang issued the statement with reverence.

“Yeah, he’s not the same Hawk that we knew, Reaper. As I already told you, none of us are. Now, both of you need to get your shit straight. I don’t care what beef you’ve got between you, it’s not going to happen in my house any more than it is in Hawk’s.” Scorpion smacked his hands on his hips, his glare harder than I’d ever seen.

“Fine,” I said through clenched teeth.

Mustang exhaled. “Yeah, I get it.”

“Christ. Like dealing with fucking two-year-olds. Reaper needs our help right now and that’s what we’re going to do. Help him. When you’ve collected your shit, both of you, then we’re going to figure this out.” Scorpion turned on his heel and walked in the same direction as Hawk had gone.

I glanced around the foyer, noticing the fresh flowers on the entrance table. The scent was almost too overpowering, maybe another reminder that I didn’t deserve to be standing there.

The wafting cold in the room was almost unbearable. I wasn’t even sure what to say to Mustang any longer. We’d been close, the man like a walking, talking happy machine. That was before I’d accused him of being the reason Snake had died.

“I’m sorry, Nash. That was some shit to toss your way, especially after I heard a little bit about what you’re dealing with.” Mustang’s words seemed heartfelt.

“Did Scorpion manage to tell the world about the shit on the mountain?” I was still angry, bitter, but it had nothing to do with whatever Scorpion might have said.

He frowned before walking closer. “Believe it or not, we’re still a team. That means we can depend on each other. From what Scorpion said, you looked pretty rough yesterday.” He eyed me carefully, never blinking. Then he grinned. “I dunno. I think you’d look good with a long beard.” After laughing, he fisted his hand, pressing it against my jaw. “You might need some ice.”

“You might need a kick in the teeth.”

“Very funny. Try it and I’ll smash your head against the floor.”

“Yeah. Whatever you say, buddy.” While I allowed myself to laugh, I certainly didn’t feel like it. The same nagging weighed heavily on my mind. It was only a matter of time before we’d come face to face with another set of assholes.

This time I’d be ready.

This time there would be no hesitation.

The fuckers would die.

As I walked into one amazing library that also served as Hawk’s office, I honestly didn’t remember ever being in the room before. Granted, Hawk’s pops hadn’t been the type to allow any of Hawk’s bad boy buddies into certain portions of the house. We’d been rough and tumble back then, all six of us, pretending as if we could take on any jerkoff who tried to get in our way.

The memories were both good and bad, yet I wouldn’t change a thing.

“Here’s what little I could find after Scorpion supplied the details.” As Hawk handed out grainy but decent photocopies of the same man I’d seen on the internet, I should have been impressed with the time he’d taken to research Dante Giordani. However, he’d been exactly the same way the entire time we’d served together.

Always organized.

Always going beyond what was necessary.

Never taking a backseat to anyone, including the rest of his unit.

Maybe that’s exactly what I needed at this point to get my head out of my ass.

“Ugly motherfucker,” Mustang quipped.

“You should see him in color,” I said, half laughing.

Hawk glared at me. “You may not have figured it out yet even though you were almost gunned down by four assailants, but this ugly fuck is considered one of the top ten federal criminals in the country.”

“Too bad the authorities can’t get any charges to stick,” Scorpion commented.

“Yeah, well, there are some rumors that he’s got certain members of law enforcement as well as the DA’s office in his pockets.” Hawk sat on the edge of his desk. “We’ll go talk to Sheriff Robertson, but it’s doubtful she can do anything about the situation other than to make a few phone calls.”

“We need to find out about the DA. He’s the only one who knew where Mitch was headed.” I was beginning to have a bad feeling that maybe the DA wasn’t trying to get her to safety but allowing Giordani to have a safehouse of his own, a vacation of sorts with the woman he’d become obsessed with.

“What’s his name?” Mustang asked.

“Roger Porter.”

“I’ll do a search on the guy. There’s a buddy that I met during my previous contract job that had plans to move back to Chicago, hopefully practicing law if he passed the bar exam. Maybe he knows the guy.” Mustang shrugged.

“Good idea. No sense in raising too many red flags with the sheriff until we’re certain of who the hell the players are.” Hawk locked eyes with mine. “Not that I don’t trust the sheriff, I do. I just don’t trust the system in other cities.”

“Understood. I need to make certain Mitch’s story checks out.”

Now all three of the men stole guarded glances between themselves.

“Look. She appeared like some whirlwind ninja during the middle of a snowstorm. I didn’t see her vehicle when we were being chased down the freaking side of the mountain. I also found it convenient that she was trying to find another cabin near mine, which I’ve never