AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We no longer have the right to inquire about how each other is doing. How we’rereallydoing. How life is treating us or the state of our hearts. It feels strange to be so close to her. Tobe alone with her. Staring at her through the darkness, I can’t help but to remember how well I used to know her. How well she used to know me. Even in the darkness, one touch, one kiss, one breath, and the question of how the other was doing was answered before it was asked.
Lawson was pulled from his reverie when his phone began to ring. He reached inside of his jacket pocket and extracted the device, a scowl of confusion tugging at his brow when he saw who was trying to reach him.
Ashlynn Rodgers.
Six months ago, he would have answered. She’d warmed his bed for a while back in Nashville. It was a selfish indulgence, but she didn’t seem to mind. He’d never promised her much, yet she kept coming back for more until he found his opportunity to return to Shelby. Now, the thought of hearing her voice felt odd. Moreover, the idea that he’d ever really known her felt mockingly laughable when compared to those five minutes spent with Nora.
A knock sounded against the driver’s side window. Suddenly alert, he jerked and twisted his neck to find Moretti standing outside his truck. When their eyes met, his boss raised one of his thick, dark eyebrows in silent inquiry. Well aware he needed to push Nora back into the dark corner of his mind, where he usually kept her hidden, Lawson did just that as he finally opened his door and stepped out of his truck.
“Mornin’,” he mumbled politely. He returned his phone to his pocket, then shut his door behind him.
“No offense, but you look like shit. I know I’ve had you working long hours this week, and you’ve been back and forth between here and Nashville quite a bit, but—”
“I’m fine,” Lawson interrupted as he began heading toward the building. Moretti matched his stride as he continued, “Steele was rushed to the hospital last night. Didn’t get much sleep.”
“What? Lawson, why didn’t you tell me? If you need to take the day—”
“I don’t. I’m good. He’s fine. Nothin’ I can do now, anyway. Work will occupy my mind.”
Moretti glanced his way, but Lawson pretended not to notice. He appreciated the concern, but he didn’t need to be coddled. He needed to work. Hewantedto work. It was the only way he was going to make it through the day without thinking about Nora and the five minutes they’d spent together in that damn driveway. It made him feel like a sucker to admit it, but that was the thing about Nora—somehow, no matter how tightly she had him wrapped around her little finger—he never felt like less of a man. It wasn’t until he’d lost her that he understood how much of a man he’d becomebecauseof her.
The two men passed through the back door and were walking through the employee lounge area when Lawson spotted Hanna headed their way from the front. She was a tiny little thing—no taller than five-two, likely no heavier than a buck-ten soaking wet. She was also young. Her and her twin brother, Finn, were the youngest employees at Vollucci Security at twenty-one years old. When they’d met a few months back, he’d been surprised to learn Hanna was Moretti’s woman, but it wasn’t long before Lawson understood with those two—age was just a number.
He didn’t know her story. It wasn’t his business. But he didn’t need to know the details to recognize a fellow survivor. Hanna had never seen a warzone, but she’d been to battle. It was plain as day in her unique eyes—one blue, one green, both filled with wisdom and an appreciation for life which was only granted to those who had come close to losing it.
“Hey, Lawson,” she greeted with a warm smile.
“Mornin’,” he replied with a dip of his chin.
Shifting her attention toward Moretti, she held up a set of keys. It was then Lawson realized how lost in his head he’d been out in the parking lot. The two had arrived together—as per usual, given they shared the same residence. While Moretti had stopped to get his attention, Hanna had opened the office.
Lawson needed to focus. It had been a long time since he’d let Nora distract him so completely. Circumstances what they were, it was hard to put her out of his mind; but he didn’t have a choice. With a few minutes to spare before Lawson had to be on the road, Moretti called him into his office to go over the schedule for the following week.
“Think you’ll be glad to know your next assignment won’t require a commute to Nashville and back,” he began as they each took a seat on either side of Moretti’s desk.
“I go where the work takes me.”
“Well, next week the work is in Murfreesboro. I’ll be tagging along, too.”
Lawson nodded. Murfreesboro was only thirty minutes up the road.
“What’s the job?”
“Movie production. They’ll be on site for the next two weeks, wrapping just before Christmas. The star of the film—a B-list actress—I’ve worked with her before.”
“B-list?” Lawson inquired, a slight frown tugging at his brow. “Both of us are needed?”
“Apparently one of her co-stars is some sort of local music legend. I don’t imagine the job will be difficult, but they wanted extra eyes on set to keep any townies from interrupting and slowing down production.”
Lawson nodded a second time, then both men turned at the sound of Dax Fuchs’ voice as he filled the doorway behind them.
“Hey. Heard the news this morning,” stated the tall blond. “Your brother.”
The news. Lawson hadn’t seen it. The case his brother and his partner had been working on had caused a rising level of concern around town as it escalated. It would make sense that the previous night’s events would warrant the attention. That explained Ashlynn’s call—at least, it was enough of an explanation for Lawson to let it lie.
“Yeah,” he muttered distractedly. “He’ll be al’right.”
“When did you get in? Wasn’t expecting you back until Monday,” inquired Moretti.
