Chapter Fifteen
Roxanne grabbed her pocketbook and briefcase from the passenger seat and opened her door. Working all weekend hadn’t been part of the plan. When Jonah asked her to stay over, she had visions of staying in bed all day and night. With the boys out of the house, it gave them alone time.
She’d offered her place for them to stay but secretly hoped he’d decline.
While she loved her apartment, it wasn’t nearly as cozy and comfortable as Jonah’s house.
She started up the back path toward the door at the same time Cord walked out with a duffel bag in tow.
Jonah had mentioned him heading to Austin for the weekend but had given her no further details. Not that it was any of her business.
When he hit the bottom step, he glanced up, lifting his chin. “Hey, Rox.”
She smiled, thinking of how far they’d come. They were no longer on each other’s shit lists. He hadn’t warmed up to her the way Holden had, but there was a mutual appreciation. It was a friendship in progress.
“You off for the weekend?”
“Yeah.” He smirked, glancing up at the house. “You two got it all to yourselves.”
His taunting tone was similar to the one her brother would use. She’d learned enough not to take the bait. She passed him, brushing her hand over his arm.
“Have fun and be safe.” Roxanne was halfway up the stairs when he called her name.
Cord was standing near the edge of the driveway about twenty feet away. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
She raised her brows without thinking. While they’d made strides in their relationship, they hadn’t had a one-on-one conversation.
“Just for a minute,” he blurted, then looked up at the back door. It was clear he wanted privacy away from Jonah.
She slowly walked down the steps, staring at Cord. This was strange.
“What’s going on?”
“I wanted to ask you something. A favor, if you’re willing.”
His vibe was off. Cord always carried himself with confidence. Sometimes too much, teetering on the side of cocky. She wasn’t getting that from him right now. He seemed nervous and slightly unsure. She wondered what kind of favor she could provide, but she was open to hearing him out.
“Okay.”
He drew in a breath, releasing it slowly. “Jonah tell you about our parents and Sawyer?”
Oh shit. This caught her completely by surprise.
It was the last topic she expected, especially from Cord.
Jonah had given her a vague explanation of what had happened.
They’d been in a car accident that left three children orphaned, with Jonah taking over guardianship.
Roxanne was careful when asking questions.
It was a sensitive topic, and she had the impression Jonah wasn’t ready to open up further.
Aside from their first date, he hadn’t mentioned them again.
She wouldn’t pry, especially with something so delicate.
“He did.” She inhaled a breath. “I’m really sorry, Cord.”
He jerked his chin and averted his eyes across the yard. There was a short stretch of silence. Roxanne made no move to leave. Dealing with loss came in different forms. There was never one specific way it was handled. Even with her own experience, she was at a loss in consoling him.
“They never found the guy,” he muttered, cupping his jaw, still not making eye contact.
What guy? Jonah hadn’t shared much but from his description, it was a one-car accident. An uneasy wave of dread washed over her.
“I mean, there’s no solid proof, but he was named as a person of interest. That’s gotta mean something, right? Twelve years and this guy is still out there with no one looking for him?” He looked up at Roxanne, and she swallowed the knot in her throat.
There were obvious details she wasn’t privy to. Parts of the story that Jonah hadn’t disclosed. He’d made it sound like it was a tragic accident. Why would someone be named a person of interest?
Cord grasped his hips and bowed his head, concealing his face. This was a side of him she’d never seen. Grief-stricken, with an element of anger.
“I think he got away with it.” Cord’s voice shook. “Then just fucking took off.”
Roxanne was at a complete loss in how to handle this situation. The last thing she wanted to do was say something that’d make him more upset. But she couldn’t just say nothing with him opening up to her.
“I was thinking maybe your brothers could look into him. Try and find something.” His voice strained. “Anything.”
Roxanne licked her lips, treading lightly. “What about the police?”
He scoffed, shaking his head. “It’s not an open case so they aren’t gonna be any help. But you could be if you do me this favor.”
She widened her eyes, placing her hand over her heart. “Cord, I don’t know if …”
“Can’t you just ask your brothers? The guy’s name is Rueben Pryor.”
That was the last thing she expected, and her expression must’ve shown it.
“That’s what they do, right? Find people?”
She shrugged, unsure how to answer. On one hand, he was right.
As bounty hunters, among other outside entities, they found people.
But this was an unusual request, especially going through her.
She’d been out of the family business for quite some time.
Long enough so that business was no longer discussed in front of her.
“Have you talked to Jonah about this?”
Cord snorted, and his face shaded to red. “Tried, but he keeps blowing me off. I don’t get how he isn’t on board with me. It’s like he doesn’t give a shit.”
Roxanne immediately shook her head. “I’m sure he cares just as much as you do.”
“Then why did he shut me down when I brought it up? I suggested we reach out to your brothers ‘cause they’re friends and he won’t even do that.”
Roxanne found herself in a difficult position. She had no place coming between the brothers, especially under these circumstances. Having this discussion with Cord felt like a betrayal to Jonah.
“Cord.” She sighed.
“If you can’t talk to your brothers, can you at least talk to Jonah about it? He’ll listen to you.” He paused. “Please, Rox.”
Shit!
****
Jonah heard Roxanne pull in about five minutes ago.
He assumed she was on a call. She usually left the room when she was speaking with clients.
He glanced up at the clock. It was now pushing ten minutes.
He was tempted to check on her when he heard the back door creak open.
A second later, she was standing in the doorway.
“Hi.” She smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. Her voice was off, too.
“Hey.” Jonah walked across the kitchen, taking her in for a quick kiss. She kissed him back, but without her usual enthusiasm. If he had to guess, she’d been taking a call from her bride-from-hell. He’d heard so much about this woman even he couldn’t wait till her wedding was over.
“Bad day at work?”
She flattened her lips, subtly shaking her head. “No.”
Jonah stepped back, eyeing Roxanne. She was uneasy and nervous. The polar opposite of her usual self.
“What’s going on?”
Roxanne drew in a breath and hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “I ran into Cord in the driveway. He umm …”
Fuck! He thought the animosity had died down. If anything, Cord seemed to be warming up to Roxanne and her presence quicker than he’d expected.
“Tell me what happened because if he was an asshole to you then I’m …”
Roxanne rushed forward, shaking her head. “No, he wasn’t.”
Jonah straightened. “Then what?”
She sighed, shifting on her feet. “He asked me for a favor.”
What could Cord possibly want from Roxanne? He folded his arms, scanning her face. Clearly, it was something Roxanne wasn’t comfortable with.
“He asked me if you’d told me about your parents and Sawyer. I said you had but um …”
Fuck! Jonah had told her an abbreviated version of the story.
Clearly, Cord had gone into more detail.
A fiery heat raced through his veins. Jonah clenched his jaw, biting down on his molars to the point of pain.
This was a part of his life that he hadn’t planned on sharing. Not with Roxanne. Not anyone.
“What did he say?” Jonah tried to level his tone. He failed.
Roxanne clasped her hands, twisting her fingers. “It was hard to follow. He asked me if I could have my brothers look into a man named Rueben Pryor.”
Jonah’s muscles tightened and his blood rushed through his veins.
He needed a minute to get his emotions under control.
He turned his back on her and stalked to the living room.
It wasn’t like him to avoid any situation, but he was caught off guard and virtually backed into a corner.
He braced his arms on the fireplace, staring at his reflection in the mirror over the mantel.
Jonah hadn’t considered how he’d handle this conversation with Roxanne because it hadn’t been part of his plan to have it. It was in the past—where he wanted it to stay. This was hitting too close to home. Dangerously close.
Jonah pushed off the mantel and turned, finding Roxanne standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
He dropped his gaze to the floor and walked across the room, sitting down on the couch.
He clasped his hands, resting his elbows on his knees.
He wasn’t sure how to play this off. At this point, she knew more than he wanted her to know.
Her footsteps were slow and cautious. The cushion dipped beside him, and he glanced down at her feet.
“He brought it up, Jonah. I’d never try to start a conversation with him or Holden about your family. I know it’s …”. Her voice trailed off, and he turned to her.
“It’s what?”
“It’s a very sensitive and personal subject.” She inhaled a breath. “And none of my business unless you make it mine.”
At this point, Jonah had little choice. Cord had given her too much to ignore or flip the narrative. There was a way to give her just enough of an explanation without disclosing the whole truth. He just wasn’t sure if he’d be able to pull it off.
“Everything I told you was true. But, from the investigation, they concluded Sawyer wasn’t as injured as my parents in the accident.
There was evidence that he got out of the car.
” Jonah paused, knowing he had to be extremely careful with his words.
He had to follow the police report. “They suspected another car had come by and hit him while he was near the road.”
“But the other car didn’t stop?”
Jonah dug his nails into his hands and ground his teeth. “No.”
He heard her sharp intake of breath. “Did they call 911?”
Jonah subtly shook his head, gripping tightly to his clasped hands. He forced himself to calm down, but it was next to impossible. Rehashing it brought up anger he’d contained for years. Now, it was bubbling up to the surface.
“A car passed by the next morning and called it in. They were all dead at that point.”
“And Rueben Pryor? Where does he fit in all of this?”
Jonah ground his teeth. “He was drunk at the bar a few miles away. Bartender and waitress tried to take his keys, but he fought them and left. The waitress called it in to the sheriff, who was Pryor’s father-in-law.
” Jonah looked over at Roxanne. “He would’ve had to pass the accident on his way home. ”
She straightened her back, widening her eyes. “Well, what did they find when they investigated?”
Jonah shrugged. “According to the sheriff, he had no damage to his car, and he took another way home.”
“His father-in-law, the sheriff, was the one who investigated it? Isn’t that a conflict of interest?”
Fucking yes! Jonah shrugged, trying to combat his rage.
Roxanne scooted closer, laying her hand on his thigh. “But the waitress said …”
“Didn’t matter what she said,” Jonah snapped.
His control was slipping. This was all he was willing to tell her.
Jonah drew a breath, which did nothing to calm his nerves. “He left town after that.”
As far as everyone knew, he’d left and never been back. End of story.
Roxanne squeezed his leg. “It can’t hurt to have T, Stone, and Bogs look into him. If you want, I can talk to T and …”
Fuck. It was the last thing he wanted.
“No,” he snapped and shot up from the couch. This wasn’t her fault. Or Cord’s. The blame lay solely with him.
He grasped his hips, pacing the room. Roxanne didn’t say another word, but he felt her eyes on him. He sucked in a breath, then he did it again. It took him a minute before he was calm enough to approach her. He stopped a foot in front of her and bent his knees, putting them at eye level.
“It was a long time ago. Just let it be.”
“Okay,” she whispered, reaching out and taking his hand. Her fingers caressed his scabbed knuckles. It was soothing and comforting. It was exactly what he needed at that very moment.
I don’t deserve this woman.