Chapter 17 #3
“What’s up?” Nash asked, sounding more than a little concerned. “Are you okay? Is Rain okay?”
The fact he was worried about the dog was as sweet as his concern for her. “We’re both fine.”
“Good. What did you need to talk about?”
Suddenly, Amanda wasn’t sure it was the best idea to tell him everything over the phone. “How was your day? Are you coming home soon?”
He paused. “Talk to me, Mandy. What’s going on?”
Damn. Figured he’d be able to see through her attempt to stall.
“First, I’m fine. Rain is fine. We’re in my apartment, door is locked. All is well.”
“Okay, now I’m starting to freak out. Do I need to tell Casper that I can’t attend this last meeting so I can get to you?”
Wow. That was even sweeter. “No. But in order to tell you what I need help with, I should start at the beginning. And the beginning’s not the part I need you to do anything about. It’s the second part. Okay?”
“Okaaaay,” he said, drawing out the last part of the word.
“The DEA came here this morning with a search warrant, saying they got a tip that I had a large amount of cocaine in my apartment.”
“Excuse me?”
She needed to hurry and get through this, so he didn’t have a coronary. “They entered, searched, found nothing, and left. It’s all good.”
“It’s not all fucking good!” Nash exclaimed. “What the actual fuck?”
“Nash, seriously, I’m okay. I’m still working on cleaning the place, but that’s neither here nor there.”
“The hell it is! They trashed your apartment?”
Of course that’s what he’d get out of that part. She wouldn’t call her apartment trashed, but it was definitely…in disarray. “Nash. That’s not what I need help with. Will you listen for a sec?”
“Talk faster, Mandy. I’m seriously not happy here.”
She could tell from his voice that he was probably two seconds from heading to her apartment. And while she wouldn’t mind seeing him after her stressful morning, she needed him to hear the rest.
“I went for a drive to clear my head and get away from here, and tried to figure out who might have called in the bogus tip about the drugs. I don’t know that many people in Norfolk anymore, no one that I’m close enough to who would do something like that, at least. But then I started thinking about Guyana.
And how the agents knew I’d just come from there.
I got suspicious, then mad…and I called Blair. ”
“Blair.”
The one word was said with such disdain, but Amanda wasn’t exactly surprised. She continued. “Yeah. But she didn’t pick up her office line. Desmond did. And it was weird, Nash.”
“In what way?”
“He pretended I was someone calling about wanting to donate to the school. He wasn’t answering my questions directly, as if someone was in the office with him, listening.
Maybe it was Blair he was worried about talking in front of.
But I’m more afraid that maybe it was the rebels.
That they’re back or something. I asked if the kids were okay, and he said they were, but I’m still worried.
I thought maybe you could find something out?
Ask your friend—you know, the one you said was looking into Blair—and see if he can find out anything? ”
“I’ll do that right now. You’re at your apartment?”
“Yeah.”
“Stay there. Make sure the doors are locked. And don’t open it for anyone except for me or one of my friends. I don’t care if the DEA comes back and demands you open it, or if the fucking president is on the other side. You do not open that door. Understand?”
He was being bossy and scaring her a little, but Amanda quickly agreed. “I won’t.”
“Good. I’m going to find out what’s going on, I just need you to be safe while I work on things here. I’ll talk to Casper, and once I make the calls I need to make, I’m coming home. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Be safe. I’m fine, Nash. A little shaken up by everything, but good now.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
“Nash, you can’t be by my side at all times.”
“I know, but it doesn’t mean I don’t want to be. I hate that you had to go through that today by yourself.”
“I had Rain.”
“Which I’m grateful for, but a dog isn’t the same as having a pissed-off Night Stalker by your side or at your back.”
He wasn’t wrong.
“Drive safe. Don’t get a ticket or anything.”
He chuckled, and Amanda was glad to hear it. He was still stressed, that was obvious, but the fact that she’d been able to make him laugh, even a little, made her feel good.
“I won’t. I’ll call if I find out anything before I get home.”
“Thanks.”
“See you soon.”
“Okay.”
Nash hung up, and even though Amanda didn’t have any answers yet, she felt better now that he was looking into things.
It felt weird to rely on someone else like she was on Nash.
She’d always been super independent, had to be.
But having him on her side, being able to call him for help…
or heck, just knowing he was upset on her behalf and willing to leave work immediately to get to her if she needed him…
felt awesome. As if she wasn’t quite so alone in the world.
Things between her and Nash had moved fast, but they felt right. Their time in the jungle had sped up their relationship tenfold. And she wasn’t upset about it in the least.