Chapter 14
LAWSON
Nash leaned back in his conference room chair, studying me as he ate a burrito.
“Stop doing that,” I muttered as I flipped through some paperwork.
“Doing what?” Nash mumbled around a mouthful of food.
“Staring at me. It’s creeping me out.”
“I’m not staring.”
I looked up, arching a brow.
Nash firmly set the front legs of his chair back on the floor. “You get good sleep last night?”
“Are you feeling all right? Since when do you care about how I slept?”
He set the burrito down. “Since you started looking like the walking dead. Those dark circles under your eyes were starting to swallow you whole.”
I frowned at him. “It wasn’t that bad.”
This time, Nash arched a brow.
I fought the urge to squirm in my seat. “I’m fine.” I hated being a source of worry for my family. It was the last thing I wanted. When everything went down with Melody, they’d rallied around me. They’d taken babysitting shifts, carted the kids to and from school and daycare, and dropped off meals.
And they’d worried about me. Afraid I would lose it. I could admit that I’d come damn close. But my kids needed me.
I never wanted to be the source of their anxiety again. I’d put them through enough.
“Really,” I promised my brother. “Hallie is already helping a ton.”
A smile played at Nash’s lips. “Roan said she’s smokin’.”
My gut tightened as jealousy flared. It was beyond ridiculous. My married, madly-in-love brother had noticed that Hallie was beautiful. So what? “I highly doubt Roan called you up to say my nanny was smokin’.”
Nash just grinned wider. “Mads and I were dropping off their wedding present. He was intrigued about how you were handling working in close proximity to her.”
The muscle beneath my eye began to flutter. “She’s thirteen years younger than me, not to mention the fact that I’m her boss.”
“Age ain’t nothin’ but a number, big bro.”
“Don’t.” My single word sliced across the space, and Nash’s eyes flared. I struggled to gentle my tone. “I’m sure you and the rest of our family will meet her soon. I don’t want anyone making her feel uncomfortable. She’s…”
I wasn’t sure what the right word was. I had intended to go for sensitive, but that could make Hallie sound weak when she was anything but.
“Hallie’s been through a lot. She doesn’t need you or any of our siblings giving her a hard time.”
Nash straightened, going on alert. As much as he was a jokester, he had a fierce protective streak. He didn’t stand for anyone hurting women. Especially after everything his fiancée, Maddie, had been through.
“You said you knew her from your past. A case?” Nash probed.
My fingers tightened reflexively around my pen. Hallie was trying to make a fresh start. I knew she wouldn’t want people to know everything she’d been through. But I needed to let it out. Talk to someone. And Nash would recognize her when he saw her anyway.
“This stays between you and me. Don’t even tell Maddie.”
Nash’s expression was stony. “Okay.”
I forced my fingers to release the pen, letting it drop to the table.
“You remember the search about five years ago over in Shallan County? The twenty-year-old college student at her parents’ vacation home for winter break?
She went to a bonfire party and was abducted on her way back to her car. Held.”
“Sure. Most messed-up case we’ve ever worked—” Nash’s words cut off as his eyes widened. “No way.”
My expression was grim, but I nodded.
“But the name was different,” Nash argued.
“Halston. She goes by Hallie now. Trying to get some distance from it. A fresh start.”
Nash blew out a breath. “Holy hell. What’re the chances?”
One in a million, it felt like. That she would be the one to show up on my doorstep. The one who was the perfect fit for my family.
“I never forgot her,” I admitted.
“Of course, you didn’t. You saved her life. Didn’t the doctors say that she might not have made it had it been another hour?”
Just the thought had my insides turning to granite. Hallie was light. Goodness. I’d only really known her for a few days, and I already knew that was true. The world would be a hell of a lot dimmer without her in it. “I don’t know,” I lied. “I’m just glad that didn’t happen.”
Nash had that thoughtful look on his face as he studied me again. “How is she?”
What a loaded question. It was one I wasn’t sure I had the answer to.
“She’s got scars—mental and physical. But she’s stronger than anyone I’ve ever met. And there are some powerful women in my life.”
Nash made a noise of agreement.
“Like I said, she wants a fresh start. But everything new is a struggle. I’m pretty sure she has PTSD and anxiety.”
“Who wouldn’t after everything she went through?” Nash muttered.
I met his gaze. “But she never stops trying. Even when she’s terrified.”
Emotion filled Nash’s eyes. “Sounds like a hell of a woman.”
The corner of my mouth kicked up. “She’s great with the boys. Charlie’s made her his second best friend. Drew already proposed.”
Nash let out a bark of laughter at that. “Good. Maybe he’ll stop hitting on Maddie.”
I chuckled. “She even has a way with Luke. No matter what he throws at her, she just keeps calm. Steady.”
“Sounds like you scored on the nanny front.”
“No question.” But I knew it was so much more than that.
Footsteps sounded on the linoleum, and I lifted my gaze to see Daniels and Reed coming in from patrol.
Daniels lifted his chin in greeting. “Met your new nanny this morning, Chief.”
Reed let out a whistle. “The body on her. Think I could get her to tuck me in at night?”
Nash muttered a curse as he shoved his chair back.
But I was already on my feet, striding toward Reed. “What did you say?”
His eyes went wide. “Shit, boss. I was just joking around. She’s hot, that’s all.”
“Think that’s information you should’ve kept to yourself,” Nash said.
“We don’t talk about women like that in this station. Especially not those taking care of my children,” I growled.
But I knew that wasn’t the whole of it, not even close. The idea of this asshole creeping on Hallie was enough to get my blood boiling.
Nash clamped a hand on my shoulder, squeezing hard. “He heard you. Isn’t that right, Reed-y?”
Hall was only a handful of years younger than me, so having Nash put him in his place wasn’t exactly welcome. His eyes went hot, and he opened his mouth to say something stupid, but I stopped him.
“Don’t,” I clipped. “You say something else, and I’m writing you up.”
Reed snapped his mouth closed as his partner gave him a little shove.
“Come on,” Daniels said. “Let’s fill out that paperwork and grab lunch.”
Reed jerked his head in a nod but gave me and Nash one last glare as he stalked away.
Nash squeezed my shoulder one more time. “Breathe. I really don’t want to have to bury a body in the woods today. Ground’s frozen. It’d be a real bitch.”
I knew he wanted me to laugh, but I couldn’t quite get there. Because my mind was running in circles. Where had he met Hallie? What had he said? Had he scared her?
The urge to call her was so strong my fingers twitched. But what the hell would I say?
I clenched and flexed my fists. “No gravedigging today.”
Nash slapped me on the back. “Good. Because that burrito is damn good, and it’s getting cold.”
Daniels turned back to me. “Sorry, Chief. He doesn’t mean any harm.”
Anger surged again. “If he doesn’t mean it, then he should catch a clue and not say moronic things. And if I find out he’s bothering Hallie—”
“He won’t,” Daniels assured me. “I’ll talk to him.”
“Good,” I clipped.
But Daniels made no move to follow his partner. “What’s her story anyway?”
I stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“She’s really skittish. I just wondered.”
He was fishing, and I wasn’t about to betray Hallie’s secrets.
“She’s shy, that’s all. Don’t overwhelm her.”
Daniels’ eyes narrowed, and I knew he didn’t believe me. Still, he nodded. “Sure. We’re taking lunch. Be back in sixty.”
I just nodded in agreement, but some movement caught my attention. Wren, Holt’s fiancée and one of our dispatchers, moved through the sea of desks with one hand on her pregnant belly. She’d be on maternity leave any day now, but she wasn’t letting it slow her down.
“Everything okay?” I asked as she got close.
“Not sure. We’ve got a missing hiker. I already called Holt. He’s getting the word to SAR, too, but I told him I’d grab you and Nash.”
I muttered a curse. “He calling in everyone?”
Wren nodded, her light brown hair swishing around her with the movement. “It’s already below freezing. He doesn’t want her out there overnight.”
Her. Below freezing. Overnight.
It brought back too many memories already humming at the surface: a terrified girl cut to hell but so determined to fight for her freedom.
I shoved all that down, locking it away with everything else I couldn’t let myself think about. “Give me the details. I want every officer on the lookout, too.”
Wren nodded, handing me a pad of paper. “I thought you might say that. Everything’s right here. I’ll get an APB out.”
I nodded in thanks, already moving toward my office and maps, Nash on my heels.
I’d have to call Hallie and tell her I might be late. And I’d need to tell her why.
What would news of a missing woman bring back for her?