Page 5 of Nave
And not just because I was driving without a license. Or insurance.
It went way deeper than that.
“Ugh.” I couldn’t shut my mind off.
I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes, feeling how dry and gritty they were from watching the road and a complete lack of sleep.
Over the past five days, I was pretty sure I only managed about four or five hours. And even those were restless. I needed some rest if I was going to not seem like a crazy person running around town asking every person I met if they knew the man I was looking for. And where he lived.
I definitely needed to have my head on right when I finally tracked down Nave. Otherwise, I was going to sound like I was telling him some tall tale.
Hell, I was living through the situation, and I still couldn’t quite believe what was going on. What had become of my life in a few years.
It felt like the plot of some made-for-TV movie, all close-up reaction shots and a dubious amount of reality.
But it was real.
And I needed help if I was going to stay free.
The only person in the entire world who’d ever offered that to me was a man I’d known for just a few days many years back. He’d had shrewd eyes and a kind smile. And I wished to hell I’d listened when he told me all that time ago to run, to run far and run fast and never look back.
Would’ve. Could’ve. Should’ve.
But I didn’t. Not until it was way too late.
No, not too late.
I was still alive.
I still had some fight left in me.
More now, actually, than ever before.
I had a lot to live for.
And I knew that if I failed, I would nevereverget a chance at living my own life on my own terms again.
I had one shot at this.
Even if this Nave guy wasn’t in town or if he didn’t want to help me, I was going to figure it out. I was going to do whatever it took never to have to go back to my old life.
That, finally, was a thought that I could fall asleep to.
CHAPTER THREE
Nave
“I almost thought it was going to have to be a blackout party,” Croft said as he set up the cups on the pong table while his brother brought Jello shots out of the kitchen to set up on the bar.
It had taken the whole day for the power to come back on. A clubhouse full of grown-ass men almost wept at the first huffs of cold air from the air conditioner when it rumbled back to life.
It was probably the first time since Sully nagged the higher-ups to put in a pool that Brooks and Fallon both agreed they were thankful for it.
“We’ve gone without power a lot longer than this,” Rune reminded Croft. “Between the hurricanes and normal grid issues, we were out for long stretches.”
My ears perked up, surprised to hear either of them—but especially Rune—talk about their time in Puerto Rico. Where they did, well, no one knew. Because they didn’t talk about it.
“Yeah, but we were prepared for it there. Fuck, I miss a good bonfire beach party,” Croft said, letting out a little sigh.
