Chapter 35
Nolan
I watch as Ashley takes a stuttering breath. She’s shocked at what I told her, but she had to have realized I couldn’t stay here forever. I have a business to run and the news Ashton received earlier, we need to leave for New York City. I don’t want to go, but I have to. My past is coming back full force and I need to take care of it before the demons take care of me.
“That’s why I didn’t want to mention it right now. You’re bothered about something you have no control over.” I tell her quietly.
“When will you be back?” she asks.
“I don’t know. You must understand, I need to go. I need to get this new case cleared up before I can move forward.”
“Are you planning on moving forward towards me or away from me?” Ashley asks quietly.
I run my thumb over her pink lips, outlining them. She shivers even though the humidity is high. It’s my touch that causes her to do that. Her brown eyes are searching mine, seeking the truth. My hands settle on her waist, gripping her tight. I see the fight and determination set in her eyes. She’s not letting me go without a fight. I can’t stand the distance between us, so I pull her against me and wrap my arms securely around her. I inhale her essence and close my eyes. Ashley rests her head on my chest and brings her arms around my waist, holding on tight. We stay like this for a few minutes.
“I’m planning on moving forward with you Ash, but I need to take care of this before I can.” All the emotions from the last few months are in my voice and it cracks a little.
I’m terrified I won’t be capable of making it back. I’m thankful that I found her when I didn’t realize I needed her. I’m worried that she’ll move on while I’m gone. I’m frustrated that I’ve gone all this time without my past affecting me, and now it’s nipping at my heels. I’m embarrassed that I let it go this long with her, knowing I’d have to leave her.
“Nolan,” Ashley says picking her head up from my chest. She leans her forehead against mine, her breath fanning across my lips. “I’m here for you. I will always be wherever you are. If you need me in New York, I’ll be there in a heartbeat. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, I’m in here.” She rests her palm on my heart. “One phone call is all I need, and I’ll be there for you like you are for me. We’re a team, a partnership. We stick together.”
I can’t take the distance anymore. I lean in and kiss her with all the passion I can give her. My mind is on the issues I to need deal with, but once Ashley’s tongue enters my mouth and I appreciate the love she has for me, all that worry floats away in the breeze. I deepen the kiss, relaying how much I love her with my actions. She releases a whimper from the back of her throat and it pumps blood through my veins, hard and fast. I break the kiss breathing rapidly, my breath fanning across her lips. Ashley opens her eyes and looks at me. There’s isn’t an ounce of pity or sadness, only love, and trust.
“I’m trusting you, Nolan,” she whispers. “I’m trusting that you’ll call me when you need me. I’m trusting that you’ll come back. I’m hoping that you’ll have faith in us, even when things get complicated.”
“I promise to call, I will come back, and I do have faith,” I reply quietly.
“Nolan," Ashton shouts from across the park.
“We have to get back there,” Ashley says. “Do you feel better now?”
“Yeah, actually I do. Thank you.” I answer.
“Remember no matter what situation you find yourself in, good or bad, I’ll be there in a heartbeat,” Ashley says. I drag her tight against me and breathe her in one last time before we face the dangers ahead of us.
“I know, and I will,” I answer.
We walk hand in hand back to everyone sitting around a picnic table. Ashton has his laptop set up in the middle. His program is running, making sure Redlines car is staying put, and he has files open. Harris, Ramirez, and Marks are reading police files when we walk up.
“What do you have?” Ashley asks. Harris closes the file and his face turns red like he just got caught stealing.
“Uh…” Harris trails off.
Ashley glares at him, crossing her arms over her chest and he swallows hard. I’ve never seen him afraid of someone, but then again, he’s never gone up against someone like Ashley. One look from her can have a grown man shaking in the knees.
“You can tell her Harris, it’s not a secret. They need to know what we’re getting into.” I reassure him.
“It’s your parents’ case file,” Harris says softly.
“You could get that? How?” Ashley asks, shocked.
“I called in a few favors,” Ashton says with a shrug. He actually hacked into the police’s mainframe and stole them, but we don’t need to get into that.
“I’ve been trying for years to get those and the detectives wouldn’t budge.” Ashley says. “Let me look at them.”
Harris hands the file he has over, and Ashley begins flipping through the reports. I watch as the color drains from her face and she sits down on the edge of the picnic table. Rush is next to her, reading it over her shoulder. They both needed to see those files. He rests a hand on her shoulder, keeping her from flying off the handle. She looks up at me and I’ve seen that determination in her eyes before. This won’t end well for someone and I hope that someone isn’t her.
“Mother fucker,” Ashley whispers and swallows hard.
I glance at Rush, waiting for his reaction. He’s the one I’ve been the most worried about. He grabs the file from Ashley’s trembling hands and reads it repeatedly.
“This isn’t possible.” Rush responds quietly. He sits down hard on the ground, staring off into another place, far away from us.
“Rush, tell me you didn’t know about this.” Ashley demands.
“I had no idea. I was with you when it happened and never heard a word about it.” Rush answers.
A clue they’ve been searching for has finally surfaced. It wasn’t the police that kept Ashley and Rush in the dark. It’s not who they thought was responsible for her family’s death all these years. It was their own.