Deploy, Part One (Rawlings #1)(52)

Declan relaxed a bit in his chair as a smug look rested in his expression.

The Sheriff turned beet red. “You want it on file your family hasn’t seen him in months, done. What else, then?”

“Report the truck stolen,” Chasen said.

“Are you seriously asking me to file a false report?” he chuckled. “I will tell you one thing, you Rawlings’ are bold.” He looked over Declan as he said his next words. “Crossing lines that are better left alone, intact.”

Declan was as still as death. The whole while he was thanking God above that what he had heard screamed at him for months was nothing compared to what this pissant was spitting out. Declan wasn’t going to give him the pleasure of knowing how hard he was pushing him, of knowing that Declan had thought of ten ways to the kill the old f*ck in as many seconds.

It was just wrong. Who in their right mind elected this *? Was the system broken? Or did it just not exist anymore. Maybe it never did.

“I’m reporting it stolen,” Declan said. “It’s my truck and was to be returned to me yesterday, and it wasn’t.”

“And when I find your brother in it, with some girl, drunk or high, having the time of his life, am I to haul him in? Or will you mysteriously drop the charges?”

“My truck is missing,” Declan said as he crossed his arms.

The Sheriff went to say something but Dunn nudged Declan to rise. “We’ll be heading to the base, as well as working with the local officers there. I’ve already contacted them and others and let them know you and yours seem stressed in this department. I was assured they’d be in touch with you shortly and they would follow up to make sure all information was shared readily.”

The Sheriff didn’t bother to stand or say another word as he watched them all leave.

Monty didn’t like this one bit. Not only had Nolan and his son had a tiff in the past, but also Monty was aware that Jacks and Murdock had had a fight with both Nolan and Declan around the time Nolan vanished.

Monty knew as much because his insane wife at first accused a Rawlings of murdering Brent Rose, stating they must have showed up at the shop looking for Murdock and Brent defended him, tried to stop it and the Rose girl was covering it up.

The idea was absurd.

No, Monty didn’t buy the story that Murdock and Justice were snuggling up somewhere. Any fool could see that Justice had never really ‘seen’ Murdock. There was nothing but friendship, a strained one as of late.

At the same time, Monty knew his son was there, and the way it stood was Murdock was either side by side with Brent as he died, or with Justice. The latter won votes. The latter was the truth on record forevermore.

This shit right here, Nolan missing, it poked holes and double-checked a story that Sheriff Monty Souter wanted left alone. It was bad enough that his wife’s debilitating grief over Brent Rose’s death had people talking.





Fourteen


“Son, say the goodbyes you need to,” was what Chasen said to Declan before he went to tell everyone outside what they knew, or rather didn’t know.

Declan’s gaze searched those all around him, it was as if the entire Rally had been moved to the Sheriff’s office. Declan looked everywhere for the one face he wanted to see, needed to see.

A minute later he saw Bell with Missy, both of them had stacks of flyers with the family’s information. He gathered from overhearing them they were heading to the garage office to make more flyers, and gather more contacts from Nolan’s list of friends. Then they were sending out the information over social media, emailing everyone they could think of.

If any of the Rawlings’ had anything to do with it, within the hour this whole town and half the globe would know James Nolan Rawlings was missing. Justice would be right in the middle of the hunt. She was close with Nolan and wouldn’t take this well. Not after the summer she just had.

Declan at least wanted to give her one look that said he was going to find him, for the pair of them. Then again...he wanted to see the look in her eyes that told him it was going to be all right, this was nothing. Nolan was fine.

“Um, Declan,” Bell said. “I know you’re in a hurry and have a lot going on, but we put some food in the bed of your truck. Could you run it home for me? We were afraid it was going to go bad and your dad said you all were taking the back way out anyway.”

There was a confused glint in Declan’s gaze.

“Nod yes, son,” Missy said, without looking up from the notes she was writing.

Declan didn’t nod, he turned about face and all but ran to his truck.

He knew where she was now. And she had to be alone...

When he first pulled into Justice’s drive his gaze moved across the way into the shadows, to where he knew the shop used to stand. It was nothing but a dark mass now, but still Declan’s fist clenched the steering wheel as he crept down the drive lined with Georgia pines. Justice had lived through hell here and Murdock was with her, that he was still always with her. A f*cking Jody if there ever was one.

For a moment he was sure Bell was mistaken, or that Justice had heard of the news about Nolan and left. There didn’t seem to be a light on in the whole place. When he pulled around back he saw one. The kitchen light glowed through the side screened in porch.

His protective side didn’t like this at all. Her out here in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, with the side door wide open, only a screen between her and whoever—no, he didn’t like it. When the loud rumble of Nolan’s diesel truck or his headlights didn’t bring her to the door he decided he was now concerned beyond reason.