Deploy, Part One (Rawlings #1)(58)

If Murdock was mad, it would mean he really did have a thing for Justice—more than a status claim, or a dark secret.

“See you soon, baby,” Missy said to Declan.

As he walked down the steps, his shoulder brushed by Justice’s, the tips of their fingers touched in the darkness, and a glance was the only good bye they had.

“You will,” Declan said, walking toward his father’s truck. His gaze sliced into Murdock as he passed him. “Time f*cking flies in my world. Months might as well be seconds. The shit will still be real.”

Murdock didn’t open his smart mouth. Instead, the same flash of relief mixed in with his defensive fear.

Declan almost asked him what his issue was but his dad called his name, and Atticus was reaching for his keys and a stiff hug goodbye. “I’ll stick around a bit,” he said to Declan in the nicest tone he’d used with him all day. Clearly, Atticus was on team Justice, and Declan taking the time to see her, even in the middle of this family emergency, restored Atticus’s faith in his older brother.

When Declan sat in the passenger seat of his father’s truck and stared at Justice as they pulled away, the threat and reality that one of their own was missing slammed back to the forefront of his mind.

He had to bring his brother home. If anything happened to him...it would be his fault and he’d never forgive himself for not listening to his gut, his instinct.





Fifteen


Murdock had heard Declan was in town. More than one person told him, but Murdock didn’t believe them. Not really. Because if Declan Rawlings was alive, then he had officially lost his mind.

When he pulled down the long drive at Justice’s house and saw Nolan’s truck he was sure everyone in town had mistaken one for the other, something people tended to do more times than not.

He almost turned around but then he saw the car Justice and her grandmother shared behind the truck and wanted to make sure they were good, and hadn’t walked in on a Rawlings looking for answers.

Nolan and Declan shared everything, hell for all he knew they had a good ol’ time sharing Justice. She sure as hell looked at them about the same.

The deal was that even though Nolan and him and gotten into it, Nolan was the level-headed one out of the brothers. So facing off with him, even though it got his blood pumping, he was good with it. Murdock was sure he could at least figure out why no one had been looking for Declan over the last few months.

Then he saw him.

Murdock knew by the way he walked, the cut of his hair, and the pained grieving look in Justice’s gaze that it was Declan. The moment Murdock saw him relief washed over him. It felt like the demons that had been perched on his shoulders took a hike.

He almost hugged the *. Murdock wished he hadn’t already finished a six-pack. He wanted the clarity to understand this...the blunt he’d been working on for the past hour wasn’t helping matters either.

Murdock didn’t even hear what Declan was running his mouth about—he was too damn happy to see the f*ck alive.

Then before he knew it every Rawlings but Atticus left like there was some fire they had to put out somewhere.

“What’s up?” he asked Justice when Atticus walked in her house and sat down at her kitchen table like it was his place.

Murdock was seriously starting to question what kind of favors these Rawlings were getting from Justice and why he wasn’t on the VIP list—one would think covering up a murder for her would grant him some benefits, but hell no, the girl was always across the room before the idea to touch her ever came to his mind.

Before Justice could answer, Atticus came outside again, tossing a harsh look at Murdock before getting a flashlight out of Nolan’s truck and taking it to the porch.

When Murdock saw him looking for something, he sobered up a bit. He remembered what started his night from hell—seeing who he thought was Declan drop something off.

Murdock grasped Justice’s arm before she could move to help him. “I said what’s going on?” he whispered harshly.

She jerked her arm away then pushed him. “You lied to me,” she said in a whisper that was just as sharp.

Because it was so dark, she never saw the panic wash down Murdock’s face, never cared to notice the drunken confusion in his dark gaze. Right then for all he knew Declan had climbed out of his watery grave and was now pointing fingers.

Murdock had lied a lot, so much that he didn’t even know the truth anymore. He urged her further away from the house. “What are you talking about?”

“Your daddy! This whole time you’ve been telling me if I told the truth they’d turn it on the Rawlings. Hurt Declan, who had nothing to do with this. And what happens? Your ass was wasted, took me to work late again. Ended up getting me fired and since it was my fault my boss was a dick and someone was nice enough to stand up for me as he called me whore—in front of the whole town—your father called Declan’s sergeant.”

Murdock shook his head, needing to sober up. “What?”

“Are you ever sober anymore?” she asked, really looking at him.

“What did my dad do?”

“What you said—called and said I was seeing Declan.”

“You’re seeing him?”

“Shut the hell up! What else have you lied about? Why is your dad not even trying to help the Rawlings?”