Jonah dug his nails into his hands and ground his teeth. “No.”
He heard her sharp intake of breath. “Did they call 911?”
Jonah subtly shook his head, gripping tightly to his clasped hands. He forced himself to calm down, but it was next to impossible. Rehashing it brought up anger he’d contained for years. Now, it was bubbling up to the surface.
“A car passed by the next morning and called it in. They were all dead at that point.”
“And Rueben Pryor? Where does he fit in all of this?”
Jonah ground his teeth. “He was drunk at the bar a few miles away. Bartender and waitress tried to take his keys, but he fought them and left. The waitress called it in to the sheriff, who was Pryor’s father-in-law.” Jonah looked over at Roxanne. “He would’ve had to pass the accident on his way home.”
She straightened her back, widening her eyes. “Well, what did they find when they investigated?”
Jonah shrugged. “According to the sheriff, he had no damage to his car, and he took another way home.”
“His father-in-law, the sheriff, was the one who investigated it? Isn’t that a conflict of interest?”
Fucking yes!Jonah shrugged, trying to combat his rage.
Roxanne scooted closer, laying her hand on his thigh. “But the waitress said …”
“Didn’t matter what she said,” Jonah snapped.
His control was slipping. This was all he was willing to tell her.
Jonah drew a breath, which did nothing to calm his nerves. “He left town after that.”
As far as everyone knew, he’d left and never been back. End of story.
Roxanne squeezed his leg. “It can’t hurt to have T, Stone, and Bogs look into him. If you want, I can talk to T and …”
Fuck.It was the last thing he wanted.
“No,” he snapped and shot up from the couch. This wasn’t her fault. Or Cord’s. The blame lay solely with him.
He grasped his hips, pacing the room. Roxanne didn’t say another word, but he felt her eyes on him. He sucked in a breath, then he did it again. It took him a minute before he was calm enough to approach her. He stopped a foot in front of her and bent his knees, putting them at eye level.
“It was a long time ago. Just let it be.”
“Okay,” she whispered, reaching out and taking his hand. Her fingers caressed his scabbed knuckles. It was soothing and comforting. It was exactly what he needed at that very moment.
I don’t deserve this woman.
Chapter Sixteen
Just let it be.
Her mind had been taken hostage by that phrase for the last week. After their conversation that night, Jonah remained on edge. There was more silence than usual. But she stayed the night, and by morning, it was as if it’d never happened.
But it did.
Roxanne had spent hours debating how to approach her brothers, or even if she should. Jonah had made his wishes loud and clear. Still, there was something eating at her, gnawing at her heart, knowing there was a possibility of foul play in his parents and brother’s deaths. She couldn’t make sense of why he wouldn’t want to try different avenues if it could give them closure.
She walked into the office expecting to see Sadie at the reception, but it was empty. She bypassed the waiting room and went down the hall. She heard masculine voices in the office at the end and peeked inside.
T was behind his desk, and Bogs was sitting across from him with Stone leaning against the wall. This couldn’t have worked out better. Initially, she was going to speak with T first, but she wanted all her brothers in on it. With more boots on the ground, the greater the possibility they’d find him.
T was the first to notice her standing in the doorway. His brows dipped when they made eye contact, and he lifted his chin.
