Page 159 of The Company

Chapter Sixty-Five - Sasha

“Sash,” Nick whispers in my ear.

I brush him away and roll over, still very sleepy after yesterday. We stopped in Rock Springs to grab dinner since towns are few and far between out here, and by the time we were done, Nick wanted to get a room for the night.

“Sash,” he repeats. “Wake up. Let’s go eat and hit the road.”

“What time is it?”

“A little after seven.”

I groan. “Are we in a hurry?” Silence. I open one eye and look at him. He’s lying next to me, one cheek pressed against the same pillow. His brown eyes are scrunched up like he’s confused. “What?”

“I’m sorry for those things I said yesterday. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

I just stare at him.

“He might not be dead.”

I can’t say anything, because if I do, I’ll cry.

“He’s not dead. He’s Tet, for fuck’s sake. OK? He’s not dead.”

But we called Merc last night after we got the room and Merc said he can’t find him. “I think he’s dead,” I finally say.

Nick lets out a long breath. “We won’t know until we know, Sash. But… even if he is, he’d want me to keep going. He’d want Harper to be safe. And now that I know she’s back with my father, she’s not safe, Sash. I have to go get her. And get that fucking file.”

I roll over on the bed and turn my back to him. “You shouldn’t have let Harper have it if it’s so valuable.”

“She was safer with it, Sasha. It gave her power.”

“It almost got her killed.” I turn back over. “She was dead. James saved her.” I look away. “He saved me too,” I mumble.

“What’s the deal with the two of you?”

I sit up and throw the covers off because obviously sleep time is over. “What do you mean?” I’m still fully clothed so I just slip my feet into my boots and straighten my ponytail.

Nick gets up off the bed and when I turn to look at him, his scowl is even more pronounced. “He was possessive of you. He threatened me. Why was he acting that way? How long have you really known him?”

It’s my turn to squint my eyes. “A week? You know that, Nick. We talked about it before he came to get me. And a lot of good it did, making me stay out there for three fucking months.”

“Watch your mouth,” Nick snaps.

I flip him off and shoot him a look. “Don’t boss me around. I’m in a very bad mood.”

“I told you why you had to stay out there. The Admiral sent you to wait for Tet and when the Admiral gives you an order, you follow it.”

“Yeah, but you knew when James was coming. You knew he was in the OC with Harper. So explain why we didn’t just get a hotel in the next town over and wait him out there.”

Nick walks towards me smiling. I step back. But he grabs my arm and pulls me close. “We could’ve done that, Sasha.” He looks down on my face. I hate the fact that he’s so much bigger than me. I hate the fact that everyone is so much bigger than me. “But I like you, ya know. I like you and I don’t think I’d have been very good at keeping my hands to myself if we were bunking together for months.” He laughs. “I mean, I know you’re too young in my head, but you know, I’m just an eighteen-year-old guy.”

My cheeks heat up and I’m not sure if I’m blushing because he said that to me, or if I’m creeped out that he’s thinking about me sexually. “That’s bullshit,” I finally say. “You know you’re not allowed to touch me until I’m eighteen. I don’t think you have a self-control problem. I think you’re just up to other things and you don’t want me to know about them.”

“We’re not operating inside the Company boundaries, Sash. We can make our own rules if we want. And yeah to the last part too. I’m up to a whole bunch of shit that you will never know about. That’s life. You’re a girl. I’m a guy. You should be in school right now.”

“School?” I don’t even have a comeback for that. “What the hell world are you living in? I’m a Company kid with a hit on my head. What fucking school am I supposed to be in?”

“Language,” he whispers as he places his fingertips against my lips.