by J. L. Drake
“As of this morning, Frank got word that North Rock was ambushed and three of the guys are now separated from the team.” Cole paused while Daniel joined us. “We got the order we ship out at eleven hundred.”
So, four of North Rock were now in the hospital, the rookie was dead, and now another three were missing. Christ, almost half the damn team has been picked off!
Daniel stood next to Cole with his phone in hand. “Mike and Keith are on the way and should be here in an hour. I want all comms double checked, extra ammo, and watches charged.”
“Cole,” I drew the attention my way, “I don’t know if you got my text, but Trigger did confirm that the cartel has the rookie’s radio.”
“I did. I’m not concerned. It’s not the first or last time that will happen.” I gave a quick nod in agreement. “All right, men, eleven hundred.”
As I raced up the stairs, I spotted Tripper playing with Butters in the living room, outing Liam’s position. I glanced around to see if I could spot Sloane, but instead, I found June working in the kitchen.
“Hey, handsome, what are you up to?”
“Getting ready to ship out.”
Typical, June skirted around the subject of us leaving and went directly to the elephant in the room.
“I don’t know what happened last night, but Sloane sure is quiet this morning.” She gave me the eye.
I picked up an apple and began to polish it on my shirt as I considered what to say. Her warm hand covered mine from across the island.
“The boys might be oblivious as to what’s going on, but this wise old lady sees all. It’s not lost on me that you keep your family’s pain from us. I know there’s a lot more going on with you than you want to share, but it’s okay to be happy, John. It’s okay to let someone in.”
I hated that she saw the truth, but her words hit home.
She rounded the island. “The last time I saw her, she was heading down to her cabin.” She kissed my cheek, handed me the last piece of my apple, and turned back to the sink.
On my way out the door, I whistled for Tripper to join me, but it took me half a second to realize he was already on his way down there. I get it.
Chapter Eight
Sloane
I pushed some papers aside and found my phone that alerted me a text came through.
Dell: Hey, Sloane, I wanted to apologize for not picking you up last night.
Sloane: It was no problem, Dell. No need to apologize.
Dell: I just heard you had to spend the night at Black’s, and I know you may have preferred to come home instead.
I smiled at his comment. It was true. I did love my own space, but what happened last night was completely fine, and I was really happy I could help out.
Sloane: I was fine. Thanks for checking in.
Dell: Oh, good. When John told me to go home and that he was on his way into town to find you, I thought about texting you, but he assured me you’d be fine with it.
Oh, really, now, I couldn’t help but grin like a teenager. Maybe Mr. Black was a bit of a softy after all. I sent another thanks his way and went back to my work.
Daniel: After a lengthy conversation with Frank, we both decided you could have a video conference with Brick. We’d still rather you not go to California. Here’s his contact number –He is waiting for your call.
My mind flipped through a hundred questions, but I calmed my head and angled the camera at the blank gray wall, propped my phone up, and tapped in the number. I didn’t want to waste any time. It took the camera a second to clear, but the sounds of people yelling and music filled my cabin. When the photo focused, I swallowed hard. Brick was a good-looking man, but I could see by the way he squinted at the camera he was high as a kite.
“You guys don’t waste any time, do ya?” He laughed and held up a finger while he walked outside. He slipped on a pair of sunglasses and leaned on a lounge chair. In the reflection of the glasses, I could see a pool in front of him and someone moving around on a truck under a tree.
“Hi, Brick.” I was warned by Frank to be respectful and use his nickname. “I’m Sloane Harlow, and Daniel gave me permission to use this number.”
“Save the formalities with me. Just shoot the shit and ask your questions.”
“Okay.” I leaned back in my chair and studied him for a moment. “Why were you in Mexico?”
“Like I told Black, why I was there had nothing to do with his operation.”
“So, why were you there?”
He scratched his beard and cursed. “Personal.”
“Can you elaborate?”
“I can, but I choose not to.”
“Fine.” I tried a different direction. “It’s no secret you’ve been around the cartel before. I read up on Trigger and his rather colorful past.” I couldn’t help but smile. Trigger’s rap sheet was longer than the test for the bar exam. “Before you ran into Black that day, did you see anything strange or out of order?”
“Nah, not really.” He tilted his head as if something might have jogged his memory. “One of the younger rats was running his mouth about watching after that rookie kid who got killed.”
I sat a little straighter and pulled my notebook beside me. “What did he say?”
“Something about his belongings.”
“His belongings,” I repeated as I scribbled it down. “Anything else?”
“I didn’t stick around. I was outnumbered and was trying to wait out the rain. The last person I ever thought I would turn my gun on was Black. Guess I’m fuckin’ thankful he was there.”
“Did you physically see the rookie kid with any of them?”
“No.” He lit a cigarette but nodded like he had more to say. “They have these deep square cut-outs in the ground, like four-by-eight,” he motioned with his hands, “with a makeshift covering that acts as a roof. Once they catch someone, they’d strip ’em down and toss ’em in there until their leader arrived. You could run right over it and never know anyone was down there.”
“Really?” I cringed.
“Yeah, so most likely, that’s what they did to him for the six days he was taken. It’s like their own version of a snatch and grab, but they don’t have roads, they have the jungle.”
“How did you know he was taken for six days before he was killed?”
He chuckled like it was a stupid question. “We might be an outlaw biker gang, sweetheart, but we know just as much as you do.”
“Fair enough.” I didn’t have much to go on, but I still could dig with what he gave me. “Thanks. I appreciate your time.”
“Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful, but like I said, I walked into their shitstorm, not the other way around.”
“Got it.” I gave him a wave and ended the call. Still, something nagged at me. The truth was always there; you just needed to remove the fog to find it. With my notebook in hand, I moved closer to the fire to sit on the couch. I studied the satellite photos of the last mission Frank had sent over. With a red marker, I traced North Rock’s position and then traced Blackstone’s in black. Something just didn’t add up. In the past, the cartel had typically crossed their paths, but this time they were coming in directly behind them as if they knew and followed their route.
“How could that be?” I whispered to myself.
“How could what be?” I looked up to find John in the doorway. “May I come in?”
“That depends. Are you going to play nice?”
As he closed the door, he shot a look at Tripper, who was now snuggled down by my feet. He wagged his tail in delight. John stood in place and looked like he wanted to say something.
“Do you want something?”
He tucked his hands in his pockets then quickly removed them to finger comb his hair.
I leaned back in the couch and sipped my wine, waiting for him to speak. When he didn’t, I turned back to my work.
“Years back, my sister was in a car accident. Well, actually, she was hit by a semi. The driver was
eighteen hours over his logbook. Her head bounced off the window, severely damaging her temporal lobe. Though she doesn’t remember much of the accident, she remembers everything before it. She just has trouble with everything after it. Damn, I really wanted to hate that driver, I really did, but after I learned who he was and that he had a five-year-old daughter with cystic fibrosis, how could I? After all, he’s really not the one to blame.”
His haunted eyes found mine, and I knew there was a lot more to the story, so I remained quiet, allowing him to find his words.
“My dad’s equipment was getting old. For his birthday that year, I wanted to buy him a weather station to help him predict the barometric pressure. It would help him decide when to harvest the grain. I told Ellie about it. She knew I ordered it, but I got called out on a mission and didn’t have time to pick it up. When the cops were finished with the investigation, they found it among the wreckage. She had gone to pick it up for me.” His shoulders sagged. “It should have been me. I should be the one stuck in time.”
“John—”
“I’ve never told anyone that before.”
“Does it feel better?”
“What?”
“Telling me. Does it make you feel better?”
“I don’t know. I’ve felt this way for so long, it’s hard to recognize any other feeling.”
“Why now? Why tell me this?”
“I don’t know. There’s something about you that makes me want to tell you.”
“That’s a really nice thing to say.”
“I’m leaving.”
I shook my head to keep up with his spinning thoughts. He must have caught my confusion. He glanced at the satellite photos on the table.
“North Rock’s team got separated, and we’re going to make an attempt to locate them. We leave in an hour.”
I felt my chest tighten at the idea of him leaving. I didn’t want him to go, but I knew he had to.
“I think they know ahead of time where you are landing.”
“Impossible.”
“Is it?”
“Yes. I know where you’re going with this. You heard they have one of our radios, but like I’ve said before, we use codes and speak in different languages. It would be impossible for them to decode our messages.”
“Then explain to me why every other time they’ve found you, they’ve come in from the sides, but this time,” I pointed at the photos, “they came in directly behind both your teams’ locations.”
He pulled out the photo I had traced on with the marker and studied it.
“Coincidence.”
“Well, in my line of work, there are no coincidences.”
He turned back to study the photo again, this time a little longer, then he let it drop to the table. He looked at his watch, and I knew his head was already in the mission.
“Tripper,” he addressed his dog, “watch over her for me.” I felt my face blush, so I removed my glasses and stood, not sure where to go with that. He headed for the door, hesitated, but stepped out and closed it. I stood there not moving, mulling over his words. He’d opened up to me and shared a secret no one else knew and was about to leave on a dangerous mission. I felt my legs move before my head caught up. I swung open the door and ran down the stairs when I heard him speak behind me.
“For the first time in five years, I had a moment where things felt normal, and that happened because of you.” He stepped down a stair, and his broad shoulders blocked some of the sunlight. “For the first time in fifteen years, I had a moment where I didn’t want to leave on a mission, because of you.” He joined me on the ground. “For the first time in my entire life, I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Because of me?”
He reached out and tugged me to him then leaned down and stared intently into my eyes. I could barely think, he was so close. My hands landed on the sides of his shoulders, and they flexed under my hold. His was strong—country strong. Lean and cut in all the right places.
“Yes, because of you.” His fingers wove into my hair, then he dipped lower and caught my lips. He was warm, and his mouth tasted like he had just eaten something sweet. I allowed my body to relax against him, and I fell into step with his rhythm. I mirrored his movements with my tongue. Never had I ever felt such sweet warmth burst through my entire body during a kiss. It was as if fate was saying, “See! He’s the right one to take a chance on.”
His free hand slid down my back and under my jacket to my bare skin. I jumped at the sudden rush of cold. I giggled at my reaction and felt his smile against my lips.
He broke the kiss and closed his eyes like he was drinking me in. So many things at once.
“I have to go.”
“Now?” I felt the excitement plummet.
A wicked grin made the lines of stress around his eyes fade away.
“Welcome to Blackstone, baby.”
My hands went to my hips, and I lifted an eyebrow at him.
“That’s a little unfair.”
“Trust me,” he brushed a finger down my cheek as I’d once seen him do to Olivia, “nothing about this is fair.”
“John…” My words caught in my throat.
“Be here when I get back, okay.” He wasn’t asking, and I oddly liked it.
“Okay.”
He squeezed my hand, took one last look into my soul, and left.
My fingers brushed my bottom lip, wanting to savor his kiss.
“Be careful,” I whispered into the chilly air.
I watched the team head up the mountain to catch the chopper. I decided to go for a walk to clear my head and ran into Savannah in one of the cabins next to Mark’s. I saw her through the window as she draped a blanket over the coach.
“Knock, knock.” I stepped into the cabin that mirrored mine.
“Oh, hey, Sloane,” Savi greeted me with a smile. Her eyes narrowed in on my face, and I could swear she knew what just happened with John and me.
“What are you doing?” I noticed some boxes marked “living room” in the corner.
“I’m just getting ready for some company.”
I picked up a glass ornament that sat in the window and rolled it around my palm, not sure what to do.
“I spoke to Brick,” I blurted for something to say.
“Oh, yeah?” She laughed. “Was Rail there? Because the two of them are incredibly entertaining.”
“No, but I was able to talk to him a little. He didn’t have much to say, but he did give me a small lead.”
“Well, that’s something.” She smiled, and I could tell she was waiting for me to go on. Dammit. I wasn’t even sure where to begin. My head was swimming.
“It’s strange at first, but the feeling becomes normal.”
My gaze moved to hers. “Is it really that obvious?”
“No,” she chuckled lightly, “I just recognize that look, and I know how you feel.”
I sank into the chair, oddly relieved that I had someone to talk to about it. “Honestly, Savi, I don’t know where to go from here.”
“What do you mean?”
“John seems to be a troubled soul. One moment he’s great, but the next his walls shoot up, and he shuts me out.”
Savannah pulled some green pillows from the box and set them neatly on the couch, then took a seat and faced me.
“Ah, yes, our Blackstone boys. They’re complex men with complex jobs who got into it thinking they would always just be married to their career. Each one carries their own personal demons, some big, some small. John has always kept us at arm’s length, and according to Cole, he was especially closed off after his sister’s accident. I know she must have been hurt more than he lets on and that he carries a lot of what happened on his shoulders, although none of us knows why. If John wanted to share, he would, so we respect his privacy.”
“Any advice on how to open him up?”
“Do you know how to climb?” She chuckled.
“No, but I’d be willing to learn.”
“Look, Sloane, it’s baby steps with John. Enjoy the moments when he opens up, and at those times really show who you are, so you break through that barrier. It will take time, but he will see who you are and will let his guard down with you more. All the men married very strong women, so there is something to be said for that. Sometimes they may need a little push to see what’s right in front of them.”
I stood, feeling a little better inside, and asked Savi if she needed any help.
By mid-afternoon, the cabin looked inviting and ready for company. We made our way back up to the main house and wandered into the kitchen to help make dinner. Savi suggested that I pitch in, as it would be a good way to keep my mind busy.
An entire “cow” and a bushel of potatoes later, we started to fill the table with tonight’s dinner. I noticed Dell, who was also one of the Green Berets, was extra quiet this evening. Savannah said they often hung around while dinner was made, but tonight it was more than that. Something seemed off. I wished Frank was there so I could ask him. As I was setting the last platter of meat on the table, a strange noise blew over the roof of the house. Savannah froze, and her glance flew to Abigail, who had the same expression.
“What is that?” I asked, curious to know why the mood had suddenly changed in the room.
“It’s the chopper.” Abigail moved to the window and pulled back the curtain. “It’s back early.”
Savannah dropped the forks on the table and rushed toward the front door where Dell was already waiting.
“What’s going on, Dell?” Savannah opened the door, only to have Dell close it on her.
“Let’s just give them a minute.”
“So, they are back.” Savi looked over at me and hesitated. “Dell, we have an agreement when they are back on US soil, you can tell me if they’re okay or not.”
“They are okay.”
Savannah’s shoulders sagged inward with relief, and she didn’t press further. Instead, she came over and stood next to me as if to offer me comfort in unknown territory.