Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
“That would be my guess.”
A few minutes later, he came out carrying two shopping bags. He opened his trunk and put them inside before getting into his car.
“I couldn’t see what was in the bags, could you?”
“No.”
I started the car as he pulled out of his parking space, and managed to keep my distance. Disappointment washed over me to see him pull right back into his office parking lot. “Damn. That didn’t tell us anything.”
“Yes it did. He’s planning something. Once you touch him, you’ll know exactly what it is.”
I frowned. “Yeah. Most likely my death.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll be ready for anything.” A buzzing sound came from Nate’s phone and he picked it up. “It’s Keola.” He swiped to answer. “This is Stone.” He listened for a minute before nodding. “Sure. We can come right now. See you in a few.”
“What’s up?”
“Keola might know who Johnny is.”
Chapter 24
Stone
Serenity pulled the car into the parking lot of the Tiki Tabu Bar and we hurried out. “Keola said to come in the back way.”
Serenity froze. “Wait. Do you think it could be a trap?”
“No. I trust Keola. But you can test the door if you want.”
She nodded. “I will.” She placed her hand on the knob and closed her eyes. “I’m not getting anything. It must be okay.”
“Good.” I pulled it open and we headed inside, following the hall to the back offices where Keola did his bookkeeping.
He sat at his desk and raised his hand in greeting. “Hey, bro. You made it. Come on in.”
“I brought Serenity.”
He sent her a wave. “Nice. I was hoping to see you again.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
Glancing at me, Keola’s brows dipped. “You okay, bro? You’re moving a little slow.”
I sighed before sitting in the chair in front of Keola’s desk. “I had a run-in with a grenade earlier, but I made it out with just a few stitches, so I can’t complain.”
“Shit, bro. What happened?”
“It’s why I’m trying to find Johnny. He almost killed me last night. So what have you got?”
Keola shook his head. “I didn’t realize it was that bad. Hopefully this will help. After you came in the other day, it got me thinking about our days in the service. Remember Johnny-Two-Legs?”
My brows dipped. “Johnny-Two-Legs? What the hell kind of name is that?”
Keola’s lips turned down. “You don’t remember Johnny-Two-Legs? Huh. Maybe he got that nickname after you left? But I could have sworn he was there when you were.”
“I think I’d remember a name like that.”
Keola rubbed his chin and stared off into the distance. “Huh… now that I think of it, I think he earned his nickname because his legs were badly burned from an explosion that he walked away from. Everyone started calling him Johnny-Two-Legs, since he walked away with both legs. You know how it can be.”
A face popped into my mind, and my stomach tightened. “Shit. It’s JB. John Bowles.” I could hardly believe it. I’d spent the last ten years trying to forget what had happened that day.
Keola snapped his fingers. “That’s right! We all called him JB. That must be why the name Johnny didn’t ring a bell. You won’t believe this, but he was here. He came in last week.”
“What did he want?”
“I thought it was just a coincidence that he came in, but now I’m not so sure. He didn’t ask about you, so I didn’t put it together until today.”
Serenity placed her hand on my arm. “You think it’s him?”
I closed my eyes. “Yeah.” Taking a breath, I met her gaze. “And he has good reason to want me dead. The blast that nearly killed him was my last mission. It was a nightmare. We had bad intel, and he and I were the only ones who made it back alive. But it’s worse than that. I carried another soldier out and left JB behind, but only because I thought he was dead.”
Her brows drew together. “I can see why that might upset him, but hardly enough to kill you for it.”
“There’s more.” I shook my head. “That was my mission. I knew the intel might be bad, but I decided to chance it anyway. I risked all our lives, thinking it was worth it.” My jaw tightened. “I was wrong, and my men paid the price.” I stared down at my hands. “After the explosion, I found Cooper gasping for breath. He begged me to help him. I didn’t even think about anyone else; there wasn’t time, and they were all down, so I just grabbed him and ran.”
I shook my head. That day would haunt me for the rest of my life. “Cooper still died. I should have checked everyone, but we were under fire and I had to get out of there. I’m sure JB blames me for everything that happened to him, and for the friends we both lost.”