Page 26 of Whiskey Run Heroes

I turn back at him, surprised. “Check in on my time off?”

He gets up from his desk and walks over to me. “Something’s up.” He shrugs his shoulders. “You don’t have to tell me, but I’m also not going to let anything happen to you. Check in every day. You need anything, I mean anything at all, you let me know.”

I nod and swallow. I’m so thankful to be a part of Walker’s team. When I left the military, I was a little lost at first, but when Nash and Walker invited me to be a part of this team, I knew it was the right move. The only blood family I have is my sister Jenna. But if anyone were to ask me, I’d proudly call the rest of these guys my family too. Walker claps me on the shoulder, and I walk out of his office and go straight to Dylan’s. I barely get in the door and he’s handing me a packet. “What’s this?”

He just smirks. “Really? Your sister called, and I figured you’d be stopping in. As far as I can tell, Madison is flying to Florida tomorrow morning on the ten a.m. flight out of Jasper.”

I take the file and open it. “Great. I’ll book one—"

But before I can finish, Dylan interrupts me. “Already done. I booked you a seat. I was able to get you in the seat next to hers. I also booked a hotel.”

“Thanks. Do you know anything on the brother?”

Dylan sits back down at his computer and opens a window before pointing at it. “This is what Ethan looks like now. It’s really different when I compared it to his yearbook picture, so I’m assuming that he’s into some hard drugs. Which explains why Madison is going to Florida.”

I look at the man on the screen. His eyes are vacant, his skin is covered in lesions... he looks nothing like his vibrant, beautiful sister. Dylan interrupts my thoughts. “It’s not good.”

I pull my eyes from the screen and look at him. I can already feel my stomach drop. “What is it?”

“Her brother owes the Colombian Cartel. And I mean the Colombian Cartel, not one of their cronies or anything like that. He owes Baron.”

I clench the folder in my hands when he says the name. I’ve heard of him before. We deal with a lot of unsavory people, and I’m pretty sure that Baron would be at the top of the list of people not to fuck with. “And what? Does Madison think she can just meet up with him and give him the money and it’s done? The debt will be paid?”

He nods. “That’s exactly what she thinks. I had to do some heavy digging and reach out to old contacts, but she’s meeting with Baron the day after tomorrow.”

“Fuck!” I grunt. I wave the folder in my hand at him. “Thanks, Dylan. Take care of my sister while I’m gone.”

He comes around the desk and walks with me. “You know you need backup, right?”

I shrug. “I think I can handle it.”

Dylan starts cussing, and I can’t help but laugh. “I’m pretty sure Jenna said you had to cut that out once the baby comes. I can see my niece’s first words being a curse word and my sister having your head.”

He just shrugs his shoulders. “I’ll just blame it on you.”

I could bust his balls, but I can’t right now. I look him straight in the eye. “Take care of my sister.”

His face sombers. “You know I will. She’s my life, John.”

“I know. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“You know you’re crazy if you think I’m just going to let you go off to Florida and get yourself killed. Your sister will never forgive me.”

“You worry about my sister. I’ll worry about me.”

He pulls me in for a quick hug and pats me on the back. “Take care, brother.” I nod and look at him suspiciously. That was a little too easy, but I don’t have time to figure out what he’s got going on in his head. I have to pack and then figure out how to save Madison’s ass.

3

MADISON

I stuff my carry-on bag in the overhead compartment before taking my seat against the window. I’m a mess and have been since I left Jenna yesterday evening. I know she’s in good hands, but I know I should be there with her instead of traveling out of state to help my brother. The same brother that only calls me when he needs something, and I swear he barely even remembered me the last time I saw him. I’m going to help him this one last time, and then I’m going to try and get him into rehab again. If he says no, I’m done. I have to be.

With that decision made, I clench my hands together in my lap and lean my head back on the seat. The sounds of people boarding and opening and closing the bins overhead fill the air. I try to tune it all out and take deep, soothing breaths. I’m glad I have until tomorrow before I have to meet up with the man Ethan owes. I need more time to prepare.

Someone sits down in the seat next to mine, and all my senses are on high alert. I recognize that smell. I take a deep breath, and the scent of masculine and woodsy aroma fills my nostrils.Don’t look, don’t look, I tell myself, but I don’t listen. I open one eye just to peek at the seat next to me, and my eyespop open when I see my best friend’s brother in the seat next to mine. “John! What are you doing here?”

He’s huge, and his broad shoulders are up against mine when he pulls the seatbelt around his waist. “I’m going to Florida.”

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