Page 17 of Stone
“I didn’t know you fished,” he said casually.
“I don’t. Just beginner’s luck.”
“So what do you do?”
I poured in vodka, making mine a hell of a lot stronger than his. “I run a boat tour business.”
“Ah. Sounds… interesting.”
“It can be, especially when you’re faced with vicious sharks on a daily basis.”
That got him and he stared at me. “You’re shitting me.”
“Yup. I am. Seen a few, but not that many over the years.” After adding a splash of Worcestershire sauce to each, I tossed in a couple of limes. With drinks in hand, I headed toward him. “Why are you here, Gray? I doubt you’re interested in my colorful swimming trunks.”
When I handed him the drink, I noticed concern in his eyes.
He accepted, immediately sitting down on the couch. He’d never been good at hiding his true emotions. Today he sucked at it.
I took the chair, already nursing my drink while he stared at the liquid in his.
“I don’t know any other way to say this, but I need your help.”
The laughter burst from my gut before I could stop it. “Now, oh wow. Didn’t see that coming since you tasked both Kage andMaddox to help you with some pretty testy missions. Funny how I got roped into helping both times.”
“Why do you think I asked one of you to provide your expertise? Because you’re the best soldiers I ever worked with.” He finally pulled the rim to his lips, taking a long swallow. “Damn, that’s good. I haven’t enjoyed one of these in a long time.”
I cocked my head, waiting for the other shoe to drop. “Flattery will get you nowhere, Commander. Plus, it would be pretty cool if you just admitted you formed some big security agency instead of all the cloak and dagger shit you spewed off.”
“Cloak and dagger shit? I was open with both Kage and Maddox. They provided assistance at their own free will. From what I heard, so did you.”
“Yeah? Funny how they both almost died trying to help you. I don’t think that was on their bucket lists.”
“We live in a dangerous world, Stone. You should know that better than almost anyone.”
“All three of us know that, Gray. I might not look like I have a busy life, but I prefer my privacy and I earned my downtime.”
He nodded. “You’re right.” After placing his drink on the table, he pulled a file from his briefcase. I couldn’t help but notice he hesitated and kept it in his hands. When he lifted his head and looked me directly in the eyes, I knew a nightmare was coming on.
More than a few seconds dragged the meeting on and even though I was a surfer dude, I wasn’t known for my patience. “Just spill it, Gray. Whatever you need to tell me, do. I’ve seen and experienced a lot of shit in my life. I doubt anything you’regoing to tell me will shock me any more than the crap we lived through.”
I’d never seen Gray nervous in my life. He was one of those soldiers that could take a bullet and not stop moving. His nervous laughter forced me to lean forward. After a few seconds, he put the file on the table, sliding it across and closer to me.
Sighing, I didn’t bother picking it up, just flipping it open. There was a color photograph. As soon as my eyes laid on it, I sucked in my breath. “Fuck.” I had to sit back and collect my shit.
Gray remained silent, which was a smart move. Why the fuck was he doing this to me?
Yes, I was shocked, more so than from anything that I’d been confronted with lately. I placed my drink on the table, barely managing to keep it on the surface. When I lifted the picture into my hand, a half dozen memories rushed into the back of my mind.
The images were haunting yet beautiful, maddening in that they’d been the ones to keep me company for years. They were also the ones that had left me angry and bitter, saddened that I hadn’t kept my promise.
Angry that I’d allowed a monster to treat me with disrespect. Fuck.
The memories were bittersweet. I’d expected to see her at the bus before heading off to boot camp, but she hadn’t showed. I’d been devastated.
I traced her face in the photograph, allowing the tip of my finger to slowly fall to the long line of her neck and down her arm. She was even more beautiful than I’d remembered, the twentyyears doing nothing but adding to her stunning good looks. She appeared happy in the picture, her smile as bright as I’d ever seen it. She’d found a new life and I was happy for her.
After the shock wore off, I finally lifted my head. “What the fuck is this?”
