Home > Courage (Blackstone, #4)(4)

Courage (Blackstone, #4)(4)
Author: J.L. Drake

“Same to you.” I watched them leave the diner and turned back to Brick. “Happy?”

“I’d be happier if you got me a drink and a lighter.”

I tucked the gun away and stored the extra mags in my pocket. I leaned down and took one last look at Brick’s leg.

“Why were you in Mexico?”

“I told you—”

“I don’t want your bullshit answer.”

His gaze shifted, and his expression was pissed again.

I wanted to beat it out of him, but I was losing time. “Logan and Irons have been good to you,” I held up a hand to stop him from interrupting, “and you’ve been good to us. I just want to make sure you aren’t involved in something that will hurt this operation.”

“It wasn’t me who screwed up your operation. Mine was completely unrelated.” His gaze returned to mine, and I saw he was being honest.

“Okay.” I stood and checked the time.

Shit, I’d wasted eighteen minutes.

“Irons should be here soon, but keep watch in case those sons-of-bitches show up. You good? I don’t like it you don’t have a weapon. Keep your head down.”

“Yeah, no shit. Me either, but,” he smacked his leg, “I’ll be just dandy.” Then his expression changed, and his smile turned genuine. “Thanks for the help out there.”

“Same to you. Stay alive.” With that, I left and scoped out the area before I slipped into the tall weeds that would be my protection as I raced back toward the last location I’d known my team had been.

Nightfall came just as I reached the top of the cliff Brick and I had been on earlier. The man I had slipped the tracking device on was gone. I knew wherever they were, they still could be close by. My fingers inched across the rock to get a strong hold before I lifted myself up and twisted to sit on a high peak.

I had a solid nine hours before my team came to retrieve me. Now I would sit and listen to who came and went. My gut told me there was much more to this story than we knew.

Once the sun peeked above the horizon and the stars faded away, I started my descent from the cliff to the next checkpoint. Sadly, nothing was spotted, and I needed to move on. It wasn’t long before my watch vibrated to get my attention. It was time to haul ass.

A single loud bang echoed through the air, and the sound waves traveled through my chest. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to follow that sound.

Moving as quietly as I could, I struggled not to let my mind think it was one of my brothers. I saw the body lying face down. He was stripped of all his clothes except his boxers. A signature move of the cartel, along with a single bullet to the back of the head.

I dropped to my knees and rolled over his badly beaten body. I recognized the poor rookie. He was only twenty-two, fresh out of school, and was our target to find. Someone had helped him get a hookup to join North Rock, and against all of Frank’s protests, he was overruled from somewhere higher up. I remembered his anger over it when he had to let the boy in when we all knew he wasn’t ready.

The no brother left behind mantra kept racing through my mind.

I wrapped his arm around my shoulder and slipped him over my back to carry him to the checkpoint.

The chopper blades beat the trees, and as it lowered into a secured area, I stepped out and caught Chamness’s horrified face. I raced across to the chopper and handed the kid to him.

“Who is it?” Mark asked as he grabbed for my arm.

“Nick Stewart.”

“The rookie operator?” I nodded before he asked, “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head in spite of his raised eyebrow at the blood seeping from the hole in my side and settled into the seat next to him. I watched as the men carefully covered the kid and started the protocol by calling it in. Chamness cursed and closed his eyes. The loss of any man was hard, but it hurt even more when we all knew this had been the wrong place and team for the rookie.

Frank was going to flip his shit over that one, because he knew he wasn’t ready to be on the team.

Chamness finished loading up his sack with more ammo and rations before he disappeared back into the Mexican forest to find the rest of his team.

I settled in for the long flight home, and my head hung with fatigue. I draped my arms around my propped-up knees and felt the heaviness in my heart. I needed to sort through what the hell just happened.

My head still spun by the time I arrived back at Shadows and made my way up to my room. I barely remembered my shower or how I even got changed before sleep called my name.

The moment my head hit my pillow at Shadows, I was out cold. I faintly remembered Mia saying something, but I couldn’t focus enough to listen. I needed sleep badly, and then I needed time to process.

 

***

 

“Is he dead?” I heard Shit One’s little squeak from the doorway.

“Nah, he isn’t gray yet,” Shit Two hissed.

“You mean blue?”

“Gray means dead for good.”

I cracked open an eye and glared at Mark’s twins as I licked the inside of my dry mouth. Screw the troubled twos, when you were a Lopez, six was the dangerous age.

“Should we poke him just in case?”

“No! Remember what happened last time?” Liam warned. “He hung us from Abby’s clothesline and left us there until Mom heard us screaming.”

I smirked at that delightful memory and tried to muffle my laugh.

“Oh, shoot!” Liam yelped. “He’s awake. Run!”

“Boys!” I heard Mia shout from the hallway. “You better be ready for school, and you better not be not bothering Uncle John.”

“We’re not!” they both lied together.

“Move it,” she warned with a sigh. Poor Mia was exhausted a lot lately. Tabby was two and a handful in her own right.

I rolled out of bed, and the reality of the past two days hit me like a ton of bricks. I slipped on my pants and headed to get my day moving. I was good with heavy shit. I’d dealt with enough of it to know I was, but last night’s mission went wrong very fast, and I knew something was definitely off.

 

 

Chapter Two

 

 

Sloane

 

“Sorry. I know this isn’t what you wanted to have happen, Sloane.” Frank offered me a hand as the tips of my heels found their footing in the loose gravel. “Where is Logan?” He shaded his eyes and scanned the property. “It’s like herding cats with these men.” He chuckled with a grin. I could tell he preferred to be here rather than in Washington, and I could understand why. I mimicked him and shaded the tops of my glasses against the glare and took in the breathtaking view of the famous Shadows safe house. I’d always known this place existed, but I never thought I would be brought here, especially under these circumstances.

“Trust me, Frank,” I grinned when I saw the lake and heard a loon call off in the distance, “I am not complaining.” This was the better option. A cool breeze brushed over my exposed skin and swirled the ties on my jacket.

I missed the wide-open spaces of the country and the fresh clean smell that came with the mountains. I really needed to get out of the city more often. Well, I guessed I was now; I just wished—

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