CHAPTER SEVEN

“I guess I should start at the beginning,” he smiled.

“That always helps,” she said, snuggling into him. The fire was crackling, the black clouds releasing a deluge outside. No one was leaving their cottages unless they had to.

“I was raised by my aunt and uncle, who were the best people on the planet. I don’t really remember my father. Little snippets like movie clips here and there. I was only eleven when he died in a friendly fire incident. He was a Navy pilot. My mom decided she wanted to travel for a while, get her head on straight. Instead, she drove a car over a cliff in Peru. I feel like I remember them, but I think most of that is from pictures.

“My Aunt Arlean and Uncle Fred were amazing people. They couldn’t have children of their own, so they embraced the whole parenting thing to the extreme,” he smiled. “I never wanted for anything. I think the way they raised me is what helped me to become a Navy officer. I attended Annapolis, became part of the Special Forces community, and an aide to one of the top leaders in our nation.”

“That’s so incredible, Jonas,” she smiled. “I feel like I’m dating a true hero.”

“I’m not a hero, babe. I’m just a guy that knows the difference between right and wrong.”

“In today’s world, that qualifies as hero status,” she whispered. He nodded, understanding what she was saying.

“When I met Kaleigh, I just knew that we were meant to be together. We dated for almost a year before I proposed. We were young, but I knew this was it for me. When she said yes, we both knew that we didn’t want a big wedding. We just wanted something fast. So, we took off to Vegas, got married in a cheesy Elvis wedding chapel, and spent a few days spending money we didn’t really have,” he laughed.

“It sounds wonderful,” she smiled.

“It was. My aunt and uncle were able to attend, and I was so glad they did. They both passed away three years later, almost on the same day. We found out a few days later that Kaleigh was pregnant with twins, and it seemed like it was meant to be.

“I was working late the night it happened. It seemed I was always working late back then,” he frowned. She gripped his hand, squeezing for a little added support.

“I told her I’d be home soon, and she suggested that she’d walk and pick up our favorite Chinese food. I told her to have it delivered, but she said she wanted the exercise. She was getting so big at that point.” He stopped thinking back to that night and brushed away the memories, not wanting to dive into that sadness once again.

“Witnesses said the car didn’t even bother to stop and help. He looked out the window and just kept going. Two guys at the scene tried to help her, but it was too late.”

“God, Jonas, I’m so sorry,” she sniffed. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, babe. I honestly thought it might have had something to do with what Admiral Harris and I were working on at the time.”

“Admiral Harris?” she asked with a frown.

“Yes. I was working for him. I was his aide, and we were trying to stop some things that were happening. We believed his brother-in-law and wife were working together.”

“Wh-what was his brother-in-law’s name?” she asked.

“Brockman. Colonel Brockman.”

Khloe sat up, setting her coffee down on the table, and then stood, pacing back and forth in front of Jonas.

“Babe? What’s wrong?” he asked.

“That name. Brockman. Was he around mid-forties, average height and weight, brown hair with a bit of silver?” she asked.

“Yes. I think maybe forty-seven or so, but that’s him.”

“Jonas, I think you were right. I think Archie knew Brockman. He said that name on a phone call once and mentioned that Admiral Harris was creating issues for him. It was a very heated phone call while we were at dinner. I was angry because he was taking a call during dinner. He’d been drinking before I even got there after a long shift in the ER.

“He excused himself from the table, and I could hear him yelling that name ‘Brockman’ over and over again. When he returned, I asked if everything was okay, and he said that someone wasn’t fulfilling his promise. It was a threatening tone when he looked at me and said that he didn’t like it when people didn’t do what they said they would. I felt threatened by him.”

“Did he hurt you? Did he grab you in any way?”

“I tried to leave the table, and he gripped my arm, holding me in place. I didn’t move, knowing that he could get out of control when he was drinking. He didn’t say anything, just held my arm for a few minutes. When he released it, I told him I had to get back to the hospital. I didn’t. My shift was over, but I just wanted to leave. That’s when I called Claudette and told her I wasn’t sure about accepting his marriage proposal. I wanted to get out of it.”

“Did he follow you?”

“No. I left and hailed a taxi, but as I was leaving, a black car pulled up with a man in uniform. I briefly looked at him but caught the name on his chest. Brockman. Jonas, they knew one another. They were working together on something. I’m sure of it.”

“Me too, honey. Are you attached at all to your ex?”

“God, no! I’m terrified of him and don’t want him anywhere near me. That’s why I left the area and came home. Why?”

“Because I’m going to find him and kill him.”