2. John

2

JOHN

I run into Honeybee Coffee ready to do damage. I got a text from my sister and all it said was 911 . I was right down the street at Red’s Diner, so I didn’t bother with my truck. I ran the few blocks and am ready to punch someone or something when I spot my sister sitting at a table, her feet propped up, looking miserable. I look around the coffee shop. Two workers are filling coffees, another one is wiping down tables. There’s nothing that looks like it’s an emergency. “Jenna, what’s going on? What’s wrong?”

The closer I get, I notice she’s crying. Fuck. I can’t handle tears... especially not hers. I sit down on the chair next to her. “What is it? Did Dylan fuck up? Do I need to beat his ass?”

Dylan is the man I work with. The man I trusted to go help my sister when I was out of the country. And he helped her, all right. He even married her, but I can’t be too salty about it, since he did get her to move to Whiskey Run.

She’s shaking her head and reaches for my hand before placing it on her belly. “You know Dylan can’t stand it when I cry. The man is walking around on eggshells as it is so he doesn’t upset me.”

My hand clenches, and Jenna rolls her eyes before smoothing my palm across her belly. Instantly, I feel the kick from my niece. I know my eyes get as big as saucers. “Oh shit... I mean shoot, Jenna. Does that hurt?”

She shakes her head. “No.”

We sit there just like that, with my hand on her stomach, waiting for the little kicks. I really don’t want to upset Jenna, but I need to know. “Uh, was this the emergency?”

She takes a deep breath, and her belly rises and falls. “No.”

I keep my voice low and calm. I really don’t want her to start crying again. “Jenna, honey, after everything with Brooklyn getting kidnapped, that 911 text freaked me out a little bit.”

Her eyes get big, and she sits up. “Oh John, I wasn’t even thinking. I’m so selfish, I’m sorry.”

I hold my hands up. “No, don’t apologize. Just for the future, if you want me to come, just tell me that. I’ll drop whatever I’m doing and come. You know I will.”

She starts to peck her hand on the table. “I know you will. I’m sorry... so are you about to leave on a mission or anything?”

I rub my hand across the back of my neck. There’s always a mission, it seems, and usually I’m the first one to volunteer, but I’m trying to stay close to Whiskey Run until after my niece comes. “I’ll be working close to home until she makes her arrival,” I tell her, nodding at her round belly.

She blows out a breath. “Okay, I need a favor.”

I don’t even hesitate. “Anything... you know that.”

She looks at me skeptically, and instantly, I know it’s something big and obviously why she sent the 911 call. “What is it?”

She purses her lips. “I need you to go with Madison.”

“Uh, go where with Madison?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “I’m not sure.”

I hold my hands up. “Okay, hold up, what’s going on with Madison?” I try to keep my voice disinterested and calm, but if the 911 call is about Madison, I need to know. And no, I’m not ready to talk about my reasoning or admit any feelings for her. All I know is I need her safe.

“She’s going to bail Ethan out... again. She says this will be the last time, but I have a really bad feeling about this.”

“Ethan? Her brother, Ethan? I thought he disappeared. I didn’t even think they were talking to each other or anything.”

Jenna rolls her eyes. “They don’t... unless he needs something. Look, he’s gotten her in trouble before—"

I hold my hands up to interrupt her. “What do you mean he got her in trouble before?”

“I mean, she went to bail him out before, back in LA, and he was with a lot of bad guys and they roughed her up. I don’t know what all happened, but she came back with a black eye and a busted lip. She says she can handle it, and I mean, if I wasn’t like this”—she points at her belly—“I’d go with her.”

“Over my dead body,” I say, not even trying to hold back.

Jenna reaches out and wraps her hand around my forearm. “I know, John. I’m so lucky to have a brother like you. You’d never let me get into a situation like the ones that Ethan drags her into. But Madison doesn’t have anyone... not anyone that cares about her enough to stop this madness.”

“Yes, she does. She has you, and she has me,” I say gruffly.

Jenna’s nodding. “I hoped you would feel that way... so you’ll help her?”

“Yes, of course I will. When is she leaving?”

Jenna gets up and is ushering me toward the door. We walk outside to the sidewalk. “Tomorrow. But I don’t know where she’s going or anything else. She wouldn’t tell me.”

I nod. “I’ll figure it out. How’d today go?” I ask her, nodding toward the coffee shop. This is her second store, and I know it’s going to be a hit here in Whiskey Run.

“It went great. Madison didn’t let me do anything but sit in a chair. She took care of everything.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “How’s it going to be with her gone? You going to be okay?”

She rolls her eyes. “You know Madison. Even with her gone, she still has it all lined out and under control. I’m pretty sure she threatened half the staff that if they mess up anything or if I lift a finger, she’s going to kick their butt or something. They’ve been all over me since she left.”

I rub my palm over my chest, right over my heart. I know Madison is lucky to have Jenna, but Jenna’s lucky to have her too. She’s been a great friend to my sister, and that’s why I’m not going to fuck it up. I may be attracted to her, but I’m not going to act on it. No matter how badly I want to. “Okay, so don’t worry about Madison. I’ll take care of her... but you do realize that even though I’m going, I’m going to do my best to be here...”

I let my voice trail off. I hate to even say it.

Jenna pats her belly. “You may not be back in time?”

I shrug, and she nods. “I know and I understand, John. Dylan is going to take care of me... both of us. We’ll be here when you and Madison get back, okay?”

I wrap my arms around her and hug her tightly. “I love you, sis.”

She nods against my chest. “I know you do. I love you too, big brother.”

I release her and start walking back toward the diner where my truck is parked. “Stay off your feet, Jenna.”

“I will. Stay safe.”

I nod and turn to jog down the sidewalk. I need to go talk to my boss Walker about taking some time off, and then I probably need to pack.

I make it back to the warehouse and go straight to Walker’s office. “I need a few days off,” I tell him. Walker’s a great boss, and I never take any time off. If there’s any way possible, I know Walker will be all right with it.

“Is everything okay with Jenna?” he asks me.

Fuck, I know this is the absolute worst possible time to leave, but there’s no way around it. “She’s fine.”

Walker looks at me skeptically. “Are you going to tell me why you need time off?”

I don’t know what to tell him, especially since I have no idea where Madison is going or exactly why. When I hesitate, he asks, “Are you in trouble? Do you need help?”

I shake my head. “I’m not in any kind of trouble. I have a friend. Well, my sister has a friend. She needs help.”

He nods. “Fine. Take as long as you need.”

I thank him, and before I can get out the door, he stops me. “But... I need you to check in.”

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.