Page 25 of Exhale (Out for Justice #8)
D ave turned to Stone as the helicopter carrying Owen and Jordan swept out of sight.
“I’m starving,” Dave said.
“Let’s eat,” Stone agreed.
On the way back to the car, Dave called Kellum on his cell phone, and the techie picked up on the first ring.
“They found Weston,” Dave said.
“I heard!” The relief in Kellum’s voice was thick.
“Can you board a chopper with Creed and Elliott and meet Owen and Jordan in Oregon? I think that Weston would be relieved to have him there.
“We’re leaving now,” Kellum said, and Dave ended the call.
Stone located an all-you-can-eat buffet in a little diner off the main highway. Their arrival scared the staff something fierce, and Dave apologized profusely.
Stone had Secret Service pay for the meals of the few people in the place and send them all on their way.
They had overpaid the customers, and everyone gladly took the money—it was a hefty sum.
“You didn’t have to do that. We could have just come in like two guys having a meal,” Dave grumbled.
“No, we couldn’t have. First, you’re too high profile to go unnoticed, and second, you are not just some guy, and third—.”
Dave held up his hand, cutting off the words. “Save it.”
Stone froze at his curt words, but Dave turned away. He was just too damned tired after the last several days.
Stone caught hold of his hand, and Dave froze. He jerked around, gazing incredulously, and Stone abruptly dropped his hand and stepped away.
“Sorry, I was trying to grab your arm,” Stone said gruffly.
Dave flexed his hand, nodded, and headed to the table to get a plate.
Stone stood silently nearby.
“What? You’re not eating?” Dave frowned at Stone.
“Too distracting.”
“Then just forget it.” Dave slammed the plate down and turned to the door, but Stone was in his way.
“Don’t…go,” Stone said huskily.
“Then…I take it you’re eating?” He had to tilt his head a bit to do it, but Dave gazed into Stone’s blue-gray eyes.
“Yeah.” Stone’s throat moved in a hard swallow, and he lifted two plates from the table and handed him one.
Dave turned away, careful to hide his satisfied smile.
He’d avoided any entanglement with Stone over the years, but now that he was set to retire, it got him thinking.
“Dave, you coming?” Stone said, drawing him out of his distraction, and he hurried to catch up.
Having eaten his fill, Dave followed Stone and the Secret Service out of the diner.
“You ready?”
“What’s next?” Stone asked.
“I’m going home to sit in my library in front of my picture window to watch my garden grow.”
Stone gave him a smirk that was so goddamned sexy, Dave had to turn away. He was fiercely aware of the bigger man walking beside him.
The gunshot that rang out startled Dave, and he found himself face down on the ground with Stone’s big body covering his.
“Shots fired, shots fired,” one Secret Service agent screamed.
Stone rolled and yanked him upward, running for the armored vehicle that looked like a regular town car but wasn’t.
With Stone’s big hand covering the back of his head, he was shoved into the back of the car.
“Stay put,” Stone growled and slammed the door.
Dave reached into the compartment and pulled out the compact .40 S&W. Checking the clip, he waited calmly.
As calmly as he could be on the outside, because his insides were fucking terrified.
And he wasn’t scared for himself.
Stone was out there, and it took every ounce of self-discipline to stay in the fucking car.
Ten long minutes passed before the familiar pattern of a knock sounded, and Dave reached over and unlocked the door.
Stone slid into the back seat next to him, and Dave stared down at the gun in his hands. He couldn’t look at Stone.
Gently, Stone took the weapon out of his tight grip and tucked it away into the compartment.
“All good?” Dave asked, his voice sounding like a fucking frog.
“All clear,” Stone murmured.
Dave turned away and kept his gaze on the scenery outside the window, and they left the parking lot.
He kept his mind blank or at least tried to.
But the one thing that remained above all others was…
He didn’t know what the hell he would do if anything ever happened to Stone.
“I know what you’re going to say,” Black muttered when he answered the phone.
“You’re god damned right! How in the fuck is that maniac still on the fucking loose?” Viper snarled.
“I told you within a week,” Black bit right back. “We needed to get Owen’s son back before he got shipped off to god knows where and sold to god fucking knows who.”
“Shit,” Viper muttered. “You’re right. Thank god he was found.”
Black couldn’t have agreed more.
A silence settled over the phone.
“What do you have for me?” Viper said with a heavy sigh.
“I’ve located the guy in a high-rise penthouse, it should be easy to get to him.”
“Can you get it done asap?”
“Yeah, I can,” Black said.
“We can’t allow another incident like today to happen again.”
“Understood, but the former SecDef is a high-profile target and you’ve got to know this will more than likely happen again.”
Viper’s sigh was long and hard. “Yeah, Dave needs to fucking retire.”
“Amen.”
Black agreed and ended the call before he shot a text to Micah.
“I have something to take care of, keep an eye on the SecDef, will you? I’ll be in touch.”
“Sure thing.”
Black looked at the text. There was no questioning him about his whereabouts or asking him what he was doing. The level of trust between him and Micah always astounded him.
And he wondered about when everything was over…
If anything would ever be the same.