shoes off before leaning back and turning his body toward her as she glanced over at him.
"How do you know they are the ones that gunned Adam down?"
"The guy basically admitted it. The only other big name in town for dope wouldn't have done things the way these guys did."
"What would he have done?"
Kate finished with her other boot and turned to face him, tucking her legs under herself. "They would’ve tortured him and killed him in a rundown facility far from here."
"You act like you've seen this place."
"I'm not the same girl I was when I was younger, Jon. No digging into my demons tonight. Stick to the subject."
"Give me the guy’s name and his location."
"I don't know his location and I'm not sure I'm ready to part ways with his name."
"Give me something, Kate. You want closure on this. I do too."
She got up and walked to her dresser, reaching up and removing her necklace and earrings as she watched him watch her in the large mirror before her.
"I found something in my pocket the day after Adam died. I think he slipped it in there, but I can't be sure. It's a note and part of it cryptic as fuck."
"Let me see it." He stood and moved to stand behind her, his gaze heated, but he kept his hands to himself.
She reached over to the small heart-shaped box and pulled the note out, turning to face him as she handed it over. A sad smile slipped across his face.
"Much like your code on the wall outside, this was a code Adam and I used when he was younger. I have a safe at the bank downtown." He paused as his hand moved to the front of his shirt, working to undo the buttons. She took a step back, not sure she was ready for sex with him. It had been another lifetime where she let a man take her without drugs or alcohol to numb her desires for love. This wouldn't be good with the torrent of emotions already racing through her.
"Jon." She reached out to stop him as he glanced up at her.
"It's okay. I just want to show you something."
She nodded as he finished. He dropped his shirt behind him and lifted his arm high in the air, the small tattoo on his ribs beautiful and detailed. How had she missed it the other day? She moved in and reached up, running her fingers along the tribal design. In the center lay the numbers from the message on her note. 24, 64, 88.
"You had this tattooed on you?"
"Yeah, so that I would always remember the code. It's on his side too. It’s freedom from a few deals I made in my past life. I haven't always been a good guy." He smiled and turned, bending over and picking up his shirt.
Kate reached out and took it from him, tossing it toward her laundry basket. "Obviously the reference to 'Jon' is you. What is 'blue'?"
"The code. Adam always said that if he ever called and needed me the code word would be red. I would know then that I had to get to him. He never used it."
"So what's blue mean?" Kate swallowed hard, tears filling her eyes. She already knew.
"It meant he was in peace. That nothing was wrong and all was right." Jon glanced away from her, his hands coming up to rub his face. "I keep thinking if I just pretend it wasn't Adam that I won't have to face what's coming."
"What's coming, Jon?" Kate asked, reaching out and softly brushing her fingers along his pec.
He reached up and took her hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing her fingers softly. She closed her eyes and let the world disappear for a minute, nothing but the soft brush of his lips mattering.
"Regret. Guilt. Loss."
She opened her eyes to see a tear drop down his cheek. Her heart burst open at the sight of him letting down his guard.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jon
The note tore him in half, the girl finishing the job with her soft touch. Her eyes filled with tears and his own soon followed. He hadn't cried since high school when his father died. Once in his life. It was only appropriate to let himself feel something at the loss of his baby brother. He took a shaky breath and reached for her, needing the comfort
"How do you know they are the ones that gunned Adam down?"
"The guy basically admitted it. The only other big name in town for dope wouldn't have done things the way these guys did."
"What would he have done?"
Kate finished with her other boot and turned to face him, tucking her legs under herself. "They would’ve tortured him and killed him in a rundown facility far from here."
"You act like you've seen this place."
"I'm not the same girl I was when I was younger, Jon. No digging into my demons tonight. Stick to the subject."
"Give me the guy’s name and his location."
"I don't know his location and I'm not sure I'm ready to part ways with his name."
"Give me something, Kate. You want closure on this. I do too."
She got up and walked to her dresser, reaching up and removing her necklace and earrings as she watched him watch her in the large mirror before her.
"I found something in my pocket the day after Adam died. I think he slipped it in there, but I can't be sure. It's a note and part of it cryptic as fuck."
"Let me see it." He stood and moved to stand behind her, his gaze heated, but he kept his hands to himself.
She reached over to the small heart-shaped box and pulled the note out, turning to face him as she handed it over. A sad smile slipped across his face.
"Much like your code on the wall outside, this was a code Adam and I used when he was younger. I have a safe at the bank downtown." He paused as his hand moved to the front of his shirt, working to undo the buttons. She took a step back, not sure she was ready for sex with him. It had been another lifetime where she let a man take her without drugs or alcohol to numb her desires for love. This wouldn't be good with the torrent of emotions already racing through her.
"Jon." She reached out to stop him as he glanced up at her.
"It's okay. I just want to show you something."
She nodded as he finished. He dropped his shirt behind him and lifted his arm high in the air, the small tattoo on his ribs beautiful and detailed. How had she missed it the other day? She moved in and reached up, running her fingers along the tribal design. In the center lay the numbers from the message on her note. 24, 64, 88.
"You had this tattooed on you?"
"Yeah, so that I would always remember the code. It's on his side too. It’s freedom from a few deals I made in my past life. I haven't always been a good guy." He smiled and turned, bending over and picking up his shirt.
Kate reached out and took it from him, tossing it toward her laundry basket. "Obviously the reference to 'Jon' is you. What is 'blue'?"
"The code. Adam always said that if he ever called and needed me the code word would be red. I would know then that I had to get to him. He never used it."
"So what's blue mean?" Kate swallowed hard, tears filling her eyes. She already knew.
"It meant he was in peace. That nothing was wrong and all was right." Jon glanced away from her, his hands coming up to rub his face. "I keep thinking if I just pretend it wasn't Adam that I won't have to face what's coming."
"What's coming, Jon?" Kate asked, reaching out and softly brushing her fingers along his pec.
He reached up and took her hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing her fingers softly. She closed her eyes and let the world disappear for a minute, nothing but the soft brush of his lips mattering.
"Regret. Guilt. Loss."
She opened her eyes to see a tear drop down his cheek. Her heart burst open at the sight of him letting down his guard.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jon
The note tore him in half, the girl finishing the job with her soft touch. Her eyes filled with tears and his own soon followed. He hadn't cried since high school when his father died. Once in his life. It was only appropriate to let himself feel something at the loss of his baby brother. He took a shaky breath and reached for her, needing the comfort
Similar Books
