1
Colt
Ring. Ring.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and look at the caller ID and my mouth drops. There’s no way. I have his number saved from years ago. Back when I was still in the military and when I thought Rogue was a good man. A man I risked my life to save.
I put the phone to my ear. “This is Stone.”
“Good morning, Colt. I bet you never thought you’d hear from me again.”
He’s not kidding. I stand up and start pacing in the office. I definitely didn’t expect a phone call today from a contract killer. Well, scratch that. He doesn’t do the killing. He just arranges it and makes the money off it.
“Yeah, it’s a surprise. But whatever you’re calling for, the answer’s no.”
“Now, Stone…” he starts.
“No, I’m sure you’re not calling for any kind of friendly chitchat and whatever else you got, I’m not interested.”
“Well, I had something that came across my desk I thought you’d be interested in.” His tone is calm... deep... as if nothing fazes him, and I know it’s the truth. The man is very disciplined and controlled.
“I’m not a hitman, Rogue,” I answer him. And if something came across his desk, I know it’s illegal.
He laughs, and it’s almost sinister sounding. “I know that. I mean, you saved me, after all.”
I shake my head. Yeah, I did. I saved him. And I think about all the people that would be alive right now if I had let him die that day. “Yeah, I saved you but too bad; that’s one day of my life I regret.”
“Tsk, tsk, Stone. You keep it up and I’m not telling you about the recent hit that came across my desk.”
I almost hit the button to end the call. My finger is on it, and all I need to do is hit the end button and forget this ever happened. We don’t work on the same side anymore. Yeah, I’m a bodyguard. Yeah, I’ve killed before, but it’s always been just. You can’t save people without hurting someone else. But my conscious is clean. I can still sleep at night.
I’m about to hang up when Stone says the name that haunts my dreams every night. “Kinsley Adams.”
I grip the phone tighter and bring it up to my ear. Surely I didn’t hear him right. “Who?”
He says her name again. I haven’t seen Kinsley in three years, but I think about her every day. Every fuckin’ day. “Rogue, I’m fucking telling you, don’t mess with me.”
“Would I do that?” he asks seriously.
“Yes, you would. Now tell me what about Kinsley? And tell me how you connected me to her?” I don’t even try to hide the suspicion from my voice. These last three years, since I started working for Commander Nash’s Ghost Alpha Team, I’ve made sure to hide my connection to her.
“Oh, well, it was obvious you two had a thing. She was there the day you saved me, and she couldn’t take her eyes off you. You know me, I make a point to know everyone that is around me. And she was sort of a nuisance that day, clinging to you all worried like.”
“Shit.” My jaw tightens. “What is going on with Kinsley?”
“There’s a hit on her. She must be important too. It’s five hundred thousand. That’s a lot of money to turn down. Even for me.”
“What do you mean there's a hit on her?” I ask.
He smirks. “I guess now you want to talk.”
For just a second I forget that I’m talking to a man that has no qualm about killing. Never needs a reason to kill. He wants you dead, he has a number of men lined up to do it. “Quit fucking with me and tell me what is going on.”
“Fine, but you’re taking all the fun out of this. I received a hit for Kinsley Adams. I am the first agency to receive it. It is an open hit –“
“I don’t talk hitman... what does that mean?”
He sighs in frustration. “It means that in twelve hours other agencies will be notified. This one is not exclusive. It’s open to anyone that’s willing to take it on.”
I grab my keys off the desk and sprint out of my office. I pass Knox and Riggs on my way out. “I gotta go. I’ll call you in a minute. Have Jax meet me at the airport and be ready to go within the hour.”
They both stare after me, no doubt wondering what I’m doing. I put my mouth back to the phone. “Don’t you do it, Rogue.”
“I’m not. Are you even listening? This is my thank you, my token of appreciation if you will. You saved my life, I’m going to let you save your woman’s. But if you want me to keep my other guys off this, you’re going to have to take this hit.”