Read Walker (Bad Boys of X-Ops #1) for Free Online Page B

tight-lips, “Jade.”
    “Hunter. Not a pleasure. As always.”
    I opened my mouth to explain, but Hunter cut me off.
    “Not a fucking word. You got three days. You can stay at Jessica’s empty house.”
    “Speaking of JB, she inside?”
    “Yup.” He raised one eyebrow, blocking the doorway with his body.
    “Mind if I come in and say hi to the missus?”
    “Yup. I mind.”
    “Damn. You’re really not taking any chances with this civvy lifestyle thing, huh ?” I crushed my cigarette underfoot then tossed it behind the bushes lining the front porch.
    “Nope, I’m not. So, thanks, Tonto, for leading the enemy straight to my doorstep.” Once again Hunter pinned Jade with his undeviating stare.
    “Who? Her?” I hooked my thumb toward the Ministry specialist. “She’s harmless. A pussycat.”
    Jade snarled, a very un-kitten-like sound.
    Hmm .
    Hunter stepped inside the door with a finger pointed at me. “Meant what I said. You stay put while I get the keys.”
    “Is that anyway to treat your ex-partner?”
    He ducked his head outside. “You know I’ll save your ass if you need it. But you’re the Lone Ranger this time.”
    “Got it. I know you have the wife and the kid and the detective gig. Not here to rock your boat.”
    Hunter handed me the keys. “Don’t blow up her house. We still have to put it on the market.”
    “Yes, sir.” I smirked. Then I held out my hand. “Thanks, Ghost. I mean it. Buy you a drink sometime.”
    “Make that sometime tonight. At Retribution. Assuming Jade doesn’t slit your throat first.”
    Jade returned his evil grin. Great. Saved the woman from certain death, now she had plans to icepick me in the back of the skull. Not a surprise.
    We started down the steps, Hunter calling out, “And don’t touch—or torch—my new Tahoe!”
    “No worries. Got a rental.” I jerked my chin toward the SUV that looked similar enough to his.
    His eyes narrowed and his lips thinned. “You mean you stole it.”
    “Same thing.” I shrugged. “These fingers work way better than Hertz.”
    “Only in your world.”
    “And what a great fucking place it is to be.”
    ****
    I’d been to JB’s house once or twice before so navigating through the Mt. Pleasant streets was a fucking cakewalk after the bullshit in Beirut. Last time I’d been here had been the night Vincent Valderas of the former Tampa Bay Outlaws had kidnapped JB right after Thanksgiving.
    That was nearly four months ago, but the cheery yellow house hadn’t changed a bit, except now shoots of flowers broke through the grass, preparing for the early appearance of spring in the south.
    We grabbed our bags—an emergency travel pack each—and I let us into the cottage. Hitting the lights, I didn’t bother giving the grand tour of the dainty and pretty rooms. No doubt Jade would have the premises cased in ten seconds flat.
    I picked a bedroom upstairs, returned to find Jade and Madge whispering in the kitchen, and felt in my pocket for my smokes. “I’m going out back to light one up. Either one of you even thinks about fleeing, I’ll hunt you down. And the punishment won’t be pretty.”
    “He needs lessons in diplomacy,” Madge commented.
    “Be my guest. I find most Americans untrainable.” Jade sneered, and under the overhead kitchen light, her delicate-looking Monroe piercing glimmered.
    I rarely ever noticed the little silver ball above the left corner of her mouth, but I appraised it now with a long slow look. The piercing was edgy but, suddenly, distinctly feminine, like a beauty mark.
    I tore my gaze away from the lips I’d kissed just once. And once was not enough.
    “ Native American,” I corrected before heading onto the small back porch.
    I lit up and worked on polluting the air. What I wouldn’t give for a nice glass of single malt whisky. Make that a bottle. I leaned against the railing, taking in the sky dotted with glowing pinpricks of stars.
    Mid-February in South Carolina—perfect for a run on