AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What can I get for you?” The bartender smiled wide, his teeth flashing in his dark face, and he placed a square napkin on the bar top. The name tag pinned to his bright orange shirt displayed the name, Scotty.
“Let’s go with beer on tap and a double order of your chili fries,” Ice said, sliding onto the barstool.
His back was to the tables and the dancers and he didn’t particularly like that, so after Scotty poured his beer, Ice turned with his back to the bar and sipped at the cold beverage.
When his fries came, Ice picked up the yellow plastic basket and utensils rolled into a napkin. Making his way to an empty table that sat against one wall, he took a seat. This way, he could see people coming and going plus have a view of the ocean. He unrolled the napkin and placed aside the knife and fork and used his hands on the chili fries.
Life didn’t get any better than this…there was only one thing missing.
Echo.
So close and yet the distance remained between them. He’d seen the scars that littered the man’s body.
So many fucking scars.
That first day and over the course of several nights, Ice had memorized them, making a mental note of every single shape and location. A few of them looked like knife wounds, but it was the smaller rounder ones on Echo’s legs that Ice couldn’t figure out. He hadn’t asked Echo about them for a couple of reasons. One, he didn’t want the man to feel self-conscious, and two, he didn’t want Echo shutting him out of his bed.
Not that the blemishes mattered on the surface, but Ice knew they had to matter to Echo, at the very least, inside.
He sighed and turned to his food.
He needed to quit worrying so much. He had his own set of battle scars from the military.
Two men looking out of place in dress pants and solid colored button-down shirts came into the place, taking all of his attention. Ice slowly slid the knife from the table into his pocket.
Scotty greeted the two men and poured them hard liquor.
Ice kept his head down and ate his fries, but out of his peripheral vision, he kept an eye on them.
Before buying groceries, Echo stopped at the contact he’d arranged ahead of time and picked up two new handguns and ammo for him and Ice. And because he was super paranoid, he used Justice’s contact to purchase a few knives.
It was there that he called Justice to check in.
“How’d it go? How’s Ice?” Justice asked.
“He’s doing better. It was touch and go there during the first week we were here, but the doctor you suggested did great.”
“That’s good. Any signs of trouble?”
“No, none.”
“Well, stay vigilant.”
“You too…and Justice?” He continued when the assassin stayed quiet. “Thanks.”
“Anytime. Check in when you can or I’ll worry.”
Echo ended the call and selected two very nice blades from the arrangement the owner had placed on the wooden desk. One was a limited-edition fixed blade carbon steel knife that fit in his empty sheath, and the other was a standard MK 3 Navy Knife similar to one he’d seen Rogue carry.
While he and Ice hadn’t taken their weapons on board the flight, Echo had checked a bag that contained his favorite daggers. He’d take these two knives and add them to his daggers. It never hurt to have too many.
The grocery market was busy and over an hour had passed since he’d left Ice alone. Sweat beaded his brow. Some of it was from the humidity, but most of it was from being separated from Ice. And he still had to go to the cell phone store and buy them fucking phones. What was supposed to take forty minutes tops would turn into several hours by the time he was done.
“Echo?”
Turning his attention from the oranges he held in his hands, he met the eyes of Savage Markel. Not only was Savage an assassin, he was also a former fling. That was the correct term for the two weeks of sex one hot summer four years back.
“Savage, I didn’t expect to see you here.” Echo felt his insides churn and he reached behind his back, gripping the handle of the Navy Knife tucked beneath his shirt.
