Reckoning and Ruin by Tina Whittle Read Free Book Online Page B

beginning,” I said. “When’s the last time you saw John?”
    â€œThis morning. He was on the way to work, and I had to report to my PO, so he dropped me off. He didn’t come get me like he was supposed to, so I called him. No answer. I called Train’s shop, but—”
    â€œWait, wait, wait. Train’s shop in Savannah? I thought y’all were in Jacksonville?”
    Her eyes hardened. “We lost everything. The house, the pawn shop. John got a mobile home in Savannah so he could be close to me, and Train hired him back at the shop.”
    Train’s tattoo shop was on the west end of River Street, steps from the Savannah River. It was where I’d met John, where I’d gotten my first tattoos—a flaming arrow on my bicep from Train and a sloe-eyed vixen fox in a more private and personal location, this one from John’s talented hands. I knew something else too. John had debts in Savannah. Big ones.
    Hope raked a hand through her hair. “I know what you’re thinking, but he said he and Boone had come to an agreement about the money he owed.”
    â€œWhat kind of agreement?”
    â€œHe said the slate was clean, that’s all I know.”
    I found that hard to believe. But we’d all changed over the past five months, for better or worse, and I supposed my uncle had too. Once upon a time Boone would never have forgiven a five-figure debt. But that was before his own son had tried to kill him. Maybe he had different priorities now.
    â€œOkay, so what happened next?”
    â€œI talked to Train, and he told me John had called in and said he couldn’t make it, that he had personal business to take care of suddenly. I called everybody I could think of, even back in Jacksonville. Nothing. My PO felt sorry for me and gave me a ride home. I saw the car there, parked in the front yard crazy-like, all catty-cornered. No John. I called again and heard his phone ringing, found it in the car hooked up to the charger. Yours was the last number he dialed.”
    â€œThat the same car that’s out front now?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œWas his Harley gone?”
    â€œIt’s in the shop.”
    I didn’t state the obvious—that if the Harley were missing, it was because John had ridden it out of town. I wanted to tell her John did stuff like this all the time. He’d done it to me, after all. I wanted to tell her this was nothing but payback for something she’d done to him, but I couldn’t make my mouth form the words. They felt clichéd, slight, patchwork. Despite their fights and arguments and carrying on, Hope and John found their way back to each other. If John had suddenly vanished without telling her, something had happened. And whatever it was, it was bad.
    â€œTell me the truth, Hope. Can you think of any reason someone would be following you?”
    â€œYou mean besides the obvious one, that some of Jasper’s crew are still out there, getting ready to put a bullet in me so I won’t testify against him?”
    â€œA fine theory. But it doesn’t explain where John is. He’s not testifying against anybody.”
    â€œMaybe they were coming for me and John got in the way. Maybe I’ll be getting a ransom call any second now.”
    â€œBut why?”
    Her voice rose. “I don’t know why! I just know he’s gone!”
    â€œThat doesn’t—”
    The soft click of the back door shutting interrupted me. Trey. He’d slipped inside without a sound, deactivating the alarm. In the low light, his black workout clothes looked like urban tactical wear. Only the gym bag on his shoulder and the running shoes on his feet revealed him for the civilian he was.
    Hope noticed me looking and whipped her head in his direction. Her eyes narrowed. “Well, hoo-fucking-ray. The cavalry has finally arrived.”

Chapter Ten
    Trey dropped the duffel bag inside the door. Behind him, I