Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
Bowie stood at the entryway of Mano’s private jet. The ride from Hawaii to Nashville had been mostly quiet. Moana slept for half of it, while Mano spent most of it in the cockpit with the copilot. When he wasn’t up there, he was next to Bowie, going over the intel they did have, which, unfortunately, wasn’t much. He and Moana spent the rest of the ride in an uncomfortable silence that drove Bowie a little crazy.
He wasn’t sure if it had to do with the events of the night before and the fact he’d kept his hands and lips to himself or if it had to do with her nerves about selling her songs or about seeing this asshole again. The latter he understood.
“Where are you headed?” Bowie asked Mano.
“Jaden and I want to get a visual on Rosco.”
“I find it strange that so few people have seen Rosco.” Bowie had learned that the Brotherhood Protectors had a reach that was far and wide. Their contacts, because of who they hired, went places that were not only impressive, but enabled the organization to do things other groups might not be able to.
One more reason Bowie considered not signing those damn re-enlistment papers that he’d left on his desk back at the ranch.
Mano nodded. “He’s been trying to keep tabs on Rosco, but thus far, he can’t locate him. Rosco works from home for a tech company but does travel some. We believe he’s been out of town.”
“Where?” That got Bowie’s hackles up.
“Not sure. He goes to Seattle, Minnesota, and San Francisco a fair amount. Jaden was on assignment and just landed in town three days ago. He’s been trying to get a handle on things, but still no luck locating Rosco.” Mano arched a brow. “What was your Jeep doing at Moana’s house at four in the morning?” He jerked his thumb toward the rear of the plane.
“Certainly not what you’re implying.”
“Really? Because it’s a studio. Only one bed.” Mano wiggled a finger.
“With the most god-awful pullout sofa known to man.” He rubbed his lower back.
“So that you know. That Little One is like a kid sister to me. She’s family. You hurt her, I don’t hurt you. I drop-kick you to the bottom of Kilauea and let you burn.”
“Message heard loud and clear.”
“Good.” Mano slapped Bowie on the back, nearly sending him down the staircase. “Let’s go, Little One,” Mano said.
“I’m coming.” Moana snagged her small suitcase and handed it to Mano.
A man wearing a cowboy hat greeted them on the tarmac.
“Jaden. No one told me you’d be meeting us here, but I’m so glad you did.” Moana flung herself at the sexy cowboy. “How’s Piper? And the kids?”
“Everyone’s doing great. The kids are growing like weeds and we’re even talking about having another one.” Jaden lifted Moana off the ground and gave her a twirl. “Piper thinks you’ll have a bidding war on that last song you sent her. Both Caren and The Backdoors want to record it. Where on earth did you get the inspiration for that love ballad? It’s incredible.”
Bowie stared at Jaden. “Wait a minute. I know who you are.”
Jaden rolled his eyes. “No, you don’t.”
“Yeah. I do. I grew up listening to Cowboy Cal. He gave you your start. And then you walked away to join the Army. Came back for one show after he died, but sometimes you and your wife?—”
“Yeah, okay, that’s me.” Jaden smiled. “But I prefer a gun to a guitar. And a protection detail to the stage.”
“He’s full of shit.” Moana laughed. “He loves to sing. Just not performing, and that’s something I can relate to. But he’s also a really good songwriter. We’ve worked together on a few things. He and Piper are often my go-to when I get stuck.”
“More like we sit and watch her work and maybe toss out a word or two,” Jaden said, stretching out his arm. “And you are?”
“Bowie. Bowie Colson.”
Jaden cocked a brow. “Moana, is he?—”
“Yeah, my bodyguard for the week,” she said. “You know how Waylen and Mano can be sometimes. He’s still active duty and it’s not an official Brotherhood Protectors detail, but Waylen insisted and he and Mano have this weird brotherly affection for me and wouldn’t let me say no.”
“You know I absolutely agree with them and would have been stuck to you like a bee to honey if you had been a fool and come alone.” Jaden arched a brow. “But since you were smart enough to consider canceling and try a Zoom call with those interested, I’m going to choose to believe you accepted their help easily.”
“She did not,” Bowie said. “And she never told me she was?—”
“Well, now you know.” She patted his shoulder.
“So, Moana, are you sure you don’t want to stay with me and Piper? We’ve got plenty of room for everyone.” Jaden glanced at Bowie. “This guy too.”
“No. It’s too far from the café. Besides, I’m meeting Piper at the downtown offices. And you know me, I get so damn nervous about performing in front of stars and producers. I’ll be fine in a hotel.”
“Suit yourself.” Jaden nodded. “I’ve got a car all set up for you and your bodyguard . Mano’s with me. Piper’s already at the office. So, why don’t you head there now, get that out of the way, and we’ll let you know what we find out later.”
“I really appreciate everything you’re doing.”
“What are old friends for.” Jaden kissed her cheek. “Your car is right over there. Keys are in it. Let’s go, Mano. I’ve got a friend checking all of Rosco’s stomping grounds. He can’t be too far.”
Bowie lifted his rucksack over his shoulder and snagged her suitcase. He’d been all over the globe, but he’d never set foot in Nashville. Not once. But he hadn’t come to enjoy the town. He had a job to do, and now that he had a clear head, he wouldn’t let talk of perfect breasts get in his way again.
“Do you want me to drive since I know where I’m going?”
“No. But I take direction well.”
“I’m not sure if I believe that.”
He lifted the trunk of a basic four-door sedan and tossed their bags inside. He glanced over his shoulder. Mano and Jaden had already disappeared around the other side of the building. Looping his arms around her midsection, he yanked her to his chest. He’d literally gone and lost his fucking mind. This was about the worst thing he could possibly do.
“Trust me. You tell me what you like. How you like it. And I’ll be at your mercy.” He cupped her chin, searching her wide eyes for anything that should tell him he should turn and plop his ass in the driver’s seat of that car.
But all he saw was a woman daring him to do it.
So he did.
He parted her sweet, adorable lips with his tongue on a search and destroy mission. A deep rumble filled his chest. She tasted like the best bottle of red wine money could buy. He most certainly could get drunk on her.
The best part was that she participated. Fully. No hesitation. Her fingernails dug into his shoulder blades as her body pressed against his like the wind of a hurricane slamming against the shore.
It had to be the finest kiss he’d ever experienced.
Honk. Honk.
He jumped. His lips suddenly felt cold.
“Pullout sofa, my ass,” Mano yelled as a large SUV sped by. “Remember what I said. If nothing else, I’m a man of my word.”
“Well, fuck.” Bowie raked his fingers through his hair. “I thought they had left.”
“For a very smart man, you weren’t too bright this time.” She patted his chest and strolled around the hood of the car, climbing into the passenger seat.
“What does that mean?” He eased behind the steering wheel, hit the brake, and pressed the button.
“That would have been a Mano test.”
“You could have warned me.”
“One, I didn’t know you were going to shove your tongue in my mouth. And two, it’s a little hard to talk when you kiss so damn good.”
He chuckled. “I liked it too.”
“Well, Mano will tell Waylen and that’s not good. At least not for you.”
Bowie dropped his head to the steering wheel and groaned. It wasn’t that he cared so much about Waylen finding out. Or even that Mano had seen it, though he did believe Mano would beat the shit out of him if he ever hurt Moana. However, Bowie prided himself on being a professional, and instead, he acted like a horny teenager.
“At least Waylen can’t fire you. Only the United States government can do that.”
“You certainly have a way with words.” He chuckled, stiffening his spine and yanking the gearshift into drive. “Here. Plug the address into the GPS system on my phone and connect it to the CarPlay. That way you don’t have to constantly yell out where to go. I can just follow the purple line.”
Her fingers glided across his skin like a bolt of lightning. He did his best to ignore all the sensations and focused on the map that appeared on the screen. There was no reason to expect anything to go down today, but they really didn’t know the brand of asshole they were dealing with. Just because Rosco had a clean record and it appeared no other woman had ever complained about him, it didn’t mean it didn’t happen.
“So, you had a crush on Mano, huh?” Bowie asked. Normally, silence was his friend. However, he much preferred the sound of her voice any day of the week, even if it was because he currently had a jealous streak.
“More like hero worship. Now he’s a pain in the ass and sometimes I want to kick him where the sun doesn’t shine.”
Bowie shifted his gaze. “This is quite the different side of you. I’m used to you being a little less colorful with your words and not so direct.”
She laughed. “Growing up, I tried to be like my sister who said mostly what she thought when it popped into her head. I was in awe of her and the way she handled my parents’ strict rules. Of course, when I was a toddler, I had no idea it was because my sister was a hot mess. She also had the mouth of a drunken sailor.”
“Hey. I take that one personally.”
“I’ve hung around enough military guys and the men at the ranch. I’ve heard it all and then some.” Moana patted his forearm. “But Kalena swears like no one I’ve ever met. She makes Mano blush and that’s hard to do. Anyway, she was my big sister and I wanted to be like her, so I started saying things for shock value. I try not to now. I mean, I teach high school and it’s not a good look for the teacher to have a foul mouth and unlike my big sister, I need to have a filter.”
“Yeah, that would be a good idea around the impressionable youth.”
“But I’m a little on edge. I need to sell these songs. The people who are interested in them can be intimidating. Also, being back here after feeling as though I ran away like a coward is crushing my ability to think straight. It’s not sitting right in my gut.”
He took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers and squeezing. “You’re not a coward, and did something happen that you haven’t told us?”
“It’s more like a combination of everything and realizing that I should be frightened. I mean, that gross naked selfie he sent me and the fact he thought I’d appreciate it is creepy all by itself. But I know he’s told more than one person he’s my boyfriend.”
“Yeah. That’s delusional behavior and why I’m here.”
“He’ll be at the café tomorrow night. He always manages to get a ticket whenever I’m there. I have no idea how to drive the point home that I’m not only not interested, but that he has to stop bothering me. I don’t want to change my phone number. I need it to be the same for when my sister finally reaches out. And she will. She always does.”
“We’ll circle back to Rosco in a second, but how long has Kalena been missing this time?”
“She disappeared a couple of weeks after I moved back so about two weeks. Totally bummed me out. She was doing so well and while things with us are always tense, she’d even been helping with my dad. But then she went and did what she always does. Left and never came back because the call to drugs is more powerful than the need for family.”
He ran his thumb over the palm of her hand. “I can’t say I’ve ever had to deal with something like that. I’m sorry.”
“While I have many issues with my sister, I don’t want her to die, but that’s exactly what’s going to happen to her on one of these benders. She’s into hard drugs. One of these days it’s going to catch her.”
“When we get back, I’ll help you find her.”
“I’ve looked everywhere I can think of on Big Island and that’s what worries me. She doesn’t have the money to go far. Usually, we locate her. Feed her. Give her clothing and keep checking on her until she’s ready. She’ll move around, trying to avoid me and my folks. But it’s like she’s vanished into thin air. It’s even spooked Mano, but I believe that’s more bruising his PI ego than anything else. He’s very good at what he does.”
“Mano doesn’t strike me as a guy with a big ego.” Bowie eased off the highway and headed toward an area called Music Row. “I want to jump back to Rosco and I don’t want you to get mad over the questions.”
“Sounds like they might piss me off.”
“I’m simply trying to understand everything,” Bowie said. “Did you ever go on a date with him?”
“I had drinks with him once, but I wouldn’t call it a date,” she said. “I was supposed to meet a friend who canceled on me at the last minute. He was at the bar and I let him buy me a beer.”
“When was that?”
“About a year ago and that’s when all this shit started. I mean, he’d asked me out before after hearing me sing at the café and I said no. I saw him that night and we talked for like a half hour. That’s all I needed to know he wasn’t for me. I said good night. The next morning, I woke to a string of texts about dinner the next night. I was polite but told him no. It just kept going.”
“During that year, did you date anyone else?”
“About two months before that, I’d broken up with my boyfriend of three years. I wasn’t in the mood to jump back in the dating pool. So, no,” she said.
“What about a one-night stand? A hookup? A bad mistake? Anything?”
“The only action I’ve been getting since Kenny and I called it quits is with a vibrator.”
“I don’t know if I’m insanely sad you’re not getting any or thrilled that you pleasure yourself.”
“That’s an odd thing to say.” She pointed to a building. “You can park in the back.”
“I’ve been told I’m a bit of an odd duck.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” she said, shifting in her seat as he pulled into an empty space. “My turn to ask a few questions.”
“Okay. Shoot.” Bowie’s life was an open book. However, he didn’t have any deep dark secrets. No big skeletons in his closet. His family was about as normal and boring as any family could be. Sure, they had their dysfunction. His brother, Anderson, was a moody motherfucker. He much preferred near-death experiences to having human connections.
But Anderson loved his family. He loved his team. And he loved being a SEAL. Those were the three things he couldn’t live without, though not necessarily in that order, and that’s what made their mama cry at night.
It concerned Bowie and his sisters too.
Of course, Maggie had her own set of issues, which was why Bowie was so shocked she was with a Navy SEAL. Her biggest fear in life was to be left alone. Of all her family dying on some mission. When their dad gave up his post and became an instructor, Maggie did a happy dance. But then her brothers took off in their father’s footsteps and her fears started all over again. And they manifested into these horrible recurring nightmares. How she handled a boyfriend who was a SEAL, Bowie didn’t know.
Except for the late-night phone calls when he wasn’t deployed and the tears that Maggie shed.
Outside of that, the only thing anyone could say about his relationship with his family was perhaps they were too close.
“Is it safe to assume you don’t have a girlfriend somewhere?”
That question made Bowie crack a smile. “I do not. Last real relationship I had ended four years ago. We dated for two years. I cared about her but didn’t love her and she hated me being deployed. It wasn’t a good match.”
“Why date a SEAL if you’re not going to accept he’s going to be gone a lot?”
“Because some women have two concepts in their head.” He tapped her temple. “The first one is they find what we do to be sexy and glamorous which is stupid. It’s dangerous and certainly not fun. But I also wouldn’t trade my career for anything. The second thing is they always think they can change us and that’s not really a good way to go into a relationship. That’s what she thought she could do with me.”
“That’s kind of what destroyed me and Kenny. He wanted me to be a good little wife. Quit my job, stay home, and raise babies. He even wanted me to quit songwriting. While I was all in for the family thing, I wasn’t going to stop working. And I don’t like being told what to do. I tend to dig my heels into the ground and do the opposite.”
“Yeah. I get that about you. Anything else?”
She nodded. “I wasn’t always like that. But I got a rebellious streak somewhere in my late teens and it stuck with me,” she said. “When was the last time you had sex?”
That was a big switch in topics. “Right before my last deployment, so that would have been about four months ago.” He cocked a brow. “Are we done?”
She shook her head. “With who?”
Oh boy. If he answered with complete honesty, he would look like a dick. But if he lied, he’d be an asshole. “A woman I know who I sometimes hang out with. We have an understanding if I’m in town and she’s not seeing anyone.”
“A fuck buddy.”
“I hate that term.” He shut the car off, opened the door, and jogged around the hood. Offering her a hand, he heaved her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist. “It’s honestly not like that and I hadn’t planned on seeing her. We just happened to be at the same bar. I was leaving the next morning.”
“I wasn’t judging you.”
“Maybe I’m judging myself. But I want you to know I don’t use women. While I’ve had a one-night stand or two, I don’t like them. I’m more of a relationship kind of man, only my career doesn’t lend itself well to them, though not for lack of trying.”
She palmed his face. “I only asked for childish reasons. I felt like going tit for tat. You know a few details about me. I wanted to know some about you. It was a stupid game.”
He took her chin with his thumb and forefinger, making sure her lips parted. “I didn’t mind answering them. I’ve always enjoyed your company.” He pressed his mouth firmly against hers, swirling his tongue over hers, commanding her to participate.
Thankfully, she did so with gusto.
But this kiss could only last a minute. He couldn’t allow it to deepen. He had to remain focused. This wasn’t the time or place.
“Come on. I know you and Piper have a lot to talk about and I have some work to do on my computer.” He snatched his backpack.
“More Google searches that include my name?” She gave him a little hip check.
“I suppose I deserved that. And yes and no.”
She paused at the door and glared. “I don’t like that answer.”
“I’m not going to be searching for stuff about you. But I want to see what comes up if I put his name with yours and not just a basic search. More of a deep dive.”
“Why would you do that? Talk about things that make me want to shower in bleach.”
“I want to know if he’s painting a picture about the two of you anywhere on the net. A chat room. A private group chat. A family chat. Anything at all that perpetuates this fantasy he has that the two of you are a couple.” Bowie pulled back the door. “That will help me form an idea of how I want to go into tonight.”
“I just want to sing my songs, hopefully have a contract in my inbox by morning, and be on my way back to Hawaii at first light.”
He kissed her cheek. “That’s what all this is about. Now good luck with your meeting. I’ll be in this waiting room when you’re done.”
“Thanks, Bowie. I don’t know how I’m ever going to repay you.”
“Just don’t ever tell Waylen or my CO that I felt you up, and that will be repayment enough for me.”
She laughed and disappeared down the hallway.
He plopped himself on one of the chairs in the lobby and pulled out his tablet and cell.
Quinn: How goes things in Nashville? Heard from Castle. Not much to report. He says he’s closing in but still needs more time. Not enough to nail anyone on anything. Too many missing pieces. He really believes we’re going to have to take our leave.
Bowie didn’t feel like texting, so he called instead.
“Hey, man,” Quinn answered on the first ring. “Meet anyone famous yet?”
“Kind of.” Bowie chuckled. “Ever hear of Jaden Sawyer?”
“Why do I know that name?”
“Country singer who disappeared years ago. Worked with Cowboy Cal who was gunned down?—”
“Oh yeah. He had that hit ‘Rough Around the Edges.’”
“That’s the one,” Bowie said. “Anyway. He’s with Mano trying to track down Rosco as we speak. His wife is Cowboy Cal’s daughter, who Moana is with right now. Outside of that, I’m not sure I’ll meet anyone, but that’s not why I’m here.”
“No. But a cool assignment anyway.”
Bowie didn’t disagree. “How’s field training?”
“Not the same without you.” Quinn laughed. “Waylen had Kian fill in. That man cracks me up. The two of them are like watching an old married couple.”
“Kian has always been Waylen’s work wife. Or maybe it’s the other way around. I sometimes can’t tell. But they have the worst bromance I’ve ever seen.”
“I don’t know about that. We say that about you and Flint all the fucking time. It’s disgusting.”
Bowie chuckled. He wouldn’t argue that point. But Quinn and Carter were right there with Flint. Bowie would follow all three men to the ends of the earth. “Waylen and I are running out of ways to test that comms system.”
“That’s what Waylen said. Today was more like a video game than anything else. We just had fun with it, and then Waylen and Kian gave us an inside view of the Brotherhood Protectors.”
“Interesting. What did you think?” Bowie fired up his computer and tethered it to his remote Wi-Fi, which was secure. He didn’t trust anyone else’s.
“You should have seen Carter’s face. That man is all in. Even if Castle gets what he needs before we take leave, or even before the deadline of when we need to sign, he’s begging us not to.”
“Dude, that’s not what I asked you.”
“I know,” Quinn said. “I’m torn and not sure I can give you an honest answer. I mean, the military is my life. It’s all I know, and if this shit with Fuller hadn’t happened, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”
“How about a hypothetical?” Bowie said.
“You know I don’t like those.”
“Neither do I. However, I get the feeling that Hawk, Waylen, and the rest of his team are all but interviewing and testing us to see if we’re a good fit. So, with that in mind, I want to know if going back to the Navy becomes something that isn’t good for us as a team, if you’d consider the Brotherhood Protectors.”
“I will admit, they are a top-notch organization with much to offer all of us. It would be an intriguing offer, if it came to that. But I’m not willing to let my brain go there just yet. Too much is up in the air and I worked too fucking hard to get where I am in the Navy.”
“I hear you on that.”
Quinn burst out laughing.
“I’m not sure what’s so funny.”
“You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. You got straight A’s at the Naval Academy. You will always be the golden child who can do no wrong.”
“Until someone like Fuller comes around and fucks with all of our careers,” Bowie said. “Not to mention our lives.”
“Point taken,” Quinn said with a somber voice. “Listen, I understand why what Hawk could offer us is so appealing. But Castle is busting his ass. He stuck his neck out there for us. He dropped us on this island to protect us and bring justice to our fallen friends. I have to give him a chance to make that happen. If it means twiddling my thumbs for a little while longer, I can do that. However, I do have an open mind. Now, I have a question for you.”
“Okay. Shoot.”
“Does any of this have to do with a cute Hawaiian singer you’re charged with protecting right now? Did something happen?”
“No. Not really,” Bowie said.
“You don’t say that with too much conviction.”
“It’s no secret that I like her. It’s also no secret that she’s turned me down flat. But she’s not the sum of why I’m bringing any of this up.”
“Then what is?”
“A ticking clock and the fact that I do not and will not go back and work with those murdering assholes,” Bowie said. “If anyone asked me this before we landed on Big Island and did any training with the Brotherhood Protectors, I would have had a very different philosophy. But now? I can feel the tired seep into my bones in a way that I never expected to hit for another ten years.”
“Patience has always been one of your biggest strengths. I’m a little shocked you’re this restless.”
“To be honest, so am I.”
“I gotta go,” Quinn said. “Waylen gathered the rest of his team for a few exercises. Well, minus Harlan. I guess he’s in New Jersey or something. I imagine this will be fun, but it would be more so if you were here.”
“Aw, I miss you too, man. I promise to snuggle when I get back.” Bowie smiled. Quinn had often become Bowie’s compass, and outside of Bowie’s dad, he was the man he went to when his thoughts were as jumbled as a puzzle missing a dozen pieces. “I have to admit it’s strange we haven’t seen Harlan the entire time we’ve been on Big Island.”
“I didn’t think much of it at first, but today, when Waylen mentioned running these drills with his team, it gave me pause. But Harlan has strong ties to New Jersey and his sister, and I guess this woman he’s been seeing likes New Jersey better than Hawaii.”
“Who are you chatting with?” an all-too-familiar voice echoed over the airwaves. “Is that Bowie? He have any luck with Moana yet?”
“Screw you, Lane,” Bowie mumbled.
“Get your ass back here. Waylen is so sad without you and now poor Kian is jealous as fuck.” Lane was another one of the guys on Waylen’s team. Lane had to be one of the kindest men Bowie had ever met and with a big fucking heart too. But he’d always enjoyed busting Bowie’s ass.
“You all have fun playing war games. I’ll see you in a couple of days.” Bowie ended the call and began his search for anything having to do with Moana and this dipshit Rosco. At first glance, not much came up. All of Rosco’s social media was set to private. Moana was not listed as a friend, which made Bowie insanely happy.
When he Googled the two names together, nothing of value came up, so he decided to switch tactics and use what he knew about technology to find the back door. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the equipment to do that.
He sent the information to the two IT men that Waylen had given him. One was Darius Ford. He worked at the Colorado Gold branch of the Brotherhood Protectors. The other was Wyatt Bixby who had the same job, but at the West Yellowstone branch, and someone Bowie knew through his father. Both men were supposed to be the best of the best, though Darius Ford had quite the reputation. If anyone could get into those accounts, it was Darius.
Bowie sent a text to Mano, asking for an update. He stared at his cell for a good five minutes.
Nothing.
He set it aside and began digging into all the intel he had on Kalena. His chest tightened. He hated lying—even if by omission—to Moana. When she found out he knew the truth, she was going to hate him.