Page 231 of Johnny

She sighed. Long one too. “Johnny Boston. I’m starting to think you’re gonna miss your crazy life.

Like life at the lake house isn’t going to be enough for you.”

“Wrong,” I say. Pointing at her. Then I smile, pull her in close to me, and kiss her on the lips like

I’m gonna fuck her right here, right now. It’s long. And passionate. And both of my brothers, not to

mention two of Emma’s, are telling us to get a damn room. But when I finally pull away from Megan

Machette I whisper into her mouth, “You are all the crazy I can handle, woman. And all the crazy I

want.”

But that night , while I’m looking out the window, waiting to see if Emma’s father is gonna go on

his fish-market jaunt, I see a guy in a hoodie walking up and down the street.

And this doesn’t just get my hackles up. It gets my fully-loaded Kel-Tec in my hand and my feet out

the back door.

He’s waiting for me on the side of the house. Hood still up, hands in pockets.

I watch those hands carefully. And when one comes out to lift the hood away, I aim my Kel-Tec

right at his fucking face.

I’m just about to ask him what he wants, but then I see the tattoos around his neck.

Chains.

I lower the gun and say, “Nicolas Tate. You look a lot younger in person.”

His mouth goes crooked. And then he shrugs with both hands. “Johnny Boston. What can I say? I’m

not very photogenic. And no one calls me Nicolas. Not if we’re friends.”

“Are we? Friends?”

“Depends.”

“I’m listening.”

“I know she’s not dead.” I pause, ready to ask who. But he cuts me off. “You know who. And I know you think you’re protecting her because she’s just a little girl and she needs it. But she’s not

really a little girl. She’s a weapon. And she doesn’t need it. We need to be protected from her. I’m

just trying to set this shit right. Just like you. And that’s all I’m trying to do. So if you know anything,

I’d appreciate you telling me and then you can call me Nick, not Nicolas.”

I tuck my gun into the back of my pants. Shrug at him. “I don’t know anything. I let her go because

she… she kinda charmed me into it.”

“Yeah. She’s good at that.”

“But we literally dropped her off in the middle of the Caribbean Sea and left her there. I have no