Read Online Warlord: Dervish by Tony Monchinski - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tony Monchinski
Ads: Link
at him, knocking…
She was knocking on his door so he let her in.
“Hey.”
It was spring outside.
“Hey,” she said. “We’ve got to talk.”
Like that. Boom .
She came into the living room.
He sat down on the couch, near the door. She looked beautiful but cold, an ominous portent. He knew what was coming. He’d lived this over and over again since.
“I met someone else…” as soon as she said it his head reeled. Her next words reached him in snippets and starts. “…I’m sorry, Jason…you don’t deserve this…” He sank into the couch, wishing he could dissolve away in the cushions, into the earth. “…I really do love you…” There were birds in the tree outside the house. “…I wanted you to hear it from me…” The birds sounded so goddamn happy.
And all I can do , Shannon Hoon had cried, is pour some tea for two …
…I’m so sorry, Jason. I really am…
Sometimes there were not two to drink.
He stood up, walked over to the door, and closed it to the birds. They didn’t deserve to be that happy. Not now. When he turned around she was watching.
Why’d you close the door? He sat back down. Jason?
He’d met her older sister.
He’d met her mom and her mom’s husband.
Jason. I’m sorry.
He was sitting between her and the door. His leg was shaking.
You’re too sweet , she’d told him.
So let me ask you, Aspen. She had hurt him. He wanted to hurt her, not hurt her. He wanted her to feel what he was feeling. What is it you fear most?
Recognition in her eyes. Was she trembling?
Her beauty had made him gasp.
She’d shut the fuck up. He was glad she’d shut up. His whole world was imploding and she was the cause. He wanted her to know what that was like. And he didn’t, because he loved her, even then.
He would never hurt her. Ever. Only his words…
She stood, hesitantly. It was not his finest hour. She brushed past him to the door. Eleven hours and twenty-four minutes. He made no move to stop her. She left him there on the couch, the door open, the birds. He’d done his best to ignore her, skipping rocks across the ocean’s surface. He listened to her car start outside, listened to her drive away. The birds were so happy.
And now he didn’t have her, but he was not alone.
“Jason. I’m not going to tell you my name…” He didn’t recognize the voice. It was a man’s. “And I’m not going to make up a name either.”
They’d forced him to crouch again, his hands behind his back, his forehead against the wall. Fuck them .
“…I respect you enough to not feed you any bullshit. And that’s the truth.”
Kill me already
In Iraq, in Chewville, behind the blast walls and sandbags and Hescos…
“Jason, I’m going to lay out your situation very frankly and present your options.”
…they’d had PCs with internet and email, porn and Facebook…
“You killed a family, Jason.”
…and that’s where the kid had found him…
“…and worse, you executed a little girl. Now, I think I understand why you did it. You didn’t want her to suffer, did you Jason?”
…sitting in front of the computer, on Facebook, looking at a picture of a woman he knew, two little girls with her.
“But that excuse doesn’t fly, Jason, even in the military. Even in wartime.”
She’s gorgeous, old man , Rudy’d remarked.
“Normally, you’d be facing a court marshal. Disciplinary action. But you’re here. And there’s nothing normal about this place…”
Jason had fumbled with the mouse, navigating away from the page.
“…in case you hadn’t noticed.”
What? Jason demanded of the kid.
“Your country needs you, Jason. We’re putting together a team…”
It hadn’t been the first time Rudy had found Jason studying her.
“…a team for an especially sensitive mission. Now, I can’t share the details of that mission with you…”
Why don’t you friend her ? The kid asked, but Jason couldn’t do that.
“…all I can tell you is, if you agree
She was knocking on his door so he let her in.
“Hey.”
It was spring outside.
“Hey,” she said. “We’ve got to talk.”
Like that. Boom .
She came into the living room.
He sat down on the couch, near the door. She looked beautiful but cold, an ominous portent. He knew what was coming. He’d lived this over and over again since.
“I met someone else…” as soon as she said it his head reeled. Her next words reached him in snippets and starts. “…I’m sorry, Jason…you don’t deserve this…” He sank into the couch, wishing he could dissolve away in the cushions, into the earth. “…I really do love you…” There were birds in the tree outside the house. “…I wanted you to hear it from me…” The birds sounded so goddamn happy.
And all I can do , Shannon Hoon had cried, is pour some tea for two …
…I’m so sorry, Jason. I really am…
Sometimes there were not two to drink.
He stood up, walked over to the door, and closed it to the birds. They didn’t deserve to be that happy. Not now. When he turned around she was watching.
Why’d you close the door? He sat back down. Jason?
He’d met her older sister.
He’d met her mom and her mom’s husband.
Jason. I’m sorry.
He was sitting between her and the door. His leg was shaking.
You’re too sweet , she’d told him.
So let me ask you, Aspen. She had hurt him. He wanted to hurt her, not hurt her. He wanted her to feel what he was feeling. What is it you fear most?
Recognition in her eyes. Was she trembling?
Her beauty had made him gasp.
She’d shut the fuck up. He was glad she’d shut up. His whole world was imploding and she was the cause. He wanted her to know what that was like. And he didn’t, because he loved her, even then.
He would never hurt her. Ever. Only his words…
She stood, hesitantly. It was not his finest hour. She brushed past him to the door. Eleven hours and twenty-four minutes. He made no move to stop her. She left him there on the couch, the door open, the birds. He’d done his best to ignore her, skipping rocks across the ocean’s surface. He listened to her car start outside, listened to her drive away. The birds were so happy.
And now he didn’t have her, but he was not alone.
“Jason. I’m not going to tell you my name…” He didn’t recognize the voice. It was a man’s. “And I’m not going to make up a name either.”
They’d forced him to crouch again, his hands behind his back, his forehead against the wall. Fuck them .
“…I respect you enough to not feed you any bullshit. And that’s the truth.”
Kill me already
In Iraq, in Chewville, behind the blast walls and sandbags and Hescos…
“Jason, I’m going to lay out your situation very frankly and present your options.”
…they’d had PCs with internet and email, porn and Facebook…
“You killed a family, Jason.”
…and that’s where the kid had found him…
“…and worse, you executed a little girl. Now, I think I understand why you did it. You didn’t want her to suffer, did you Jason?”
…sitting in front of the computer, on Facebook, looking at a picture of a woman he knew, two little girls with her.
“But that excuse doesn’t fly, Jason, even in the military. Even in wartime.”
She’s gorgeous, old man , Rudy’d remarked.
“Normally, you’d be facing a court marshal. Disciplinary action. But you’re here. And there’s nothing normal about this place…”
Jason had fumbled with the mouse, navigating away from the page.
“…in case you hadn’t noticed.”
What? Jason demanded of the kid.
“Your country needs you, Jason. We’re putting together a team…”
It hadn’t been the first time Rudy had found Jason studying her.
“…a team for an especially sensitive mission. Now, I can’t share the details of that mission with you…”
Why don’t you friend her ? The kid asked, but Jason couldn’t do that.
“…all I can tell you is, if you agree
Similar Books
