Iris-Long Legs-Kate did not need the nosey Little Old Lady Gang poking into her life. If he didn’t answer it would make them curious. If he did answer they’d run with the story and make something out of it.
“She’s new in town, and I kind of made an ass out of myself.” He hung his head.
“Language,” Mimy snapped. She was the stern one of the three.
“I’m sorry, Mimy. But I really was a donkey’s behind. I was apologizing.”
“Well, that’s why you’re one of the good ones.” Sissy’s smile widened.
It was not an assuring expression.
“And buying her vittles, I see.” Bunny peered at the cart.
“Yeah, she had something she had to run and do. I offered to get this as an apology.”
“That’s no apology. Where are the flowers?” Sissy glanced around until she spied the bucket of flowers by the store entrance. “There, that’s what you really need.”
“You’re very right.” Trevor didn’t want to send the wrong message to Iris, but he wasn’t about to disobey the L.O.L.s to their face.
The trio of troublemakers finished checking out. He got his turn and made sure to keep his things and Iris’ separate, making sure to add on a bouquet of flowers to his bags. He wouldn’t want someone to snitch on him and say he hadn’t done it. Besides, maybe they would help make his case to Iris if it came to that.
He made sure the L.O.L.s were gone before heading out to his SUV. There wasn’t a lot of time before he needed to report in for his shift. Word was there would be a SWAT sting later this week, so he was eager to learn if he’d make the team or not.
Getting promoted to detective was good and bad. It was what he’d always wanted, but it meant he couldn’t be on the lead team for all the SWAT ops. If he was sidelined for this one, he may have to swing by practice so he could at least say hi to everyone.
Trevor drove the short distance to the house rented to Kate. It was in one of the older neighborhoods on what had once been the outskirts of town. The first new development added onto the city where he lived wasn’t even a mile away.
He parked at the curb and watched the front windows a moment.
The blinds were down and curtains drawn. He couldn’t see movement inside. If she was there, the car must be in the garage.
He’d leave the groceries on the doorstep, ring the doorbell and leave. She wouldn’t have to see him even though he wanted more than anything to know what her story was.
Trevor gathered up the bags, taking care not to crush his apology flowers.
A year ago he’d have stood there knocking on her door until he had some kind of understanding. That stalking case had changed him and made him think about things differently. Just because he wanted to force his way into her life and help didn’t mean it was the right thing to do. She had to want him to be there.
He set the bags down with the cold stuff up against the house and the rest around it to hopefully insulate them until Iris could take it all inside. The flowers went on top. That done he straightened and glanced at the bay window.
The blinds were parted and a pair of brown eyes stared out at him.
Shit.
He couldn’t get anything right today.
Trevor waved and turned toward the SUV, ready to put this behind him. Normally he was pretty good about letting his damsels in distress go, but there was something about her that had stuck with him. For months. Maybe it was because prior to her he’d stayed away from female trouble, or maybe it was something else.
The front door lock scraped, and the hinges creaked.
He glanced over his shoulder at the narrow opening and Iris looking back at him.
“I’m sorry. I felt bad about chasing you out of the market. This was the least I could do.” He gestured at the bags.
“What do you want from me?”
“Nothing.” He winced. That was a lie. “I just... I wanted to know you were safe. That you are safe.”
“I’m fine,” she said.
No woman who said I’m fine was really fine.
“I can see that.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Look, Iris or Kate or whatever you go by, if you ever need something—help, moving boxes, hanging shelves, whatever—let me know?”
It was probably a lost cause. She was pretty clear about wanting nothing to do with him, but his conscience wouldn’t allow him to turn his back on her. He dropped his business card into the mail box attached to the porch railing.
“You should forget about me.” She stared down at the flowers and if he wasn’t mistaken, there was something warm in her eyes.
“That’s not likely going to happen any time soon. Have a nice day, Iris. Try to stay cool, okay?”
He turned and walked back to his SUV, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something still wasn’t right. But unless she wanted his help, he couldn’t cross that line. He was learning even if he didn’t like it.
DOMINICK PROFACI STARED down at the body clad in navy blue. The face was unrecognizable after the beating the cop had taken.
“Fucking—fuck.” He slammed the trunk shut and wished the body would disappear.
He did not need this right now.
“He had it coming, I swear.” Phillip held up his hands and took a step back. “The guy pushed Little Tony. What was he supposed to do?”
Little Tony continued to stand there, staring straight ahead, the overhead light shining off his freshly shaven dome.
“Shut up,” Dominick snapped.
He needed to think. He could control this, but how?
Ever since his snitch of a twin sister had turned rat on their parents, it seemed like Dominick couldn’t catch a break. The other families had swooped in to divide up their territory and absorb the Profaci businesses. Dominick had barely kept a toe-hold because he’d been eighteen at the time. Now, eight years later, he either had to bring it or the other families would devour him. He couldn’t afford to screw up now that he had a profitable business going.
“Okay.” He pounded his fist on the back of the car. “Here’s what you’re going to do. Take the body and the car to the dump. See Franco. Pay him a bill. If he can’t take the car—burn it.”
“Man.” Phillip groaned.
“Don’t you fucking start with me, bro.” Dominick glared at his best friend. This was family business, and he called the shots. “I want you both out of the city tonight.”
“I’ll hit up Atlantic City.” A slow smile spread across Phillip’s face.
“No. No, you will not. You’re going to Texas.”
“Texas?” That was the first word Little Tony had said since he’d pulled into Dominick’s garage.
“Yes, Texas.” He glared at Little Tony. “I got a lead on Dina. You need to go see a guy named Rudy. I was going to wait, feel the tip out a bit more, but you two need to get out of town.”
If he could bring Dina home to face the music, it might help erase some of the blemish she’d left on the family name. It would also mean finally removing the threat of Dina breaking her silence on the rest of the story. That had been hanging over his head since the day the feds broke down their door to arrest their parents.
Dina had always been soft. Weak. He must have gotten the best genes in the womb. Still, she should have understood the bonds of family and her responsibility to them. Instead, the first time the feds put even a little pressure on her she’d crumbled.
“You think you found her again?” Phillip asked.
“Maybe. My guy in WitSec said she went solo two years ago.” Dominick had been too busy staking his claim to their corner of the business to worry about Dina. Now, she could be the key to his future. “Get out of here and don’t call me until you have something good to tell me.”
He backed toward the door leading into the house. It was the same place he’d grown up in, alongside his twin sister.
Phillip and Little Tony climbed into the low riding car.
Dominick turn
ed off the lights and tapped the garage opener.
This was terrible timing. His profits had taken a hit. The other families wanted to squeeze him out. The cops were going to be on him for the missing officer.
What else was going to go wrong?
About the only thing that could save him was finding Dina. He’d done it before, and if he could do it again, he might could handle this.
2.
DINA PLACED HER EMPTY bowl in the sink and ran water into the dish. Over the course of the day, as no other police had shown up at her door, she’d slowly relaxed. The stress of the unknown left her numb inside.
This wasn’t what she’d imagined for herself.
She leaned against the counter and stared at the flowers Trevor had left her.
The last flowers anyone had given her was on her birthday. She’d turned sixteen and Dad had brought her roses. He’d given her brother a car.
Growing up she hadn’t often had moments alone. From the time she woke up to the minute she went to sleep she was with her family, making nice with other families or serving as scenery. It had been hard to find herself in all that noise.
Mom and Dad favored Dominick. He was the son, the one who would carry on the family name. She was an extra, forever relegated to the shadows. At thirteen and fourteen, when Dad began taking Dominick along for rides, Dina had protested. She’d seen the divide between her and her twin growing. The day they turned sixteen was the real point of separation.
Dominick had a party. A huge shindig with cake and family.
Dina got a table in the back where her and a few friends split an ice cream sundae. That was the day she realized how things would always be different for her.
She and her best friend Rosetta had vowed to leave this all behind. They had this plan to move to L.A. or Miami, the destination changed every month, get an apartment and be free. Dina had found her voice because of Rosie. She didn’t take shit from anyone, and in the end that was what got her killed.
Dina opened the fridge and pulled out the bottle of rosé.
She’d taken her life in her hands the day she’d walked up to the tail following her mother and slid into the backseat, ready to spill the beans on Mom and Dad. When it came down to it, she couldn’t bring herself to rat out Dominick even though he’d grown up to be just as cruel and mean as Dad.
What would Rosie think of her now?
Dina poured herself a very full glass and sipped. It wasn’t the good stuff, but it would do.
She paused on her way to the living room to smell the blooms.
Trevor was everything her parents hated, namely a cop.
Maybe that was why she hadn’t left that bar the night they’d met. She’d gone in there, lonely and wanting something. He was the forbidden fruit. Attractive. Sexy. Confident. A cop.
She sipped the wine and picked up his card.
This was too complicated.
It wasn’t like she could offer him anything more than she already had.
Dina had never had a true boyfriend. As a teen she wasn’t allowed to go on dates. She’d seen some guys socially, but at the time things had been tense between her family and others on their level. Dina couldn’t date and offend her father’s peers. As an adult she’d spent most of it in Witness Protection, which meant there wasn’t a whole lot she could talk about. There were gaps in her history better left silent. It made small talk impossible when she couldn’t answer questions about her past.
Trevor would ask questions. Talking to him again would be a mistake. And yet, he wasn’t asking her for more. He’d apologized for running into her and offered her help.
Where did she think that was going to go?
She couldn’t call him up and ask for another night of drinks.
There wasn’t a future for her with a man. Especially one like Trevor. But that didn’t stop her from wanting to live in that moment, sitting across from him at that pub table, laughing about some story about high school kids harassing cows.
Dina should throw the card away.
She picked it up, but now both hands were full.
This problem could be pondered from the sofa.
She carried her wine and the card back to her little nest on the couch. Earlier she’d finished her latest updates and would spend the next few hours pushing those to the servers to be verified and implemented. Her career in phone app games was entirely by accident, but it also provided her a nice sized income that allowed her to live anywhere she pleased. Who would have thought that Dad’s breakthrough in online gambling would be the foundation for her career?
Dina placed the wine on the side table and stared at the business card.
Detective Trevor Walters.
There was a scar across his left brow that was new from the last time she’d seen him. How had that happened? Did he think about her? Was there another woman in the picture? Did it matter?
She’d never had to try her story out on anyone. Would Trevor believe her battered wife tale? Or would he see through it? Would it be so bad to have a friend that was a cop? They didn’t have to get close, but maybe he could be good for her. Protection. Insurance.
What could she possibly hope to get out of keeping in touch with him?
A friend wouldn’t be a horrible thing to have. Right now all of hers were on-line and went by pseudonyms. But Trevor was here. That complicated things that were already complicated.
She took another drink. By now she could recite Trevor’s phone number, badge number and email address.
He was easy to talk to. He’d made her laugh. And he’d brought her wine, ice cream and flowers. She was going to see him in passing if she stayed in this small town. Being awkward would draw more attention than a casual conversation or wave. Plus, it might be nice to have someone she could call on. Not often, or maybe ever, but she’d relied on a few lifelines since she’d left the family that had saved her.
Dina grabbed her phone, unlocked the screen and tapped her texts. Before she could think herself to death, she typed in his number and a quick message.
Thanks for the flowers. They smell nice.
She hit send, tossed the phone down on the cushion and emptied her glass.
Time for more wine.
Dina wrapped her hand around the wine bottle.
Her phone chimed.
Invisible fingers tickled her spine.
She turned her head and stared at the screen all lit up.
He wouldn’t possibly have responded immediately. It was more than likely a shipping notification.
She topped off her glass then scurried back to the sofa. She cradled her phone in her hand and stared at the message preview on her lock screen.
That wasn’t a shipping text. That was a Trevor text.
Not as nice as you. ;)
Dina could hear him say that with that smirk on his face. She shook her head and leaned against the arm rest.
Trevor was a flirt. He was doing what came natural to him, just like he’d do with any woman that caught his attention. She wasn’t special. Then why was she smiling? The warm fuzzies were because of the wine, not him. Five words didn’t have that much power over her.
The screen lit up again with another message before she’d considered replying.
Glad I got to see you again. Hope you got everything on your shopping list. If you missed anything I guess I owe you dinner.
She blinked at the message.
Three complete sentences.
No abbreviations or numbers instead of words.
Color her impressed.
Dina nursed her wine while she rolled the two messages around in her head. The first was his knee jerk reaction to her reaching out. Flirty. Cute. And damn if she didn’t remember his lips on her neck. The second was still flirty, but she didn’t hear the smirk. It was earnest. Then again, did she really know him? No, not really.
Now I wish I had a list.
She tapped out her short reply and hit send.
Dinner was never goin
g to happen for them, but she could pretend it might. Just for tonight. Tomorrow she’d ghost on him, forget to respond, and eventually she’d fall off his radar.
She bit her lip and watched the screen, waiting for it to light up again. The seconds ticked by.
This was silly. She shouldn’t let this get out of hand. It was a little fun to break up the stress of her routine.
Dina grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.
Her phone chimed again. She dropped the remote and stared at the message.
I’d be willing to lend you my list. Have you eaten yet?
Danger!
She knew what the follow up question would be, and that wasn’t going to happen.
Just ate. Getting ready to crash. Long day.
None of that was a lie. She’d been up late and early working on the new patches. Tomorrow she’d need to be up early again to facilitate loading the updates to push out to devices, but it wasn’t like she kept an exact schedule. She worked as much as she could because the more she did the bigger the paychecks and the less time she had to sit around thinking herself to death.
Her phone vibrated against her thigh with another message.
You do some kind of programming, right?
Huh. How much had she told him about herself? The whole night was fuzzy, but in the best way. There wasn’t any real danger of him knowing about what she did so long as she kept specifics to herself.
I do coding for mobile device games.
That was the easiest way for her to explain what she did. Teenage her would have never expected to go in that direction. Mom had always told her that her place was in the kitchen, raising kids and being there for the family.
Again, her phone vibrated before she’d even set it down.
Smart and pretty. How did a woman like you end up in Ransom? Don’t most tech people live in California?
Dina could hear his voice as she read the words. She hadn’t seen him in months, and yet she recalled him well enough it almost felt like he was sitting next to her carrying on the conversation. But how did she answer the question?
She didn’t want to lead with her fake story quite so soon. He was a cop. If she wasn’t careful, he might see through it. Keeping it short and simple, not too many details was the best way to go.
Stolen Redemption (Texas SWAT, #2) Page 2
