Stolen Redemption (Texas SWAT, #2)

by Bristol, Sidney

  “I just...asked a question.”

  “She told you, didn’t she?” Trevor groaned.

  “Yes.” Dina smothered a laugh behind her hand.

  “I was five years old, okay?”

  “And the last time?”

  “I was a kid.”

  “The way I heard it, you were fifteen.”

  “Fifteen is a kid.”

  His protests only made it funnier.

  “I can almost imagine you, five years old, so excited you peed your pants. It’s not as cute of a picture if you’re fifteen.”

  “Give that story a rest already.” At the stop sign Trevor leaned forward and pounded his forehead on the steering wheel. “What did Scarlett tell you about the last time?”

  “Just that...you were with your Homecoming date, making out and...you peed.”

  “It’s not that simple.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “I was fifteen, a virgin, and she touched my dick. It just happened. I don’t know how.” He sat back and gassed it. Not that there was any reason to go fast. They were the only car on the road.

  Dina chuckled and shook her head.

  “Well did you enjoy yourself?” he asked.

  “It was actually fun. Scarlett’s nice.” Dina hadn’t expected the end of the visit to go the way it had after how they’d started. “I made a bad impression on your friend. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t mind Jenna. She’s protective of me just like I am with her. She’s got good intentions.” He glanced at her. “Give her another chance tonight?”

  “We’re really...getting together with your friends? Is that smart?” The last get together Dina had been at was before Rosie died. Dina couldn’t remember what it had been for, only that she had spent hours picking out the perfect outfit. It had all been about appearances back then.

  “Where’s safer than with half the Ransom police department?” Trevor said.

  She could see his point, but did he also understand that having everyone in one spot was creating a fish in a barrel situation? What if Phillip and Little Tony showed up when no one was ready? What if Trevor got hurt because of her? What if his friends died?

  Dina had grown up on stories about the mafia wars, how they’d ruled the streets. She could see Dominick ordering his friends to make her an example like that. She didn’t want the blood of these good people on her hands.

  “Everything’s going to be okay.” Trevor reached over and took her hand.

  She squeezed it, drawing comfort from the connection.

  Had she allowed time to cloud her judgment? Did she really think this was a good idea?

  “We’re going to head into Fort Worth, meet up with Alex during his lunch break and get a list. There’s a couple guys in who might have helped your old pals. Can you think of anyone?” Trevor had a plan. It wasn’t just being on the defensive or hiding, they were going after Dominick.

  “Just my-my guy. The one who made my latest identity.” She didn’t want to give Rudy up to the authorities if she could help it.

  “Yeah? We should follow up with him, see if these guys reached out to him.”

  “Rudy’s unavailable for a little while longer. I can’t get him without a new laptop.”

  “So you want to add shopping to our list?”

  “Yeah.” She needed a laptop to make her living and stay up to date.

  Her brother was the same as any other guy his age. He lived on social media. She’d often checked his profiles because he was her brother and she missed him. They also helped her know where he was, who he was with and make assumptions about what he was doing. She hated being wrong about her brother, but she wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

  Dominick wasn’t going to be the twin that came out of this free. She wasn’t taking the fall for him ever again. He’d made it clear that under the smiles and familiar eyes, he was the same kind of monster as her parents were.

  PHILLIP PULLED THE car into the parking lot of the Palagio restaurant the same moment his phone began to ring. The car’s speakers announced the incoming call, but the number wasn’t familiar. He hit the button on the steering wheel, activating the call.

  “Hello?”

  “It’s Samu from—”

  “Did you find anything?” Phillip hadn’t expected a call for hours.

  “Both the laptop and phone are wiped.”

  “What?” Phillip whipped into a parking spot and glanced at Little Tony. “What does that mean?”

  “It means there’s nothing on them. No operating system. No data. Nothing.”

  “Bullshit,” Little Tony rumbled.

  “Last night when I looked at the phone there was a lock screen and everything. Now, you mean to tell me the device is a piece of junk?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did you do?” Phillip asked slowly. He’d powered the phone off to prevent Dina from using it remotely. It should have been in working order when Samu turned it on.

  “Nothing.”

  “Don’t you give me that bullshit. I’ll come back there.”

  “I powered the machines on and nothing happened.”

  “Can you still get data off them?”

  “Maybe. It will take days to recover anything that has been wiped if it can be recovered at all. This is not a guarantee.”

  “Get on it.”

  He hung up the call and stared straight ahead.

  If Phillip lost Dina again the answer to where she was going could be on those devices. She was smart. Smarter than any of them had ever given her credit for. She still might get away from them. It would be on his head this time. Not finding Dina wasn’t an option. He might have liked her, but he wasn’t about to take the blame for her. He’d seen what happened to others that let her get away.

  TREVOR PULLED INTO the Whataburger parking lot off loop 820. He recognized Alex Myers’ truck immediately. Trevor had half wondered if Jenna might join them to keep the peace. Trevor hadn’t been shy about his reservations regarding that romantic entanglement and Alex was protective of their relationship. Trevor couldn’t deny that since the relationship had gone public, Alex had done right by Jenna in every way. Sure, a lot of the L.O.L.’s had opinions about the couple moving in together, but after what Jenna had been through Trevor was glad she had someone looking out for her at all times. Because if Alex wasn’t shadowing her, his retired K-9 buddy was. It was hard to say which male loved Jenna more. It was all Trevor could ask for the woman who was like a sister to him.

  “You really think your friend is going to help us?” she asked.

  “He owes me.” His partner still griped about the series of events that had led to Jenna being taken hostage. “Besides, none of us want a new problem.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Dina twisted to face him.

  “Cosa Nostra doesn’t even rate on the Texas tier one through three gang rankings. They’re a non-entity for us. We all want it to stay that way. And Ransom? That stuff isn’t a problem there. Yet. But it will be. And that’s what we’re focused on. My concern is maybe some guys from Tango Blast or the Texas Syndicate or the—yes, this sounds silly—but the Texas Mexican Mafia get wind of your guys making a move and think it’s a territory grab. The only outside presence we’ve encountered has been shut down fast, but if a bunch of those guys move in, it wouldn’t be hard to radically change our small town way of life.”

  “I...wow.” Dina blinked at him a few times. “I hadn’t thought...”

  “I’m probably being paranoid. I know that during my lifetime Ransom is going to be swallowed up by the urban sprawl and we’re going to lose a lot of the small town, country charm we all grew up with. I just want to be ready.” Which was why he took this threat to Dina so seriously. Because it was also personal. “Come on. Alex can’t wait on us much longer.”

  Trevor got out of the SUV and circled around to the back.

  A tall man with dark hair wearing the uniform of a Fort Worth cop stood at the bumper.


  “Alex, man, thanks for meeting us.” Trevor held out his hand.

  Alex slapped his palm to Trevor’s.

  “I was surprised to get your text.” Alex glanced at Dina edging into view.

  “Dina, meet Alex Myers, Jenna’s fiancé.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she said with a nod of her head.

  Alex offered her his hand for a quick, firm shake.

  “Need to grab lunch before you go back to your desk job?” Trevor asked.

  Alex turned his head. The mirrored sunglasses hid his eyes, but Trevor knew Alex was glaring at him.

  “Yes. I unfortunately don’t have time to catch up.” Alex pulled a piece of folded paper out of his pocket. “What, might I ask, are you going to do with this?”

  “We’re looking for two suspects. I’m hoping that the people on your list might provide us with some leads.”

  “These people aren’t going to help you, and you’re out of your jurisdiction.”

  “I just want to have an unofficial look around. See if we spot anything.” Trevor figured their best chance was to leave the badge out of it and observe.

  “You’re going to get in so much damn trouble.” Alex shook his head and handed the list to Trevor. “When you get busted you know they’re going to call me?”

  “You aren’t the only Fort Worth cop I know.” Trevor took the list and slid it into his pocket.

  “Right.” Alex shook his head. “Have a nice day, and try to not get shot at, okay?”

  “See you tonight.” Trevor caught Dina’s eye and nodded at the SUV.

  The sooner they could check some of these out the better.

  Trevor’s phone began vibrating against his hip. He pulled it out as he got back in the truck.

  “It’s Casey.” He jabbed the answer button and put the phone on speaker. “Hey, man. What did Pearl have for you?”

  “The car is registered to a real estate guy by the name of Lorenzo Onio. He’s out of the Mid-Cities area.”

  Trevor yanked the list out and smoothed it down on the center console.

  “Lorenzo Onio?” he repeated.

  “That’s what I said.” Casey’s irritation was rising.

  “Thanks, man. Can you make sure to document that?”

  “I already did.”

  “Perfect.”

  “Why? Where are you? What are you doing?”

  “Following up on a lead. Later.”

  Trevor tapped end call and glanced at Dina. Her eyes were wide, stuck on the list.

  Lorenzo Onio was second from the top.

  It couldn’t be a coincidence that the same car seen circling Dina’s block was registered to someone labeled suspicious by the Fort Worth police.

  This was what he’d imagined detective work being like. Too often there wasn’t anything to be concerned about in Ransom. Most of their crime was small or accidental in nature. Once a year they got a real case. But this stuff with Dina? It was what he’d imagined Dad’s work being like when he was little.

  “I say we drive by this Lorenzo’s office.” Trevor tapped the paper.

  “What if Phillip and Little Tony are there?”

  “Then we don’t get out. They don’t know what I drive. They don’t know who I am. They won’t see you. All we’re doing is seeing what’s up.” He fastened the seatbelt.

  “I can’t go there.” She shook her head.

  “If you don’t want to go, I can drop you at the cabin then head back here, take some pictures and see if you recognize anyone.”

  “No. You can’t go alone.”

  “The only way I’m going to stop the threat to you before someone gets hurt is if we go after them first. Otherwise we’re stuck being on the defensive.” He reached over and placed his hand on her leg. She sucked in a breath and stared at him, her eyes going dark. “I’m not doing anything stupid. I promise.

  Dina stared at him for several long moments. She was scared, backed into a corner and doing something different. He was damn proud of her. There were people who didn’t have half her strength to keep going. Hell, he didn’t know if he could do what she was doing.

  She leaned toward him, her eyes fluttering shut, and kissed him briefly. Then she took a deep breath and pulled her seatbelt across her lap.

  “I’m not letting you do something stupid without someone to watch your back. Plus, you don’t know what Phillip or Little Tony looks like. Let’s go.”

  “You’re the prettiest back-up I’ve ever had.” Trevor grinned, but she remained tense. He reached over and covered her hands with his. “I won’t let anything happen to you. You know that, right?”

  “You can’t control everything.” She lifted her gaze to look back at him.

  “I can’t, you’re right. We won’t take any unnecessary risks, okay?” He still wouldn’t allow any more wrong to be done to her. Together they were going to put an end to her brother’s torment.

  10.

  TREVOR’S TOP PRIORITY had to remain Dina’s safety. How was he going to ensure that while they were apart?

  They pulled up outside the real estate offices of Lorenzo Onio without either speaking a word. Most of the structures around the office were brick and tinted glass. They fit the standard, boxy design. But not Lorenzo’s office. The building itself was white with a light brown roof. Great, imitation marble columns supported the porch. Twin fountains spouted water on either side of the front walk giving the building a Greek feel.

  “How do we know he’s there?” Dina asked.

  “We don’t.”

  “What’s sitting out here supposed to prove?”

  “Nothing.” He released the catch on his seatbelt. “I’m going inside. I’ll ask around, maybe snap a picture, then come back here and show you.”

  “Trevor, no.” Dina stared at him with wide eyes. “We said no unnecessary risks.”

  “This guy doesn’t know who I am.”

  “But what if—”

  “How is anyone possibly going to know who I am?” The way he saw it, there was zero risk of anything happened to him in there. He was an unknown to these people, and they needed to use that.

  “I don’t like this.”

  “I know you don’t.” This time when he reached for her hand she reached for him.

  They sat there a moment, watching the front door, neither speaking.

  Trevor was going to do it. He was going to make this okay for Dina, and then they’d see what happened next. He was certain they both wanted the same thing for their lives. They had a chance. He firmly believed that their attraction had come first, this whole business with her family that came later. They weren’t connected like his previous poor relationships. He and Dina weren’t doomed for failure.

  “You sit here, keep the doors locked, and I’ll be back in a minute. No one’s going to know who I am. But we know he is part of this. He lent those two guys a car. If we’re going to find them before they hurt anyone, this is our best chance.”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt.” Dina turned to face him, her eyes big, face paler.

  She’d lost her best friend to this life.

  That’s what she was scared of.

  Losing him.

  Damn it all to hell.

  Trevor leaned across the center console and pulled her to him. He kissed her cheek and squeezed her despite the awkward angle.

  Dina’s fear was for herself, but what she was most concerned about was losing someone in the same fashion she’d lost her best friend. If that wasn’t a mark of a better kind of woman, he didn’t know what was.

  “I’ll be careful. You sit here and see if anyone goes in or out, got it?” He let go of her.

  “Okay.” She sat back in her seat, still none too happy about this. “You know, this list of businesses these people own? It’s right out of the family’s playbook.”

  “How so?”

  “Restaurants provide easy excuses for people to come and go. Real estate allows you to move your operations around so the cops don’t f
ind you. Garbage companies let you dispose of bodies or evidence without getting caught.” She shook her head and gestured at Alex’s list. “It’s all there.”

  “Then we’ve established a basis for a case. Now, all we need to do is figure out who to watch. I’ll be right back.”

  Trevor opened the door to the SUV before Dina could voice another protest. He locked the vehicle but left the engine running. In this heat she could be cooked alive before he finished shooting the bull with Lorenzo’s staff.

  There were three other cars in the parking lot. None of them were the dark blue car whose plates they’d run. He wished he was going in here with his gun on his hip and his badge around his neck, but he was pretty certain that was how he’d get shut out.

  He strode up the walk between the fountains to the front doors. Eyes were on him. He could feel it.

  All he had to do was play it cool.

  Trevor opened the door to the sound of a chime and stepped into the cool building.

  “Hello,” a woman called out.

  He blinked away the sun spots and glanced toward the sound of the voice while his eyes adjusted.

  “Morning.” He nodded at the woman striding toward him.

  A second woman sat in a glass walled office, a phone to her ear. At the rear of the space, in the biggest office, a man sat behind his desk staring at Trevor.

  “How my I help you?” the woman asked. She had a bright, cheerful tone that matched her butter yellow dress.

  “Oh, I’m just getting started looking at places, drove by and thought I’d stop in.” He needed to keep his answers vague.

  “Well you’ve come to the right place.” She turned and glanced at the man. “Let me introduce you Lorenzo. He’s the best.”

  “I’d appreciate that.” Trevor followed the woman toward the back office.

  This was some crazy luck.

  Lorenzo stood and met Trevor at the door.

  “Hello, Lorenzo Onio at your service.” The man had a wide, welcoming smile and a slick way of dressing. The average person probably liked him well enough.

  “Hi.”

  “Come in. Sit. Would you like anything to drink?”

  “Oh, no thanks.” Trevor didn’t want to be there that long.