Stolen Redemption (Texas SWAT, #2)

by Bristol, Sidney

  Dina shook her head. That was some story. And of course the girls had bought it. Dominick knew how to hit on the right nerves, strike a balance. He’d been an accomplished conman back in the day.

  “You know you were never supposed to see that, don’t you?” Dominick continued to stare at her, picking her apart.

  “You were just going to kill my best friend then make up a story that she went on a trip? Hope I’d buy it?” Dina had always loved Dominick even if he was an ass. But that night he’d stood back and watched their parents torture her. He’d done nothing, proving that he was just as much of a monster as she was.

  “That would have been better than this.”

  “Why couldn’t you leave her alone?” That was what Dina had never understood. “All she did was fall in love.”

  The silence stretched on. Usually Dominick’s silent stares didn’t unnerve her, but the longer this went on the louder that whisper in the back of her head got.

  There was more to Rosie’s death than Dina knew.

  “She wasn’t in love. She was selling us out to whoever was running the Latin gang back then. Her Romeo? The guy she was in love with? He was buying her love with money. They promised her if she just gave them a little more intel they’d set her up with a nice, plush live down in Miami or Chicago.”

  Miami.

  Or Chicago.

  Two of the cities Dina and Rosie had whispered to no one but each other they wanted to run away to. Dominick couldn’t know that.

  Had Rosie really been working on a way out like that? Was she planning all along to leave Dina in that hell?

  “You snitched on us because of a snitch. You created all of this for a damn rat. How’s that feel?” Dominick gestured at the door. “Get out, or I’ll do this here.”

  Dina opened the door, her mind on autopilot. She’d never know how things would have turned out if Rosie had lived. Dina needed to believe that they’d have helped each other out of that life if they could, but was that the kind of people they’d been? Or was that who Dina had become?

  “Can I make one request?” she asked.

  “You’re lucky I didn’t kill you back there and be done with it.”

  “Can I write a letter? To a friend?”

  “Maybe. Get out.”

  Dina nodded.

  If she died, it would be as she expected. What she hadn’t been prepared for was Trevor and how he made her feel. If she was ever going to be capable of loving another person, it was him. But he shouldn’t have to bear the burden of her death. She’d known the risks when she set out to do the right thing. This was on her, not him.

  PHILLIP PACED THE FRONT of the house.

  Alessia lay on the sofa, passed out. The girl had spent the few hours of their re-acquaintance asleep.

  There’d been no word from Dominick or Giada.

  No one knew where Little Tony was.

  Phillip should have known when the first cop died that things had gone to shit. He’d had a feeling in his gut that they’d taken a tumble over the side of a hill and nothing would bring them back from this.

  He should have gotten out now, but he was too damn loyal to his fucking friends for that.

  The front door opened.

  He whirled, gun in hand.

  Giada froze, eyes wide.

  “Chill,” she snapped.

  “Where’s D? Did you find Dina?”

  “They’re in the car, spaz.” Giada rolled her eyes and shut the door behind her.

  “Did you run into—”

  “Your friend? Yeah.”

  Phillip’s heart pulsed in his throat.

  He’d tried to kill his best friend. It didn’t matter that something was seriously wrong with Little Tony. Phillip should have been there for him. Helped him. Something besides put a bullet in him.

  This life was destroying him. Used to, Phillip knew who he was, who was important. But now none of that mattered. In all the years, what had Cosa Nostra ever given him?

  A job.

  Some guys to call friend.

  A boss that would more than likely shoot him.

  None of this was worth it.

  He should take a page out of Dina’s book and start over with a new name, new life, new everything.

  The door opened again and Dina entered with Dominick at her back.

  Phillip stood there, staring at the woman that little girl from the playground had grown into. His mouth dried up, and he remembered what it had been like to see her smile at him.

  “Hi, Phillip,” she said.

  “Hey.”

  “Write your note.” Dominick pushed at Dina’s shoulder.

  Phillip couldn’t be here. He couldn’t watch her die. He’d stuck with Little Tony out of a sense of loyalty to the kid he’d grown up with. Dominick was merely the overlord Phillip inherited. The person he owed a debt to was out there shot and hunting him because he’d fucked up.

  This whole life was a mistake.

  “I’m going to get some air. Walk the block,” Phillip muttered.

  “You do that. Keep a lookout. We’re going to be gone from here after my sister and I have a chat.”

  Phillip knew Dina wouldn’t survive that chat, but he didn’t have to be there for it.

  He stepped out into the night air and pulled the spare key for the rental out of his pocket.

  Fuck this life.

  TREVOR TAPPED HIS KNEE, his eyes scanning the street while Casey drove the streets of Ransom. The radio was alive with the voices of officers.

  They’d lost the shooter.

  A suspect had waltzed into a house they had men watching and video surveillance trained on it.

  An officer had been shot, but her vest saved her life.

  And Dina was gone. Taken according to Heidi.

  She hadn’t been able to say for sure if Dina called the man Dominick or Phillip. Jenna’s guess was that Heidi had at least two broken ribs from catching a bullet at close range right to the back, so it made sense that she’d been out of it for that exchange.

  Was this whole thing organized?

  They couldn’t have staged the fight between Phillip and Little Tony. They hadn’t known Dina was in the house when they set it on fire. And Trevor knew the man he’d tackled to the pavement had been Little Tony.

  Trevor doubted this thing was organized. Which meant Little Tony had effectively disrupted their perimeter lines with his attack thereby allowing Dominick to abscond with Dina out from under their noses.

  This was Trevor’s fault. All of it. He should have said no to Dina’s plan. He should have taken her away from here wherever he had to go to keep her safe.

  “We’re going to find her,” Casey said.

  Trevor agreed, but the real question was: would Dina be alive when they found her? Was she alive now? Or was her brother keeping her alive for some sick purpose?

  They passed through an intersection. Trevor watched a dark colored sedan turn onto the adjacent street.

  The tail light was busted out.

  “Casey,” he snapped.

  The license plate–he knew that number.

  “There. That car,” he snarled.

  Casey jerked the wheel around. This hour the streets were nearly empty, and it was just them—and that car. Trevor reached over and flipped on the lights.

  “Damn it,” Casey growled.

  The car accelerated, but it didn’t have the horsepower to match the cruiser. Casey’s car shot forward, closing the distance between them and the vehicle. The getaway car driver seemed to realize all was lost and slowed, hugging the side of the road, easing to a stop.

  “I only see one,” Trevor said. “Don’t call anyone.”

  “Trevor—”

  “I said don’t!”

  Trevor got out of the car and jogged forward, gun up. Just because he was on leave didn’t mean he was going to stop being a cop. Especially with Dina out there.

  The driver’s window lowered, and the man thrust his hands through the wi
ndow.

  So this wasn’t his first rodeo.

  “Do you have a weapon? A gun?” Trevor’s hands shook. His gut said to yank the guy out of the car and get some fucking answers. His training won over.

  “Yes. It’s in the trunk though.”

  “Get out. Slowly. Then lay on the ground.”

  Casey came up on the other side of the vehicle, peering into the back seat.

  Trevor saw Casey shake his head out of the corner of his eye.

  Dina wasn’t here.

  The driver got out slowly then went to his knees.

  “Phillip?” Trevor asked.

  “Yeah,” the man sounded resigned as he lowered to the pavement.

  “Trev?” Casey jangled his handcuffs.

  Trevor held out his hand and caught them.

  “I’ve got him,” Casey said.

  Trevor jerked his head and holstered his sidearm. He didn’t take his eyes off Phillip. The way tonight had gone down, Trevor couldn’t be certain this wasn’t some sort of set-up either. Phillip didn’t move a muscle so Trevor quickly handcuffed the man’s hands behind his back while reciting his rights.

  He was too much of a cop, a good one, to not do this properly. He might not want the chief to swoop in and bog down the rescue effort, but he wasn’t going to cut corners where it mattered.

  “Where’s Dina? Is Dominick here?” Trevor patted the man’s pockets, verifying that he wasn’t carrying a weapon on his person.

  Phillip said nothing.

  “That was Dominick who took her, wasn’t it? Who was the girl with him?”

  Still Phillip said nothing.

  “Trev.” Casey jerked his head. “Let’s get him in the car. I just heard they found the shooter.”

  Phillip’s body twitched.

  “Really? That’s great. Come on, asshole.” Trevor bent down and grabbed Phillip’s arms. “I’m sure your friend has a lot he’d like to say to you.”

  “No,” Phillip cried out.

  “You aren’t making the rules here. Get up.” Trevor used his greater bulk to haul the man to his feet.

  “You can’t let him near me,” Phillip said.

  “Ransom’s not a small town. Only so many holding cells.”

  “He’s right.” Casey holstered his weapon. “Small town. Small tank.”

  “I’ll tell you where she is.” Phillip stopped walking. “But you have to keep Little Tony away from me, got it?”

  Trevor glanced at Casey. He was all in on the deal, but his priorities were fucked. Casey nodded.

  “We could arrange something,” Trevor said.

  “He took her to her house.”

  Those words sent a chill up Trevor’s spine. It wasn’t enough that her safe haven had been violated, they wanted to kill her there, too?

  “Who was the girl?” Casey asked.

  “Giada Volta.”

  “Volta, like the best friend?” Trevor was blanking on the first name, but Volta was unique and memorable.

  “Yeah. They think Dina killed Rosie. That’s why they’re helping Dominick.”

  “Wait—they?” Casey opened the back door to his cruiser.

  “There’s two of them. Giada went with Dominick to get Dina, then there’s Alessia.”

  Two more innocents that could get caught up in this.

  Trevor got Phillip into the back seat of the cruiser. He wasn’t a hulk like his estranged partner. The vehicle would hold him.

  “We’ve got to call this in,” Casey said.

  “You can’t let Tony near me. Promise me,” Phillip begged.

  “Ain’t no one seen him.” Casey glanced at Trevor.

  “You lied to me?” Phillip deflated.

  “Call Liam, Val, Sean and Alex. We can handle this.” Trevor’s gear was in Casey’s cruiser. They could be suited up to go in minutes. It would take the joint task force an hour or more to move on the intel and by then Dina could be dead.

  “Trevor...”

  “Call Alex first, if that’s what you want, but I’m going over there and I’m going to get her back. Alive.”

  DINA STOOD IN HER kitchen staring at the sheet of paper. She’d scrawled Trevor at the top and that was it. She should be contemplating her note, these last few words she was allowed to scrawl to the man who’d pried her out of her comfort zone. Instead she kept looking at the cutlery drawer.

  Two weeks ago she’d ordered new knives. Fancy chef ones. They were wicked sharp.

  If she gave up and focused on her note, she was accepting that this was the end of the road for her. If she wanted to say the things in her head to Trevor, she had to figure out a way out of this.

  “Where the fuck is Phillip?” Dominick paced from the back door to the front. “The God damn car is gone?”

  Dina went still.

  “What?” Giada yelped.

  Alessia hadn’t woken up since Dina entered the house. Something was wrong with her.

  “Where are your keys?” Dominick demanded.

  “Uh...” Dina glanced around. Her house keys and car keys were in her purse, which she’d left with Trevor. “I think there’s a spare in the garage somewhere.”

  It was stuck to the fender of the car in an awkward spot that required a person to kneel and reach.

  “Where did Phillip go?” Giada asked.

  “Out,” Dominick snapped. “Dina. Get your ass in there.”

  He shoved her toward the door leading from the house into the garage. She grit her teeth and kicked herself for not making a grab for the knife.

  Dominick stayed on her ass out into the garage and flipped on the lights. Her hatchback sat where she’d left it. A few gardening tools were arranged in the corner. A deep freezer she’d never used was up against a wall. Her holiday decorations took up the available shelving.

  “You have a cute little set-up here,” Dominick said.

  “Thanks.”

  “Where’s the key?”

  “Um.” She turned around, taking in her garage, looking for the best weapon.

  The gardening tools were all the property of the owner who sent someone over to weed the beds and tend the yard since Dina was useless there. A number of the tools she’d seen looked positively wicked.

  “I think I stashed it over here.” She walked across to the toolbox she’d seen the gardener use. He was paying too much attention to her. She needed to distract him. “Have you seen Mom and Dad?”

  “Once a month, every month for eight years,” he replied.

  “They don’t ask about you.”

  “Good.” She hadn’t so much as looked them up in years. They might as well be dead to her.

  “Do you have any shame for what you did?” he asked.

  “Do you have any shame about what you did?” she parroted back.

  “I did what was right by the family.” Dominick thrust his finger at his chest.

  “And damn the consequences and whoever you hurt in the process?” Dina shook her head.

  “Rosie was a slut and a snitch—”

  “She was my best friend.” She stared at her brother’s angry gaze.

  “She deserved what she got,” he snarled.

  “What you’re saying is that I deserved to be ignored or forgotten about then, do I have it right?” Dina tipped her chin up. “You know why Rosie did what she did?”

  “You knew?” Dominick’s eyes went wide.

  “No, but I don’t have to guess at her reasons why. They’re the same reasons I did what I did. Our whole lives all Rosie and I wanted was for our families to love us. To care about us. And you know what we got instead? Forgotten. Shoved in corners. Our friends married off at fifteen, sixteen, seventeen. We didn’t matter, and we got that message loud and clear.” That had also allowed Dina the distance to really see what was going on. She’d become her own person, apart from the family identity. It didn’t mean that small child inside of her hadn’t hurt at being forgotten.

  “Get the keys,” was all Dominick could say to that.

/>   Dina turned popped open the kit and stared down at a wickedly forked tool. She swallowed and was grateful her back was to him. She’d often wondered if having it out with Dominick would make her feel better, if it would change how she felt about things.

  It didn’t matter.

  He would never change his mind or his ways, so long as his lifestyle paid off. Just because they’d shared a womb didn’t make them family anymore.

  She picked up the tool and pressed it to her chest. There was a future worth fighting for if she survived.

  Dina understood Rosie in a way she never had. Until now.

  TREVOR STARED AT DINA’S house as he slid his vest on. Alex had arrived at the same time they had without comment. Liam, Sean and Val were only a minute or two out.

  “You think this is a good idea?” Casey asked Alex.

  “Chief Taylor is pointing fingers. You know how that went down last time.” Alex glanced in Trevor’s direction.

  He felt the chill of that look and accepted his role in that unfortunate series of events.

  Their chief was a good guy, but he still had a small town mindset and was territorial to boot. This whole joint taskforce was not a welcome effort in his book.

  “What’s our plan?” Casey’s voice was strained. Trevor got it. Casey was a good guy. A rule follower. But the truth was sometimes the rules had to be bent to do a good thing.

  Saving Dina and those two girls? That was the right thing to do.

  Liam’s pickup followed by two cruisers pulled in behind their other vehicles. The guys circled up, no one speaking. The others were still suited up from the earlier op.

  “Trevor?” Alex asked.

  Trevor blinked at his former Team Leader. “Casey’s the—”

  “You know more about this situation than I do.” Casey shook his head.

  Trevor swallowed. He wasn’t as collected as he should be for this, but they were right. He was the one with tactical knowledge of the place and targets.

  “We’re looking at one, male shooter. One female hostage. And two female, teenage unknowns. It sounds like they’re accomplices, but they could also be hostages. According to our intel,” Trevor nodded at their prisoner, “there are two, maybe three, handguns in the house. We know the front door is weakened. There are both front and rear doors, plus the garage.”

  “We could approach along the right side of the driveway.” Alex bent and collected some gutter rubbish to do a quick map. “The line of sight isn’t there if we approach here, then cut across to the door. Casey, you have gas on you?”