She carried so much guilt. When a suspect got off either because they could afford some smooth-talking lawyer or they found some damn technicality, Hydria felt as though she’d let the entire community down. With Steve’s disappearance, her own flesh and blood, she felt as though there was something she could’ve done, should’ve done. No matter how many times she looked through her text messages with Steve, or thought back to their conversations, Hydria didn’t see any red flags. It all seemed normal. Right up to his disappearance.
That’s why she knew the tales they spun couldn’t be true. Steve never cried out for help. Never showed any signs of distress. If anything, he was even more driven by his career in the Marines than she’d been in the police department.
They spoke at least once a week, even during his deployment overseas. Steve probably wouldn’t have done so, but Hydria had made it clear how much it meant to her to hear his voice. Since they only had each other, Steve obliged her request. Of course, he made it seem like he was the one keeping an eye on her. Wish I had you watching me now. Where are you, Steve? God, I miss you.
Steve hadn’t called in almost three weeks. At first, she followed the chain of command and waited for the Marine Corps to respond to her inquiry. It had been possible Steve was deployed suddenly and unable to let her know. Although that was unlikely, it had been the best explanation. So when the Corps came back and said Steve was AWOL, she literally dropped to the floor in disbelief. No one would convince her it was true. She didn’t care what proof they said they had. She knew Steve better than any of them. He’d never do that. Steve was proud to be protecting his country. He’d never abandon his post. Or me.
That didn’t mean something hadn’t happened to Steve. Utilizing her position on the police force, Hydria had called every hospital and triage center within fifty miles from where the supposed bar fight had taken place. There was no record of any treatment matching his name or description. And when she tried filing a missing person report with the police department in York, she was told she would need to contact the Marines. A complete runaround and no one was willing to accept what her gut was telling her as truth. Not even my own commander.
That’s why she hired Stone. It would take a certain level of connections, which Hydria didn’t possess, to get past the roadblocks. I only hope Stone decides to take on my case.
Diaz had warned her Stone’s refusal rate was high. That was with good cause, as far as she was concerned. For as many people who reached out to Stone for the right reasons, she figured at least twice as many tried using his skills for the wrong ones.
Hydria was not so naïve as to believe Bennett Stone would drop everything to help her. But she was banking on him doing so for a fellow Marine. She told herself that in order to keep the faith. She’d done everything she could think of but still came up empty-handed. It was hard, but she was helpless and needed Bennett. Yet, with every hour that passed without contact from him, her anxiety increased. Had she blown her chances with Bennett because of her hostile attitude toward Renzo?
Although, the meeting hadn’t gone exactly the way she’d intended. Hydria thought for sure Bennett would’ve called by now. If he’d been considering not accepting her as a client, then surely he’d have returned the check immediately. Bennett didn’t strike her as someone who would stall on a decision.
If she didn’t hear from him by the time she was showered and dressed, she would rent a car and drive to York, Maine herself. She searched the Internet for local auto rental. She hadn’t come all the way from LA to sit in a hotel room and do less than she’d been doing before. It was only a two-hour drive to York. Hydria could make it there and back without Bennett or Renzo knowing she was gone. All I have to do is get the bar owner to talk to me.
Hydria didn’t want to hear the same bullshit the owner had told the MPs when they supposedly went looking for Steve. I’m not in the mood for any lies. Sorting out the truth from the fiction wasn’t going to be easy. Hydria never officially interrogated anyone. A drug dealer, or someone she caught breaking and entering, or a domestic assault suspect, yes, but that was it. The police detectives did all the intense questioning. She was going to be out of her league, and she knew it. It wasn’t as though she had a badge she could whip out and use as leverage. Even if I was still on the LA force, I would have no jurisdiction in York. Why would she think the owner would speak to her?
That didn’t mean she wouldn’t try. People underestimated her when they looked at her small stature. Yes, she was lean, but she was also muscular. She knew how to take care of herself; she had taken down many suspects over her eleven years as a policewoman without having to kill anyone. That didn’t mean she hadn’t fired a shot or two to stress her point. That wasn’t going to work in this situation. She would need to utilize something besides intimidation. Now I wish I’d packed something cute to wear.
All she needed was confidence in her abilities. She never struggled with that until she was around Renzo. It hadn’t helped that he’d looked at every collar she made and informed her what she could’ve done better. If Renzo had any indication what she was thinking about doing, he’d put a stop to it right away. Not that you have any right to. Hydria accepted long ago she’d never be good enough in his eyes. If he had his way, I never would’ve made the force in the first place.
Last night when she informed Renzo she’d resigned, his expression was different than she’d expected. Somehow Hydria thought he’d tell her it was about time, she never belonged there, and they were better off without her. Instead he actually looked . . . shocked. For all the times Renzo stood in the way of her advancing on the police force, it was hard to imagine he felt anything other than elation that she’d never achieve them. She didn’t want to think of him as actually . . . caring or having a heart. It would only complicate things more. And he’s already an infuriating man. She told herself she was done with caring what he thought. Him or anyone else.
That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to miss the thrill of the action. Every day on the job was something new, exciting. Besides Steve, work was all she had. But what else could she do? Diaz had warned her searching for Steve outside of the normal process was going to be frowned upon by the department. Hydria understood what he’d meant. Breaking the law to obtain what I want. What I need. Diaz knew she would go to any lengths she had to in order to find Steve. I can’t believe Diaz never crossed the line. He just won’t condone my doing it.
A man like Diaz wanted to be looked upon as a rule follower and therefore expected the same from his subordinates. He was the one who answered for the department’s actions. She’d seen him battle for men and women who reported to him more than once. Diaz might not have been willing to help her, but she had nothing but respect for him.
Even someone as pigheaded as Renzo had understood Diaz had the final say. Diaz had been the only person who she’d seen Renzo take orders from. That made it more surprising when she’d walked into Bennett’s office to find Renzo there. He was the last person she’d have pictured connected with Bennett. Renzo was known as a hardass who only did things one way: his. Bennett’s reputation wasn’t much different. Those two working together was an explosion waiting to happen. I don’t want to be anywhere near them when it does, because I’ll be collateral damage.
She’d been there before, but Hydria told herself never to look back. The past was gone and couldn’t be changed. It’s how she dealt with everything that hurt her. Although she would never admit it to Renzo, he had done just that. Her life had been filled with so much sadness and struggle when she’d first met Renzo. Of course, there were things that were positive in her life, like she was going to college and making a better life for her and her brother, a minor at the time. But was it so wrong that she’d wanted more?
Then her dreams had been answered. A handsome man like Renzo seemed to have come out of nowhere. First meeting for coffee, before she knew it he was taking her to movies and dinner a few times a week. It had gone on for a few months,
but during that time she was . . . happy. He made her feel beautiful and special. Not by flattery; he was a master of brevity. But he’d treated her with respect and made her feel wonderful. She’d started thinking long-term, even if she was only twenty-two at the time. Whether Renzo knew it or not, he’d given her courage to do everything she had done on the LAPD. Even though he did everything he could to stand in my way afterward.
A few weeks before graduation they had snuggled up on the couch, talking about life in general. Hydria thought they had connected on a different level, one more intimate and personal. She’d shared her hopes and dreams for her future. Renzo sat and listened. Sharing it with someone else had been amazing.
Then in a blink of an eye, Renzo told her they couldn’t see each other anymore. No explanation, just a dismissal. She was a woman, and no way was she going to let him go, let the joy leave, so easily. But that was when she saw the real Renzo. He had ignored her calls and text messages. She mailed him a letter, and it had come back “return to sender” stamped on it. The only thing she never did was show up at his job. He was a respected member of the LAPD SWAT team and no matter how desperate she’d been, she never would’ve interfered with that. There was nothing to fight for; they had no commitment, just dating.
It had been hard for her to accept back then, but she understood. The attraction, feelings, hadn’t been reciprocated. So Hydria had done what she always did, focused on what she could control, getting accepted to the LAPD. Renzo may have thought she’d chosen that department because he worked there, but that wasn’t the case at all. LA was her home, and she wanted to be part of protecting it. If anything, she would’ve thought Renzo would be proud of her drive, her passion for helping others. Instead he seemed to resent her presence.
But Hydria wasn’t afraid of facing adversity. Holding her head high, she put herself in any situation to get noticed. Renzo might not have wanted her, but there was no way he could ignore her abilities as a cop. Or so she thought.
Hydria had grown a lot as a person, a woman, over the years. She’d buried it all deep, but seeing him again opened an old wound. Although a part of her wanted to confront Renzo about his mistreatment, right now she had enough to worry about. She needed to find a way to prevent her mind from wandering. There was no room for thoughts, good or bad, about Renzo. If he was going to help her find Steve, they’d do what they had before. Keep it professional. At least I hope Renzo will have no problem with that.
Hydria could be stressing over nothing. There was no confirmation Renzo was going to be working this case with Bennett. But if in fact he was, she would have no problem reminding him he worked for her. It wasn’t about knocking his ego. It was strictly about finding Steve. To do so meant using her personal knowledge of Steve, not only what was listed on paper somewhere. That’s why Hydria would call the shots, not Renzo. You’ll have to get over it because I have something much more important on the line than a job.
Her phone chimed, announcing a text message. Although she knew it wasn’t, her heart leaped with anticipation that it could be her brother. There was no number listed, just a message.
SEE YOU IN FIVE
Without a number, she couldn’t reply, asking for details. The only thing she knew was someone was arriving shortly. That wasn’t a good thing. She’d been up all night and dragging her butt all morning, and she looked a hot mess. She hadn’t showered, and Hydria was pretty sure she still had her makeup on from yesterday.
Tossing her cell phone on the bureau, she dashed to the bathroom and quickly showered. When she got out, she wrapped a towel around her and heard a knock on the door. Great. They’re punctual. “One minute,” Hydria called out. They knocked again, so she shouted louder. “Hold on a minute.”
Hydria didn’t bother putting on any panties, just pulled on a pair of clean jeans. Then she grabbed her red bra, which was the first one she found, and slipped it on before her white tank top. Her hair was still dripping wet and uncombed. It didn’t matter because the person at the door apparently wasn’t going to stop knocking until she either answered or fired her weapon at them. That is if I had been able to bring my sidearm with me on the plane. No longer being on the force meant turning in her gun along with her badge. She owned several herself, but there was no way TSA was letting her bring them on the plane. She didn’t have any intention’s of staying long enough to need it.
She couldn’t believe how little patience people in Boston had. What is everyone’s rush? It’s like the building’s on fire or something. Hydria knew they had heard her but chose to ignore her words. Barefoot, she opened the door, ready to give whoever it was a piece of her mind. I’m not someone you can walk on.
Hydria didn’t know the man at the door. He was dressed like a limo driver. Although he could work for Bennett, she knew Renzo enough to know he wouldn’t let Bennett have control. She knew this man had something do with Renzo, even though Renzo wasn’t the type of man to be chauffeured around. Guess things have changed. For all I know he wears a tuxedo too. Hydria wasn’t the same person as before, why should she think Renzo was?
No matter how harmless the man at the door looked, she still wished she had her gun. She filled out enough reports of people who were attacked that she should know better. If this stranger meant her harm, he was in for one heck of a surprise. I don’t look like much, but trust me, I’m more lethal than I look.
“Miss Vose, Mr. Turchetta asked me to retrieve you.”
It was good he knew her name, but that definitely didn’t sound like anything Renzo would say. “Retrieve?” She arched her brow. “For what exactly?”
He cleared his throat and said, “My apologies. I should have explained myself better. Mr. Turchetta is waiting in the limo downstairs. As for anything else, it might be best if he updates you; he has not provided me with any particulars.”
Particulars? Hydria fought back a chuckle. She couldn’t picture Renzo hiring someone so . . . formal. She, on the other hand, wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries. It was time she delivered that message; unfortunately, it was being conveyed by a third party. Placing her hands on her hips she stated, “Mr. Turchetta can come up and speak to me directly. Only then will I decide if I am following him anywhere.” He stood there for a few seconds as though she would change her mind. That’s not happening. Renzo needed to understand this isn’t LA, and he is in no way her superior. “Was I not clear?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Giving her a quick nod, she watched as he made his way down the hall toward the elevator.
He didn’t waste any time lingering, and he hadn’t seemed fazed one bit by her lack of compliance. Had Renzo prepared him for such a reaction? That had to be the explanation. I certainly can’t be the only person Renzo rubs the wrong way. I’m not sure there’s anyone left with a warm fuzzy feeling when dealing with him.
There was one positive thing about Renzo not being the one at the door. It bought her time to at least brush her hair and teeth before he arrived. She dashed into the bathroom and brushed out her wet tangled mess. With no time to blow-dry it, she twisted it into a long single braid and let it hang down her back. Then she brushed her teeth, and before she finished, Renzo knocked on the door. Knock. Bang. Whatever. You’re going to wait a minute.
Deliberately taking her time, she decided to floss. It was difficult because Renzo barked out her name. Hydria wouldn’t be surprised if the manager sent someone up to check if there was a problem.
She didn’t want to get thrown out of the hotel after less than twenty-four hours in Boston, so she called out, “Hold on. I’m coming.”
It became quiet on the other side of the door. Hydria wasn’t fooled; she knew Renzo was pissed. He never had patience when he was being dicked around. It wasn’t wise to rattle the bear’s cage, but she was making a point. Opening the door, Renzo was leaning against the jamb with a dark scowl meant for her. Hydria stepped aside and said, “Come on in. There’s something you want to talk about?”
Renzo brushed past her and en
tered her small hotel room. She wished she had finances for a suite; it would’ve given more sitting options than the one chair or the bed. Since the options were limited and they were in tight quarters, Hydria hoped Renzo would make it quick and opt not to sit at all.
“Was there a reason you wouldn’t come to the limo?” Renzo looked her over from head to toe. “You look ready, so what’s the problem?”
You. “You snap, and I jump? I don’t believe that’s the way it works.”
“You hired us. If you’ve changed your mind—”
“I haven’t. However, Bennett hasn’t contacted me.”
“I’m taking the lead on this. That’s why I’m here,” Renzo said.
Hydria had several objections to having him take the lead, but none that could be discussed at the moment. The last thing she wanted was to bring this to a personal level. Let’s pretend we don’t have a past. “You seem to forget who I am. The client.” Renzo looked at her long and hard, and she knew a smart-ass remark was soon to follow. Instead, his tone was serious. “I’ve made contact with Jim Peters, the bar owner. He’s expecting us in about”—Renzo looked at his watch then back to Hydria—“ninety minutes. Unless you’d like to sit here and discuss all the details and miss our one shot at hearing what Peters has to say.”
Hydria was relieved to hear Bennett Stone decided to take the case, but there was certainly a breakdown in communication. She would add that to her growing list of things she didn’t appreciate about Renzo. But come hell or high water, they were keeping that appointment. She walked to the nightstand, picked up her leather purse, and headed for the door, calling over her shoulder, “Guess we better get moving.”
Renzo knew Hydria would give him a difficult time. That wouldn’t change anything. He wouldn’t walk away and leave this to Stone. Not because Stone wasn’t capable of doing the same thing that he was, but this was Hydria’s brother. Renzo had never met him. When they were dating the kid made himself scarce, probably because he didn’t want to be bothered. Renzo got it, teenagers could be tough, and he never pushed it. But even back then, it was clear: Steve was everything to her. To lose her parents then rise so bravely to support her brother had gained his respect. Family means everything to me too.
For Justice Page 3
