by Debra Kayn
She turned to Big Joe. "If you don't mind, I'd like to get the hell out of here before my panties start on fire and I burn the house down."
Big Joe grinned, hustling to her side. "You got it, chickie."
She marched out the front door. Raul might've left her to deal with her father on her own, but she had no doubt he loved her. The asshole thought he was protecting her again. Until she defended her life in front of everyone, she'd been ready to crumble. Now she was ready to fight. All her promises to herself were off the table. When she found Raul, she was going to kick his ass for leaving her here to deal with her dad herself.
Then she was going to cling to him tighter than leather on his ass, and never let him go.
"Crystal, wait up." Big Joe jogged up to her and stopped her on the lawn of her father's house. "We can't leave the property until Raul calls and lets me know it's okay."
"What are you talking about?" She searched the crowd in front of the house. "Isn't he out there?"
Big Joe hung his chin. "He and Duck went to head off Garcia's men. The Lagsturns are boxing them in. He…"
She smacked his chest. "What?"
"I'm not supposed to tell you. I think Prez expected your reunion to take longer." Big Joe removed his baseball hat, ran his hand through his hair, and put the cap on backward. "We need to hang out here for a little while. Maybe you can answer questions from the reporters in the yard if it makes you more comfortable than being in the house. Whatever we do, we need people around us all the time. Raul doesn’t want you alone."
"Unbelievable," she muttered, and crossed her arms. "Does it look like I want to answer questions or talk to those people?"
"No."
"Do you really think they care about me?" she asked.
Big Joe rubbed his hand over his chin. "I don't know."
"No. They don't." She sighed. "This was a huge mistake. These people don't matter to me, and I don't need my parents' approval."
Sirens pulled her out of the conversation, and she watched as a police cruiser inched its way through the crowd until they were directly in front of the gate. She looked at Big Joe. "What do you think they're doing?"
"I don't know," he said. "Stay low. We don't need that kind of trouble here."
"Maybe that's what we do need. Why don't you go open the gate?" She grinned. "Maybe my father called them and they're here to arrest me."
Big Joe hesitated, and she gave him a shove. "Go. They have nothing on me. I'm safe."
The moment the gate came open, the black cruiser pulled through the gate with their lights flashing. Two dressed officers exited the front of the car. The back door opened, and Tango stepped out.
"Oh, shit." Crystal moved forward until she was in front of Tango. "What did they nab you for? Everyone has been looking for you for two days."
"Yeah." He lowered his head. "Something came up, and I had to head out. Obviously, you know I'm here, but I'd appreciate it if you keep that knowledge to yourself until I leave. I won't be going back to the Lagsturns, but I also don't want any trouble until I'm done here."
She nodded. "Okay, but Big Joe's here."
Tango peered around, spotted Big Joe, and grimaced. "Try to hold him off on calling the MC with my location just yet, will you?"
"Yeah, sure." She put her hand on his arm and stopped him. "What are you doing here? Do the cops have something on you? Do you need one of us to help you bail?"
"I'm sorry, Crystal. I'm here on official business." He walked away and joined the other two officers at the door. On the count of three, the biggest man shoulder opened the door and all three disappeared inside.
Official business? She rubbed her forehead. He almost acted as if he came here under his own power with the other officers…
"Tango," she whispered, dawning coming to her.
How could she not have known? Tango had kept her safe at the take down of Garcia. He'd known how to get info on Raul when no one would tell her how he was doing after the shooting.
Crystal ran to the house, and slipped into the living room to see her father sitting in the chair, three pistols aimed at his chest. One of the men armed and sporting a badge was Tango. She grabbed the edge of the wall.
Tango moved forward and said, "Mr. Donaldson, you are under arrest for laundering money, extortion, tax evasion, and ordering a hit on Chrissy Donaldson and Raul Sanchez. You have the right to an attorney…"
Crystal slid down the length of the wall and sat on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chin. She stared straight ahead, unable to understand what she was hearing. Her father ordered her and Raul dead too?
Chapter Thirty
Three miles out of Las Vegas, Raul and Duck hunkered down behind their motorcycles, pistols drawn, and faced the men from Los Li. The other members of the Lagsturns were nowhere in sight.
"What the hell happened?" Raul fingered the keypad on the phone. If he chanced calling his contact at the bureau, if his clearance still even worked, he'd give too much away about his connections to Duck. Hell, at this point backup wouldn't even arrive before they both met the end of a semi-automatic. "It took ten minutes for us to get here. The Lagsturns can't be that fucking far behind them unless they ran into trouble."
"We need to get away from our rides before they decide to use one bullet to blow us both up." Duck sat back on his boots, swiveled and pointed. "There's a building a block behind us on the right. It'll provide more protection until the other members ride in. I'll cover you."
"Fuck that." Raul pulled out the eight-shot magazine in his forty-caliber pistol, shoved the full mag in his back pocket, and then replaced it with the twenty shot out of his saddlebag. "I'm not backing away. Reload. We're going to meet them face to face."
"Are you fucking crazy?" Duck followed the directions, despite his objection, and jammed the other mag in the handle of his pistol. "That's suicide, man. They'll pick us off before we clear the bikes. We're not even sure how many of them are in the vehicles, but with at least 4 drivers, we're already facing twice as many men as we have."
"You must've aced math as a kid." Raul grinned, ready to take the assholes down.
"No. But I hotwired the principal's car twice before I hit eighth grade." Duck's mouth tightened. "Man, I don't like this. We should wait."
"I'm not giving them the courtesy. I have a woman going through her own hell back at Ronald McDonald's Fun House. I'm running out of time." Raul pulled back the barrel of the gun. "Stay low and on the move. Use every bullet. There's a dumpster on your side, make sure you stay alive long enough to reach it."
Duck grabbed Raul's cut stopping him from standing. "Where are you going?"
"Into the fire." Raul stood before Duck could stop him. "Let's roll!"
"Dammit." Duck stood, shooting his way around the motorcycle.
Raul stalked down the center of the road while Duck created the explosive distraction. He aimed his pistol at the windshield of the first car, arm braced, and trigger happy. He had twenty seconds to put a bead on one man before Duck had to change his clip. The odds were in his favor that the leader was in the first car, passenger side.
He counted Duck's shots.
Fifteen.
Sixteen.
Seventeen.
He picked up his pace.
Eighteen.
Nineteen.
Raul stopped in front of the Crown Victoria and widened his stance. Twenty.
Silence filled the air.
"Out," Raul shouted. "Or I blow your leaders head clear off his fucking body."
Eight car doors clicked open, swinging out to the sides of each car. Raul's aim and gaze never wavered from his target. He gambled on having the right man calling the shots in his sight. If he was wrong, he was a dead man.
A dark skinned man in his forties walked out from the cover of the passenger door. Dressed in black trousers, a red silk shirt, and a black bandana tied around his forehead, keeping his brown hair off his face, the man watched him carefully with an air of arroga
nce. The man held his arms out to the sides, showing empty hands. Carrying no weapon meant zilch when the guy had numerous men behind him all aiming loaded pistols at Raul.
"You seem to have a problem with me, Amigo." Raul stayed his ground. "Where I come from, we usually shot first and talk second. Seeing as how you're bent on following the dust of my ride and I'm missing the old ways, I want to know what you want before I kill you."
The man walked to the front of the vehicle, sat against the hood, and in a show of bravery seemed to beg Raul to blow his head off. Cocky bastard.
"Nice day for a drive." The man crossed his arms and put one foot up on the bumper. "What can I say? All the excitement of tourists who come to Vegas with a pocket full of cash and dreams of hitting the jackpot bit me. The thrill is contagious. There are beautiful women everywhere…especially a specific blonde I've been thinking about."
Raul lowered his aim and pulled the trigger. He hit his mark between the man's legs, blowing a hole in the warm radiator of the Victoria. Steam poured out, covering the man. Raul swung his arm toward the driver. "Don't fucking think about it."
Raul's shoulders tensed. Out of his peripheral vision, nobody moved, but something was wrong. Something set him on edge, but he couldn't pinpoint the problem. Then he heard what bothered him. The roar of motorcycle engines grew closer.
The muscles in the back of his legs locked, and his finger pressed more firmly on the trigger. Lagsturns needed to work on their timing.
He had to get answers before the rest of his men arrived. Confident in getting out of this alive, all bets were off when more men showed up. The Lagsturns acted before talking. Sworn to eliminate the threat when their president's life was in danger, they'd come in shooting.
The warning on his lips never escaped. Duck stepped out from behind cover and took out their leader. Raul ran to the Victoria, ignoring the downed man, and took aim on the men from the Caddy. All hell broke loose in less time it took to start his Harley.
Bullet's whizzed past his head. He ducked, scrambling low to the ground. His brothers rode straight into mayhem. A man rose in front of Raul with an automatic aimed to the left. Raul jerked his gaze to the target, spotted Layrd in the man's sight, and shot the Los Li member. The man went back a step and fired again. Raul pulled the trigger once, twice, taking him out.
Layrd never hesitated and continued after a man on foot, oblivious to Raul saving his damn life.
The Lincoln car sped off, running over one of their men. Raul rounded the Victoria and yelled, "Down. Get Down."
A man, early twenties, dropped his weapon and hit the pavement, belly down, arms spread. Raul rolled, coming to a stop beside him, and shoved his pistol in the young man's neck. "Start talking and you might live to see your momma. Who ordered the hit on my woman?"
"No, no, I don't know," the man babbled.
Raul shoved the barrel of his pistol into the man's cheek. The heat remaining from the last shots burned the man, causing him to squirm. Raul had no sympathy.
"Who ordered the hit?" he said.
Between clenched teeth, the man said, "Outside job, brah. Outside job."
Raul removed the pistol in the man's hand, patted him down, found a thirty-eight in his boot, and took that one too. Then he kicked the man to get him up, wrapping his arm around his throat. "Call them off."
"They're not going to listen to me." The man stumbled forward, locked in Raul's grasp.
"Unlucky for you then." Raul pushed him to the side of the street and handed him off to Butch. "Hold him. If he moves, shoot him."
"Got him, Prez." Butch spit on the man and held him in a headlock.
Flashing lights rounded the corner followed by four squad cars, sirens wailing. Raul stopped, stuck his fingers in his mouth, and whistled. "Roll out."
He motioned for Butch to let the boy go. Each man for themselves, Raul ran for his motorcycle and hoped like hell there was no damage from the crossfire. Duck beat him to the bikes.
"Go, go, go!" He motioned when Duck hesitated.
Right behind his VP, he had his Harley Davidson up to forty miles per hour by the time he heard the police cars squeal to a stop back at this morning's damage. He glanced ahead of him, behind him, and counted his men.
"Duck!" He veered over on a side street and waited for Duck to stop beside him. "How many of our guys were on the ride?"
"Twenty eight," Duck said.
"God damn, mother fucker." Raul kicked his bike in neutral, put his feet on the ground, and pushed backward, turning the machine. "We're missing one. Go on and keep the others heading in the right direction. Make a meeting point, and have everyone split up."
"No way." Duck moved to get off his motorcycle. "You go. I'll sneak in the back and grab him."
"Get on your ride. That's an order." Raul revved the engine. "Whatever you do, keep the others away from here. Our name's written all over the dead back there and we're out of our territory. Call Big Joe. Tell him not to let Crystal out of his sight. Tell him to kill anyone who gets within twenty feet of her."
"Jesus…" Duck gave him a disgusted look and rode off.
He respected his men's desire to protect him, but this scene was on his back. He'd gone for answers, and instead ended up at a killing party. He rode back in the direction he came, hating every moment that kept him from Crystal. Afraid things were going to get worse before they got better.
Before he could reach the scene, he found himself stopped at gunpoint, hauled off his bike, and flattened to the ground. He kept his mouth shut. He'd hold his identity until he found out which of his men died today because of him. Shit. Sometimes he hated his job.
Chapter Thirty-One
Crystal waited until the squad car parked, and the officer walked into the police station, and then she planted both her hands on Big Joe's chest and shoved him. Not that he budged.
She stomped on his boot, but even that attack did nothing to him. "Get out of my way."
"It's up to you to get Prez out." Big Joe reached out, grabbed Crystal's wrist, and set his pistol in the palm of her hand. Crystal recoiled, shoving the weapon back at Big Joe.
"Absolutely not." She let go of the gun and shook her head. "I'm not going to walk into the police station with a loaded pistol."
"I've got orders not to let you out of my sight." Big Joe sucked his stomach in, stuffed the pistol underneath his belt, and let his stomach back out, covering the weapon. "If you're determined to walk in there, the least you can do is go in there prepared. Prez will have my head in a helmet when he finds out I'm allowing you to go inside alone."
She rolled her eyes. "You heard him. You were supposed to bring me here. He didn't say anything about you coming with me. He'll understand that you're scared."
Big Joe growled. "I'm not scared. I've got a price on my head. Any minute one of those badges will walk out and shovel my ass into a pen. I'm not going back."
Crystal sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down. She was the only one out of the Lagsturns who could walk into the building without being arrested. Someone had to bail him out.
At least she hoped that's the reason Raul was inside the building. He hadn't mentioned anything about how the deal with Los Li went down when he'd called. He'd also refused to let her talk to him on the phone too, and Big Joe wasn't much of a talker.
"Listen. You can stay right here and watch me walk through the door. Once I'm inside, you leave. If we need a pickup, I'll call you myself," she said. "Now Raul's been waiting over an hour for me. I need to go inside."
Big Joe's mouth turned down. "What if you don't come out?"
"I'll come out after I talk with Raul. They can't arrest me. I've done nothing wrong today, besides trespass and starting a riot. But if you didn't notice, everyone was concentrated on what was happening to my dad. I'm old news. No one cares about me when everyone's attention is focused on the scandal rocking Las Vegas." She stepped away. "Everything will be fine. You'll see."
"Make it quick, chicki
e," Big Joe muttered. "I already regret listening to you."
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. I'll be fast."
She hurried away, feeling sorry for Big Joe. He only knew one side of the story. She had no idea if the Lagsturns figured out Raul's past or if Raul let everyone know he was ex-FBI during the takedown today. She pressed the plate on the side of the wall, heard the buzzer go off, and walked through the security door into the police station. It was a horrifying day waiting to get word that Raul was still alive.
He had no idea her dad used the members from Los Li to try to kill them both, or how scared she was when he never returned or called right away. It took four hours, and when Big Joe's phone rang, she about had a heart attack, her nerves were shot.
A female officer, stern and all business with her hair in a tight bun and no makeup, stepped out into the lobby and scanned Crystal's body before asking, "Can I help you?"
"I'm here to see Raul Sanchez. I'm Crystal..." She looked away, hoping she wouldn't have to say her real name. She had no idea which name Raul would use to ask for her.
The officer looked at her paperclip board on the counter and nodded. "Right this way, Ms. Rose."
She followed the officer down the hallway and stopped at a closed room. The other woman knocked and promptly opened the door. "You can go on in."
"Thank you," Crystal said.
She stepped inside the barren room, spotted Raul standing in front of the window, covered in blood splatter. She reached out to the doorframe. He was standing, looking beautiful, and his eyes were on her.
She ran. He caught her, and she squeezed him with all her strength. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't form one word on her lips. All she could do was hold him and notice his hands shook, and he held her extra tight while his hands roamed her body.
