Playing Dirty: San Diego Social Scene Book 3

by Tess Summers

  Command staff knew better than to tell him he couldn’t be part of the investigation, so he was right in the thick of things—from going through surveillance video the detectives had gathered of the three as they made their way through town to chasing down leads generated from the Amber Alert to personally calling commanders at the border points of entry to be sure they were aware of the situation.

  Luke didn’t let himself have a moment to breathe. He knew if he did, he would break down. The thought of losing Lucas was unfathomable, which is why he fought the captain when he told him to go home and sleep. He had to keep busy. The SWAT sergeant lost the battle with his superior and left.

  Unable to face going back to his now-empty house alone, he found himself mindlessly driving to Cassie’s. He knocked gently and checked the door to find it unlocked. He’d have to talk to her about that later.

  Maneuvering around unpacked boxes dispersed throughout the house, Cassie was nowhere to be found, which he was glad for. That meant she was being taken care of by Brenna, helping to alleviate some of his guilt for not being with her.

  The shower was hot when he stepped into it. As he washed his armpits, he thought about Lucas making muscles at breakfast to show him how strong drinking his milk was making him. He had fought back a smile as his son flexed, then made a big deal about how big Lucas’ muscles were getting to his son’s delight.

  That’s when Luke fucking lost it.

  The sobs wracked his body as he leaned his head against his forearm on Cassie’s brand new black marble shower tiles. His despair pouring out of him in waves.

  Was Lucas alright? Was he asking about his papa? Did he think Luke had abandoned him? What had Adriana told him? Luke was supposed to protect his son, and he’d failed.

  As the tears continued to flow, he was glad Cass was next door so she didn’t hear his anguish over his missing boy. He’d never felt so helpless in his entire life. He cried until he had no tears left. It was cathartic, and he shut the shower off with even more resolve to find Lucas. His little guy needed him, Luke would find his son if it was the last thing he did.

  He found a pair of pajama pants he’d left in one of Cassie’s drawers and laid in the newly delivered guest bed alone, tossing and turning. The house was eerily quiet. Since it was so late when he got there, he’d decided not to disturb Cassie, but now realized he needed to hold her if she’d let him.

  He used the key Brenna had given him when he was dog sitting to let himself into Brenna’s house. He was hoping not to wake them but knew if the dogs heard him, that possibility would be null. Still, Ron and Brenna would forgive him.

  Creeping into the guest room, he planned on slipping under the covers next to her but found the bed empty and made. He softly walked to the family room couch only to find it empty. Next, he tried the living room couch, also empty.

  Maybe she was sleeping with Brenna?

  He was sitting at the bottom of the stairs, debating if he should wake them up or go back to Cassie’s alone when the dogs finally got wind of him and appeared at his feet.

  They barked excitedly, causing Ron and Brenna to emerge at the top of the stairs. Standing in the dim light, Brenna reminded him of Cassie in her pink satin robe while Ron had bedhead and was tying his navy-blue terrycloth robe around his waist. Well, as much bedhead as the Marine commander could have with how short his hair was.

  “Everything okay, Luke? Any word?”

  He shook his head. “Sorry to wake you. No, no word. Where’s Cassie?”

  “Isn’t she at her house?” Brenna furrowed her brow, obviously confused. “We came home from the airport, and she was gone. I assumed she went home.”

  Luke refused to panic. She probably fell asleep on the couch, and he had simply missed her. He was out the door and sprinting to her house with Rex and Zona hot on his heels, and Ron and Brenna not far behind. They searched the entire house, top to bottom, with no sign of her. Her Lexus wasn’t in the garage because she’d left it at his house, and he’d noticed her purse had been sitting on the counter at Brenna’s, but they discovered her phone and keys were missing.

  Her phone picked up on the second ring, only it wasn’t Cassie’s voice on the other end.

  “Luke, my friend, are you just now realizing your whore is gone? It’s been hours, man! There’s no telling what could have happened to her by now. Who knows which cargo container she’s in at this hour,” sneered a male’s voice with a heavy Mexican accent.

  “What do you want?” Luke asked. His voice remarkably calm for what he was feeling.

  “Well, I want to use your bitch all night long. I’ve always had a thing for blondes. And pregnant ones? Oh, fuck yes. But my boss is determined to get the highest bidder for your baby girl, so he won’t let me play with mamasita until the auction is over. Apparently, if the mama is bruised, it tends to deter bidders. Now, when we auction your bitch, well, bruises and welts just show how good she can take it.”

  “Why are you telling me this? Where is she? Where is my son?

  “See, that’s the thing.” The caller’s chuckle was ominous. “He’s not really your son, is he? My boss wanted to make sure you learned a valuable lesson today about stealing what doesn’t belong to you. When you steal from powerful people, bad things happen. Some lessons are best learned the painful way.”

  Luke gritted his teeth. “Lucas is my son. Cassie and the baby have nothing to do with this.”

  “They did the day you decided to try to pass a Guzman child as your own,” the man scolded.

  “What are you talking about? I’m not raising anyone else’s son. Adriana is my wife, Lucas is mine. For fuck’s sake, all you have to do is look at him to know he’s my son!”

  That seemed to rattle the man on the other end, because he stammered, “Yeah, well,” before sneering, “I wonder if your daughter will look like you. Hehe, you’ll never know,” then hung up the line.

  Luke roared, heaving a box of unpacked dishes at the wall. The sound of them shattering provided only a temporary moment of satisfaction. He wanted to tear the house apart, a poor substitute for ripping to shreds whoever took his family. Instead of raining down more destruction, he leaned his head back against the newly painted wall as he caught his breath. Brenna looked at him with silent tears streaming down her face, and Ron was already on the phone with the chief. There were two police cars in the driveway in less than six minutes with many more arriving quickly behind, and the mobile command center bus was set up in Brenna’s drive less than an hour later. It looked like a fucking cop convention at the Sullivan sisters’.

  Her new neighbors had to be wondering who the hell just moved in he thought with a mirthless laugh and realized he only gave a shit because Cassie would.

  His resolve deepened. He was going to rip the motherfuckers who had his family, limb from limb. The caller had actually given them some good leads—the name Guzman meant they were obviously dealing with the cartel. By answering Cassie’s phone, it allowed them to easily ping the geographic position the call took place. Her Lexus had gone mobile, and they were able to track it to a different location than her phone through the anti-theft device installed in the car.

  Luke’s team was now doing surveillance on both locales and developing a plan to storm them simultaneously. Luke was following the events from the command center. The chief refused to let him leave, citing Luke’s personal involvement, coupled with his lack of sleep might cloud his judgment. His judgment wasn’t so bad he disagreed, so he thought that had to say something.

  Luke had known since Brenna’s daughter’s car accident in May, Ron was a fucking rock star, but he was seeing it in action tonight. Ron had helicopters available should the department need backup choppers and was a goddamn strategy genius, weighing in with his opinions on how to coordinate synchronized raids. Luke was feeling optimistic when Ron sat down beside him and diplomatically suggested he try to get an hour’s rest.

  “You’re running on empty, Luke. You’ve been up for almost t
wenty-four hours straight, you’re not going to be any good to anyone if you don’t recharge, at least for a little while. Your guys have everything under control and are on standby for at least another hour until we make sure all the bases are covered and we get a little daylight. You’re not thinking straight right now, go get some shut-eye. I will come get you personally if anything develops before you get back. You have my word.”

  Luke didn’t know how it was going to be possible to sleep but knew he had to try. He had to have his shit together when his team breached the locations where her phone and car were if for no other reason than to be ready to leave to get to Cassie and his son.

  “Good man,” Ron patted his back when he made his way toward the door of the mobile police station. “I’ll come get you in ninety minutes or sooner if something happens before then.”

  Luke gave a small smile and turned to his, hopefully, future brother-in-law. “Thanks, Ron.”

  “We’ll find them,” was the Marine general’s stoic reply before turning back to the activity in the bus.

  Brenna and Cassie’s parents were at Brenna’s, and he knew he should earn brownie points and go talk to them but didn’t have the energy, so he went to Cassie’s place instead. There were a few detectives still processing the house, but since they thought the abduction took place next door, there wasn’t much to manage.

  Luke whistled for Rex, and the two made their way upstairs to Cassie’s bedroom. Luke sat down on her bed, realizing only then, he was clad in his pajama pants from earlier. He plugged his phone into her charger while Rex did three circles next to the bed and settled down with a loud sigh.

  He laid down on her pillow, breathing in her smell. He was finally in her bed again, and he hated it, he thought with a bitter laugh. But her scent provided a bit of comfort and allowed him to relax if only a little. Rex understood things were amiss and let out a whine.

  “We’ll get them back, buddy,” Luke promised before slipping into a fitful sleep.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Cassie

  The handsome, uniformed officer smiled and waved at her when she saw him through the window at Brenna’s door. Brenna had left to go to the airport to pick up Ron but only after Cassie assured her she’d be fine by herself. She didn’t want to make her brother-in-law take an Uber. Besides, she was planning on lying on the couch until they got back. Or pacing. Or pacing, then lying down and getting up to pace again.

  Rex and Zona were going ballistic at the man at the door, so she stepped outside to talk to him. Hopefully, he was bringing her good news about Lucas.

  Cassie swatted her neck when she felt something like a bee sting the second she closed the door. She whirled around to find another man with a shaved head had appeared, probably from the bushes because she hadn’t noticed him before. This one wore jeans and a blue button-up shirt fastened to the top but with no tie. He also was holding a hypodermic needle. She started to feel dizzy, and the man in the uniform put his hand around her waist, as if to steady her.

  “Go to sleep, mamasita. Don’t fight it,” were the last words she heard before passing out.

  ****

  Why was it so hard to open her eyes? Or even move for that matter? It was like her body was refusing to cooperate even though she was willing herself with all her might to wake up. Finally, her eyes fluttered open, only to find she had no idea where she was.

  She was lying in an ornately carved four-poster bed in a bedroom suite opulently decorated in maroon and gold colors and antique mahogany furniture. The deep red paisley comforter was thick with gold corded piping and matched the heavy drapes covering the windows. An elaborate light fixture hanging in the middle of the room complemented the decor.

  About the time she was appreciating the high thread count sheets was the same time the events of the day came back to her. It’s also when she noticed the cameras throughout the room, and she was now dressed in a white cotton nightgown with a blue bow along the neckline. Fortunately, her bra and panties remained on.

  She really had to pee and was praying one of the many doors in the room led to a bathroom, hopefully, without cameras. Unsteadily dropping her feet to the floor, she jumped a mile when a deep male voice with a heavy Spanish accent sounded from nowhere.

  “Oh good, you’re awake.”

  Cassie frantically looked around the room, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from, only to find she was alone. Was she imagining things?

  “Hello?” she called out, tiptoeing toward the door that was her best guess as the bathroom.

  The voice came again, “Please, have a shower or bath, Ms. Sullivan. My servants will bring you your clothes for today, along with breakfast. Unless you are hungry now?”

  “What time is it?” she called.

  “Time doesn’t matter here,” was his cryptic reply.

  “I’m trying to figure out the last time I ate so I can decide if…”

  She was interrupted by the heavy, wooden double doors opening and two middle-aged women in maid’s uniforms scuttling in. One was pushing a cart of food while the other scampered to open the drapes, which brightened the room immediately and revealed a beautiful balcony where the morning sun was shining.

  The woman pushing the cart asked in Spanish, “Would you like to eat inside or on the terrace?”

  Cassie hesitated; did she let them know she could understand?

  The voice said, “She asked if you’d like breakfast inside or outside.”

  Well, that decision was made.

  “Outside, please,” she said with a smile at the woman as she gestured to the French doors. Then with a questioning expression, asked, “Bathroom?”

  The maid looked quizzically at her, then at the other servant who translated. The woman pushing the cart laughed and said, “Ohhh,” then pointed to one of the doors.

  “Thank you,” Cassie murmured and started walking to where the woman had indicated.

  Once inside the room, she closed and locked the door and looked around for cameras. Seeing none, she used the restroom and washed her hands, then quickly brushed her teeth with the new toothbrush still in the package sitting on the counter. Leaving the water running, she quietly went through all the drawers, unsure of what she was looking for but thinking maybe she’d know it when she saw it. There was nothing that stood out, not even nail clippers, just toiletries and cosmetics. All the brands she used, she noted.

  Cassie didn’t know if the servants were waiting for her, so she hastily shut off the water and ventured out to the balcony, briefly pausing at the open doors leading to the hallway, then remembering she was probably being watched.

  Instead of sitting at the table set for two, she walked to the stone railing overlooking the grounds. She was at least three stories up, too far for her to jump in her current condition. The landscaping was magnificent like something you’d see in a movie. There had to be a full-time staff dedicated solely to maintaining the blooming flowers, immaculately trimmed hedges and trees, and the greenest grass she’d ever seen.

  “Wow,” she said with a small gasp.

  “I’m glad you like it,” the male voice said, only this time it was in person and not through a speaker.

  She spun around and gasped again. The man standing beside the table could only be described as flawless. He was tall with caramel colored complexion and appeared to be in his forties. His jet-black hair had the perfect amount of grey to make him look distinguished, and he wore a suit that was obviously custom-made and tailored beautifully to his athletic body.

  “Please,” he gestured to a seat at the table with an outstretched arm, “join me.”

  Cassie tentatively walked toward the table. He pulled her chair out, then sat down opposite her.

  “Are you able to eat or do you experience morning sickness?” he asked while one of the matronly servants set down a plateful of hot food in front of her. The other served him once Cassie’s plate was put down, and he looked at the women with a smile and thanked them
, telling them in Spanish, “That will be all.” They scurried out, but the man barely noticed, his gaze fixed on Cassie, waiting for a response.

  She glanced down at the plate full of piping hot food in front of her. “I—I’m usually able to eat. Although I don’t know if I will be able to today, having been kidnapped and all.”

  “Yes,” he sighed. “It is unfortunate how you came to be here but be glad you ended up here and not somewhere where you would have been treated… less hospitably.”

  “Who are you? Why am I here?”

  “My name is Dante Guzman. You’re here because my idiot nephew is seeking revenge against your boyfriend.”

  “I don’t understand. My boyfriend? I don’t have a boyfriend. Do you mean Luke? What did he do? Did he arrest your nephew or something?”

  The man chuckled. “No, he is trying to claim my cousin’s son as his.”

  “His son? Lucas? Your nephew thinks Lucas is his?” The idea made her start to giggle in disbelief.

  “What is so funny?” he asked as he laid the cloth napkin on his lap.

  Following his lead, she placed her napkin across her legs. “All you have to do is look at Lucas to know who he belongs to. He is the spitting image of his papa.”

  The man frowned but said nothing more than, “Hmm.”

  “How is me being here revenge against Luke? Are you going to kill me?”

  It was the man’s turn to chuckle. “My dear, Cassandra, if I was going to bother killing you, I wouldn’t have welcomed you into my home to do it.”

  “Then why am I here?” She was getting agitated and took a sip of the orange juice in front of her.

  “That part is not so pleasant, I’m afraid. You’re here until your baby is born.”

  “You want me to give birth here? Why? Then what happens?” She was glad she hadn’t eaten yet because it would have certainly come back up right now.

  “Well, your daughter will go to her adoptive parents, and you will go to your new husband.”