Diamond in the Rough (Diamond J #2)

by Lori L. Robinett

  He shifted on the pallet, gathering his feet under him. “You drive the semi and I’ll drive the truck. I’ll send one of the boys back here—”

  Lana held up her hand, palm out. “No. Me and Steve’ll go back to the compound. Then we’ll decide what to do with him.” She reached out a toe and poked at the blanket. The kid mewled pitifully.

  Steve grinned and held out his hand. Rondo couldn’t stand the little prick. Steve was too slick. Too sneaky. He was always going off on his own, his phone tucked tightly against his ear. And the way he wore his ball cap pulled low over his eyes. Steve wiggled his fingers, palm up.

  Lana warned, “Rondo. Now. We ain’t got time for attitude.”

  Rondo clenched his fists. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his hands around her neck and squeeze. He sucked in a deep breath and fought to control his temper. What mattered now was the family, and the first thing he needed to do was keep the kid safe, because if they crossed the line and ended up wanted for murder, the whole family would suffer.

  He straightened out his right leg, then pulled the keys from his front jeans pocket. He tossed them to Steve, who snatched them out of the air with a flourish and grin.

  Rondo ignored him and turned to Lana. “Want me to do some checking? Find out who he is?”

  She looked at him and arched her thinly penciled eyebrows. “Why?”

  Rondo gave a short laugh. “We could ransom him. Make some money off this clusterfuck.”

  Lana answered with a wry laugh of her own. “Sounds like a lot of trouble to me. Probably better if you dispose of it.”

  Rondo shook his head slowly. “Not a good idea.” Murder wasn’t their way. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to be the one to do it.

  She waved her hand to indicate the storage room. “Concrete walls. Basement. Wait until tomorrow when the business upstairs is in full gear and no one’ll hear a thing.”

  He pressed his lips together and sighed. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Lana scared him. She was crazy. He’d seen her slit a man’s throat and leave him to bleed out in the dirt one night around the bonfire back at the compound. He wasn’t even sure what Deke had said to her, but because Lana was Rondo’s woman, he’d let her get by with it.

  Lana opened the heavy door with a grunt, then followed Steve out. After the door slammed shut with a thud, her curly red halo of hair appeared in the small window. The diamond shaped mesh embedded in the glass looked like slashes across her pale face. She grinned, then disappeared.

  The sudden silence was jarring. Rondo pushed to his feet and hurried across the cracked linoleum floor to lock the door. After he twisted the knob to make sure it was locked, he reached up and flipped the deadbolt closed too. He turned and stared at the lump on the pallet, then turned back to look at the door.

  A deadbolt inside a storage room? That was odd.

  He turned back to see the kid wiggling free of the blanket.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  He’s Missing!

  Aidan paced the width of the front porch, still clutching his cell phone. He rubbed at the furrows between his eyebrows. What had happened? How had the night gone so wrong? Gina had insisted on walking the backyard again, crisscrossing the field between the house and the pond with Charlotte. Aidan looked up the driveway again, searching for headlights. He glanced at his watch. It had only been fifteen minutes since he’d called the Sheriff, but he hoped one of the deputies was nearby.

  Movement along the fence row caught his eye. Joe jogged across the yard and waved something in the air. Aidan peered at him, then hurried down the steps to meet the other ranch hand.

  Joe held up a little toy horse. He breathed heavily with exertion, but said, “Found this by the gate.”

  Aidan took the plastic toy and held it up to the light. His shoulders drooped when he recognized it. It felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. “Damn.” He turned on his heel and tossed over his shoulder, “You wait here for the Sheriff. I’m going to go get Gina.”

  He strode around the side of the house, his long legs eating up ground. He spotted the two flashlight beams sweeping the edge of the field, and hurried toward the closest one. He waved his hands over his head and shouted to get their attention. The two shadows moved toward him, the slimmer one moving faster. He met Gina at the edge of the patio and grabbed her arm. “Joe found this out by the gate.”

  She blinked at the toy. “The gate?” She looked up at him, her eyes wide.

  He nodded, but she didn’t respond. It hadn’t sunk in yet. “Where the cattle were taken.”

  Her jaw dropped and her whole body drooped. He caught her as she began to shake her head. “No. No, that’s not — how did he get out there? Why would he have been out there?” She choked back a sob and wrapped her arms around herself, then began to rock back and forth.

  He steered her toward the house. “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. What matters is—”

  “Finding my son.” She pushed away from him and stomped across the patio.

  He followed close on her heels. He could only imagine the pain she was feeling. Guilt nagged at him. “The Sheriff should be here any—”

  “No time to wait.” She jerked the kitchen door open and snagged her purse. She tugged her keys out of it and hurried across the living room and out the back door.

  He trailed behind her as she yanked her car door open. She slid in and slammed the door. He leaned in and watched helplessly as she rammed the key into the ignition, missing her mark twice, but hitting it on the third. “Please,” he pleaded as he ran to the passenger side and slid in. “The Sheriff—”

  She twisted the key and the car sputtered and died. She slammed her fist into the steering wheel. “Start, you son of a bitch! Start!” She twisted the key again and pumped the gas. This time the engine caught and roared to life. She threw the transmission in reverse, hit the gas and spun the wheel.

  Joe jumped out of the way as she shifted into drive and threw gravel. The little car fishtailed, then straightened out as she pointed it at the driveway. Headlights turned into the driveway and headed straight for them. For a moment, Aidan thought she wasn’t going to give, wasn’t going to slow.

  “The Sheriff!” he shouted and pointed at the oncoming headlights. He grabbed the dash as she jerked the wheel to the side and roared past the cruiser, missing it by mere inches. He glanced back and saw brake lights. Lord help ‘em if the deputy came after them, because he knew Gina wouldn’t stop for anything. He turned back around as Gina jerked the wheel to the right and the tires squealed onto the blacktop. The little car raced forward, engine whining, and she didn’t let up. Telephone poles flashed past, trees were a blur. He hoped like hell that no deer tried to cross the road.

  When they reached the state highway, she screeched to a stop and her head swiveled right then left, then back again. She turned to look at Aidan, her eyes wide and wild with fear. “Which way?” she demanded.

  He shrugged and said helplessly, “I don’t know.” He took a deep breath and tried to guess where the rustlers might be headed.

  “Think,” she hissed. “Which way would they go? Where would they take a load of cattle?”

  He chewed his bottom lip. He thought out loud. “The sale barn wouldn’t be safe. Everyone there knows our brand.”

  She made a rolling motion with her hand. “Okay, so not the sale barn here. Are there any others nearby?”

  He shook his head. They always used Angell’s place. He didn’t know the others in the area. Sirens sounded behind them and Gina looked up into the rearview mirror as Aidan glanced over his shoulder. Flashing lights strobed across them. Gina clutched the wheel tightly and pressed her lips together.

  “Don’t do it,” Aidan warned.

  But she did.

  Aidan braced his hands against the dash as she stomped on the gas and spun the wheel. The car leapt forward and the engine roared, then coughed and sputtered and they rolled to a stop.

  Gina slumped forward a
nd banged her head against the steering wheel. “No, no, no,” she repeated softly.

  Aidan reached over to touch her shoulders, and felt them convulse with her sobs. “We’re going to find him,” he promised. A cold chill passed through him. He’d find Toby, and he’d find the cattle. Whoever did this would pay.

  Gina shook Aidan’s hand off her shoulder. This was all his fault. If they hadn’t been out at the Diamond J, Toby wouldn’t have been caught up in this. It didn’t make sense. Why was he outside? She had left him inside the house by himself watching television. The way the front door was standing open, he’d obviously gone looking for her. How long had she been outside with Aidan?

  She’d been so excited, so relieved, by the offer from Signet. Then the night with Aidan had been perfect. They had strolled along, holding hands like they were in high school. Then they made out by the pond, under the moon as stars, like some fantasy.

  Well, damn it, she didn’t deserve a fantasy. She was a single mother, and her first priority was her son. Had to be her son. She never should have left him alone in a strange house like that. What had she been thinking?

  She huffed and sat up straight. She hadn’t been thinking. That was the problem. She glanced in the rear view mirror and watched as the deputy got out of his car. The strobing lights made her head throb, so she looked away, out into the darkness. The deputy walked up and tapped on her window.

  “Roll the window down,” prompted Aidan softly.

  Gina shook her head. “Right.” She cranked the window handle and took a deep breath. She had to get her emotions under control. Her son was depending on her.

  The officer leaned down and gripped the door. “Gina Montgomery?”

  “Yes, sir.” She looked up, expecting to see a deputy. Instead, the Sheriff himself glared down at her. She gripped the wheel tightly, her knuckles white. “I’m sorry—”

  “That’s enough.” He slapped his hand on the door frame as he leaned down. He looked past her. “Aidan.”

  Aidan nodded in response. “Sheriff.”

  The Sheriff’s voice softened. “Ma’am, this isn’t helping your boy. Why don’t you let Aidan drive.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. An order. “You two can follow me back to the Diamond J and we’ll work out how we’re going to get your son home.”

  Gina swallowed past the lump in her throat that threatened to strangle her. Every fiber of her being was taut with the need to do something, to take action, to go out there and run as far and fast as she could until she found Toby. She pressed her lips together and nodded brusquely. Aidan reached over and wrapped his hand over hers and gently pulled it off the steering wheel. He squeezed her fingers in his and nodded to her. The depth of concern in his eyes was touching.

  He probably thought she was out of her mind.

  And he wouldn’t be wrong.

  Half an hour later, she sat across the plank table from the Sheriff, with Aidan close beside her. Charlotte filled their coffee cups, then hovered behind the Sheriff, wringing a tea towel in her hands.

  The Sheriff said, “We don’t know for sure the cattle rustlers have Toby. Is his father in the picture?”

  Gina felt her hackles raise. Of course the rustlers had Toby, otherwise why would his toy horse have been out there? “I don’t know where his dad is. He lives in town, but he didn’t answer his phone when I tried to call him a few minutes ago.” This was a waste of time.

  The Sheriff flipped his notebook open. “His name?”

  “Steve Potts.”

  The Sheriff’s head snapped up. “Steve Potts? Local guy? On the thin side?”

  Gina cocked her head and frowned. “Yes.” Of course the Sheriff knew him. Law enforcement all throughout Cardwell County knew Steve. “But he wouldn’t do anything to hurt our son. He may be a lousy criminal, but he wouldn’t do anything to put Toby in danger.”

  “You said you don’t know where he is.” The Sheriff leaned forward. “When did you see him last?”

  Gina shrugged. “I don’t know. Last weekend, Toby’s birthday, I guess.”

  “Have you talked to him on the phone?”

  This was absurd. A waste of time. “No. He hasn’t been answering.” Hadn’t she just said that?

  The Sheriff sat back in his chair. “Try to call him now.”

  “I tried already. I’ve left a dozen messages for him since Toby disappeared.” She squirmed in her seat. It didn’t matter where Steve was. What mattered was her son.

  Aidan leaned forward on his elbows. “What are you getting at, Sheriff?” His eyebrows pushed together as he stared at the officer.

  The Sheriff shifted in his seat. “I may know how to get a hold of him, and he might be able to help.”

  Gina sat back. “What?” Her eyes narrowed.

  “What I’m going to say here can’t be repeated.” The Sheriff looked around, making eye contact with everyone in the room. His gaze settled on Gina. He punctuated his words by tapping his index finger on the table. “I mean it. It can go no further.”

  “Sheriff?” Aidan asked.

  “Aidan, please.” The Sheriff held up his hand, palm out, then turned to face Gina. “Ma’am, I need your word.”

  Gina nodded and blinked. A tear slid down her cheek. She had no idea what was going on, or what this had to do with her son.

  “Your husband is an undercover agent with the Rural Crimes Task Force.”

  Gina straightened in the wooden chair and shook her head. Had she heard him right? “Undercover?”

  “Yes. He’s been working undercover gathering information and evidence on a cattle rustling ring.”

  Aidan slapped the table. “Then that’s it! Toby is safe!”

  Charlotte murmured, “Praise the saints.”

  The Sheriff pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “I’ll send a message to Steve.”

  “Be careful,” Aidan warned.

  Gina echoed his concerns. How could they alert Steve without giving him away, without putting Toby at risk? The Sheriff tapped a message out, clicked send and sat the phone in front of him. The Sheriff tapped his pen on the table while they all stared at his cell phone.

  The grandfather clock in the hallway ticked out the seconds. The silence in the room was deafening. They all stared at the cell phone lying on the table.

  Aidan asked, “So, you’ve been going after these rustlers for a while?”

  The Sheriff nodded.

  “Where do they take the cattle?”

  The Sheriff took a sip of coffee and grimaced. “That’s the problem. They’ve never taken Steve with them when they deliver the cattle. He’s just been there for the theft itself, but tonight he was going in the cattle hauler with the leader of the gang.”

  “Let’s think about this.” Charlotte said. “They steal a herd of cattle, they aren’t going to want to keep them around for long, so they’d take them to a sale barn, right?”

  “First thing they do is strip them of identification. Cut off their ear tags, rebrand ‘em, that sort of thing. Probably mix ‘em in with legit stock blend ‘em in.” The Sheriff continued, “We think they were taking them out of state, based on how long the cattle hauler was away from the compound, but the last couple of herds have only been short runs.”

  Charlotte frowned. “Have you checked out the sale barns around here?” She shook her head and clucked. “I can’t imagine Angell’s doing anything untoward.”

  The Sheriff scoffed at the suggestion. “No. We’re confident none of the sale barns in the tri-state area would take stolen cattle.”

  Gina asked, “So, if they don’t take them to a sale barn, where would they take them? Are they hiding them at another ranch or something?”

  The Sheriff clicked his pen several times as his brow furrowed. “The problem is, tonight they almost got caught. They’ll need to unload those animals quick. No time to go through the usual routine.”

  Aidan snapped his fingers. “I think I know.” His voice was cold and hard.

  Gin
a swiveled to look at him. His face was ashen. “What?” She grabbed his hand and squeezed. If he knew …

  “My father owns a huge meat processing company. They treat cattle like a product. It’s all about volume. The BMC is run by a guy named Brennan, a scumbag who wouldn’t care where the stock came from to get more pounds through the door.” He pushed to his feet, scraping his chair back from the table. “As long as there were no inspectors around, he’d take anything.”

  The Sheriff pushed his chair back, too, but Gina held out a hand to stop him. “If you go in there guns blazing, Toby could get hurt.” She didn’t care about the cattle or the crooks. All she cared about was her son.

  “But I can go.” Aidan pushed his chair in and stood behind it, gripping the back. “I’ll take a look around and report back.”

  Gina jumped to her feet. “I’m going with you.”

  “No. No, absolutely not.” Aidan shook his head and wagged his finger at her. “Not a chance.”

  She glared at him. Like he had a choice in the matter. “I’m going and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  “Listen, son, I’m not crazy about letting you go in there, but I’ve got sense enough to see that might be the best way to save her little boy.” The Sheriff put his hand on Aidan’s arm. “I’ll follow you, but hang back. You go in there, observe, then report to me. Got it?”

  Aidan nodded once, then spun on his heel and hurried out the door. Gina jogged to keep up with him as he strode across the driveway. He was already turning the key in the ignition of his truck by the time she climbed in. She buckled her seat belt as they reversed out of the parking spot. The Sheriff pulled out right behind them. Charlotte stood in the driveway and watched them, still wringing the tea towel gripped in her hands.

  “This isn’t a good idea,” Aidan said as he glanced over at her.