The side gate stood ajar.
She peered into the back yard, but it was also empty.
This was her life. Why did she ever think she could be someone normal?
Dina edged toward the back patio door.
The security bar was up. There was no sign of movement or anything.
She reached for the handle and sucked down a deep breath.
This was going to be one of the most disgusting things she’d ever experienced
Dina opened the back door. The smell hit her like a wall. Her eyes watered and the sound of buzzing roared in her ears. She gasped, inhaling the putrid fragrance of death. It filled her lungs, clogging her nose. She turned and stumbled a few feet away, sucking in clean air through her mouth.
She couldn’t do this.
Her best bet was to rent a car and drive. She could go to a new city and make some contacts, pick a destination. But she couldn’t go in there.
The sound of tires squealing made the hair on the back of her neck rise.
Were the neighbors home? Did Rudy have friends coming over? Or—
“Get the cans.”
Dina froze. She knew that voice. He might be older now, but she knew who that was.
Phillip.
She whirled, looking for an escape, but she didn’t know where to go. If they saw her, they’d kill her. She had to stay out of sight.
Dina fled into the house, pulling the glass door shut behind her. Flies whizzed past her. A few landed on her arms. She shuddered and shook them off.
Where to hide?
Not in the kitchen.
The buzzing was coming from the living room.
She darted through the archway down the hall.
A coat closet.
She pulled the door open and stared at a wall of stuff.
Shit.
The sliding door squeaked.
She had to make this work.
Dina stepped past the old vacuum cleaner and found a place for her foot. She grasped the shelf over the rod and hauled herself into the hiding spot. Contorting herself to close the door was another matter, but she got it done.
The smell wasn’t as bad. The droning of flies was lessened. But she was a sitting duck in here if they found her.
She closed her eyes and listened to the muted voices of the two boys she’d grown up with in the next room.
Were they the ones who’d killed Rudy? Had they found him? Was that the way they’d tracked her to Ransom?
Dina covered her mouth and nose with her hand, eyes closed.
This wasn’t any way to live.
PHILLIP FELT AS THOUGH he were in a daze.
The sun cast long shadows across the street. The quiet neighborhood bode well for this little endeavor.
The burger Phillip had eaten sat like led in his stomach.
When Little Tony killed the cop, it was like a switch had been flipped. He’d killed their contact with no hesitation, then the guy in the parking lot. Both times it was unnecessary and without warning.
He would be a fool to say he was blindsided by the change.
The signals had always been there, he’d simply chosen to ignore them.
If anyone was going to put Little Tony down, it should be Phillip. It was only right.
He killed the car engine and got out into the hot, sticky evening.
“Get the cans,” he said to Little Tony.
Phillip needed to get inside and decide how he was going to do this.
If Little Tony saw it coming, Phillip wouldn’t stand a chance. He had to catch little Tony unaware.
Phillip entered the back yard through the open gate. They were lucky no one had ventured back here.
At the glass sliding doors he paused and peered inside. Already he could smell the odor of decomposition. With this heat the decomp would work faster. The air conditioning would only help so much.
Phillip pulled his shirt up over his nose then opened the back door. Sure enough, the odor sucker punched him.
“Oh, that smells awful.” He shook his head and stepped inside.
“Where are we putting these?” Little Tony stopped behind Phillip, two gas cans in either hand.
“One in the living room, one in the kitchen, then one on either corner of the house.” Phillip figured their best hope was in making the fire spread wide and collapsing the house before first responders could put it out. If he could only wound LT, the fire could then do the rest.
Little Tony set one can down in the kitchen then proceeded down the hall.
Phillip watched his friend duck into a bedroom on the other side of the house.
This was it.
He stepped into the living room and drew his gun. He’d never killed anyone before. Never had to. They worked with gamblers. Their profit died up if they murdered someone.
Little Tony’s heavy footsteps came closer.
Phillip took a step back and faced the body. The limbs were bloated and the skin a purple-black color.
“He might be too wet to burn,” LT said.
Phillip didn’t want to know how he knew that.
Little Tony grasped the can and twisted off the cap, then began pouring the gasoline on the carpet and the body.
Now.
Phillip lifted his gun.
Little Tony went still. He couldn’t see Phillip, there wasn’t a way, and yet they both knew what was playing out here.
“Is this you or D?” Little Tony asked. He lifted his head and let the can hang from his fingers.
“We both agree you’re a liability. You’re sick, LT.” Phillip’s hand shook.
“I’ve only ever done what’s best for us,” Little Tony said.
There was no one on this planet who was more protective, more loyal than LT. Phillip knew that. But he also knew LT had changed.
“I know, man. I—”
Little Tony whirled, flinging the can.
Phillip fired, then again, the shot going wild.
Little Tony lurched backward, but caught himself on the arm chair. Blood darkened his shirt. His face twisted, the rage coming on.
If LT got his hands on Phillip, he was dead.
He pulled the trigger again.
Little Tony threw himself toward the kitchen.
It was only then that Phillip saw the flames licking up the side of the room, devouring the drapes.
“Shit,” Phillip muttered.
He was not getting stuck in a cook box. His first instinct was to look for Little Tony. A bloody handprint on the wall and a smear on the back door were the only remnants of his friend and partner.
“Shit. Shit. Shit.” Phillip darted into the kitchen, gun up.
Would Little Tony prioritize escape or revenge?
A car engine started up, answering that question.
It was time Phillip worried about himself.
16.
TREVOR LEANED FORWARD, his hands braced on Liam’s dash. Alex’s large SUV was impossible to see around. The emergency lights made it worse to pick out what was happening down the street.
They’d all seen the smoke.
“How close are we?” he asked.
Alex’s vehicle slowed.
Trevor leaned toward Liam and saw the small house, flames licking out of the window, rising from the roof.
“The car’s around here somewhere,” he said.
“Dina?” Trevor’s heart leapt to his throat.
“Trevor—”
“Dina!” He ripped the seatbelt off and threw himself out of the car.
Alex was on the lawn, his radio in hand. He reached for Trevor but he shoved his friend away, sprinting for the door.
“Dina! Answer me.”
Trevor ran right up to the door. He knew better than to grasp the metal knob. Instead he lifted his booted foot and kicked.
“Damn it, Trevor.” Alex grabbed his arm. “Together. One, two, three!”
They both nailed the door. The top and middle hinges popped and the wood casing gave way. Trevor gr
abbed the edge of the door and yanked. He pitched backward as the door came free.
“I’ve got her,” Alex yelled.
Trevor staggered back, letting the door fall to the ground.
Alex had his arm around Dina’s waist. Her head sagged forward and her whole body shuddered.
“Get away from there,” Liam hollered.
“Come on.” Trevor grabbed Dina under the arms and together the three of them made it to the sidewalk.
“We need to move the cars. Fire department is on their way.” Liam had his phone pressed to his ear.
“Is there anyone else in there?” Alex eased his hold on Dina.
“No,” she coughed out. “Rudy’s dead.”
“Here. Sit her down and get her to drink.” Liam thrust a bottle of water at Trevor.
“Are you hurt?” Trevor eased Dina to the ground.
“No.” She braced her hands on the ground and coughed.
“What happened? What were you thinking running off like that?” He bent and kissed the top of her head. The scent of smoke clung to her.
“Phillip and Little Tony.” She finally took a long pull from the water bottle as the first police cruiser and a fire truck rolled up.
Alex took over directing them freeing Trevor to focus on her.
When they’d pulled up, he’d thought she was dead. She very well might have been if they didn’t take that door down when they did.
“Here. Over here.” Alex waved a stretcher and a team of EMTs over to them.
Trevor backed up, making room for the professionals.
She didn’t appear hurt besides some soot stained clothing and streaks on her face. The tear tracks from her eyes watering were the worst.
“Trevor?” Alex called out.
Trevor nodded and got to his feet, walking the short distance to where Alex and Liam stood together with another uniformed officer.
“What the hell just happened?” Alex asked.
“Dina had a friend that lived here named Rudy. She was coming here for help, but it sounds like the two guys who broke into her house were coming here, too. Not sure why.” Trevor stared at Alex. “She’s in danger. The same two guys who did this? They killed my partner earlier tonight.”
“Parson? Shit.” Alex gaped at Trevor.
Helping Dina used to be about doing what was right. Now it was personal Trevor wanted to nail Phillip, Little Tony and her brother. They’d messed with the wrong people. They’d disrupted their quiet lives and robbed families of their loved ones.
No more.
DINA SAT AT THE table, staring at the polished floor while Trevor, Liam and Alex stood on the porch of the cabin talking. Probably about her.
In her wildest dreams she couldn’t have cooked tonight up.
What was going on with Phillip and Little Tony?
She’d heard the yells and the gunshots. A neighbor had come out after the police arrived to say they’d seen one man drive off, leaving a second to run for it. Neither had been caught.
Why were they fighting?
Why had they gone back to Rudy’s?
Focusing on the things she didn’t know was easier than accepting what she did.
Her external drive was gone.
The new laptop was gone. Some of the data had been saved on her cloud account, but she’d more than likely lost it all. Her means for starting over were gone.
She’d broken Trevor’s trust by stealing his borrowed car and running.
Two men were dead because of her.
And she’d stolen Trevor’s family ring.
She twisted the gaudy gold thing around her finger. The action soothed her raw insides.
The cabin door opened and Trevor stood there, the porch light creating a halo around his head. The light glinted off the sun bleached streaks in his hair.
“Thanks. I’ll make sure to check in. Have a safe drive.” He waved and a moment later two engines started up.
Headlights shone through the open windows, momentarily blinding her. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound fade.
The longer the silence went on the tighter her insides wound. She could hardly breathe. Her heart felt as though it were caged, unable to pump.
From the moment she’d dove through the burning door at Rudy’s Trevor had been in officer mode. He’d taken care of her physical needs. He’d helped work the scene and guide first responders. He’d stood guard while the EMTs looked her over, then sat with her while she gave a statement. At some point Jenna and the woman named Sterling had shown up and taken the car, leaving them to pile into Liam’s truck for the drive back to Ransom.
They hadn’t really spoken, but she knew once it was the two of them Trevor would have a lot to say. Whatever his judgment of her, it was probably right. She hadn’t done right by him. Again. And all he’d ever tried to do was help her.
The thud of a boot on wood planking reverberated through the cabin. She could even feel it through her thin flip-flops. Another thud and another, coming closer toward her.
She swallowed and opened her eyes.
Trevor stood a few feet away, his gaze on hers. It wasn’t the same warm, open stare. His walls were up. He was pissed and rightfully so.
“How are you feeling?” he asked. It wasn’t a tender question. It was more of his inner cop showing through. Like it or not, he was a caretaker heart.
“Fine, thanks.”
“Have you drank any more water?”
“Yeah.” She nodded at the sink. A blue plastic cup sat on the counter.
Trevor pulled out the chair adjacent to hers and sat. They’d been exactly here last night as well, but things had gone differently. She’d been the one angry, and he’d soothed her. Last night she hadn’t known if she could fully understand or trust Trevor. Then she’d met Elisabeth and his parents and now Dina understood him on a deeper level.
She wished she hadn’t run. She wished she’d stayed where she’d been and trusted him.
Maybe staying in Ransom was signing her inevitable death warrant, but all running did was create more targets. At the very least she could be a little happy.
She had to say something. She had to make him understand. But how? What could she possibly say to him that might make this all okay?
“Dina—”
“Trevor—”
They each lifted their gaze to the other.
So many questions floated between them.
She reached for his hand splayed on the tabletop and covered it with hers.
“I messed up,” she said.
He didn’t deny that.
“When you said—about Parson—all I saw was you. Dead. Because of me. I—I care about you.” No, her feelings were stronger than that, but she hadn’t examined them too closely. It was enough that she wanted to stay for now. “The last thing I wanted was for you, your family, anyone to die because of me.”
“Parson was doing his job.” Trevor turned his hand in hers until they could hold on to each other. “Dispatch said he radioed in about two guys possibly braking into a police issue vehicle. He probably knew it was mine. Thought my gear was in there. And he went to do his job.”
“But Phillip and Little Tony wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me. If I’d moved or left or...” Never come here.
“Dina?”
She closed her mouth.
“Parson died doing his job. That’s not your fault. You didn’t pull the trigger. You aren’t hunting anyone down. Stop taking the blame.”
Those four words slapped her. A blush crept up her neck and her cheeks burned in shame.
“Do you want to leave? Do you want to run? What do you want?” Trevor dragged his chair closer and leaned toward her. “Tell me. Please. Just—tell me. If that’s what you want I’ll take you to a bus station or the airport or wherever you want to go tomorrow.”
“No.” Her throat constricted and she sucked in a breath. A tickle started down low, and she coughed.
Trevor got up and grabbed her anothe
r glass of water. Her hands shook holding the glass.
She hadn’t realized what she’d found until she was leaving it in her rearview mirror. That was when it hit her, that her feelings went deeper, that she finally had something she wanted to fight for. And she was leaving it. If she’d been smart she’d have turned around, but she’d been afraid for Trevor. So she kept going.
Dina drank from her cup, downing all of it. She might need to say a lot and a dry throat wouldn’t get her through everything inside of her. Her fingers wrapped around the blue cup, squeezing it tight since he’d remained on his side of the table.
“Better?” He leaned forward, perching his elbows on his knees.
“No, I don’t want to leave.” She stared back at him, willing him to see her truth. “I thought I did what was best for you. For me. But...I was wrong. I don’t want to leave Ransom. Or you.”
Trevor glanced away from her and ran a hand through his hair.
She’d run from him three times now. Was the third time the final straw for him? Three strikes and she was out of his life?
If he wanted to be done with her, she couldn’t blame him. She was trouble. Always had been. And he wanted a different kind of life. One that was better than what he’d had. She understood that. She wanted the same thing. But that didn’t mean they could have it together. Maybe he’d come to the same conclusion?
“Why now?” he asked.
“Why now...what?”
“Why are you just now realizing that? Because you almost died? Is that it?”
“No.” She glanced down at the cup, her knuckles white from her death grip. “Last night I accepted that you saw us as different. I didn’t understand you or any of this until today. Until I met your mom. I...get it now. We are different. And the same.” Elisabeth had helped aim the light for her, and Dina thought the other woman was right about him.
“What comes next then? I need you to tell me because...” His voice trailed off, and he shook his head.
She’d hurt him. Really hurt him. That was never her aim. Deep down she’d tried to do what was best, and she’d messed it all up.
They were both trying to be better versions of themselves and still making old mistakes. They’d each chinked away at the other’s armor in their attempts to figure out who they were dealing with. She didn’t want to hurt Trevor. She wanted to care for him.
Stolen Redemption (Texas SWAT, #2) Page 21