by Debra Kayn
She arched beneath him, her fingernails biting into his scalp. He rocked the bed, taking her higher until she shuddered, squeezing the life out of him. He buried himself to the root as pleasure consumed his entire body, curling his toes.
Unable to support his weight any longer, he rolled to the side, taking her with him. He tucked her under his chin, his hand possessively planted on her hip. And still he wanted her as close as he could get her.
Several minutes went by before Rocki had fallen asleep and he slipped out of her embrace to shut off the lights. Then he stalked back to the bed, dragging the covers over them both.
Rocki snuggled close. “Tony?”
“Go to sleep,” he whispered. “Everything’s okay.”
She gave him a contented sigh. “Okay, gorgeous,” she whispered back.
He closed his eyes, but couldn’t stop the smile that came to his lips. Finally, they could concentrate on them, and move forward.
Chapter Twenty-One
A loud knock at the front door startled Rocki. She squealed, staring bug-eyed at Tony underneath her. It was six o’clock in the morning. Who visited that early?
Tony gripped her waist and set her beside him on the floor. He tossed her the shirt he’d removed only moments ago. She shoved her arms in the sleeves, grabbed her shorts off the floor, dressed, and stood. She grabbed Tony as he walked across the living room. “Wait. Your belt.”
He stopped and buckled, tucking in his T-shirt. “Do me a favor and hand me my pistol.”
In a split second, he went from ravishing her to being seriously cool. She stepped over to the end table, flipped the safety off, and handed him the weapon. “It’s live.”
“Thanks.” He kissed her quick and stalked to the door. Looking through the peephole, he said, “It’s Hanara.”
“What could he want?” she whispered, slipping her finger though the belt loop at the back of his jeans.
He glanced down at her. “I don’t know, but I guess we’re going to find out.”
For her supervisor to show up at Tony’s house, out of his jurisdiction, was highly unusual when he could’ve called her phone. Tony opened the door and she stepped out from behind him.
“Detective,” Tony said.
“Weston.” Detective Hanara removed his hat and stepped inside. He turned his attention to Rocki. “I wanted to stop by and let you both know we were unsuccessful in locating Detective Marcelli. As of now, we have a warrant out for his arrest and every patrol officer on the lookout for him.”
She stepped away and leaned into the back of the couch. “Have you talked to his wife?”
Detective Hanara nodded. “Yes, we talked to her late last night while we searched his house. We’ve asked her to come in for questioning this morning. A patrol car is picking her up at ten o’clock. She’s let us know that her lawyer will be with her.”
“I thought you’d get him as he went off duty last night.” She pressed her hand to her forehead. “Where would he go?”
“That’s the million-dollar question. Considering his contacts and the accusations, he could be hiding out or have flown the country. His evasion to our call doesn’t reflect positively on the case building around him.” Detective Hanara turned to Tony. “I wanted to come by personally and update you. It might be a wise decision to play it safe and stay together. Not only is Marcelli accused of breaking federal law, we’re assuming he’s dangerous until we bring him in. That’s off the record, mind you.”
“Sure,” Tony murmured.
This couldn’t be happening. Even though the evidence damned Gino to life in prison, she thought the bureau could jump on Gino before he became aware of the situation. She ground her teeth together. Somehow, he had someone on the inside, but who?
Every time she turned around, she found more disappointment and illusions. She wanted him to pay. He’d not only broken the law, but also used her and their friendship.
She stood between Marcelli and time in prison, removal of his badge, and his dirty business. She rubbed her arm, working out the goose bumps. Of course he’d want to remove his one and only threat. With her out of the picture, Gino could destroy the evidence.
It would be her accusations against his experience, seniority, and past record. She hung her head and closed her eyes. They had to catch him.
Another loud bang jolted her out of her thoughts. She whipped her gaze toward Tony. He moved around Detective Hanara and checked the peephole.
“Jesus…” He opened the door.
A harried Pauline with her makeup smeared and hair in a mess entered with a frazzled and angry Caleb. Rocki moved toward Tony’s mom, concerned over the tears trailing down her cheeks unchecked.
“Are you okay? Did you get in an accident?” She grabbed Pauline’s hand.
Pauline shook her head, unable to look at her. Caleb’s voice boomed. “We came right from the airport. You”—he swung his arm at his son—“need to come quick.”
“Slow down, Dad.” Tony eyed both his parents. “Tell me what’s going on.”
Caleb gazed at Rocki and his face softened. Rocki’s heart pounded, a sinking feeling landing in her stomach. Something bad had happened.
“Oh my God. Where’s my mom?” she said.
“We’re not sure.” Caleb shook his head. “We went to claim our luggage at the carousel at the airport and Mary needed to use the restroom. Since things had cooled off, Mary said she’d be all right going by herself and suggested we go ahead to retrieve our baggage and she’d meet us there. Honest, the bathroom doors were in sight the whole time and I thought she’d be safe. This is my fault.”
“What happened?” Tony asked.
“Ten minutes went by and Mary never returned to us at luggage pickup. Pauline went to the bathroom looking for her.” Caleb gazed intently at Tony.
“Please.” Rocki’s throat tightened. “Where is she?”
“Gone.” Caleb threw his hands to the side of him in frustration. “We looked everywhere, and when we couldn’t find her, we reported her missing with airport security and came right here. Tony’s house was closer than going to the police department, and we knew he could find her. The damn airport personnel wanted us to wait twenty-four hours to report her as missing.”
Rocki walked across the room. “I need to go.” She whirled around. “It’s either Darrell or Gino. I know it.”
“Rocki, let’s think for a second.” Tony took her by the elbow until his back was to the others. “Darrell would be stupid to go after you now that he knows the heat is off him and aimed at Marcelli. He wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his freedom.”
She frowned. “Then it’s Gino.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I’d bet everything on him.”
She stepped around Tony and hurried to the others. “I’m going after Marcelli.”
Detective Hanara cussed under his breath. “Detective Bangli, I understand you have a personal vend—”
“It’s my mother. I want a missing person report filed immediately with the bureau.” She turned to Tony. “Will the guys at the body shop help us?”
“Absolutely. I’ll call them now.” Tony removed his cell phone from his pocket.
Rocki turned to Detective Hanara. “I’m asking permission to use all resources.”
Hanara smacked his hat against his thigh. “Detective…”
“Sir, after what I’ve gone through the last four months and considering we’re dealing with one of our own, I believe I’m owed this favor. Do not pull me off the case,” she said.
Department rules favored anyone close or related to a suspect staying off the case. However, nobody would stop her from finding her mom. Although she’d prefer to keep her badge while looking for Mary, she’d set it down in a heartbeat to save her mother.
“Fine.” Hanara moved toward the door. “Mr. and Mrs. Weston could you step outside? We’ll fill out a report and get Ms. Bangli into the system. I’ll need to know everything that happened.”
Brute ba
rked and trotted to Rocki’s side. She sank her fingers into his fur. If there was one person who didn’t deserve to go through a kidnapping, it was her mother. She probably had no idea that her life was in danger. God, she should’ve insisted her mom learn the whole truth of what was going down when they sent her to Hawaii. Mary had no idea what kind of people Rocki investigated on a daily basis or what could happen if she fell into the hands of those kinds of people.
“The guys are on their way.” Tony held her gaze. “How are you holding up?”
She squared her shoulders. “Fine.”
His gaze softened and he held out his hand, beckoning her to come to him. She shook her head and stayed where she was, because if she allowed herself to depend on someone else, if she allowed him to take care of her, she’d use him as an excuse to fall apart.
She swallowed down the useless feelings threatening to consume her. “She’s my mom.”
“I know.” Tony watched her from the other side of the room. “We’ll find her. She’ll be okay. Just hang in there a little longer, until we can get a plan together. It’s no use going off half-cocked, running on fear.”
Twenty minutes later, Tony sequestered his parents in the kitchen with strict orders not to move. Kage, Garrett, and Lance joined Tony and Rocki in the living room. The body shop team opened laptops on the coffee table, made phone calls, and discussed the next plan in quick succession.
She half listened as she filled another magazine clip and stuck Tony’s pistol into the back of her jeans. She’d find her mother, even if she had to hunt Marcelli down herself.
“Without knowing who works the other side for Marcelli, it’ll be tough to find out where he’s hiding.” Garrett tapped the keys on the laptop. “Are there others on the force who would help him do his dirty work?”
“I don’t…” She cupped her elbows in her hands. “No. I wouldn’t think anyone would help him, but I honestly don’t know anymore.”
The security and trust she always felt while working with some of the best officers in the state was missing this morning. She rubbed her arms, chilled. Who was she supposed to trust?
Soon, every person—from the public to the secretaries to the police chief—would question her integrity. Her defensiveness regarding the situation would label her a troublemaker. She’d heard the warnings for years. Law enforcement officials stayed clean and backed one another. She was not only bringing down one high-profile person within the department, but maybe others before the case closed.
Lance hooked a USB wire from his cell phone to Garrett’s laptop. “There were no passengers who purchased tickets last night or this morning who flew out of the Bay City airport between four a.m. and now. Thankfully, BCA is not a normal flight path, and there was only one plane scheduled to leave during that time, headed toward Los Angeles. Again, no walk-on passengers. We’re checking the Portland airport now.”
The front door crashed open. Rocki jolted, going for her gun. Out of her peripheral vision, all the boys lunged to their feet, brandishing their weapons.
A ticked-off Janie stood in the doorway. “Kage Archer. How dare you leave me at the garage when Rocki needs me?”
Sabrina pushed passed Janie and marched straight toward Garrett. “Yeah. What were you thinking? When a girl’s mother is kidnapped, that girl needs her girlfriends, not a bunch of hotheaded boys who won’t think of how she’s holding up.”
Garrett holstered his pistol. “How the hell did you know where we were?”
“I picked the lock at headquarters, shut off the alarm before you’d get a call, and hacked into the main computer to pull up the last recorded phone call you received.” Sabrina rocked forward on her toes. “You can yell at me later. Right now, Rocki needs us.”
Garrett stalked toward the door. “I swear, I’m going to—”
“Wait.” Rocki inhaled, closing her eyes briefly. “As much as I appreciate you two coming to help me, can we concentrate on the situation? Please? This is my mother.”
“Kitchen, girls.” Tony held his arm out and motioned with his head. “Keep my parents company for a few minutes. Then you can talk with Rocki.”
Janie squeezed Rocki’s hand. Sabrina kissed her cheek. She nodded at them, touched by their concern. When they were out of the room, she sank down on the arm of the couch.
Lance cleared his throat. “Any other suggestions?”
“We’re walking into this blind.” Tony stared down at the floor. “Who do we have as an informant that we can use? Think of those we brought in during the last six months on drug charges, and posted bail.”
“Gene Baker. Maybe Slim…What’s his real name? Steve?” Kage leaned forward. “A better choice would be to go directly to the one who knows everything.”
“Who?” Rocki gazed between Kage and Tony. “Whoever it is, I’m in. Let’s make contact. We’re running out of time.”
“No…” Tony ran his hand through his hair. “Not yet. That’s our last resort.”
She unclutched her arms and walked toward Tony. “Why not?”
“Because I’m talking about going to my uncle,” Kage said. “We don’t normally deal with him.”
“No, that’s brilliant!” She fumbled in her pocket for her phone. “I still have his number programmed in my phone. I’ll call him now. If anyone knows where Marcelli would hide, it’s Darrell.”
Tony caught her wrist, stopping her from dialing. “Darrell doesn’t do anything without asking for something in return. You’re in a safe position. Once he handed the evidence on Marcelli over to you, he wiped his vendetta clean. You’re even…His mark on you means nothing if you remain silent. If you ask for his help, you’ll owe him, and I won’t allow you to put yourself anywhere under his control.”
“Tony, it’s my mom. I’ll deal with Darrell after I get her away from Gino and she’s safe. Until then, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she stays alive.” Rocki lifted her chin. “This is one thing I won’t let you talk me out of doing.”
His mouth tightened and he stared at her. She glared in return. Just because she’d slept with him didn’t give him the right to run the search for her mom. She called the shots.
Kage stood. “I’ll do it.”
“What?” Tony swiveled his gaze to Kage. “I can’t believe you’d—”
“Rocki’s your woman. I’d do it for Janie…no difference.” Kage walked to the front window, putting his back to the room, and used his phone.
“Fucking hell,” Tony mumbled. “I owe you. Don’t forget it.”
Kage shook his head, completely ignoring Tony. Rocki leaned toward Tony and asked, “Do you think Darrell will tell him?”
“Do not talk,” he said.
“Tony, you have to—”
“Rocki, so help me, if you don’t give me a minute…” He gripped her shoulders. “You have no idea what Kage is doing for me. Not for you, not for himself, but for me.”
“I don’t understand,” she said.
Tony tightened his hold on her. “I know, but trust me. Kage doesn’t involve himself in his uncle’s business. At all. Ever.”
“What’s going to happen?”
“He’ll owe Darrell. At what price, though…I have no idea.” Tony dropped his hands.
She caught his sleeve and stopped him from walking away. “I’ll pay him back. I swear. I’ll talk to Darrell and transfer the debt off Kage to me.”
Tony heaved a sigh and hooked her neck, pulling her closer. “We’ll figure this all out, don’t worry.”
She’d pay anything to have her mother at her side right now. She curved her body against Tony, letting him hold her. Even when she’d worked undercover for Darrell, she’d never been so scared. Without her mom…God, she couldn’t even think about that outcome.
Kage turned around. “Got a hit. Marcelli’s at the old Sears building a block from the wharf. Two men and a woman have been spotted with him.”
Yes. Excitement fueled her forward. She had no say in Tony and Kage going with h
er, nor did she want to stop long enough to argue with them. The sooner they reached Gino, the faster she could get her mom and keep her safe.
“Wait.” Kage stepped in front of Rocki, blocking her from leaving the house.
Her whole body flinched. “What?”
Kage motioned for Tony to come to him, and his gaze softened while he took a deep breath. “There have been reports of gunfire.”
She pressed against Tony’s arm around her waist, reeling from the news. This was all her fault.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rocki pressed her back flat to the tin siding of the abandoned Sears building. An old warehouse, two stories tall and long abandoned in the industrial part of town, the building provided minimal coverage with one entrance door facing the street, one exit door at the back of the building, and four delivery doors that were useless to them. She raised the pistol to her chest and gazed at Tony opposite her beside the closed door. She was in no shape to be the first one to kick her way inside the building.
She’d practiced, planned, and gone through every possible scenario that could happen today on the ride over. Her hands shook, despite going through every step of calming herself that she’d learned while on the job. Nothing worked to push the fact that it was her mom inside, and her life was in danger.
The woman who’d raised her singlehandedly and gave her confidence to dream, wish, and not take life too seriously was in the hands of a killer. Her mom had showed her how to keep going and to ignore those who told her that becoming a police detective was impossible for a woman. Mom had supported her when she’d entered the academy, despite her fear that something could happen to her in the line of duty. She readjusted her grip on the gun. Until she saw with her own eyes that Mary was all right, she couldn’t trust herself to stay focused on the situation.
Tony motioned from his position on the other side of the entrance. She nodded, but instead of kicking in the door, he stayed in position and studied her.