Before Dom said anymore, Blake was on the phone, calling what sounded like every contact in his directory for help getting his sister back. Meanwhile, Jace strode out of the door leading to the basement and walked over to inspect the woman Dom had dumped on the ground at his feet. She still hadn’t awakened, so he nudged her in the side with his foot.
“This another one of them?” Jace asked, inspecting the woman carefully, as if she might explode any second.
She squinted one eye open and spit in Jace’s general direction. “Yes.”
Jace stepped back and crossed his arms, focusing on Dom instead. “I discovered the leak. Abigail Smythe.”
“Abby?” Dom scowled. “She showed me around my first day.”
“Yeah, well—”
Whatever else Jace had been about to say was cut off when the woman lashed out, knocking Jace’s feet out from under him then biting Dom’s shin hard. Before he could react, she made a run for the door. Pissed and terrified of what might be happening to Liv at that exact moment, Dom took off after her. Caught her near the front door and slammed her hard into the wall. He turned her to face him then ducked as she tried to claw his eyes out. She glared daggers at him. “What the fuck do you want?”
“Where did he take Liv?”
“Like I’d fucking tell you, asshole.”
He shook her hard, but Jace intervened, holding up a knife.
“Let me ask her some questions,” Jace said, his tone pure menace. “I know who you are, bitch. Mina O’Rourke. Now tell the man what he wants to know, or I’ll cut your pretty face so bad, they’ll have to identify you from your dental records.”
The woman’s eyes widened, and Dom almost felt sorry for her. Almost. He figured Jace was bluffing. Beating men was one thing, but a woman? Surely the Rockfords shared Dom’s code of going easy on the gentler sex. Not that Mina was very gentle, as the painful throb in his shin reminded him.
“Where’s Liv?” he asked again, pressing her harder against the wall. “You have five seconds before my friend starts slicing. Five, four, three, two—”
“Fine. Shit.” Her words were rushed. “She’s at the Paradise Motel, okay? Room 508.”
Dom glanced over at Jace. “You got that?”
Jace nodded, and he started to ease up on the woman, who kicked him in the shin and punched him hard in the stomach. Goddamn. Doubled over and struggling to catch his breath, Dom watched Mina O’Rourke yank open the front door then sprint across the yard toward the street beyond. She stopped only long enough to give him a double middle-finger salute for his trouble.
“Forget her, man. We’ve got what we need.” Jace led Dom over to the sofa and pushed him down onto the seat. “Blake’s handling the leak, but if you keep going the way you are, you’ll end up in the ER.”
“What about the motel?” He shifted then winced. Damn if that bitch hadn’t broken one of his ribs. Still, he couldn’t worry about his injuries until Liv was safe. Teeth gritted, he managed to get his phone out of his pocket and text Felix the motel’s address. “We need to get over there.”
“He’s right.” Blake tossed Dom a bottle of painkillers. “You two head over there. Owen’s on his way. We’ll head over as soon as he gets here.”
Dom dry swallowed two pills then pushed to his feet, clutching his left side. “Jace, can you drive?”
“Sure thing.”
It hurt like fuck to talk, much less hobble to the door. Those drugs couldn’t kick in soon enough.
Minutes later, they pulled into the seedy motel’s parking lot. Same place they’d had their sting a few weeks prior. Same shitty atmosphere as before too, Dom noticed. At least his ribs didn’t ache quite as badly now, though his shin was still killing him where the woman had bitten him. Hell, he’d definitely need a tetanus shot.
In the distance, Felix waited outside near the door to room 508.
Dom got out and hurried over to him. Jace trailed.
“There’s no one inside,” Felix said. “It’s quiet. Looks like they left in a hurry.”
Jace stood off to the side of them, scowling. “Who the hell are you?”
“He’s a friend of mine,” Dom said.
Without waiting for more, Jace kicked in the door and charged inside.
“Goddammit! Get control of your associate here before I do!” Felix stalked in beside Dom. “I have the damned keycard if you guys waited one fucking second. Got it from the manager downstairs. He was cooperating.” Felix gave a pointed look at the busted wood door then back to Dom. “Now I’m guessing he’ll reconsider.”
“I don’t give a shit about the door or the manager,” Jace said. “All I care about is my sister.”
“Your sister?” Felix practically spat the words then turned an accusatory gaze on Dom. “You brought the fucking Rockfords in on this?”
“Damn straight he did, buddy,” Jace snarled.
Dom sighed and raked a hand through his hair, quickly regretting his decision as sharp pain spiked up his side. “The thieves took his sister, Olivia. They’re holding her hostage somewhere. We need to find her. Just help us search the room, all right?” He started tossing things right and left. “We need to find anything that can lead us to Liv.”
Jace cursed and stalked back across the room to lean against the broken doorframe, his expression suspicious. Dom tossed him a smartphone he’d found in the dresser. “Can you get this SIM information to Brandon ASAP? See if he can find a location for us.”
After a few tense seconds, Jace nodded. “I’ll sync it with my phone and transfer the data remotely.”
He slipped outside, and Dom returned to help Felix search the room. In a drawer under the nightstand, Dom located a screenshot print from Google Street View. His hopes soared then crashed and burned. There were no street addresses, no way to identify exactly what location was shown.
“Uh, Dom?” Felix called from across the room. “You might want to have a look at this.”
He rushed over to see several photos: pictures of him and Liv, him alone, him walking out of the ER with Angela and Milo the day his nephew had broken his arm.
Stark fear now bubbled alongside the desperation in his gut. “No. How? Why?”
“You beat O’Connor once,” Felix said, taking the pictures back. “Now you’re in his way again. My guess is he wants to send you a message.”
“Tom,” Jace called from the doorway. “Can I see you for a second?”
He blinked at the wall, seeing everything—the career he’d built, the woman of his dreams, the family he loved and adored—all vanishing before his eyes.
Jace called again. “Brandon’s got GPS coordinates.”
“What are you going to do?” Felix asked, his voice low.
Dom squeezed his eyes shut. Goddamn Daniel O’Connor straight to fucking hell for making him choose between the woman he loved and the welfare of his family. Deep in his heart, he knew the answer. Knew the choice he had to make, even as it broke his heart to do it. Now he just had to be strong enough to act, praying things would all work out for the best.
Liv was so strong, so powerful, almost as well trained as him. She could take care of herself. Angela and Milo? Not so much.
I’m sorry, Princess. I’m so sorry.
“My sister. I have to go.”
Felix nodded. “Do you know where she is right now?”
He checked his watch and ran for the door. “It’s Thursday night. Milo has karate lessons on Thursday nights. If I hurry, I might be able to make it to the dojo before they finish.”
“I’ll send backup.” Felix pulled his phone from his pocket. “Good luck.”
Dom made it across town to the dojo in record time, swerving Jace’s car up to the curb. Angela and Milo were just stepping out of the place when he arrived, Milo’s cast glowing white under the streetlights.
He rolled down his window. “Angela!”
She looked and waved, heading over to him at the same time that a suspicious-looking guy stepped out of the s
hadows from behind her.
O’Connor.
His alarm must’ve shown on his face, because Angela stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide and her grip on her son tightening. “What’s wrong, Dom?”
The next few minutes blurred. Daniel grabbed his sister from behind. She fought back, just like Dom had taught her, but O’Connor was ready and knocked her to the ground then grabbed Milo and pulled him closer, pointing a gun at his head.
Dom acted on pure instinct, lunging out of the car, weapon drawn and badge on full display. “FBI! It’s over, Daniel. Put the gun down.”
“I don’t think so, Ranucci.” O’Connor sneered. “Put yours down, or I’ll splatter his cute little brains all over the sidewalk.”
Behind him, Angela sobbed, and Dom mentally ran through all the scenarios of how this could end. None of them were good.
Out of options, he slowly lowered his gun to the ground.
“That’s right.” Daniel smiled. “Now kick it over here.”
He did, but not without a warning. “This isn’t going to end well for you, O’Connor. Backup’s on the way. You’re outnumbered.”
“Like I’d believe anything you fucking say, Ranucci. You lie for a living.”
The truth slammed into his chest like a battering ram. The guy was right, he had lied for a living, but not anymore. He was through with lies.
In the distance, sirens wailed, adding credence to Dom’s warning. “See, there they are now.”
“Too bad it’ll be too late for you and your nephew here. You should’ve left well enough alone, Ranucci. You never did know when to quit.” Daniel pressed the barrel of his gun harder against Milo’s temple, and the little boy whimpered. “Can’t have you fucking up my plans again.”
Between his nephew’s frantic eyes, his sister’s sobs, and the adrenaline flooding his system, time seemed to slow around Dom. He had to try something, couldn’t just let the guy kill everything he held dear. The fact he’d failed the woman he loved was bad enough. He refused to fail here too. The gun was about a foot away. If he dove for it, he might just…
In the span of a few seconds, Dom hit the ground and rolled fast.
Daniel jerked the gun away from Milo and aimed it in Dom’s direction.
Dom grabbed the gun and brought it around fast, aiming for one deadly hit.
Daniel fired, missed. Fell backward with a stunned expression, blood oozing from the hole in his skull, between his eyes.
Good thing Dom had aced his marksmanship exams.
One shot was all it took.
Sound and color rushed back in a simultaneous blast.
Angela screamed. Milo ran to his mother. Daniel O’Connor sprawled on the ground, his sightless eyes staring blindly up into the twinkling Vegas night.
Dom sat hunched for a moment, his injured side creaking with each painful breath. Angela scrambled to his side with Milo, and he pulled them both close and held them tight as sirens wailed and emergency lights flashed all around them. “It’s okay now.” He kissed Angela’s head then Milo’s. “You’re safe.”
21
Liv squinted open one eye and glanced around the unfamiliar, slightly blurry room. Her head pounded and her shoulder ached and what the hell…
With a slight moan, she closed her eyes again and tried to remember the sequence of events that had landed her here. Random images floated to the murky surface of her mind—meeting Tom for dinner, a spray of bullets forcing them into the alleyway, the thugs waiting.
Oh God.
She snapped awake with a sickening jolt.
Tom. Where’s Tom?
Muffled voices filtered in through the drumbeat of her pulse. Close. Across the room, perhaps? Male voices. She concentrated harder. Yes. She’d heard them both before. Bill Remington and Cody Brooks. From their heated exchange, it was an argument. Pretending to still be unconscious, she concentrated on their words.
“Where the hell is O’Connor? He should’ve been back by now,” Remington said.
“I’m sick and tired of his erratic shit.” Brooks sounded exasperated and scared. “I think we should just forget all of it. Cut ties and run.”
Cut ties? Does that include me?
She swallowed hard, her throat clicking with dryness.
“Like hell.” Remington again. There was a loud scrape, like a chair against linoleum. “O’Connor would kill us. Just calm the fuck down and let’s think this through.”
A door opened and closed, then silence.
Liv took a deep breath and tested the restraints binding her hands and feet to the hard chair they’d sat her on. Her poor butt was well on its way to being numb. She turned her head slightly and peeked an eye open, spotted Remington at a small kitchenette area. So it must’ve been Brooks who’d left.
Remington glanced her way then headed in her direction.
Fuck.
She closed her eyes again and tried to relax. If she hoped for any element of surprise, Liv needed him to think she was still out cold. One strike, that was all she needed. One hard hit and she could knock him out then wriggle her way free. She could do this. Hell, just a couple weeks ago, she and Tom had tried a similar training scenario in the gym because they were bored.
Remington leaned in closer, checked her wrists then her ankles. He smelled like cigarettes and stale sweat. A sneeze tickled the back of her nose, and Liv held her breath. A few more seconds and he’d be in the right position. Just a few more seconds. Just a few…
Wham!
Her forehead rammed hard into his, and Remington’s eyes widened slightly before going blank. He slumped to his knees then face-planted on the floor at her feet.
Asshole. Serves him right.
She wiggled and twisted her hands until she’d worked one free then quickly undid the rest of the knots holding her hostage to the chair. Brooks was still outside somewhere, so she had to act fast. She pushed Remington over onto his back with one foot then crouched to frisk him. Found a gun and extra clip of ammo in his jacket pocket. After chambering a round and clicking off the safety, she sidled toward the front door.
Her fingers hovered over the door handle, the metal cold against her skin.
Boom!
The door to the room crashed open, and Liv ducked for cover. Looking out from beneath her hands, she spotted a bunch of people streaming in, all with guns and dark jackets emblazoned with huge FBI lettering in all white across the back.
This had to be Blake’s doing given his law enforcement contacts.
At their command, Liv dropped her weapon and held up her hands, then told them Remington was one of the thieves and Brooks was still outside.
“Not anymore he isn’t.” Jace stepped into the room and put his arm around her shoulders. “You okay, sis?”
“Yeah. Where’s Tom?”
“He’s handling the ringleader.”
Jace stepped aside to let another man enter, and Liv’s heart skipped. He was the guy from the coffee shop, the one Tom had passed the thumb drive to all those days ago. But if he was here, he was with the Bureau. And if he was with the FBI, then…
The guy came up to them, scowling. “I managed to rouse Brooks enough to read him his rights. No thanks to you. He’ll get with us later for debriefing.” He gave Jace a wary once-over, then he turned to Liv. “I’m Special Agent Felix Balthis. We’ll need you to come with us, Ms. Rockford, so we can get your statement. Dom will be meeting us at the station.” Back to Jace again. “You too, cowboy.”
“Hey.” Jace shrugged. “You guys have your methods, I have mine.”
“Whatever. Just get your ass in the car, Rockford.”
Liv followed them out into the night, wondering again what the hell was going on.
Dom? Who the hell was Dom?
Tom’s advice from the night of the undercover sting came back to mind.
Choose an alias close enough to your own name that you’ll recognize it if someone calls you…
The lingering nausea from the sedative they’d
darted her with in the alley worsened. Is that what Tom had done? Picked an alias close to his own to make it easier to remember? She realized with sickening clarity that she’d fallen in love with a shadow, a man she didn’t really know at all.
It all clicked into place. Tom had been hiding something. His whole presence at Rockford Security had been orchestrated by the FBI. But why? Had they wanted him in place to be in on the capture of O’Connor for stealing the necklace? How had they known that would even happen, and why did they need the Rockfords?
Her head was still fuzzy. She wasn’t thinking straight. But a glimmer of hope flickered. Tom had been undercover. It wasn’t so much that he’d lied to her; he couldn’t tell her who he really was. But then another thought came on its heels. Was their affair also just part of his cover?
Jace led her to the waiting SUV, and she slid into the backseat beside her brother, an odd daze overtaking her initial shock. Her suspicions about Tom had been right all along.
Too bad being right felt awfully similar to heartbreak.
What seemed like an eternity later, Liv rubbed her eyes and took a sip of the stale, cold muck in front of her then winced with distaste. Why did law enforcement always have the worst coffee? You’d think with all the damned doughnuts… And God in heaven, it felt like she’d been waiting in this tiny little interrogation room forever. They couldn’t keep her here indefinitely. She had rights, dammit, and she’d invoke every single one of them pretty soon if they didn’t let her out of here soon.
The door opened at last, and Felix walked in, tall and dark and looking every inch the gangster. Or mafia. Yeah, mafia fit better with his Mediterranean good looks. He took a seat across from her and folded his hands atop the table. She’d been hoping to see Tom—Dom—whatever the hell his name was, but no such luck. “Ms. Rockford, I have a few questions I’d like to ask you.”
Thanks so much, Mr. Obvious.
She bit back the snarky response. Taking her exhaustion out on this guy wouldn’t help anything. She’d save that for someone who deserved it, namely Tom.
Or Dom… or… grrr.
Wicked Deception (The Rockford Security Series Book 5) Page 17