Roll the Dice (Vegas Series)

by Author Mimi Barbour

  She passed Alec over, carefully holding his head until Rhondo had him firmly. The light from the now opened door showed a man swooning with love for the tiny child in his arms. How one person could wear so many masks, Debbie would never know. But the instincts of a mother kicked in and she knew without a doubt that this disgusting piece of trash loved her son.

  Once inside the house, Rhondo flipped on the lights and Debbie had a chance to survey her surroundings. There was one main room with the kitchen on the left, a large country table in the middle and the living area on the right. Wallpaper from the sixties adorned the walls. Faded grey linoleum, with the pattern worn off in many spots, gave the space a cold feel. Or maybe it was the dust everywhere and dirty appliances that had revulsion curling her lip.

  “I know it isn’t much now, but when Grandpa was alive, the place looked good. I bought a bunch of stuff for the baby and brought it out yesterday. The fridge is turned on and should be ready. Go out to the car and bring in the stuff from the trunk.”

  Debbie took another look, and sure enough, piled on the sagging sofa were articles she would need. A baby seat for Alec to sleep in sat on floor while boxes of diapers, and mounds of bags were visible—even a playpen and a walker, which he wouldn’t be able to use for months. The man must have spent a fortune.

  Finally the little guy’s patience had worn out. When Rhondo had first cuddled him, it seemed as if the baby sensed that he was in the arms of someone he could trust—as if he felt safe. But now all he felt was hunger and they knew about it.

  Rhondo walked to the still open door and beeped the trunk from the remote on the key. “Get the stuff and then come back and feed my son. He’s hungry.”

  The knowledge shared by both, that she’d never leave without Alec, made him smile. Not a nice smile, just a sideways smirk that, without words, let her know what he already knew. She’d be back.

  Pretty soon she'd carried in the multitude of bags. By this time, Alec stopped being mollified by swaying and bouncing. Reluctantly, Rhondo handed the baby gently to her and ordered. “Feed him. Sit on the couch where I can see you. And don’t try anything funny. As long as he’s here, you’re safe. You understand?”

  She took the baby and held him up to her shoulder. The change of position soothed him for a few seconds and the heartrending wails stopped. The look in the man’s eye conveyed a message. And instantly she knew. He wouldn’t be messing with her. Relief flooded over her and blanketed some of the fear.

  “You’re the mother of my son. I wouldn’t hurt you unless you make me. I’m not an animal like… Never mind, just take care of the baby.”

  After a quick change of diaper, Debbie sat on the soiled sofa and fed her greedy boy who’s slurps and sighs made her grin. His mouth pulled at her tender nipple and her milk bubbled up and ran over his chin. Earlier, in the car, she’d felt the milk come in and the sensation of filled breasts still overwhelmed her with pride. Feeding Alec had become a joyous time until now as she noticed Rhondo hovering in the background.

  Dare she? By the look of wonderment on his face, he’d probably never seen a baby feed from his mama’s body. “The little guy’s hungry,” she said softly.

  Creeping closer, as if waiting to be cursed and sent away, Rhondo’s eyes never left the feeding baby. And his expression of pure wonderment caught at her hatred and loosened a couple of the knots.

  “My Grampa told me that my mom, Sunny, had breastfed me. He said she loved me a lot, but I know better.”

  Like a digital picture frame with changing images, his look hardened and the cruelty returned. “She left, took off, never cared about me or the ole man. One day she got up and made me breakfast and the next thing I knew she was gone.”

  Earlier when Rhondo had mentioned his stepfather’s name of Fred Main, Debbie had felt a tiny prick of familiarity. Now that she knew his mother’s name was Sunny, she put the two together. “Your mom’s name was Sunny Main?”

  “Yeah, why?” He’d pulled out a package of cigarettes and then after glancing at the now sleeping baby being burped on his mama’s shoulder, he put them back in his pocket and instead pulled out a pack of chewing gum. After a slight hesitation, he angled it towards her and then passed her a piece when she’d nodded.

  “She was killed by a hit and run driver about let’s see…twenty-three or four years ago, right?”

  “Wrong.” The grating in his voice warned she wasn’t moving on solid ground. “Fred ranted and raved for years that she’d taken off, left the two of us without caring one bit that we needed …” His rising voice had wakened Alec and the whimper warned that next he’d be crying.

  Rhondo’s voice stopped, as Debbie soothed the baby back to sleep. Should she say anything more? Share what she knew to be true? Deciding he’d been pretty decent so far for a rapist and a killer, she revealed the truth.

  “Your mother never ran away, Earl. We have the records at the precinct. She'd gone shopping. Had a bag of groceries and a small toy truck in her bag. A drunk took the corner too fast and his car hit her. She died instantly. I know, I was there and saw it. All I remember was a longhaired blonde lady striding happily along one moment, and the next, she lay in heap on the side of the road. I was about seven years old and woke my parents with nightmares for months.”

  It had been the truck that had haunted her. Knowing there was a little boy somewhere whose mommy wouldn’t be coming home. She’d prayed for him so many nights.

  Face devoid of colour Rhondo stumbled to his feet. Haltingly, he went into the kitchen to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of beer. One twist and the cap went flying. Then he upended it and drank like a man possessed. The first one emptied within a few seconds, and he reached for the second.

  Worried, Debbie laid the baby in his cuddle seat and hesitantly approached the table. Careful not to startle the man who seemed lost in a world of pain, she whispered. “If you have some food, I can make us some breakfast. The sun’s almost up and you’ll be hungry.”

  He turned to look at her, a face carved in steel, eyes flashing hate and his bottom lip quivering. Without a word, he grabbed a chair and carried it over to where the baby snoozed in his seat. Then he gently set it down and slumped into it, his eyes glued to the tiny human who he loved.

  Chapter Forty-two

  Aurora finally saw the house in the distance and noted the gravel road and dried vegetation in the surrounding area. Closer to the place grew a few taller, half dead trees, probably their best chance on having some cover from the front door and windows.

  They turned from the highway and drove to the back of the vegetation slowly, making sure all lights on the vehicle were off. Daylight had broken through the gloom and they were able to reconnaissance the yard fairly accurately.

  Some hundred and fifty yards away sat the old farmhouse. It had seen sixty years at the very least and needed a coat of paint as the white had peeled in many places and looked to be non-existent in others. Behind sat a small outbuilding, a fenced in area—most likely had housed chickens in its day, and dead rose bushes adorned the front of the wrap-around veranda. Must have been a beautiful home at one time, but now it just looked rundown and sad.

  The police car parked out front was what perked them up and stated the adrenalin pumping.

  "She's here." Cory's voice registered certainty and neither Aurora or Kai could argue.

  Aurora pulled out the keys and hit the trunk lever. "Ham's following and should be here soon. He's called in the locals for backup, but I told him to keep everyone out at the main road and off the property. Don't want to spook Rhondo at this point."

  "Seeing as how he left the vehicle out in the open, he obviously thinks he's safe, that we have no idea where he is." Satisfaction filled Kai's voice.

  "Hope so. It'll give us some time to decide how this will play out." Cory's tone hardened.

  "I'm going to get closer to the place and check around the vicinity. See what our options are for entering through the back." Kai's expression brooked
no interference. His mind was made up.

  "Be careful, don't spook him." Cory had his phone out and began giving orders to the team on their way. "No one pulls into this yard until I give the order. And keep your headlights off and those sirens quiet."

  Aurora headed to the trunk to get out their vests and rifles and pass them around. Kai put his on and then helped her. Standing behind her, his hand held her arm and he nuzzled his face into the back of her neck. "Be careful today, precious. Now that I've found you, I'm dammed if it ends here."

  She leaned back into him and lifted her hand to cover his on her shoulder. "You too." Then she turned in order to stare into his eyes. What she saw made her blood freeze. Determination, hard and ugly, burned deep in his baby blues. She'd worked with men long enough to know what that look meant. He was on a mission.

  "Kai, please think before you act. Whatever you do today doesn't stay here when it's over. You'll wear this choice for the rest of your life. Make sure it's one you can live with."

  "Baby, trust me. I'll do whatever I have to do. No more. And whatever happens, take care of yourself. Rhondo's a maniac with a loaded gun and intentions of using it."

  Normally, Aurora wouldn't put up with anyone talking down to her in this way; she was a professional and demanded to be treated as such. But she knew the man whose hand stroked her arm possessively wasn't seeing her as a cop at the moment, but as a woman. And that was nice.

  In seconds, Kai had slunk down and headed around the perimeter towards the back of the property. He moved swiftly, like an experienced soldier, and she wondered if he'd taken training.

  As he he'd heard her, Cory whispered. "Best tracker on manoeuvres in Iraq. I always relaxed when we were assigned to the same team."

  "You were in the army together? You never said."

  "Not something we like to talk about. I met him on my last tour. Both of us could shoot the eyes off a brass monkey, so we had an ongoing competition. Got to be buddies. Decided if we made it out alive, we'd join the police academy together. He's a good man to have on our side. Look at him move…slinks like a freakin snake."

  Aurora's internal chime started up and she knew something would be happening soon. Guts tightening, she checked the bullets in her gun and made sure she had a full clip in her pocket. Then she pulled the binoculars from the stash and held them tightly to stop them from trembling.

  The place looked to be deserted. No movement could be seen at all. She swung the glasses from left to right but Kai had disappeared around the back and out of sight. Bells started clanging in her head and the ache almost had her passing out. What the hell?

  A gunshot made her jump and sparks of pain burst everywhere in her body. Someone she loved needed her. Cory grabbed the binoculars from her and swore.

  "I'm going after him." She moved to head out and Cory hauled her back to safety.

  "No. He's moving. I can see him. He's headed back." Desperation sounded in his voice as he panned the house over and over.

  Finally, Aurora saw the bushes shaking to their right and before she could take off, Cory beat her to it. He moved almost as well as Kai, except his height made it more difficult. Within minutes he reappeared, his arm supporting the wounded man.

  When they approached, her heart settled back into a breathable rhythm. Then she saw the blood pouring from a gash on Kai's head. The lights went out and she dropped like a stone.

  Chapter Forty-three

  It had started. Debbie didn't know if she was glad or not. Rhondo hadn't said another word to her after she'd told him about his mother. But she'd seen his tears a he sat holding her baby's tiny hand gently in his.

  The half-empty bottle of beer had fallen over next to him and the liquid had formed a small lake on the floor nearby. The smell of the warm liquid swirled through the room making her feel sick.

  Suddenly he'd looked up and she would have sworn he'd sniffed the air. No, not that, he was listening. Wind chimes had sounded from the back of the house. Since the air was still, hot and dryer that an old whore's woohaw, something else had to have made the noise.

  Pulling his gun from under his belt, he headed to the back door. He stopped and his glare spoke the words he didn't need to. She held both hands out in front acquiescing to his unspoken command and then moved to cover the baby with her body.

  She heard him break the glass in the door's window and she dared a peek. He hadn't moved, just waited and obviously it paid off. Someone outside had broken cover and he raised the gun calmly and shot. Then a humph of triumph came to her as he continued to watch. Finally, he moved back to where she huddled frozen in fear, the baby's seat under her protection.

  He sat on the floor beside her. His voice sounded rusty as if this tender tone hadn't ever been used. "You'll take care of him, love him."

  Tears gathered and her throat filled. "Of course I will. He's a beautiful little boy. A gift. I'll always look after him."

  "Teach him right from wrong. But don't let him be a sissy. Help him to be a man. A strong, good man."

  "Yes."

  "Tell him his daddy loved him."

  "Oh yes." Clogged, her voice sounded rough.

  "You know what I have to do, don't you?"

  She knew what he should do. Give himself up. But she also knew he'd want to die before going back inside." Knowing that Cory could have been the man he'd shot, threads of hatred interfered with her need to be nice. She'd never wanted to kill anyone before. But if he'd shot her husband, she'd kill him easy. All the emotions jiving around inside turned her thoughts wild.

  So instead of answering, she just nodded.

  When his hand reached towards her, it took all her strength not to flinch or slap him away. Like stone, she watched to see what he planned to do next.

  He bypassed her and ever so gently he rested his big palm on Alec's head and caressed. Forever he sat there as if instilling through spiritual links his adoration for the child.

  Not wanting to spook him, she didn't move or speak. Torture would have been easier than having to sit quietly and watch the madman who'd raped her stroke her baby. And all the while thinking he could have just killed her husband.

  Chapter Forty-four

  Kai knew he should wipe the grin from his face after Cory smacked his arm, but dammed if he could. Lit up from inside, his heart swelling, he felt like a man stretched ten feet tall. This gorgeous woman had the 'hots' for him—no—she loved him—and he liked the knowing.

  In fact, he liked it very much. His own heart wobbled around inside him, filling him brimful with so much tenderness, that like a mountain spring turned into a waterfall, it was impossible to contain. Waiting for her to recharge, he held her in his arms.

  Slowly she began to emerge from her faint, the shakes that had attacked her body started to fade. Her long eyelashes fluttered and then lifted. His first sight of her adorable eyes, sapphire in normal times now black ice with worry, and he knew he was a goner. She lifted her shaking hand and caressed his face, wincing when she again noticed the blood still draining from a superficial wound.

  "You're okay," she said softly.

  "I'm fine. What about you? I barely caught you before you hit the ground." He kissed her hand and held it against his lips.

  Hey you two, I could stand a little help if you're finished with the schmoozing. I have a wife and kid in that shack and it's time to get them out.

  Kai helped Aurora to stand and kept his arm around her shoulders until he knew she was steady on her feet. "I got a quick peek in the window before the rotted rope broke on the chimes. Both Deb and the baby are fine."

  He'd never tell his friend about the picture he'd seen of Rhondo holding his son's hand, appearing fixated on the tiny baby…or the terror on his wife's face as she watched helplessly.

  Kai knew how he'd feel if that were his family inside with Rhondo. He'd want to rip the bastard apart limb from limb. But he also knew his friend had gotten sick of the killing when they were overseas. His reason for becoming a cop was
to try and stop bloodshed not add to it.

  Kai glanced around and noticed the cop cars lined up on the main road. Rhondo would see them also. Never knew what a perp might do once his escape route had been closed.

  Aurora stepped away and he saw her mentally harden, the earlier soft glow on her face replaced with grim determination. Lips tight and eyes narrowed, she surveyed the surroundings like a professional who knew her business.

  Moving over to Cory, she spoke so only the three would hear. "Did you send some troopers around the perimeter to close off any chance of him to escape?"

  "Got them in place already."

  Cory turned first to her and then to Kai. Showdown was all he said, all he needed to say.

  "Oh yeah! Today we take this prick." Not even a small doubt crept into her tone. Kai decided it was as if she knew something, a premonition.

  Made the hairs stand up on his neck a little. Made him realize he'd do anything it took to have a future with this woman. Maybe even give up his intention, his sick revenge.

  So he wouldn't make a fool of himself, pick her up and run from the danger, he stuck his hands deep into his pocket. A funny kind of plastic card poked into his fingernail and the pain made him pull it out. It was the card one of the victim's mother's had given him. A card featuring The Serenity Prayer and it read:

  God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

  A sledgehammer to the head couldn't have hit him any harder. To receive this message at this time—a coincidence?

  He pictured again the sight of the big lug tenderly cuddling the hand of the tiny infant and the ball of hatred he'd nourished in the pit of his stomach began to unwind.

  Aurora and Cory believed in the law, in justice and maybe he needed to also. Mind made up, relief felt sweet. He'd choose her.