ToServeAndProtect

by KyAnn Waters

  “I have an idea.” McKenna bent down and grabbed a handful of dirt. Then she wiped her palms on the front of her jeans and ran her fingers through her hair a few times. “Do I look dirty? Put a smudge on my face.”

  “Why?” He did as she asked.

  “I told you, I have a plan. I’ll be back.”

  “Where in the hell do you think you’re going? Are you going to waltz up to the van and ask them to give us a thirty second head start?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” She put her arms around his neck and laced her fingers. “Kiss me.” She pulled his lips to hers and opened her mouth.

  A growl rumbled from his chest as he deepened the kiss. Tongues tangled and bodies aligned. Blood rushed to his groin. His cock responded, but his stomach still knotted with fear. His hands cupped her buttocks, pulse racing.

  With a moan, she broke the kiss. Her dilated eyes tried to focus on his face. Passion flushed her cheeks.

  “Wish me luck.” She sprinted across the parking lot, heading directly toward the guard shack.

  “Shit.” Dustin swore a few more choice words under his breath. “What in the hell is she up to?”

  McKenna ran hard. She wanted to appear winded when she reached the little box of a building housing the security team. She pounded on the sliding glass door. Trying to appear agitated, she glanced from the parking lot to the security guard then pounded again. “Help me,” she pleaded through the glass. The shorter of the two men rushed to the door and slid the glass open.

  “Thank you.” She stumbled into the building, deserving an award for her performance. Putting her hand to her chest, she took deep breaths and collapsed into a chair.

  “Are you hurt?”

  She shook her head. “Can I have a glass of water?” she whispered as she tried to make her eyes fill with tears. She thought of the time Dawn ran over a neighborhood cat. She thought of Scott…Elliot…the lies and the murder. Tears fell onto her cheeks.

  “Do you need an ambulance?”

  “No,” she said on a shaky exhale. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Just my imagination running wild. At least I hope there isn’t any trouble.”

  “We’re not cops.”

  “I’m sure I just spooked myself, and that I’m overreacting. There was this van. I thought it was following me.” She inhaled deeply, pretending to catch her breath. “I jumped the fence and ran in here. Suddenly I feel stupid because I think they work here.” She glanced out the sliding doors into the night. “I saw the van pull into the employee parking lot.”

  The short guy spoke to his partner. “Stay with her.” He grabbed a flashlight. “What color did you say the van was?”

  “White, but it’s dirty and some of the paint is chipped. You don’t think they work here?”

  The guard checked his two-way radio and opened the sliding doors. “We have a schedule of the trucks coming in and going out. Next driver isn’t due in until six. Sit tight while I check out the parking lot. Can Charlie call you a cab to take you home?”

  She turned her attention to the other guard and nodded. “Thanks. I’d appreciate it.”

  A security guard shined a flashlight back and forth from one car to the next.

  Dustin hunkered down in the shadow of the trailer. “What did you tell them?” he whispered into the night. McKenna must have weaved a tale to get the rent-a-cops out of their hut.

  The security officer approached the van. “This is private property,” he hollered, shining the light through the windshield.

  “We’re waitin’ for a buddy to get off.”

  Dustin didn’t recognize the voice, but then Joe Marino leaned his head out of the window.

  “Nobody is scheduled to get off for a few hours. What’s your buddy’s name?” The guard brought the two-way radio close to his mouth. “I’ll check on a time. You can come back then.”

  “We don’t want to cause you any trouble.” The engine hummed to life, and the driver put the van in gear.

  “They were still here,” the security guard spoke into the radio. “Tell the lady they’ve left.”

  “I called a cab for her. It will be here in ten minutes.”

  “Good,” the guard said as he started to walk back to the shack.

  Dustin laughed as he flung the duffel over the fence. In a moment, he was over as well. Crouching low, he hurried to the convertible and started the engine. Driving through the parking lot, he left the headlights off.

  “Shit.” As he was about to pull onto the street, the utility van crept closer from the opposite direction. They too, had their headlights off. They hadn’t gone far or waited long. If he left now, there was no doubt the van would be on top of him before he went two blocks, and he still had to find a way to get McKenna.

  Lights coming from the opposite direction cut through the night. The yellow cab turned the corner.

  Dustin gunned the engine and pulled out in front. The cab honked. Traffic violations he could deal with. Letting the Marino’s near McKenna wasn’t going to happen. He sped ahead then drove slowly by the guard shack making sure McKenna saw him. She stood and walked toward the door, but he shook his head. The cab pulled up behind him. Dustin pointed to the cab, nodded, and drove on.

  He drove ahead and pulled to the side of the road to wait for the cab…for McKenna. A few moments later, headlights pulled back into traffic. He stepped on the gas, but kept the cab in the rearview mirror as he looked for an opportunity to get her back into his vehicle and away from the Marino’s.

  Opportunity presented itself a couple of miles down the road. A motel with a glowing vacancy sign called to him like a beacon. He put on his right signal long before he reached the driveway. He pulled into the parking lot and parked under the street lamp near the front lobby and waited for the cab.

  * * * * *

  “Where do you think they’re headed? Did the detective bail on her? Do you think they had a plan for this? Maybe they already decided on a rendezvous sight?”

  “Shut the fuck up!” Joe plucked at his eyebrow while he thought of a way to get Ms. Porter out of the cab and into the van. The detective had ceased to be an annoyance and now bordered on becoming a serious problem…one needing to be dealt with immediately. Too bad Robert told him to stick to the plan. Joe would rather end this shit now. The idea of ramming the cab off the road and taking her by force held the most appeal but came with the most risk. Best to simply follow and see where she went. He grabbed a roll of antacids from his pocket and chewed a couple.

  * * * * *

  McKenna kept her eyes glued to the taillights up ahead.

  “Where to, Miss?” the cab driver asked, glancing in the rearview mirror.

  “I’m not sure.” She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. She had no idea where Dustin was heading but didn’t think he’d want her to incur the cost of taking the cab all the way back to their hotel. “Can you just drive for a minute?” She was quiet and kept her eyes pinned to the glowing red lights in the distance. A few miles down the road, Dustin signaled.

  Leaning forward, she pointed. “Drop me off at the motel.” She pulled a ten-dollar bill from her back pocket and handed it over the seat. The cab came to a stop, and she scrambled out of the vehicle.

  Warm Santa Ana winds blew her hair. Using her fingers, she raked her bangs from her face. “Oh no.” A white van pulled up to the curb. She ran across the parking lot and hopped into the car with Dustin. As soon as she had the door closed, Dustin laid his foot on the gas and sped down the street. “They’re following.”

  “I know,” he replied.

  Relief washed over Dustin now that she was in the car with him. Her cheeks were flushed from the run and her hair was tangled from her ruse.

  “Are you okay?” His gaze skimmed down her body as he mentally cataloged every detail. The brightness in her eyes, the soft fullness of her lips, and the rapid beat of her heart pulsing at the base of her neck. He imagined placing his lips there. Taking a few turns, he pulled onto the freeway conti
nually checking the rearview mirror for a glimpse of the pursuing van.

  “Are they still following?” McKenna spun around in the seat.

  Dustin glanced at the numerous headlights in the rearview mirror. One set belonged to the van. He was sure of it. “They’ll follow. They want what we found.” Dustin changed lanes and swerved in and out of traffic. He wasn’t going to make it easy on them.

  “What exactly did we find?”

  Dustin smiled. “Confirmation for two to Mexico.” Not taking a direct route, Dustin attempted to confuse the Marinos on his way to the hotel. Like threading a needle, he wanted to get there quickly, yet he didn’t want to drive right into the waiting clutches of a Marino.

  “For two? Where in Mexico, and who is she traveling with?”

  “Obviously, she has a partner in her scheme. I want you to keep an open mind McKenna.” He glanced at her then turned his attention back to the road. He was fairly certain he had Roslyn Meadows figured out. Knowing how much McKenna had already been though, he wondered how she was going to react to his theory.

  “I just want to know who killed my father so I can get on with my life. If money is what he wants, I’ll call Mr. Marino myself and tell him I don’t know where his money is. I’ll pay him off once the life insurance settlement comes through.” She stared out the window. “I don’t want anything of Elliot’s.”

  Dustin reached over and squeezed her thigh. “We’ll head back to the hotel.” He suspected they wouldn’t be alone for long. The trip to California revealed some clues but not everything about the trip had to do with Dr. Porter.

  Now there wouldn’t be time for making love to Mickey on a bed or one last walk down the strand. They’d have to gather their belongings quickly and get the hell out. Hopefully, they’d be long gone before the Marino’s caught up to them. All he needed was ten minutes in the hotel room to grab their stuff.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Joe Marino’s smile widened into a gleeful smirk. His arm rested along the rim of the open driver side window, and a cigarette dangled between his thick fingers. The convertible that had been eluding him pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. He dialed Robert. “They’re here,” he said and then ended the call. Finally a little luck had come his way.

  * * * * *

  Dustin circled the hotel parking lot before stopping. “I think we’ve got a few minutes.” He hoped they had a few minutes and not seconds…or worse.

  “And if we don’t?”

  He couldn’t think about that. They had to get in and get out. “I want you to find a table in the hotel lounge where you can watch the exit.” He walked her across the lobby while he continued to scan their surroundings. He handed her the car keys.

  “I won’t leave you,” she stubbornly stated.

  “I know, but you can start the car and wait for me. If I have to climb down from the balcony, I will.”

  “There is strength in numbers. We should stick together.”

  Dustin rested his hands on her shoulders. “We don’t have time to argue about this. Trust me. Sit in the bar and wait. If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, get out of the hotel and into the car. If the choice is leaving alone or leaving with a Marino, you need to get the hell out. Get on the cell phone, dial 911, and get your ass to the nearest police station. Please, Mickey, tell me you’ll do exactly what I say.”

  “Fine.”

  Dustin left McKenna in the bar and hurried to the house telephone in the lobby. After dialing the front desk, he asked for housekeeping. He needed to secure the floor and the best way to do that was get staff up there.

  A moment later, he was on the elevator on his way up to their room. Once the doors opened, he walked down the hall, listening, poised for any possible scenario. He didn’t stop at the room but continued past and around the corner…where he waited.

  Five minutes later, the maid came down the hall and knocked on the door to their room. “Towels.” The woman tapped her toe. Then she knocked again. “Housekeeping.” She sighed. “Come get your damn towels,” she muttered under her breath.

  Dustin took a step then slinked back around the corner when the door to his room opened. “Thanks,” someone said, taking the towels from the maid’s outstretched arms and then slammed the door.

  He cursed as he went through the hall door leading to the stairwell. His leg throbbed, but he couldn’t risk being seen. Who knew how many thugs the Marino’s had lying in wait? He and McKenna had to cut their losses and get the hell out.

  * * * * *

  McKenna ordered a soda and sat down at a table along the wall. Musak pumped through the speakers in the ceiling of the well-lit room. Because of the late hour, there were only a few patrons at the bar. A gentleman sat a few tables away. He gave her a wide smile when she gazed in his direction.

  Absent was the thick neck and military posture. She immediately decided he wasn’t a Marino and smiled back. Hopefully she wouldn’t need to call upon a stranger’s assistance, but if necessary it was good to have options.

  Oh no. The attractive man approached. “You’re a guest of the hotel?” he asked, having obviously taken her smile as an invitation.

  “Yes, I’m waiting for a friend.” She nervously glanced toward the entrance. She needed backup, not a pickup. The man pulled out a chair. “Oh, I’m sorry, but my friend—”

  He sat in the chair, leaned closer, and whispered, “I don’t think you’re friend is coming.”

  As if someone had turned on a movie screen, she recognized this man from an earlier encounter. He’d been coming out of the elevator when she and Dustin had gone to Roslyn’s.

  McKenna’s liquid parts weren’t functioning normally. Her mouth suddenly became dry, and she almost lost control of her bladder. Sweat dripped from her armpits. Beads of perspiration broke out along her hairline. “Who are you?”

  “Let’s just say I’m your date for tonight.” He stood from the table and held his hand out for her to join him. His jacket draped over his other arm. “Make a sound, and I swear I’ll fucking drop you right here.” He let her see the gun in his hand. “You’ve pissed me off enough for one night.”

  She stood and took a hesitant stop forward. The man yanked her close and kept his hand on her back while he escorted her out of the lounge. He guided her to the bank of elevators. “I don’t know what you want from me.”

  “At the moment, all I want is for you to shut up and smile.”

  No way. First opportunity, she’d scream her head off. Until then, she’d try to reason with the man. “I didn’t know Elliot was stealing money, and I certainly don’t know what he did with it. I would’ve told the police. I’d certainly tell you. From what I’ve learned, Elliot stole the money from you so as I see it, the money would still belong to you. But I don’t have the money. I swear.”

  “I said, shut up.” The barrel of the gun pressed into her ribs.

  McKenna hoped that another person would be riding the elevator. Maybe…somehow she could signal with her eyes that she was in trouble. Any other thought was too unsettling to linger upon, like where was Dustin?

  The bell dinged and the doors opened to an empty elevator. She sagged with a sigh.

  “Don’t be disappointed,” he said pushing her into the elevator. “Say a word to anyone, and you won’t be the only person in a precarious position. Nothing would please me more than to be done with you and this shit.” The doors closed sealing them inside. The man fully revealed the pistol and then slipped it back under his jacket. “Not a sound,” he warned. “Robert Marino wants a word with you. And you’re going to tell him what he wants to know.”

  She chewed her bottom lip then spoke. “If all he wanted was to talk, he could’ve picked up the phone.”

  “Very perceptive of you.”

  * * * * *

  Dustin glanced into the lounge. His heart tripped and vise-like pressure tightened on his chest. His hands shook and a premonition of dread filled his mind. She’d be here unless something or someone cha
nged their plan. Please, let her be in the car. Uneasiness rolled through his stomach. He fled from the lounge and rushed into the lobby. He looked for blonde hair, but McKenna wasn’t there either.

  “Shit.” He took off for the parking lot. Pain flashed into his thigh. Adrenaline blazed through his veins.

  “Fuck!” The car was where they left it. And she wasn’t there. Rampant beats of his heart roared through his ears. Muscles in his scar burned as he raced back into the hotel. He pushed open the woman’s bathroom door. “Mickey? Are you in here?” No answer. Dustin went back to the lounge and approached the bartender. “Hey, did you see a young, blonde woman leave? She came in about ten minutes ago.”

  “Yeah, she left with another guest.” He continued to dry and stack glass tumblers while he spoke.

  “Shit.” Dustin ran his hands through his hair as he slowly spun a three sixty, watching his reflection in the mirrors behind the bar. He didn’t have to consider long where she was. There was only one alternative. The Marinos.

  Dustin couldn’t think of a way to peacefully disarm the situation. He assumed McKenna was in their room with the Marinos. He couldn’t exactly barge in with guns blazing. And yet he didn’t see an option that didn’t include the use of force. He needed backup, but no way could he put off going in. Involving the locals was an absolute last resort. He’d been working their turf—without their involvement—and explaining that little detail could get complicated. Especially for him. He finally took the elevator up. If tonight ended badly, McKenna would know that he hadn’t abandoned her to the Marino family.

  Walking down the corridor felt like trudging through quicksand. How many were in the room? What if they’d somehow gotten McKenna out of the hotel without his seeing? He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and then rapped his knuckles twice against the door.

  * * * * *

  Tyson tried to stay calm amidst a flurry of activity. An FBI informant currently working the Marino case in California had quietly made contact. Now the entire department was scrambling because they hadn’t had any recent communication with Dustin.