Rocky Mountain Revenge

by Rhonda Starnes

  Olivia cleared her throat. “Can you please put away your phone and set it to silent?”

  “Sorry. It’s my sister, Riley.” He snatched up the phone.

  Family came first for him, always.

  Only this wasn’t from Riley. The incoming text came from a number he didn’t recognize. His mouth dried as he read the words.

  Knock knock. Who’s there? Joey Yums. Joey Yums who? Joey Yums goes kaboooom—at 3:20 LOLZ

  Henry’s stomach dropped. Joey Yums was a hole-in-the-wall falafel joint at the far end of the Coney Island boardwalk and one of his sister’s favorite places to eat when they visited the area.

  He checked the time on his phone and panic exploded in his chest, making his body shake. It would take twenty to thirty minutes to reach the restaurant from the station, depending on traffic—barely time to arrive and remove people from the vicinity, let alone disarm an explosive device. But he had to try. Riley was in danger. His veins flooded with adrenaline. He quickly sent her a text warning her to stay away from Joey Yums and go home. Now. He grabbed Cody’s leash. “Time to work.”

  He pushed past Olivia and hurried out of the records room in search of his sergeant.

  “Excuse me!” Olivia’s voice rang out with indignation. “We’re not done here. And you aren’t allowed to work.”

  “I have to go. Lives are in danger.” He went straight to the front desk, leaving Olivia staring after him, her gaze like a heavy weight on his shoulders.

  “I need Gavin now,” he told Penny McGregor, his friend and colleague, and Bradley’s younger sister.

  “He’s out on a call,” she told him. “But I can contact him.”

  Having no other choice, Henry had to make sure his sister and everyone else was safe. “You do that. Tell him Joey Yums restaurant in Coney Island. A bomb threat. We’re on it. Alert the sixtieth precinct to meet us in front of Joey Yums.”

  Without waiting for a reply, he headed out the door as his fingers flew across his text message screen, writing to his boss. He had to let Gavin know what he was doing. Henry had no doubt he’d end up in hot water, but at the moment, he didn’t care. Riley was his only family and innocent lives were at stake.

  He reached his vehicle, a large white SUV with blue lettering identifying the K-9 unit. The back passenger area was outfitted with a large compartment for Cody and a smaller passenger space for suspect transportation. Behind that was cargo space for his and Cody’s equipment.

  A question ricocheted through his mind: How had this bomber managed to get a hold of his personal cell phone number?

  * * *

  A good dose of irritation, annoyance and stunned outrage engulfed Olivia as she raced to keep up with the towering, fast-moving officer while stuffing her notebook and pen back into her suit pocket.

  The summer sun glistened off his shaved head and deepened the bronze angles of his handsome face. He presented a formidable adversary with a well-toned, muscular body beneath his dark blue uniform. His shoulders were wide and his bearing that of someone who was used to being in control.

  Which irked her to no end.

  Her late husband had wanted to control her and that had caused issues in their marriage, which left her with a bitter taste in her mouth. She was done with controlling men.

  Olivia caught up to him at his vehicle. “Where do you think you’re going? You’re on modified duty. Which means you are not to leave the station.”

  He opened the back passenger door and lifted Cody into the K-9 unit’s caged compartment.

  The moment he shut the door, Olivia planted herself in front of the driver-side door. The intensity in his dark eyes was both daunting and frightening, but she had two older brothers who had mastered the art of intimidation. Henry’s ire didn’t faze her. She blew out a breath. “Your refusal to obey orders doesn’t bode well for you.”

  “With all due respect, this investigation is a sham. The kid is lying. I didn’t hurt him. And I know how to follow orders. I’m former Army.”

  She’d read in his file that he’d served. Combat soldier with a medal of valor. Impressive, but she couldn’t let that sway her. “Then you should stay put and let someone else deal with the situation.”

  “I can’t.” He reached past her, his hand grabbing the door handle. He was taller than her by at least four inches, which was a lot considering she was almost six feet tall. His arm brushed against her shoulder, the friction disconcerting.

  “Why? Where are you going?”

  “Coney Island,” he said sharply. “That second text was a bomb threat.”

  Her stomach contracted with a wave of anxiety. A bomb? “There’s a bomb hidden somewhere on the Coney Island beach or boardwalk?”

  “Yes.” He faced her. His dark eyes filled with worry. “I don’t care if you take my job away. My sister is there, and she’s in danger. I’m going. As a police officer or not. Time is of the essence. Come with me or not, the choice is yours.”

  Stunned by that bit of news, Olivia understood now why he was so anxious to get to Coney Island. And his sister was involved. She understood family loyalty.

  Her two brothers would react the same way, not caring that they were risking their lives or their careers, if one of their three sisters needed them. Apparently, Henry was the same. Grudging respect filled her and she mentally tucked away the knowledge.

  Without another word, she ran around the front of his vehicle, keeping her hand on the hood to make sure he didn’t leave without her as he jumped in and started the engine.

  She quickly climbed into the passenger seat. She’d barely shut the door before he peeled out of the parking lot behind the K-9 unit building with sirens blaring. Even with her seat belt fastened, she had to hang on with both hands to keep from being thrown about the inside of the cab as he drove out of the Bay Ridge neighborhood like a man on a mission. Which she supposed he was.

  Everything about this man was sharp. Sharp edges, sharp tongue and sharp anger. She’d done her research before confronting him today. His fellow K-9 officers spoke highly of him. All trusting his judgment. His superior had said Henry was top notch. One of the best.

  Even his instructors at the police academy praised him and his dog.

  But the man sitting beside her didn’t appear to be a man in control. More like a man desperate to protect someone he loved. What had happened the night of Davey Carrell’s injuries? Had Henry lost his cool as Davey claimed, bending Davey’s wrist to the point of breaking and elbowing the kid in the neck, causing strain to the muscles there?

  She had to admit Henry drove with skill and focus. Even at this breakneck speed, she felt safe. For both herself and the child growing inside of her.

  His phone blew up with incoming text messages. He ignored them and concentrated on the road. She had to admire his commitment to no texting and driving. “Should I read your text messages?”

  He sped through an intersection. “Yes. Please.”

  She plucked his phone from the pocket of his shirt where she’d seen him drop it. Leaning close to him, she got a whiff of his spicy aftershave that momentarily stalled her hand. The scent was something she’d never smelled before. Unusual and very masculine. Giving herself a shake, she looked at the lock screen, thankful he didn’t have a privacy setting. The texts were all from his boss, Sergeant Gavin Sutherland.

  Swiping up, she was able to read the furious missives from his boss. “Your sergeant says he’s dispatched a local bomb squad and will meet you there.”

  She studied Henry’s profile. His jaw was clenched so tightly she was surprised she didn’t hear his teeth cracking. He didn’t bother to glance away from the road, but gave a sharp nod of his head. “I need you to text my sister again. Tell her to leave now if she hasn’t already and meet us at the corner of West 12th and Bowery. And to stay away from Joey Yums.”

  She scrolled through his
text contacts until she found his sister Riley’s name. She read the last two texts. The one that had come in at the beginning of the interview and the one he sent back, reprimanding her for not going straight home after her classes, the tone more fatherly than brotherly.

  Considering he’d raised his sister alone for the past six years, she wasn’t too surprised, but somehow the idea of this man as a father tugged at her in unexpected ways. Giving herself another mental shake, she quickly sent a text to Riley giving her the information.

  No answering text came in. Olivia stared at the device as if she could will the teenager to respond. She sent up a silent plea heavenward for God to prompt Riley to look at her phone. Was this what parenthood would be like? Worrying, waiting and praying?

  She needed to talk to her brothers’ wives and ask how they coped with motherhood.

  Henry brought the vehicle to a screeching halt at an angle at the curb of West 12th and Bowery. The iconic state park was bursting with activity along the famous boardwalk, the amusement park rides were filled with tourists and locals alike, and the sandy beaches sported sunbathers on blankets or children and adults frolicking in the waves.

  He jumped out and slammed the door. Quickly, she followed suit. By the time she made it around to his side of the vehicle, he had Cody already leashed up and was talking to him in a quiet, soft voice. She wouldn’t have deemed him capable of such tenderness, especially in the midst of a bomb threat. Another aspect of him to tuck away for further analysis.

  She handed Henry back his phone. “She hasn’t replied.” His distress ratcheted up her own nervousness. “She probably put her phone in her purse and can’t hear it.” She hoped that was the case.

  Henry tucked the phone in his pocket.

  “Where to now?” she asked.

  “Joey Yums.”

  She had no idea where that was, or even what it was, for that matter. “I’m coming with you.”

  If she stuck close to him, she could observe and record his behavior for her report. Seeing him and his dog in action would help her to better form an opinion of his work habits and ethics.

  He hesitated, concern etched on his handsome face, then he said, “Let’s go.” He and Cody took off at a run.

  She hurried after them, glad she’d worn her flats today with her suit. She couldn’t imagine running on the planked boardwalk in heels. Huffing with the speed at which she ran to keep up with Henry and Cody, she was thankful when the pair slowed outside of a restaurant.

  Two police officers from the local precinct stood nearby. From the fresh face of the younger officer, Olivia guessed him to be a rookie. Protocol was for the first on scene to wait for the supervising agency, in this case the Brooklyn K-9 Unit, to arrive before starting evacuation, because opening doors without having them checked by explosive experts could result in disaster.

  Henry halted at the older officer’s side. “Set a perimeter while we evacuate the restaurant.” Henry pointed to the eating establishment then glanced at his watch. “According to the text message we have seven minutes before detonation. We have to clear the place.”

  Olivia’s lungs squeezed tight. “You can’t go in there, Henry.”

  Had she just called him Henry instead of Detective? The texts from his sister, his worry, the imminent danger made this suddenly more...personal.

  He stared at her for a heartbeat. “May I call you Olivia?”

  She lifted her chin and then nodded.

  “Olivia, we’re trained for this. Waiting will result in destruction.”

  He was right. Civilian lives were at stake. “Go.” She prayed she was making the right decision.

  Henry and Cody hurried forward. Cody sniffed around the entrance without alerting before they disappeared inside.

  Staring after them, worry wormed through her. Within moments, a stream of people rushed out of the restaurant. She and the two officers hustled the crowd away. She was thankful to have something useful to do while Henry and Cody searched for the bomb. And she was just as thankful the smells of Coney Island weren’t causing her stomach to rebel. She was glad to be done with the morning sickness that had plagued her the first trimester of her pregnancy.

  More officers arrived. A man in a full explosive ordnance disposal suit headed for the entrance to the restaurant. She quickly ascertained the officer in charge and explained that Henry and Cody had already gone inside. Officers set up a barrier around the restaurant, asking people to vacate the area.

  Not knowing what else to do, Olivia joined in. “Please back up. You need to leave the boardwalk.”

  Many people moved back but several remained to watch, and some scurried off. Her gaze scanned the growing crowd of onlookers. Was the bomber among the gawkers?

  Henry’s boss and his partner arrived on scene. Olivia recognized Sergeant Gavin Sutherland and his dog, Tommy, a brown and white springer spaniel. She rushed to him and brought him up to speed on what was happening.

  “He did the right thing, you know,” Gavin said.

  She nodded. Even though he’d disobeyed orders, she couldn’t fault him for putting the safety of others ahead of his own interests. Something her late husband would never have thought of, let alone done.

  A moment later, Cody and Henry walked out. Henry held up his hands in a gesture of confusion and shaking his head. “Nothing. Cody didn’t alert on anything.”

  “We’ll take it from here,” Gavin said. “You cooperate with Lieutenant Vance. We need you back on duty!”

  “Yes, sir,” Henry replied, though his troubled gaze scanned their surroundings.

  Gavin and Tommy walked back toward the restaurant.

  “Has your sister responded?” Olivia asked.

  His anxiety obvious in the tightness around his mouth and the concern in his eyes, he shook his head. “Do you mind if we search for her?”

  Deciding neither of them would be able to concentrate until they were sure his sister was safe, she nodded. “Let’s find Riley.”

  * * *

  Figuring Riley had headed for Luna Park, Henry and Cody led Olivia at a fast clip toward the amusement park rides. He kept an eye out for any sign of Riley among the throng of summertime visitors. His phone chimed. Finally. He read the message and his stomach dropped. Same phone number as before. His steps faltered as the words on the phone’s screen registered like a loud clanging in his ears.

  Oh, did I say Joey Yums? I meant the garbage can. Kaboom! LOLZ

  A fresh wave of panic hit Henry. There were several trash bins on the boardwalk and inside the park. “Cody, seek!”

  “What’s going on?” Olivia asked.

  “Another bomb threat,” he told her as he and Cody hustled toward the nearest garbage can. Nose working the ground and the air, the beagle moved past the round metal containers. Then he let out a loud bark and strained against his leash. Clearly he’d picked up a scent.

  Running to keep up, Henry let Cody lead him down the boardwalk. Cody’s feet scrabbled on the wooden planks as he neared a garbage can that had been moved from the center aisle and placed beside a bench where a young couple sat kissing.

  The dog halted in front of the trash can and stared at it. His signal that he’d found an explosive.

  Fearing for his dog, Henry gave a sharp whistle, Cody’s signal to return. The dog immediately responded. Running toward the couple, Henry waved his arms and shouted, “Off the bench! Run. Now!”

  The garbage can exploded.

  Copyright © 2020 by Harlequin Books S.A.

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  ISBN-13: 9781488061264

  Rocky Mountain Revenge

  Copyright © 2020 by Rhonda L. Starnes

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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