“I fucking tried. They got lucky. And they left his truck. I had a damned tracker on it. No clue where they ended up yet. But I will find them. If nothing else, Acardi will call in for his buddies to come rescue his ass. There was blood in his truck when my good old patrol buddies found it. One of them, at least, was hit. I’m sure we’ll find out by morning.”
He seemed rather unconcerned. Arrogance of youth. But he didn’t have as much to hide as certain older gentlemen involved. “See that girl is gone as soon as possible. She and those Colesonsisters are the last ones who can tie us to what happened with Steve and that damned Grundenman. Get things done.”
“And if I don’t? Maybe I want Acardi’s bitch for myself? Maybe a little fun? I’ve been planning it for a long, long time.”
Women were the root of all evil. The cause of all men’s problems. This young fool needed to learn that. So did Bo, for that matter. He had a redheaded obsession of his own he was currently dealing with. “I don’t care what you do to her. I just want her out of the equation. Make it happen. Quickly.”
“I have someone digging in her computers now. But she’s good. It’s going to take a while. And cost a fortune. She’s good friends with the governor’s sister-in-law and those Barratts. She has access to technology I don’t have yet.”
“I don’t care. Just take her and Acardi out. The rest of Major Crimes with them. I want every last one of themdead.”
“It’ll be a blood bath. Bring national attention.”
“At this point, getting them dead is more important. Just do it.”
There were things he had to do now. It was time for this all toend.
65
Riely listenedto what her grandfather was saying. She had been asleep, but then had heard people pulling in. She’d watched from the window as Bo and his friends and her grandfather’s friends had come up the drive together. They had all looked like they were mad about something.
She had listened to what they were saying. He was ordering peoplekilled.What kind of monster did that? Major Crimes, they werecops.The good guys, right? That blonde lady that looked like Riely’s mom was a cop—what if she was one of the ones her grandfather wanted to kill?
She knew what they were. And her grandfather was ordering Bo and that other man to kill them. How could they do that? Killing was wrong.
She stayed where she was.
She didn’t know what she should do. Should she call someone? Tell them? She didn’t have a clue.
She didn’t want those women in the Garlic to be hurt. She just didn’t.
She had her grandfather on camera now. Saying he wanted to kill cops. But not everybody was visible on the camera, butthe cops could figure it out, right? She had to do something. But what? She still had that lady’s business card.
Maybe she should tell her? Be anonymous or something somehow?
Riely stayed in her bed and planned.
First thing in the morning, she would find a way to tell that lady or something. She had to do something.
Those women didn’t deserve to be killed by her grandfather. She knew…
He had killed her mother. She didn’t want him to kill anyone else’s.
Riely just lay in her bed and cried.
Sometimes, she just missed her mom so much.
66
He felt her.For a moment, Dom thought he was dreaming of the little witch again. He did that on a far too frequent basis lately. He was starting to think he needed a Madison-exorcism or something. He just grunted. He smelled lilac again…and…copper.
Blood? Hell. He was starting to remember.
“Wake up. We need to break and enter.”
She was touching him. He felt her touch. Of course, he did—she scorched him every time they were within range. The woman had him heart and soul. He suspected she knew it too. He was just going to behave himself. “Get out of my dreams again.”
“Not your dreams. I am your living nightmare, I think. Come on. We’re…here. I didn’t intend to end up here, but I knew the address, and I am tired, and when we crossed the Oklahoma line, it just made the most sense. Come on. Open the eyes or I am going to pinch you.”
