Page 81 of Disavowed

“Sonofabitch.” He raced from the apartment, back down the stairwell, and into the vestibule. He shoved open the inner and outer doors, then bolted down the steps. Once inside his Explorer, he cranked the engine and gunned the vehicle down the street.

He pounded his fist on the steering wheel and pressed his foot harder on the accelerator, zigzagging around cars at every intersection. Given that it was Sunday, traffic was lighter than on a typical weekday. By his estimation, he could make the hotel in ten minutes.

Again the phone rang, and he answered it without looking at the screen.

“Gonzalez is dead,” Gray said. “I found him in his apartment, two shots to the head. Your cover’s blown. Do not go to that hotel.”

Dom slammed on the brakes, barely missing a street vendor cart crossing an intersection. Tires screeched as the vendor flipped him the bird.

“You hear me?” Gray shouted.

“I have to go.” He slammed his foot on the gas pedal and the car launched through a red light. “They have Daisy.”

“How the fuck did they get to her with uniforms guarding the doors?”

Dom ground his teeth. “I think Smith took out the one guarding the rear door. His partner’s checking on him now. I’m betting he broke in with a crow bar.”

“Stand by,” Gray said.

Dom heard the muffled squawk of the police radio in the background. He couldn’t quite make out the words but heard Gray curse. After a moment, Gray came back on the phone.

“Smith bashed that cop’s head in. Ambulance is on the way.”

“Shit.” Dom gunned the Explorer faster down the street.

“This doesn’t change anything!” Gray shouted. “You still can’t go to that hotel. You’ll be walking into a trap. You know that.”

“Yeah, but I have to. Gray—” His voice choked. “I love her. I got her into this, and I’ll get her out.”

“Then you’re not going in alone. I’m on my way. I’ll grab as many uniforms and detectives as I can. This situation just changed, and to hell with what Shane wants.”

“No, Gray.” He jerked the wheel hard right onto Fifth Avenue. “I’m going in alone or they’ll kill her.”

“Bullshit! You go in alone and they’ll kill both of you. You know that!”

He gunned the engine faster. “Let me get inside first. If they see you and a contingent of cops right behind me she doesn’t stand a chance. Give me thirty minutes.”

Gray let loose with a string of expletives. “Fine, but not one second more. And partner?”

“Yeah?”

“Watch your ass.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Dom’s heart raced as he hefted the large cardboard box over his shoulder and took the short flight of stairs at the hotel’s loading dock. Not wanting to waste time explaining to the hotel security team manning the front door as to why an armed detective was demanding entry, he was counting on the substantially more lax security at the loading dock to get him inside quicker.

He already knew Valenzuela wasn’t on duty, since Gray had interviewed him that morning at home. Luckily, the guard on duty had his head down, inspecting another vendor’s boxes. He easily slipped past the guard shack and pushed open the door to the hotel.

Once inside, he ditched the box and wound his way through the maze of service hallways. Music thumped through the walls, and as he opened a door that led to the lobby, the sounds of a live band’s drum section pounded his ears. He glanced at his watch. Eleven thirty and the hotel was already bustling with activity.

Bellboys rolled luggage carts back and forth along the white marble floors. Lines at the registration desk wound their way into the lobby. More people amassed outside the main entrance, waiting to pass through security.

Inside the ballroom to his left, the full band contingent blasted loudly enough to shake paint off the walls. Fuck, they were so loud he could barely hear his own thoughts.

At the far end of the ballroom a podium perched on a dais, behind which hung a wall of drapery. The rest of the ballroom floor was dotted with white cloth-covered tables set with gleaming china and silver.

Room 225 was located on the second floor, adjacent to the gold filigree and mahogany balcony that circled above the entire hotel lobby. As much as he wanted to charge up the stairs and kick in the door, attracting unwanted attention was the last thing he should do.