Sin & Savage (24 page)

”But it’s the truth! I’m not lying!”

“Sorry, sweetheart, tell it to the judge,” Jay laughed.

As they sped in the opposite direction from The Valley Lodge and Casino Resort, Tori’s emotions snapped. Defeated, she sat back in her seat. Large tears dropped down her cheeks and quietly, she sobbed to herself.

Things were really bad right now. Her beloved Nana and Joe might very well be killed if she didn’t show up soon. She was on her way to jail for drug possession and dealing—and to top it all off, Matt didn’t love her, after all! He was just a mean, cold, heartless, machine-of-a-man; a bastard who had used her for his own nefarious plans, betraying her trust and love!

What was she going to do now?

Chapter 51

Saturday – 9:31 a.m.

Gas Station

Savage slowed the
Harley and veered to the right, driving into a lone gas station along the bleak highway. But instead of heading for the pumps, he drove behind the building, where a grey van with black tinted windows was parked near some desert brush, away from prying eyes.

He stopped beside the other vehicle and turned the engine off. As he unsaddled from the bike and removed his helmet and sunglasses, the driver’s door opened and a short, stout man in his late fifties got out. He was wearing a baseball hat, plaid shirt, long shorts, and sandals. At first glance, he looked like every other gambling loser that arrived in Vegas every day to try their luck at the casinos before returning home broke and disillusioned with life. But on closer inspection, his long hawkish nose gave him an aura of authority and his blue eyes sparkled with humor, belying the fact that he was just an ordinary schmo.

The man approached Savage and looked the biker over from head to toe and then back again. “Where’d ya get the cocaine, asshole?” he asked in a deep, booming voice.

A slow smile spread across the biker’s lips. “Kitchen cupboard in the cabin. That shit won’t get you high, but it’ll make an amazing chocolate cake,” he drawled.

The man laughed. “Do you think she knew it was baking powder?”

Savage’s brows drew together with disbelief. “Sweet, sweet Tori, the preacher’s daughter? Hell no!”

“So you think she bought it?”

“Oh yeah, unless Jay and Scott fuck it up.”

“Why should they? They’re the two best cops this state has.”

Savage laughed. “Because that had to have been one of the sloppiest arrests I’ve ever seen in my life, that’s why. They actually let an asshole like me go when I was carrying all that cash and my girlfriend was carrying my drugs for me. Come on, Hank.”

The other man chuckled. “I doubt Miss Jones would know anything about police procedure.”

“Yeah, I have to say she bought the whole production, hook, line and sinker.”

“I’d bet everything that I own that she’s really hating your guts right about now.”

“Oh, I know she is! But all that matters is that’s she’s safe. That’s all I care about.”

“She is, and as soon as they get her to the station, they’ll hold her there until they get the green light from me to release her.”

Savage popped open one of the saddlebags and took out a water bottle. After taking a long chug of the refreshing liquid, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before grinning again at the older man. “It’s really great of the cops to be helping us out like this.”

Hank lit a cigarette and took a quick drag. “Yeah, I had to pull some strings but they were happy to do it.”

Savage nodded. “Good. Tell them I owe them one.”

Hank puffed on his smoke again and laughed. “I’m sure they’ll come to collect.”

“Is the Gable Street mess all cleaned up?

“Yeah, spic and span. We’re closing the pipeline from Los Angeles, as we speak. We’ve gotten all those guns off the street too. Not to mention we’ve sent a few of those asshole bikers to their just rewards in hellfire. The rest are in jail.”

Savage snorted a laugh. “Did the guys see me tear outta that place last night?”

Hank nodded. “Of course. You know we had the whole place secured front to back. No fucking way an asshole like you could have gotten away from us unless we let you.”

Savage threw him a confident smirk. “Oh, I don’t know about that, Hank. I’d like to think that a shrewd douchebag like me could have probably outsmarted the Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco Bureau if I wanted to.”

“Bull fucking shit, dude, no way! By the way, the guys want me to tell you that the way you drove outta that shithole last night? You were moving faster than Satan being chased outta Heaven.”

“I would have been moving even faster if I didn’t have precious cargo sitting on the back.”

“Yeah, she’s a pretty tough little number, isn’t she?”

Savage put his hand to the side of his abdomen where Tori had stabbed him and winced as a shot of pain went through him when he touched the spot. “Oh yeah, I can attest to that first hand.”

Hank frowned as he ground out his smoke beneath his foot. “You’ve got to get that looked at, buddy. It could turn into something more serious.”

“Not now, Hank. There’s too much going down.”

“Any news on Dirty Dan yet?”

“None, but I did find some delivery receipts at the club from Sorelli for Tues night when Dan disappeared. My guess is the old fart is dead. Sorelli was probably there that night, saw something he shouldn’t have and ran.”

“We’ve got The Valley Lodge staked out. We think Sorelli and the grandmother are still alive.”

Savage nodded. “Good. I’m on my way then.”

“Okay, but we want you to wear a wire. That way we can monitor what’s going on inside.”

“No! It’s too dangerous. If any of them get spooked, they might search everybody. I can’t take that chance. Just gimme a half hour in there and I’ll see what I can do first.”

Hank frowned, none-too-pleased with this new plan. “Fine, but if you’re not out by then, we’re moving in.”

“I might need more time.”

“Sorry, Monroe—one half hour. Then we’re coming in, and it’s gonna be swift and surgical. We’ll take ’em by surprise.”

“Wish this UC work could have gone on for a while longer,” Savage mumbled with a pang of regret in his tone.

Hank shook his head. “We’ve got Snake on murder-for-hire charges thanks to you wearing the wire, and racketeering and gun running and kidnapping and potentially Dirty Dan’s murder. The other assholes are gonna fall right behind him like dominoes. They’re all going to jail for a very very long time.”

“Yeah, but I wanted more time to crack more heads—my way,” Savage gritted.

Hank’s nostril’s flared. “You’ve cracked enough heads on this case, Agent Monroe. I can’t believe half the shit I let you get away with these past two years as it is! I should have pulled the plug on this operation a long time ago.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t, did you? Why? Because I was getting the job done, no matter how I had to do it.”

“You’ve gone rogue, Monroe!”

“Look, I’ve been undercover for two fucking long years with the vermin of the earth. My ass is on the line every damn day and whatever I have to do to stay alive, I’ll do, and if that means cracking heads—or worse, then so be it.” Savage turned back to his Harley and put his helmet on. He cursed softly under his breath as he straddled the bike again.

Hank’s eyes narrowed on him, throwing him a scorching look. “Just remember one thing, Matt. We’re supposed to be the good guys.”

Savage threw him an unapologetic, unflinching look before donning his dark sunglasses, firing up the Harley and zooming away.

Chapter 52

Saturday – 9:31 a.m.

Nevada Highway

Tori sat in
the back seat of the police car, tears blurring her vision. She could barely read the highway signs whizzing by them with all the waterworks flooding down her cheeks.

How was she ever going to help her Nana now? Time was running out. A swirl of hopelessness washed over her and a sick feeling churned in her stomach. She felt like she was trapped in a waking nightmare—and it was all that bastard’s fault! How could she have been so stupid as to fall for somebody like him? He was evil, pure evil!

Sniffling, she suddenly realized that her purse was lying beside her on the seat. Well, at least they’d left her that. Reaching into it, she grabbed a tissue and began to dab at her wet eyes. Luckily for her, the cops hadn’t handcuffed her—or read her her Miranda rights, come to think of it. She blinked rapidly; her tears suddenly stopped flowing and her brain began working again. Why hadn’t they cuffed her or read her her rights? Would they do that at the station, maybe? That was odd. But then again, what did she know about getting arrested, except for what she saw in the movies.

The cruiser slowed and the younger cop muttered, “What’s going on here?”

Ahead, the highway was jammed with about twenty stopped cars, one behind another. Further ahead, it looked like a car accident. She could barely make out two vehicles sandwiched together, one smacked into the other. Smoke was rising from one of the crushed hoods.

As Scott radioed his dispatch for help, Jay, the older officer parked the car and turned back to her. “Sit tight, little lady. We’ll be right back.” He got out of the car and ran to the accident. Scott followed suit, and Tori was left all alone.

Oh my God, this was her chance to escape! She needed to get out of here as fast as possible and save her Nana and Joe before it was too late. It was the only way!

Both officers were now at the mangled wreck trying to help the victims. Gawkers were transfixed on the scene. Tori sensed that no one was paying attention to her.
RUN.
Get out of here NOW before the backup police and ambulances come!
Run for your life, and for the lives of your Nana and Joe!!

She lunged at the car door and groped for the handle, but there was none. She realized they weren’t meant to open from the inside. Oh no, what was she going to do now? She was caged in! Her desperate eyes quickly scanned the scene in front of her, trying to think of her next move.

And that’s when she saw him…a handsome guy in his late twenties wearing jeans and a beer company t-shirt. He stood with a small group of people at the side of the road. They were watching what was going on, but he was watching her in the back seat of the cop car. Tori zeroed in on him and smiled. He smiled back, obviously interested.

Okay, she needed to play this cool. Taking a deep breath, she flashed him a sexy grin and winked. His body responded, taking an unconscious step towards her. Emboldened by his positive response, Tori clasped her hands together as if she was praying and mouthed the words, “Open the door, please!” But all he did was laugh and silently shake his head no.

She beamed another devastating smile at him. “Please, please, please?”

He grinned again before mouthing the words “No, sorry.”

Tori’s brain went into warp speed. It was obvious he found her attractive but he wasn’t about to be break the law for her. At least, that’s what his body language said. Okay, now what? Frustrated, she blew out a tense breath as her mind raced on.

Wait! Money—that was it! Maybe she could tempt him with some from her purse?

Tori pulled out her wallet and rifled through the bills. Thank God, she still had the last $500 that Nana had given her early on. They were in crisp $100 bills too.

Fanning them out, she held them up to the window for him to see. “Open the door, please please please.”

He hesitated for a split second before checking to see if anyone was watching him. But they weren’t. He shifted forward and made his way to the police car. A wave of relief washed over Tori as she realized that this crazy plan of hers might actually work!

He glanced around again before he casually opened the door. Grabbing her purse, Tori zipped out in a mad rush, stuffed the bills in his hand and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “Thank you,” she gushed. She then sprinted across the highway lanes, crossing the center median and raced across the opposite lanes. The traffic was still moving in the other direction—the accident not having impacted that side of the highway—and she sprinted back in the direction they’d come.

You have to get to The Valley Lodge as fast as you can—you just have to,
her thoughts screamed out at her. She had a stitch in both sides, but she didn’t care. Nana’s life depended on her!

Suddenly, the sound of sirens came from the opposite direction. For one desperate, terrifying moment, she thought they were coming for her. But logic returned and she realized they were probably going to the accident. She slowed to a fast walk, not wanting to attract any attention as to why a lone woman was running along a highway.

A tractor trailer was heading in her direction. Okay—this could be dangerous and she’d never hitchhiked before, but dammit, her Nana’s life and Joe’s too depended on her getting to that casino as fast as possible. Time was running out for them and for her too, since she was now, officially, a fugitive on the run. As soon as those cops realized that she’d escaped, they’d put out an All Points Bulletin or whatever, and everybody’d be looking for her.

Oh God, how had it all ever come down to this—with her, of all people, now being the bad guy? Had the world turned upside down and she hadn’t gotten the memo yet?

Tori faced the oncoming truck. She stuck out her thumb and smiled. Immediately, the truck veered to the side of the road and stopped in front of her. The passenger window rolled down and the driver, a grizzly, white-bearded, bear-of-a-man in his late 60’s leaned over. “Need help there, ma’am?” he said in a heavy, Texan accent that she immediately recognized.

“You from Texas?” Tori asked.

“Yes, ma’am—Dallas,” he said, his curious eyes taking in her plight.

“I’m from Gideon,” Tori gushed.

“Gideon? Why, I drive through there all the time on my way to Dallas. Small world, huh? Where ya’all headed?”

Tori had one second to make up her mind whether to trust this guy or not. His eyes seemed kind and friendly, and her gut instinct told her he wouldn’t hurt her. Okay—yeah—she would take a chance and trust him.

Tori smiled back. “Do you know where the Valley Lodge is, sir?”

He nodded. “About 20 miles up yonder.” He pointed to the highway ahead. “I’m going that way. You want me to take you there?”

“Yes, please.” Maybe…just maybe…this would work and she’d be able to reach Nana and Joe in time.

“Well, hop in then.” He leaned across and opened the rig’s door.

“Thank you!” Tori climbed aboard.

Within seconds they were on their way.