Dropping his weapon was the last thing he wanted, and he kicked himself for not handling this better. Instead of splitting up and running, he should have gone on offense, facing the dog head-on and threating to kill the beast if Buck didn’t toss down his gun.
Now it was too late. Cargo Shorts #2 stepped out of the warehouse, holding his gun trained on Jarek.
Two weapons to his one. There was no way he could win this showdown.
“Last chance,” Buck said. “Trust me, watching Dina bleed out in the street would be the highlight of my night.”
“Okay.” Jarek believed him. The fact that Di was so upset about seeing Buck indicated there was more than a little history between them. A secret that might get them both killed. “Okay, you win. I’m tossing my weapon.” Jarek made a show of throwing his gun behind him.
“Get into the warehouse.” Buck pushed Di forward as he spoke. Di’s apologetic and resigned gaze bored into Jarek’s. “Be nice and keep following orders or I’ll feed Dina to Rocco for a late-night snack.”
Cargo Shorts #2 laughed nervously at Buck’s pathetic joke. Clearly, Buck was the guy in charge of this drug-smuggling operation.
Rocco the dog stayed close to Buck’s side as the guy pushed Di toward the warehouse. There was nothing Jarek could do but go along with the plan. Taking a deep calming breath, he entered the building, portraying every ounce of confidence he possessed.
He and Di were trained soldiers. They could handle this. If there was an opportunity to escape, they’d take advantage of it.
The moment they were all inside the warehouse, Cargo Shorts #2 reached up to pull the garage door down to hide them from view. Even if a police cruiser went by, there was no way his fellow officers would see them.
“How do you and Di, er, Dina know each other?” Jarek asked.
Buck made another guffawing sound. Even Rocco looked surprised, glancing up at his owner with a curious gaze. “Dina, I’m so disappointed in you. Why didn’t you tell your boyfriend about our dad?”
Di remained silent, her expression stoic. Jarek tried to send her a reassuring look, but she avoided eye contact. Even worse, there was a darkness in her eyes that made him worry even more. Buck had to be a part of the past she’d held back from him. Then he remembered Edward J. Ross’s obituary. His son, Edward Ross Junior. Buck? Had to be.
Di looked as if she were hanging on by a thread. He silently prayed he and Di would make it out of this without being hurt too badly. Especially Di.
The thought of Buck sexually assaulting her made him feel sick to his stomach. He wouldn’t put anything past her creepy stepbrother. The guy and his fierce dog were capable of anything.
“Put handcuffs on him,” Buck told Cargo Shorts #2. “Then we’ll use the second pair on my lovely sister.”
“Stepsister.” Di finally broke her silence. “There’s no blood bond between us, Buckaroo.”
The nickname caused Buck to shove her to the floor in a fit of anger. Di must have anticipated the move because she didn’t hit the ground too hard. Instead, she tucked and rolled, putting a little distance between them.
Buck raised his weapon, and for a horrible moment, Jarek feared he would shoot her right then and there.
Rocco growled low in his throat as if he wanted nothing more than to attack Di. Di didn’t pay any attention to the dog. She calmly stared up at Buck, waiting for his next move. Jarek hated feeling helpless as he watched the interaction between them.
After what seemed like an eternity, Buck lowered his weapon. “Get those cuffs, Lupo!” Buck snapped. “Now!”
Lupo, a.k.a. Cargo Shorts #2, wrenched Jarek’s hands behind his back. He tried to tuck his thumb into his palm while being cuffed, but Buck must have noticed the move.
“Stop it! Don’t play games.” Buck’s voice was hard as granite. “I won’t hesitate to shoot you and Dina right now, then tossing your bodies into the Hudson River later. You’re proving to be more trouble than you’re worth.”
“I’m not playing a game, but you are.” Jarek held Buck’s gaze as he felt the hard metal bracelets encircle his wrists. He resented being bound like a common criminal but didn’t let his emotions show. “You should know that I’m a cop. Killing me is only going to bring the wrath of the entire Newburgh police department down on your head. A smart businessman like you should know better. Why don’t you let us both go before that happens?”
“I don’t care who you are.” Buck didn’t appear concerned with the threat. Jarek braced himself for hearing him admit that one of his fellow officers was dirty, but all Buck said was “I can always move my business somewhere else. There are plenty of places where I can find guys like Lupo here to help me move product from one location to the next. No matter what happens, my business won’t suffer. It’s all about supply and demand.”
“Your business?” Di echoed. “We know about the drugs of course, but does that mean you’re the owner of Liquid Gold Coffee and Tea?”
“No, I think he owns Davos Delivery.” Jarek could tell he’d nailed it by the flash in Buck’s eyes.
“Yeah, I own Davos. Why are you surprised?” Buck glared at his stepsister. He swore loudly, then gestured with his gun. “Stand up. You’re next to be handcuffed.”
“Oh goody.” Di pushed herself to her feet and reluctantly held her wrists behind her back. Lupo stepped forward and slapped the metal bracelets around her narrow wrists. Di didn’t seem to care about being cuffed, her gaze was laser focused on her stepbrother. There was no mistaking the animosity shimmering between them. Despite the way Buck grinned like a maniac, reveling in how he’d captured them both. To make matters worse, the dog at his side licked his chops, ready to attack again the moment Buck gave the command.
Their chances of escaping Buck, Rocco, and Lupo looked slim. Especially if there were other gangbangers on the way. Or even in the vicinity.
