Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
The second Bowie heard that Rosco had a gun was the moment he took off for her apartment.
“How long before you’re in the house?” he asked over the comms.
“Maybe ten minutes,” Kian said. “Hale Pau, the investigator who worked on ’s case, is here with two local detectives, Emery, and the bomb techs. Rosco did a fucking fabulous job at rigging this place. We broached the perimeter, but?—”
“Moana’s in trouble. I’ve got to go up to the apartment and show my hand. Move faster.” Bowie didn’t really need the finer details. He just needed to make sure nothing happened to Moana.
Or anyone else for that matter.
“Unless you want someone to lose a limb, we’re working as quickly as possible,” Lane shot back.
“Parker is handled,” Carter said. “He’s also cooperating, so that helps move shit along. Do what you need to. I’ll have Quinn take over listening to what’s happening inside Moana’s apartment.”
“Thanks. I’m going off comms now.” Bowie took out his earpiece. He hated flying blind, but he trusted his team as well as Waylen’s.
Time to deal with fucking Rosco.
He took the steps up to Moana’s apartment two at a time and pushed open the door.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Rosco grabbed Moana, lifted his weapon, and pressed it against her temple.
That really pissed off Bowie.
“That’s between me and Moana,” Bowie said. “Now get that thing away from my girl.” He held his gun steady. Pissing contests between men wasn’t something Bowie got off on and standoffs weren’t generally how he enjoyed spending his day.
This one was going to end. And soon.
Moana’s eyes were wide with fear and filled with tears.
God, he hated that he’d put her in this position. This was about as bad as things could get. He would spend a lifetime trying to make up for this one moment in time.
“I’d put your gun down if I were you,” Rosco said with a damn stupid smile. “You don’t want me getting an itchy finger and pulling the trigger.”
Nope. Bowie did not.
Bowie raised his hand, releasing his grip on the trigger, then set it down on the table by the door. “Now how about letting her go.”
“I can’t do that.” Rosco wrapped his disgusting arm around her middle and pointed his weapon dead center at Bowie’s chest. Point-blank, that bullet sure as shit would end Bowie’s life.
Well, he didn’t plan on dying today.
“What’s the plan now? Because you can’t kill me,” Bowie said. “I’m a decorated SEAL. People will miss me. The Navy will want to know what happened to me and they will hunt you down like the pathetic man that you are.”
“I’m not going to end your life right here.” Rosco shook his head and laughed. “You have seriously underestimated me.”
“I highly doubt that,” Bowie said. “But why don’t you enlighten me on how you plan on disposing of me.”
“It’s simple, really. You’re going to try to save a couple of drug addicts cooking meth.” Rosco shrugged. “You’re going to charge a house where you found out they were staying. But they were careless and boom .” He laughed. “Everyone in the place dies a tragic death.”
“My sister doesn’t do meth,” Moana whispered. “She’s a cokehead and a drunk. But never meth.”
“Addicts will do whatever it takes for that high. She’s no exception.” Rosco shifted the gun back to Moana’s head. “Let’s all go for a walk. And Bowie, don’t try anything. If you do, this one gets a bullet and trust me when I say, I’ll do it. Or my buddy up the street will. And we’ll adjust and put one in you. A random shooting. It happens. So, if you want her to live, you’ll do what I say.”
Bowie glanced at the clock on the stove. It had only been eight minutes since he’d entered the apartment.
His team said they needed ten.
Maybe longer.
“Well, I certainly don’t want her to die.” Bowie couldn’t stall any longer. Time to head outside. He waved his hand toward the door. “After you.”
“That’s funny.” Rosco lifted his chin. “Open the door. Walk slowly down the steps. And remember what I said. I’m a man with nothing to lose at this point.”
Once outside, Bowie had a couple of options. He could try to take Rosco. Only that meant the possibility the gun could go off, causing bodily harm to Moana.
That would have to be his last resort.
Another option was his team taking a kill or maim shot.
If they had the right angle.
But again, it could cause the weapon to be discharged, though it was a risk that might have to be taken depending on what was going on with the house.
The final one, which might be the best option, was to enter the house. But that’s only if his team had been able to disarm the booby traps, get her sister and Liko out, and managed to reset the traps well enough that Rosco wouldn’t be able to tell, at least walking through the front door.
Bowie had to hope for door number three.
He inched closer to Moana as they made their way toward the marina.
Rosco took out his cell and tapped at the screen. Bowie assumed he was texting Parker.
Bowie glanced over his shoulder. A man fitting Parker’s description was still at the top of the street.
“How are you holding up?” Bowie whispered to Moana.
“Fucking wonderful,” she said.
“Keep walking.” Rosco kept one arm around Moana. “See that house up there. The light-blue one?”
“Yeah. What about it?” Bowie asked.
“You and Moana are going to go inside. I’m going to stand at the curb. If you don’t enter through the front door, I’ll shoot you both in the back.” Rosco pressed his weapon in the center of Bowie’s spine for good measure.
Bowie took Moana’s hand, lacing his fingers through hers, and squeezed. “It’s going to be okay.” If his team didn’t want him to go inside, they’d stop him the second he took five steps away from Rosco.
“How can you say that?” She blinked out a few more tears. “You heard him. That place is going to explode the second we open the door.” She leaned closer. “I also remember what you said about it,” she whispered.
“Trust me.” He kissed her temple and tugged her farther away from Rosco.
“Aw, aren’t the two of you cute,” Rosco said.
“Here we go.” Bowie pushed open the door, cringing, waiting for the explosion.
Nothing.
He stepped inside quickly, yanking Moana across the threshold, and slamming the door shut.
“We didn’t die.” She bent over, pressing her hands on her knees and gasping for air.
“Nope.” He glanced around, and then the sound of boots hitting the floorboards tickled his ears. He spun in the direction of the noise, ready for a fight.
Only, Flint came into view, sporting a smile.
“It’s all clear, man.” Flint waved his hands.
Sirens rang out in the background.
Flint raced around them and pulled back the curtains. “Damn, so fucking anticlimactic. And Emery, of all people, is getting the honors.” He smiled as if proud. “Jesus. Look at her. She’s scary as shit with a weapon and decked out in her uniform.”
Bowie peered over his shoulder. Rosco was flat on his stomach, hands behind his back, while Emery was slapping the cuffs on his wrists. “I would have liked to have been out there to take that asshole down. That fucker put a gun to my girlfriend’s head, not to mention pressed it against my chest and back. If it couldn’t be me out there, I’m kind of glad it’s Emery. She’s a good cop and one of Moana’s best friends. Besides, I might have beat the shit out of that little prick.” He turned and his heart dropped to his toes.
Moana was on the floor. Her knees were to her chest and her arms were wrapped around them. She rocked back and forth and sobbed.
“Hey, babe. It’s okay. It’s all over.” He knelt in front of her, cupping her face. “You’re okay. I’m okay. Rosco is being taken into custody as we speak. He’s going to prison. You have nothing?—”
“My sister. Where’s my sister? She’s not here. What did he do to?—”
“I’m right here, Little Girl.” Kalena appeared from the back room. Her face was bruised. She had a few cuts on her cheek and her clothes were bloodstained.
But she was alive.
So was Liko. The tall, dark man leaned against the doorjamb with his arm in a sling.
“Kalena?” Moana scrambled to her feet. “Is that really you?”
Moana stood on shaky legs and stared at her sister.
“Yes, Little Girl, it’s really me.” Kalena, for all of Moana’s life, had always called her Little Girl .
Moana wasn’t sure what was worse.
Being called that.
Or Little One, by Mano.
But right now, she relished the words.
“Are you okay?” Moana stumbled forward. Bowie caught her in his strong arms. “Did Rosco put those bruises and cuts on your face?”
“He did. But thanks to your friends, me and Liko are fine. We’re all going to be fine.” Kalena wrapped her arms around Moana and hugged her tight.
“Oh, Kalena, I’m so sorry I brought that man into our lives. I’m sorry I didn’t come looking for you sooner. I’m sorry I thought the worst of you.”
“Now, now, Little Girl.” Kalena lifted her chin. “I would have thought horrible things about me if I had been in your shoes. It’s not like I never disappeared before. Or gone off the wagon.”
“But you didn’t this time.”
Kalena smiled. “No. I haven’t.”
“You must have been so scared.”
“I was.” Kalena glanced over her shoulder. “Both Liko and I were. But we had each other and the one thing we learned about our time in captivity was that crazy jerk Rosco wanted to use us to bring you to him. That meant he needed us alive. That gave us hope. My only concern was that he didn’t hurt my little girl.”
My little girl.
Little Girl.
And now so much of Moana’s life made sense, in a weird way.
The front door opened and Quinn and Carter came into view. “Sorry to break up the reunion. The ambulance is here to take Kalena and Liko to the hospital.”
“Come on, sweetheart.” Liko rested his hand on Kalena’s shoulder. “I’m sure they will let Moana ride with us. If they don’t, I bet one of these fine gentlemen will bring her. But I’m fairly certain you have a concussion, and I know this arm of mine is broken and needs to be set. We both need to be checked out.”
Moana glanced between Liko and Kalena. “Did you call her sweetheart?”
Liko chuckled. “I did. It’s a long story. One that we don’t want to tell with this big of an audience and perhaps might be better done after the shock of what happened here has worn off.”
“My team can handle the wrap-up here.” Bowie slid his arm around her waist. “We’ll follow the ambulance. I want to be with Moana. She’ll need someone with her in the waiting room. It’s been a bit of a day for her.” He pressed his warm lips on her temple.
“You must be Bowie, the man Flint over there was telling me was taking care of my sister.” Kalena tilted her head. “But he left out an important detail.” Kalena palmed Moana’s cheek. “Looks like you have something interesting to tell me while that big guy over there is getting a cast on that arm.”
Moana’s face heated.
Just then the paramedics barreled into the home, along with a couple of cops asking a bunch of questions.
It was going to be an even longer day.
But none of it mattered.
Her sister was safe.
Rosco was going to prison.
And Bowie loved her.
Now all she had to do was find her voice and tell him she loved him back.