That Kind of Special (13 page)

The ringing quit after the sixth time and went to voice mail.

Fuck.

Chapter Fifteen

Katina stood outside the Mitchell house, pacing the sidewalk, her bags lined up beside her. She turned on the phone and called Doreen, left a message, and cussed under her breath.

It was past four o’clock, and Doreen should’ve been here forty-five minutes ago. She gazed at her phone again, ignoring the blinking icon letting her know she had voice mails. It was probably Colby leaving her message after message again.

She should call Trent. Though he was going to be mad. With today being Friday, her decision to let Doreen go alone would ruin the mood for the weekend if Trent had to come to the rescue. She knew better. Trent ordered her to use Tim when she needed to drive while she was working alone, and he’d be furious to find out she’d ignored his wishes.

But her car could’ve broken down, and Doreen might be stranded. She pushed speed dial, steeling herself for a long lecture from Trent.

He answered on the first ring. “Katina, are you okay?”

She frowned. “Yeah. I just wanted—”

“Where the fuck are you?”

Something was off. Trent’s breathing came heavy over the phone. “Uh…outside the Mitchells’ house. Why?”

“Stay there. I’m going to have one of my men come pick you up. He’ll show you identification. Do not go with anyone else. Do you understand me?” he asked.

“Yeah, I hear you, but what’s going on?”

“Baby, just do what I ask, okay? The driver will bring you to me,” he said. “Please, Kat, this is important.”

“Okay,” she whispered, her voice shaking.

It took forever for a black sedan to pull up in front of the Mitchells’ house. A tall, well-built man in his thirties with a crew cut climbed out of the car, extracting his wallet. She cupped her elbows in her hands.

“Ms. Lindtson?” He held out a card. “Bruce Satchel. Trent asked me to take you to him.”

“Is he okay?”

He nodded. “He’s fine, miss.”

“Okay.” She quickly read the card and then pointed at her things. “I can’t leave everything here. Could we put them in the trunk real fast?”

He nodded. “Sure. Go ahead and get in, buckle up, and I’ll see to your bags.”

Within minutes, they were flying down the backstreets breaking all kinds of traffic laws. She clasped her hands together, trying to stop shaking. Something was definitely wrong. “Are you sure nothing happened and you just don’t want to tell me? Can you swear to me that Trent is okay?”

“Yes, miss.” He continued staring at the road.

“Are you sure?” She moistened her lips. “He didn’t get hurt?”

“No.” Bruce turned and smiled at her. “He’s fine and waiting for you at your apartment.”

Understanding came swiftly. She cried out, “Oh, God, hurry. Hurry. It’s Doreen.”

Bruce sped up, throwing an arm in front of her and pinning her to the seat. The car swung around the corner, and she searched the block looking for an ambulance, a police car, anything. If Doreen had crashed the car or fallen down the stairs—as she was known to take the stairs instead of the elevator—she needed help.

“Stop,” she yelled, unlatching her seat belt.

The moment the car came to a stop in front of her building, she was out of the car despite Bruce calling her name. She ran to the double front doors. Where was Doreen?

Trent walked out. She rushed toward him, sobbing now that she was here, Trent was here, and knowing something awful must’ve happened to Doreen. He swept her into his arms, holding her from getting past him.

“Where is she?” She fisted his shirt, shaking him. “I need to go to her.”

“Baby. Stop. I need to ask you a few questions, and then I’ll tell you what we know.” He held her face in his two hands. “Can you do that for me?”

She nodded.

“Good.” He took a deep breath. “I take it Doreen left the job?”

She nodded. “Over two hours ago. She drove my car. She was coming here to pick up those pillows I made with the fabric you bought for me. Remember?”

“Yeah, baby. I remember.” He clasped her wrist and pulled his phone out of his pocket with the other hand. “Tim? It’s been affirmed. Hold in position until I get there…” He paused. “That’s an order, Tim. Stand down.”

“What’s going on?” She grabbed his arm.

“Kat, I need you to be honest with me, okay?”

“Yeah,” she said.

“Did you set the dead bolt this morning when you went to your apartment to pick up your supplies for work?” he asked, studying her.

“Trent, I—”

“This is important.” His grip on her tightened. “Do you remember if you used the key to lock it before you walked down the hall?”

She squeezed her eyes closed. She couldn’t remember. Doreen had called, hurrying her to the Mitchells because she’d overslept at Trent’s and was running late. She might’ve locked the dead bolt. She whimpered, “No, no, I didn’t.”

“Okay.” He held on to her. “Be strong, baby. Can you do that for me?”

“Doreen?” She nodded. “Please. Just tell me.”

“We believe your ex-boyfriend broke into your apartment and is keeping Doreen from coming out. Until you called, I thought it was you in there with him.” He swallowed hard. “Right now, I’m going to walk you to the office, and you’re going to stay put. Whatever you hear or see, you do not come out. Do you understand?”

She pulled on him. “Maybe she’s not here. My car…my car might’ve broken down. I-it was making a weird noise last week, but I never had it checked out.”

“Baby.” He stroked her face. “Doreen’s in there.”

“How do you know?”

“She’s in there,” he whispered.

“Then, I’ll go get her.” She pushed against him.

He wrapped his arm around her, holding her to his side. She scrambled to keep up with his long strides. Inside, he led her to the office, where he motioned two men she didn’t recognize to take care of her.

“Wait.” She clutched Trent’s shirt. “Let me help, please. She’s my best friend. This is my fault. I let her go alone.”

“Katina.” He pulled her hands off him. “You’re going to have to trust me. Go. Stay with my men, and wait for me. I’ll help Doreen, but I need to move on this. We waited on calling the police until we found out more information, but they’re on the way. We’ve got five minutes, maybe ten if we’re lucky. Once they arrive, my hands are tied. You’re going to have to do what I’m asking of you. Can you do that?”

She nodded. “Y-yes.”

“Good girl.” He lifted his chin at the others and watched as she walked into the office.

Police sirens grew louder. Her chest tightened, and she swayed, dizzy. Doreen was her best friend.
This can’t be happening.

A chair materialized beside her, and hands forced her to sit down. She buried her face in her palms.
Please, God. Let Doreen be okay. Let Trent be okay. Bring them back to me.

Chapter Sixteen

The second Trent reached the top of the stairwell, Tim moved toward the door. He slammed Tim against the railing in his struggle to keep him back and off the seventh floor. “Check yourself.”

“I’m going after her.” Tim ground his teeth together and pushed back. “You can’t stop me.”

“You’re too close to the subject—”

“Doreen, dammit. It’s Doreen.” Tim fisted his hands.

“The police are downstairs. Rodrigues is filling them in and stalling for us. We have only a couple minutes to get in there, before law enforcement will make us stand down,” Trent said.

Tim’s jaw hardened, and he nodded.

Trent lowered his voice. “The Durango team will enter the apartment. If you break orders, you’re off the team. I won’t have you jeopardizing Doreen’s life or the team.”

“Fuck you,” Tim bit off.

Threats and anger meant nothing between them. He knew Tim as well as he knew himself. If it were Katina in Doreen’s position, nobody would stop him from barging into the room.

His job, his life, his will to do things by the book meant nothing when a loved one’s life was at stake. He understood, but he would also keep Tim safe. Tomorrow they could kick each other’s ass. Today, he had a life to save.

“I’ll bring her right to you. But let me do my job. Think of Doreen, and what’s best for her.” He hooked his hand around the back of Tim’s neck. “I give you my word, bro.”

Tim scowled, but Trent felt the slight nod under his hand telling him Tim would stay back. He stepped away, and with one last look at Tim, he moved out into the hallway.

This case was personal, and he wasn’t going to let his team take charge.

He pointed toward apartment 715, held up three fingers to the four-man team waiting at the end of the hall, and counted down. He closed his fist, giving the sign, and then kicked in the door with his pistol drawn.

Colby stood in the middle of the room. The man tensed, and his dark gaze darted around the room in a wildness that made him unpredictable. Trent trained the pistol on Colby’s chest. “Hands in the air.”

Without taking his eyes off Colby, he took in the room. There wasn’t any sign of Doreen, but he knew she was in the apartment. Witnesses heard the screams, and called the police.

Colby raised his hands. “Where is Katina?”

Trent stepped around the pile of clothes on the floor, never moving the bead off Colby, while his men fanned out and covered him. “Where is Doreen?”

Colby shook his head. “No. No. It’s Katina.”

Even with him armed, his men behind him armed, Colby flitted his attention around the room, unable to focus. Trent body scanned him once, twice, concluded that Colby was unarmed, and he holstered his weapon, knowing his men had his back.

The movement sent Colby darting around the couch. Trent dived, tackling him in the middle of the floor. Pinned down by two of Trent’s men and Trent, Colby thrashed his arms, striking out blindly. Trent pulled back his arm and punched Colby, whipping his head.

“Katina,” Colby said, shaking his head.

Trent lifted his gaze to his men. “Have you secured the apartment?”

Bruce nodded. “The female is in the bedroom with Canton.”

“Where’s Katina?” Colby asked.

Trent pulled Colby to his feet and slammed him against the wall. “You don’t fucking speak her name.”

Blood dribbled out of Colby’s mouth, and he spit. “She’s mine.”

“You messed with the wrong woman, asshole.” He pulled Colby forward and banged his head against the wall again.

“I need to talk with her,” Colby said, his voice low and cracking.

The panic, confusion, and stupidity apparent in Colby were not signs of a stable mind. He gripped Colby’s neck but spoke to his men. “Let Tim in the apartment to find Doreen.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be her. I want Katina. It was always Katina,” Colby mumbled.

He tightened his fingers, cutting off Colby’s air supply. “Bad idea.”

“Boss. We have him covered. Step down.” Bruce spoke calmly, connecting with Trent. “Tim needs you. The police are coming up the stairs. We’ll get this scum put away.”

Trent pushed away and watched Colby crumple, gasping for breath. He pivoted and marched through the apartment and into Katina’s bedroom, where he found Tim on the floor holding Doreen. Anger swelled in his chest, and he fisted his hands.
Fuck.

Doreen’s swollen cheek, ripped shirt, and remains of the terror she’d gone through in her gaze told him everything he needed to know about what happened in this room. He clamped his teeth together, trying to erase the memory of the results of his sister’s attack out of his mind.

This time it was different. Doreen had all her clothes on. Even her shoes. They’d arrived before anything worse could’ve happened.

“Tim?” He kneeled down beside his best friend. “What do you need?”

Tim ran his arm across his mouth. “She…she wants Katina. I don’t know…”

Trent clamped his hand on the back of Tim’s neck. “She’s fine. Look after her. Stay with her. I’ll get Kat.” He directed his attention toward Doreen and softened his voice. “Hey, darling. You had a big surprise, huh?”

“Kat.” Doreen moved to get up, but Tim held on to her. “Find her. H-he’s going to hurt her.”

“We’ve got Colby in custody. Katina’s safe.” Trent spoke calmly, despite feeling anything but blind rage. “I’m going to go out and get her, bring her to you. You’re safe. Katina’s safe.”

Doreen blinked up at him. “She’s safe?”

“Yeah.” He inhaled. “It’s all over.”

Tears slipped out of her eyes and left her blinded to reality. He curled his fingers, wanting to ease her pain. Pain so real and vivid, he could almost taste it. He’d seen the same moment with his sister when Julie realized her world wasn’t safe anymore.

Doreen leaned toward Tim. She was going to be all right. Tim would make sure of that. Trent left the room, walked through the living room, glad to see everyone else had cleared out of the area. He did not want to bring Katina back to the area where that piece of shit Colby brought so much pain.

Instead of taking the elevator, he jogged down all seven flights of stairs to decompress. The physical exertion left him no calmer.

He strode into the office, stopped, and homed in on Katina. Her eyes, wet from crying, searched him, but otherwise she was safe. He stiffened. It could’ve been her upstairs.

“Come here,” he ordered, gruffer than he meant.

She jumped up and hurried to him. “Is she okay?”

“Yeah. She wants you.” He turned and opened the door.

They walked to the elevator in silence. He didn’t touch her or speak with her. But he watched her.

He recognized the haunted worry, but reality hadn’t touched her yet. If he held her, explained what was happening, she’d fall apart. Hell, he was barely holding it together. He wanted to vent his fury on someone, and he didn’t trust himself not to take it out on her.

How many times had he told her to lock the damn dead bolt? He’d given her a driver with specific instructions never to go anywhere alone, and that included Doreen, during the day when they were working.

He hated that the world was a dangerous place. To force her to adopt his rules was unfair but necessary. One slip, one mistake, one chance, and her life would change forever. She was not a gamble he was willing to risk.