Vegas Shuffle (Vegas Series) (3 page)

Her skill in the martial arts wasn’t a surprise to him. But her speed shocked him and always had. Graceful and deadly, she never hit what she didn’t mean to hurt. His breath came back, along with his relief, as he put the desk between them.

Clearing his voice, he added. “You ready to meet her? I think she’s been left waiting long enough. Can’t make a bad impression on her first day, now can we?” He grinned and she answered with a sneer.

He lifted the phone and a few seconds later, Aurora watched as the slender giant approached, hand held out and her lovely face wreathed in the biggest smile Aurora had ever seen.

Looking up at the long lean body, past the strong muscled shoulders and into merry brown eyes like those of a small-breed dog whose biggest wish is to wash one’s face, Aurora realized the smile she shared with very few was starting to form. Subduing it, she held out her hand.

Cory piped up. “Aurora Morelli, meet Lisa Jordan, who previously worked in Seattle and has moved here to the desert for fun in the sun.”

Aurora raised one eyebrow at the way Cory worded his last phrase, and knew Lisa picked up on it. They shook hands. “I’m so pleased to finally meet you, Aurora. I’ve heard wonderful things about your skills and I can’t tell you how happy I am that we’ll be working together. It’s like a dream come true. Since I was a little girl I’ve wanted to come to Vegas and… sorry. I always talk too much when I’m nervous.”

“Guess we’ll need to look into getting you a prescription of Xanax,” Aurora replied dryly, then winced when her new partner erupted into an excessively cheery laugh. Only the fact that her voice was husky and pleasing saved her from being tossed aside for good.

Cory broke in nervously. “Lisa’s just been awarded her detective’s badge and felt a change would do her good. Plus the weather will allow her to enjoy a lifestyle here that’s different from the rainy west coast.”

“Yes! The weather here is warm and dry, perfect for the things I love to…”

Blah! Blah! blah!
Aurora couldn’t stop the bitchy thoughts that took over.
Hell, if this chick is so friggin happy all the time, she’s going to drive me bonkers.
She dropped her head and let her chin rest on her chest.
I might have to hurt her.

Chapter Five

Two hours later in their office, Aurora searched for the duct tape. Lisa had talked non-stop and seemed to become more nervous as the day wore on. To shut her up, Aurora had passed over a huge pile of files for her to study and get familiar with, but the lunatic continued to hum distractedly until Aurora barked. “Stop that!”

For a little while peace reigned, and then it started up again. Finally Aurora broke. “If you make one more noise, I’m gonna get mean. You hear me?”

“Yeah. I can’t help but hear you. You’re yelling quite loudly.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Lisa shrunk back into her chair and waited for the shit to hit the fan.

Aurora chuckled, surprising herself—and Lisa more. She held out her hands as if a propping up a book and tried to keep her tone pleasant. “Look. I can’t stand happy crap around me right now. I’m what one might call out of sorts lately.”

“Are you pregnant?”

Instantly furious, Aurora snapped. “Why the hell would you ask me such an asinine question?” The pinging in her ears started up and played a melody that would drive her crazy if it went on too long.

“Sorry,” said Lisa. “My sister acted grumpy like you in her first trimester. It just popped into my head. I didn’t mean anything—”

Just then the door opened and Hampton stuck his head around to wink at Lisa and point at Aurora. “You want in on the arrest going down right now? We finally got hold of the address for that little shit whose been selling the bad crack on the streets. He’s gonna be getting the shock of his life when he sees us coming to visit.”

Breathing a sigh of relief for the timely interruption, Aurora reached into the desk drawer for her gun. As they left the office, she sensed the taller presence behind her, and for some strange reason, it felt right.

When they arrived en masse to the address they’d acquired, Aurora and Lisa put on their vests and held their guns down low as they followed Ham up the crooked set of stairs in a dilapidated apartment building. When they reached the door, Ham pointed to the two female officers to stay on one side while he took the other, and made room for the officer with the ramming device to blast his way through.

It was Aurora who saw the movement down the hallway, a shadow slinking along the wall waiting to take off the minute they’d pile inside the apartment. Once the concealed male realized she’d seen him, he took off. She started after the agile sprinter, but out in the street and a block later, she was gaining very little. Then suddenly a streak passed her at warp speed, and with a flying leap, tackled the young man. Arriving in time to kick the gun from his hand, Aurora watched the two bodies struggling on the ground. With a deft movement that Aurora couldn’t have performed better herself, Lisa had the jerk in a stranglehold with one arm up behind his back.

Helping out a partner, Aurora pulled her cuffs from her pocket and clipped them on his one wrist, letting Lisa finish off the procedure.

“Asshole runs like a scalded tomcat.” Lisa’s breathing seemed even and smooth, whereas the dealer and Aurora were still catching theirs. As the three were making their way back to where the others were outside the apartment, a van pulled up beside the trio. Before either girl knew what hit them, two guys leapt out and pushed them aside to grab the kid and haul him to safety.

Pissed off and happy to oblige, Aurora decked the closest one with an uppercut to the soft place under his chin where it really hurt and stopped him dead. Before she could plant her foot in the throat of the other, Lisa had him pinned against the vehicle; both arms wrenched back and a stream of profanity spitting from his mouth.

Surprising the hell out of Aurora, Lisa slapped his face hard. “Hey, poopy-mouth! Shut the fuck up! There’re
ladies
present.”

“Shaking her head, wearing a grin she couldn’t stop, Aurora tripped the first felon who’d decided to run and pushed him toward Hampton. He’d finally arrived, but was bent over looking like a victim seconds before cardiac arrest.

“You really need to cut down on those sugar donuts, Ham.”

“Then stop buying the blasted things for me.”

“You’re right! From now on it’ll be packages of digestive cookies.”

“Bah! Come on, you punks.” Disgust plainly showing, Ham forced the two lowlifes toward the waiting police vehicle while Aurora caught Lisa’s smile, returned it and followed with the third.

Chapter Six

Aurora’s need for sleep, her aching heart, and the non-stop memories were the only ‘bad’ in a world surprisingly fine. She dragged her body from the covers and saw by the radio clock that she’d overslept once again. Sitting on the bedside, she plunged her fingers through her mass of hair and flipped it over to one side, then she hugged her body and leaned forward.

Staying awake half the night, fighting her images of the bald-headed jerk who’d stolen her heart with his big baby blues and cheeky grin turned her into a vegetable during the early morning hours. In the darkness of the night, covers wrapped around her shoulders, she’d remembered the feel of his hands stroking her skin, so gentle as if she were a priceless gift. The sensual stare as he’d captured her gaze while making love. The uncontrollable fantasies constantly screwed with her ability to shut her eyes and claim sleep, no matter how desperately tired she felt.

She grimaced when she recalled her 1 a.m. weakness. Giving in and calling him yet again added disgust for her lack of self-control. But there was no answer; there never was. Like he’d faded from the world and only left his mark on her soul. On the continuous battle she fought between love and hate, desire and retaliation, bitterness and yearning and more bitterness.

Late for work, she glanced at her calendar and a frizzle of excitement crawled up her back. Though her expression remained somber, a smile lit up her insides. Three months today and she still hadn’t had her period. A girl regular as Monday preceding Tuesday, she’d never missed before.

The thrill of her speculation dogged her every day since Lisa had asked her if she were pregnant. Scared to find out for sure, she kept telling herself to wait till the end of the month. If she hadn’t had her period by then, she’d look into it.

She stood up and stretched. Kinks had crept into joints held stiffly to stop more tears. The day ahead would be crazy, like all the others since she’d started working with the chatterbox chick. Smiling, she admitted the gangly girl had crawled under her skin and onto her list of people who mattered.

In the bathroom, Aurora grabbed her toothpaste and brush and began her ritual. The mirror beckoned her to survey the damage from her past hours of misery, and the assessment had her swearing once again it would be the last time. Her eyelids were puffy, skin pale and the scads of hair too long for her normal style.

What she didn’t do was look herself in the eye—too embarrassed by her bizarre behaviour of letting a man steal into her so deeply that he couldn’t be shook loose. Until her conscience kicked up a fuss and told her she was made of sterner stuff. It was the same voice that had carried her through all the nightmares of her childhood, and had made her into the strong-willed detective who didn’t take any shit from any man or woman.

Fingers gripping the edge of the counter, she leaned forward and stared. Sapphire twins stared back, daring her to look away.

Face it chicky! He just doesn’t give a fiddler’s fuck.

Chapter Seven

Kai watched Sonny strutting around the dingy bar; the asshole was showing off to his mob members, and Kai wanted nothing more than to put a bullet through his cocky smile.

Sonny stopped in front of him. “Hey, Jack, why’re you looking so gloomy?” Hands tucked in the pockets of his skinny jeans and a sneer lighting up his overly-handsome mug, the pain in Kai’s butt irked him just by breathing. “We have plans, big plans. Soon you’ll have more dough than you’ve ever dreamed of, and as many chicks as you can handle. Not that girls seem to do it for you. Hell dude, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were some kind of a freakin’ fairy. The women circle you in numbers man, and you never take them up on their offers. What’s with that shit?”

“I told you before, boss. I’m no one’s piece of meat. I wanna be with a girl, I treat her right. It’s gotta mean something. Otherwise, no deal.”

Sonny scratched at his curly hair, and Kai watched malice sprout in his big brown eyes. “You got a chick stashed away somewhere we don’t know about?”

Disgusted, Kai didn’t answer. Instead he stared the loudmouth down.

Trying to make up for his lapse of backbone, Sonny pushed once again. Because he was the boss’s stepson, Sonny felt safe mouthing off. Ranking as his lowly bodyguard, Kai well knew that Sonny overruled him in all matters. Not having the brains to back off, the idiot snickered, “You musta been a momma’s boy growing up. Cause your ideas make no sense to a
man
like me.”

The back door swung open and a large, black-haired, mustachioed Italian stepped into the room. More muscled and taller than most, his bodyguard stood alert by the door and leaned against the wall, steely eyes ever watchful.

“Shut up, Sonny. And leave Jack alone. He’s a good man, ain’t he? He’s kept your skinny ass alive too many times to deserve anything less than respect. Got it?!”

“Sure, Pops. Just messing around with the guy.” Jack and me, we’re cool. Right, Jack?”

Kai’s instinct was to kick the stupid showoff in the balls, but he had a job to do. “Sure, Sonny. Like bacon and eggs.”

Dominic Angeli, mastermind of the Angeli mob, was a man to be feared and the reason why this gang had eluded the authorities for years.

Sonny was Angeli’s punk stepson, and a kid he had no use for. On the other hand Sonny’s mother was the love of Dominic’s life. Therefore, the swaggering peacock needed to remain unharmed, and Kai had carried out that role from the first time he and Dominic met.

It was the night after the Rhondo shooting that Kai had returned to L.A. from Vegas all fucked up. He’d taken his hurt feelings, a hard knot replacing his heart, and spent the first couple of nights licking at the wounds his masculinity had suffered. Now in retrospect, his behaviour disgusted him. He’d repeatedly kicked his own ass, figuratively speaking, and would have carried it out physically if possible.

His brave Aurora had killed Rhondo. Yes, she did! But she must have had her reasons. He’d understood that, once his brain had stopped reacting like a two-year-old. There was more to the story and he hadn’t stuck around to find out. Like a shit, he’d tucked his tail, whined his fury and escaped. And now he was stuck.

Kai thought back to the night he met Sonny. The little scumbag, thinking himself so tough, had shaken his protective shadow earlier that night and had ventured into the same bar where Kai sat nursing a beer and his fifth tequila shooter. Kai had watched the strutting pissant enter, and then studiously ignored him—until he saw a big bruiser start roughing up the scrawny whining loser.

Not liking to see anyone take a beating from a guy twice his size, Kai stepped in. The next thing he knew all hell had erupted. Enjoying the chance to let loose and hit someone, he’d fought his way toward the back door, dragging the cowering Sonny along with him. They got away from the battle inside, but once they reached the street the police showed up.

Knowing he’d be overdrinking, Kai had purposely left his wallet with his I.D. back at the apartment. Therefore, when he didn’t recognize the rookies during the arrest, he’d kept quiet about his police status, figuring the guys downtown would identify him and quietly settle the situation. Jettisoning those memories, Kai glanced toward the ambitious young hood.

Unfortunately, Sonny the stupid blusterer actually believed he had the smarts to be the next in line, to take over from Dominic, to be the big boss. And there was nothing more dangerous than a man who had some semblance of power and a brain seldom used.