Renegade (24 page)

“Let me follow you home. I want to make certain you get there safe. Right now you’re an emotional mess, Summer.”

She nodded, biting down on her lower lip. “Okay.”

Dumas followed her as she drove, this time even slower than before. Searching in her handbag, she pulled out her cell phone. It took some skill, but she steered with one hand while she scrolled through the directory and punched in Lucas’s number.

“Yes?”

“Renegade.”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“So you do know him?”

“Of course I know him. He’s our dealer.”

“How long have you known!” she screamed.

“We found out after the Knight kid was murdered.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“We wanted to wait, Renegade. He’s only one …”

“One, Lucas?” she interrupted. “You’re willing to sacrifice more kids because you want to reel in bigger fish. Forget it!”

“I’m warning you to let him go.”

“It’s too late for you and your warnings. I will not be
responsible for another death. Not another kid will die under my watch!”

“Renegade …” His line went dead when Summer disconnected the call.

Summer tossed the cell phone onto the passenger side seat. Lucas knew. He had set her up. He knew all along who was dealing at Weir. Well, it was going to end tonight. She would take down Dumas Gellis or die in the attempt.

She pulled into the parking lot at the housing complex where she had resided since last August. There was no way she could call it home, because she now thought of the house in Cotuit as home.

The headlights from Dumas’s car temporarily blinded her as he maneuvered into the parking area. He’d rolled down his window. “Visitor parking is against the fence.” Nodding, he drove over to where a sign identified the space for
VISITOR PARKING
. Summer was waiting for Dumas when he alighted. “I can at least offer you a cup of coffee for what I’ve put you through tonight. Would you like to come up?”

He stared at her for a full thirty seconds, contemplating her offer. “Yes, I would.”

“Follow me.”

Twenty-five

Summer felt his presence before she glanced up. Standing at the top of staircase outside her apartment was Gabriel Cole. His expression was one of shock and cold fury.

“What are you doing here?” Her hushed voice quivered.

“I was waiting for you.”

She tried to capture his gaze, but he was glaring over her shoulder at Dumas. “I’m sorry, Gabriel, but this is not a good time for us to get together.”

He frowned at her. “I can see that.”

“Can we meet tomorrow?”

Gabriel looked at Summer as if she had taken leave of her senses. He couldn’t believe she had invited another man to her home—a man she knew was interested in her. His gaze lingered on her left hand. The ring was missing. What the hell kind of game was she playing?

He recalled the times when she said she couldn’t see him—had she been seeing Dumas, too? Was that why she had been so reluctant to marry, because she couldn’t make up her mind as to which man she wanted?

“I’ll let you know tomorrow. Have fun,” he added as he headed down the staircase.

Summer felt a momentary wave of panic as she watched the man she loved descend the staircase. Panic rioted through her but within seconds she brought her fragile emotions under control. She had a job to do. Gabriel Cole would come later.

“Please come in, Dumas.”

He followed Summer into her apartment, a triumphant grin on his face as she turned and closed the door.

Dumas moved into a small, but neatly furnished living/dining area. He was disappointed, thinking,
she deserves better than this
. Removing his coat, he placed it on one of two facing love seats.

Summer saw Dumas cataloguing her apartment. “It’s not much, but it’s ideal for crashing.”

“You deserve better.” He’d spoken his thoughts aloud.

Taking off her coat, she folded it over her arm. “I thought I was going to get better. The guy I’d planned to marry is loaded.”

“Is that why you agreed to marry him? Because he’s loaded?”

The corners of her mouth turned down in a frown. “Of course not. I love him.”

“You love, Summer? After what he’s done to you?”

“It’s not that easy to fall out of love when it took me a long time to fall in love.”

“Do you think you’ll ever go back to him?”

There was a moment of silence before she said, “No, Dumas. I don’t deal with emotional pain very well.” Her expression brightened suddenly. “Let me change into something a little more comfortable.”

Turning on her heel, she retreated to her bedroom, cursing Gabriel. Damn him for showing up at her
apartment unannounced. He had never done that before. He’d never come before calling her first, and she wondered what could’ve been so important that he had to wait for her to come home.

Closing the door to her bedroom, she slipped out of her sweater and slacks and into jeans and a sweatshirt. When she opened the closet to get a pair of running shoes, she saw the safe. Kneeling, she turned the knob, feeling the tumblers click with each revolution. She opened it and removed the automatic from its holster. She then picked up her shield, tucking it into her back pocket. The feel of the automatic was cold and heavy in her palm. It was fully loaded with a clip holding sixteen high velocity bullets.

She registered a familiar sound. Within seconds she had released the safety and concealed the gun in her waistband behind her back.

“What are you doing in here?” She stood up, facing Dumas. He had opened the door and come into the bedroom. His suit jacket and tie were missing, and he had unbuttoned his shirt to the waist. He stood in the doorway with a silly grin on his face.

“You know why I’m here, Summer, so don’t look so surprised.”

She pulled her shoulders back. “No, I don’t.”

“You want me.”

His cockiness made her smile. “Yes, I do want you, Dumas. But not for sex.”

His face fell. “What?”

“I want to pay you back for what you did to Omar. You think you’re man because you can intimidate kids. Well, you are not! You are pus, a sick piece of—”

She never finished her statement when Dumas charged at her, head lowered. He came at her like his
intent was to sack the Sunday afternoon quarterback. Summer anticipated his move and stepped aside like a matador, reaching for the handgun and bringing the butt down on the back of his neck. He went down, but did not stay down. His hand snaked out around her ankle, pulling her off her feet.

She fell, the gun sliding across the floor. Using her free leg, she kicked him hard against the side of his head. He howled in pain as she scrambled to her feet. Bouncing on her toes, she kicked him again. He went down and came up again. This time she gave him a roundhouse kick, snapping his head back. Blood spurted from his nose and mouth.

Dumas glared up at the woman bouncing on her toes like a boxer. He lowered his head and collapsed facedown to the floor.

Summer watched for movement from Dumas, and finding none, she went to retrieve the gun. She didn’t see him, but she felt his hot breath on the back of her neck seconds before his fingers closed around her throat. The blood roared in her head as she clawed at the fingers cutting off precious oxygen to her brain.

He’s going to strangle me to death like he did Omar Knight!

Objects spun in front of her eyes as she felt herself losing consciousness. She had always thought she going to die from a bullet, not by strangulation.

She felt her lungs exploding from lack of oxygen as her arms hung limply at her side. She couldn’t die—not like this. There were so many things she wanted to do: marry, have babies, and lots of grandbabies. She and Gabriel would start their own traditions, and when she closed her eyes on this world she would sleep in
peace knowing she had finally gotten everything she wanted and deserved.

Blackness descended slowly, then miraculously she was freed. The sound of Dumas’s heavy breathing echoed in her ear. “No, Summer. I’m not going to kill you yet. I’m going to take what you’ve been teasing me with ever since you came to
my
school.”

Closing her eyes, she drew in deep breaths. The roaring in her ears stopped. When she opened her eyes she spied the gun on the floor less than ten feet away. If she could get to it she would do what she’d promised herself she would do if any man attempted to rape her: kill him.

The possibility of reaching the gun was dashed when Dumas jerked her up by the back of her sweatshirt.
Don’t fight him
. The three words played in her head as she was hauled and thrown viciously onto the bed.

Summer knew she would only be able to subdue Dumas if she had the advantage of surprise. Not only was he larger, but very strong. She lay on her bed, staring at him as he removed his belt. Blood flowed from his nose and into his mouth.

Holding the belt, Dumas wrapped the buckle around his fist. He raised his arm, but before he could bring it down he doubled over. Summer had kicked him in the groin. He fell to his knees, moaning like a wounded animal. Moving slowly, he reached for her, but she was gone.

He had taken direct hits from men his size and larger on the gridiron, but that pain paled in comparison to the one between his legs. Growling, he launched himself across the bed and looked into the barrel of the powerful handgun pointed directly at him. Summer lay on her back, staring up at him.

“Let’s make this easy, Dumas.” Her voice, though soft, was lethal. “Don’t move,” she warned, “or I’m going to blow your head off.” She saw his gaze shift to something behind her, but she still did not glance away.

“Summer.”

Her eyes widened when she recognized the voice behind her. Gabriel had come back. “Yes, Gabriel.” She would not take her gaze off Dumas.

“What’s going on here?”

She smiled. “Nothing much, that is if Weir’s assistant principal doesn’t get funky where I’d be forced to dispatch him to another time and place. I want you to get the phone and dial nine one-one. Tell the operator that Special Agent Montgomery from the Drug Enforcement Administration needs assistance.”

Gabriel couldn’t believe the drama being played out in front of him. He’d left Summer’s apartment enraged. He had walked several blocks before realizing he had left his car in her Visitor’s lot. It was when he returned that he knew he couldn’t walk away, couldn’t give her up without knowing why.

He had to know why she was so reluctant to marry him.

Why she wanted a long engagement.

Why she wouldn’t move in with him.

Why they had kept their liaison secret from those at Weir.

Didn’t she know he loved her? He wanted the world to know he loved her. He wanted answers to his questions, but he also wasn’t going to hand his woman over to another man without a fight.

And it was love and determination that had forced him to climb the staircase to Summer’s apartment for the second time that night. The elderly woman who
lived on the first floor recognized him when he was ready to ring the bell, and had let him in. He had knocked on her apartment door, but when Summer did not answer, he’d tried the knob, and found the door unlocked.

“Are you going to be all right, baby?”

“Yes, darling. Please go and make that call.”

“DEA?” Dumas whispered as blood trickled down his chin. Bright red drops fell to the stark white sheet. It was full minute later that he registered the endearments. “He’s the one.”

She smiled. “Yes, Dumas. He’s the
one
.”

He managed a lopsided smile. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“You are,” she snapped angrily. “Selling drugs in a school will get you an extended membership to prison. Coupled with murdering a sixteen-year-old should give you lifetime privileges.”

Dumas wagged his head side-to-side. “No, Summer, you’re wrong. I’m not going out like that. I’m not going down like a punk.”

“You’re going down because you are a punk.”

Before the last word was out, Dumas lunged. The explosion was deafening as the odor of cordite filled the room.

Dumas fell back, the force of the bullet propelling him off the bed. He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling until blessed darkness descended on him.

Gabriel stood in the corner of the bedroom, arms crossed over his chest as uniform and plainclothes law enforcement personnel crowded into the small room.
He’d been asked to leave, but Summer had insisted he stay.

He’d spent the past forty minutes staring at the woman he loved, telling himself he did not know her. They had shared a bed, their bodies, but he still hadn’t known she was living a double life. The man everyone had addressed as Special Agent Shelby kept referring to Summer as Renegade. And it wasn’t until she’d looped a chain around her neck with a badge identifying her as a Special Agent that everything she’d said about wearing masks, she not being able to live in his world or he in hers came rushing back.

Emergency medical personnel had stabilized Dumas from a gunshot wound to his shoulder. His injuries also included a broken nose, jaw, and missing teeth.

Dumas Gellis had met a tiger—and lost!

Summer closed her eyes. She was tired—no, exhausted. She had endured Lucas Shelby’s wrath because there was no more fight in her. All she wanted was for everyone to leave so she could wash away Dumas’s blood.

She wanted to go to Gabriel and tell him everything. Then she wanted to go to the house in Cotuit and stay.

Reaching down, she removed the gun from the holster strapped to her thigh before she removed the chain from her neck. “Take them, Lucas. I’m out.”

He stared at her outstretched hands. “No, Renegade.”

Her dark gaze met his. “I am out
now
. I’ll come into the division office and officially resign in a few days. I can’t take it anymore. I have to leave now, or I’ll wake up and decide to eat my gun. I wouldn’t do it by slicing
my wrists, I’d do it Renegade style by blowing off the back of my head.

“I have a man waiting over there that loves me as much as I love him. And I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize that love. I intend to marry him as soon I can and have his baby. I’m going to stay home with my babies, and tell them every day of their lives that I love them. Renegade is dead, Lucas. She died tonight. But there is one thing I need to know.”

He took the gun and shield. “What is it, Rene—Summer?” He had caught himself.

“Who fingered Dumas?”

“The Boston division got a call from someone in Langley, informing them about someone named Dumas Gellis having several offshore accounts in the Caymans. There was no way the man could’ve amassed that much money playing ball or teaching. We were in the process of securing warrants for several others in his network when I saw you in the diner with Gellis. What I didn’t want was for you to spook Gellis where he would warn them.”

She smiled for the first time in over an hour. Lucas did not have to tell her who at Langley had contacted the DEA, because she knew it was Merrick Grayslake. He had kept his promise to “keep an eye on her.”

“Gellis was too busy trying to get me into bed to worry about calling anyone.”

Lucas shook his head. “I guess he didn’t know.”

“He knows now.” She sobered. “I know it’s time for me to get out because I had considered shooting Dumas in the head rather than his shoulder. I didn’t want to kill him, but execute him.”

Lucas nodded. “Yeah, Summer. It is time you got
out.” Leaning over, he kissed her cheek. “Good-bye and good luck.”

She touched his arm. “Will you come to my wedding?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll see you in a couple of days. Now, can you get these people out of here so I can clean up? I’ll move all of my personal items by the weekend. I’ll be on the Cape if you need me. I know I don’t have to give you the address.”

“You’re right. Enjoy your new life.”

“I intend to do just that.”

Lucas gathered all of his men, and together they filed out of the apartment, leaving Summer and Gabriel staring at each other.

She smiled at him. “Now you know.”

He pushed off the wall, closing the distance between them. “Yes, Summer, now I know.”