But it wasn’t his case anymore. It had all been turned over to the federal authorities. The Drug Enforcement Administration had been casing his nightclub for almost a year. At least two agents had gone deep undercover, working directly for Billy all that time, collecting enough evidence to put Diaz and his cohorts away for a long time.
Nate’s mission was finished. Billy would do time as he’d always wanted. If Nate worked it right, he’d be able to get Ginger out of doing jail time in trade for her testimony. If the agents gathered enough evidence though, they might not need her...
He couldn’t think about that now. How much it would devastate Janelle to see her sister thrown in prison.
The fear in his gut hadn’t subsided and she’d been inside only five minutes. Grabbing his phone, he called his sergeant and requested minimal backup at the restaurant location immediately. He didn’t want a heavy brigade coming in. Noticing a parking lot across the street thickly surrounded by trees, he requested everyone to wait there.
His sergeant agreed, didn’t ask questions. Then Nat called Greg and told him to get his ass down there stat.
Now he waited.
Scanning the parking lot, his gaze wandered to the street, catching a glimpse of a gold Mercedes parked close by. He swore the car hadn’t been there moments before.
Senses on high alert, Nate climbed out of his car, walking along the edge of the parking lot so he wouldn’t be easily spotted. As he grew closer to the street, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Something told him Billy Diaz drove this car.
Grabbing his phone, he called into dispatch and listed the license plate number, asking the dispatcher to do a search. He walked around the car, peering inside, but there was nothing personal or telling lying about. The back windows were tinted so darkly he couldn’t make out anything at all.
The license plate came back under someone else’s name but that didn’t matter. He knew the vehicle had something to do with Billy. His instincts were rarely wrong. Which meant Billy was most likely inside the restaurant with Ginger and Janelle. Just the thought of that monster close to Janelle made him sick to his stomach.
“I want a change to my initial request, send more backup. A SWAT team, whatever it takes. I believe we may have a hostage situation at the following location,” he barked into the phone, rattling off the address once more before he hung up.
His gun still rested in the back of his jeans and he felt for it, gripping it discreetly. Slowly he approached the restaurant, sidling along the fence that surrounded the parking lot and headed toward his car. No one was outside and he was thankful the place was in the middle of an industrial area on a Sunday morning.
The restaurant sat high on its foundation, the windows even higher than normal and he went to the north side wall, his head barely reaching the bottom of the windowsill. Standing on tiptoe, he peered inside and scanned the room quickly.
He spotted her to his left in the very last booth. Janelle sat across from Ginger and Billy, cradling her hand. Her expression pinched, as if she were in pain.
Fury filled him. That asshole must’ve hurt her, which meant he would pay.
Dearly.
Feeling completely useless, Nate dropped to his feet. He couldn’t risk going inside. Running into the restaurant with guns a blazin’ would only set Billy off, make him do something rash.
So Nate would sit and wait. Sweat it out until his back up came and they could seriously get it on.
Turning, he slumped against the wall of the restaurant, smacking his fist against it. Frustration mounted and he wished he could save Janelle himself.
But all he could do was wait.
* * * *
Janelle couldn’t help it. Her gaze kept wandering to the window to check on Nate’s car. Only minutes had ticked by, but it felt like hours. Did Nate realize what was going on? Had he called for help? Would he come into the restaurant and confront Billy?
She didn’t want him to do it alone. Considering the crazed look in Billy’s eyes, the irrational way he behaved, she was afraid he might do something stupid. Like shoot Nate.
God, she hoped Nate wouldn’t risk it. She wanted him safe. She wanted him alive.
Funny, how she was being ignored. Billy only had eyes for Ginger and Janelle knew Nate was right. Ginger was Billy’s weakness, the only thing he seemed concerned with. It was as if he didn’t see her hallowed face, her lackluster gaze and messy hair. His golden eyes shone with overflowing emotion. He continued to stroke the top of her head, his fingers gentle, Ginger staring at him much the same way.
Were these two in love? Could the cold-hearted criminal really care for her sister?
“Listen,” Janelle started, drawing the lovebirds’ attention. They both watched her, Billy irritated by her interruption. “It’s clear you two don’t want me here, so why don’t I leave? I’ll sneak out the back. No one will see me and I won’t bother you two again, I promise. Whenever Ginger is ready to contact me, she can. But until then, I’ll leave her alone.”
The pleading light in Ginger’s eyes said it all. Her sister didn’t want her to leave and again, Janelle was consumed with guilt.
Billy laughed, the uproarious sound filling the empty restaurant and catching the waitress’s attention yet again. This time the woman continued to watch. “Yeah right, like I’d let you walk out of here. Nice try.”
Janelle sighed, desperate to steady her frayed nerves. “You only want Ginger. I’m a nuisance, so let me go. Please.”