High Stakes Gamble

Chapter Five

Cory knocked on the door of an old colleague and waited for permission to enter, which came soon enough.

“Cory Ashton, you old dog, how long has it been? Last time you contacted me, you screwed me out of one of my best men without even a thank you kiss or an after-the-fun cigarette.” Bob Powers, Police Captain for the Los Angeles division stood with his hand outstretched.

Cory moved in smiling and they shook, both delighted to be together once again. “Bob! You’re looking good for an old man who sits around all day with nothing to do.”

“Right. My job runs itself. I just sit on my ass and play solitaire on my computer like you.” He smirked and pointed to the comfortable chair next to a matching sofa across the room from his office area. “Can I get you a coffee or a cold drink?”

“A coffee if it’s no trouble.” Cory made his way over to sit in the plush chair and took the time to glance around the space of a very busy man.

“As much as I’d like to believe that you’ve come to see me personally, I know better. What’s on your mind?”

“You do know me too well, Bob. I’ve come to enquire about Kai Lawson. He left my precinct in Vegas after the Rhondo shooting over eleven months ago saying he needed time and that he’d check back. I’ve called, sent e-mails and since I was in town, I went to his address and he’s not there anymore.”

“Why do you want to see him?” The older man’s thick eyebrows met above a frown that made rookies shake in their boots. It had had that effect on Cory back in the day when he’d called this tough guy Sarge.

“It’s personal.”

“Nothing’s personal with my men. Lawson’s gone through a tough time lately. The man will be receiving a special commendation for his outstanding bravery. He went above and beyond. Therefore, I’d stand in the way of anyone messing with him right now, even you.”

Cory’s ears perked up and he relaxed the tightness in his shoulders and inched back from the righteous indignation that swept him every time he thought of the prick. He’d come prepared to play whatever hand necessary to get to the guy and beat the crap out of him. A punishment well deserved in Cory’s estimation.

Playing fast and loose with a cop like Aurora Morelli, not to mention that Aurora was one of Cory’s best friends, then leaving her pregnant and heartsick was as low as a man could go.

It would satisfy the revengeful devil in him to punch the guy’s lights out. Not that he’d mention any of this to the keen-eyed man across from him. Especially after the Captain’s last statement.

“I need to understand, Bob. Trust me. It’s really important.” He suffered the other’s gimlet-eyed gaze and didn’t back down one iota. This had to be settled… now!

“Fine. I’ll tell you what I know but only because you look like a man itching for a fight. What I have to share might change your mind.”

He passed a steaming, strong scented mug of coffee to Cory and set his own down on the table across. Hitching up his pant legs, he sat in the chair opposite.

“When Lawson first came back to L.A. all f*cked up, his words not mine, his dilemma took him to one of the seedier nightclubs in town to drown his sorrows. While there, the stepson of a kingpin, an Italian gang we’ve had our sights on for a long time, happened to drop in to the same place. Cutting to the chase, Lawson saved the guy’s life. Stepped into a fight, took down four men to rescue the jerk and won daddy’s deepest appreciation.”

“Must have pissed you off to have one of yours behaving so irresponsibly.” Cory stopped the chuckle after seeing the straight expression on the hard face of the man across from him. “And…?”

“Our boys were new and they didn’t recognize him as one of ours, so along with the other drunks; they pulled him in for disturbing the peace, assault and a few other misdemeanours.” Captain Powers stopped to take a sip of coffee.

Hmmm. This was getting more and more interesting. Cory also sipped the hot brew and watched the captain organize his thoughts before continuing.

“I happened to be in late that night and became aware of the unusual circumstances surrounding his arrest. You must understand, we’d been trying to infiltrate that bunch for quite some time and Lawson’s behaviour that night had given us the most opportune break we’ve had to date.”

Cory slammed down his mug. “You set him up!”

“I gave him a chance to do his job.” Hard and biting, the man revealed his authority in his piercing tone.

Cory looked away and took a deep breath, releasing the burning indignation that had blown up on behalf of the man he’d once loved and called friend. Forced to admit that as mad as he was at Kai, dammit, he still cared about the stupid bastard, he stroked the rage to keep in under control.

“What happened?”

“The mob lawyered him up and bailed him out, along with Sonny, the stepson of the boss who offered him a job as his kid’s bodyguard.”

“And he took it?” Christ! So that’s what happened! At peace now, Cory sat back to hear the rest.

“Truthfully, the man didn’t feel as if he had a choice. His own sense of justice, plus a few pertinent words from me, coerced him into taking it in order to bring down the scum. No one imagined it would go on for so long, though. Thing is, he got deeper into their gang politics than anyone else had ever managed.”

“What’s their names?”

“Father is Dominic Angeli. Sonny is the punk Kai’s been babysitting. You might know them as the Angeli mob. They’re pretty infamous on the west coast for their interests in extortion, money laundering trafficking, prostitution—”

“Not to mention smuggling and counterfeiting. Yeah, I know about them. They’ve been a boil on our backside for quite some time. Thing is, I heard the father disliked the stepson and kept him out of the loop.”

“He did. And Sonny ended up pissed about it. Being that he’s far worse than his old man, and craved leadership in the organization, we’re pretty sure he was instrumental in the old man’s death.”

“Was? Sounds as if there were new developments.”

“Thanks to Lawson, last week we were able to catch them red-handed with a load of young hijacked girls bound for the dens in the east and a shitload of drugs being shipped alongside the human cargo. He set up a sting that worked like a charm except for one thing.”

“What’s that?” Cory sensed the drama and knew he wasn’t going to like the answer. He didn’t.

“Lawson was shot in the line of duty, took one in the arm and the chest. Don’t look so worried, he’s getting better every day, enough to drive the hospital staff crazy. In fact, I received notice a few hours ago that he’d signed himself out and has taken leave.”

“Then he’ll be at his old place?”

“If he’s keeping his ass outta trouble.”