Gambling On a Heart (40 page)

“Oww. Dad, you’re hurting me,” Bobby cried out again as Jake pushed him into the wall beside the sink. The boy turned and looked up at him with fear and tears in his eyes.

“You think you’re pretty smart gettin’ Brent to stop, don’t you?” Jake clenched his fists, then released the tension as he slapped Bobby hard enough the boy fell into the side of the sink. He bawled louder and the sound served to grate on Jake’s nerves. He lifted his hand again to hit the sniveling brat. “You will know who’s the boss when I’m done with you. I am, and you will never do something like this again.”

“Dad, please don’t hit me.” Bobby sobbed as Jake’s hand landed on his face again.

“Jake, what are you doing? We gotta go. I think the cops are coming.”

Jake turned his fury on his brother. He pulled the gun out from his belt. “And whose fault is that?”

Brent’s eyes widened so large it was almost comical. He backed up with his hands, palms out, held up on either side of his head. “Wh–what are you doin’?”

“I told you never to double cross me, Brent.

* * * *

“Where do you want to start?” Wyatt asked as Zack drove through the morning traffic of Seguin.

Zack shrugged and kept his eye on business route US-90 otherwise known as West Kingsbury Street. He and Wyatt had disagreed about which way Jake would go. He had no reason as to why anyone would choose to go through the city and stay away from the faster by-pass, but he’d won the argument when they heard chatter over the police radio that put two county sheriff deputies on the I-10, not to mention the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s department was off the interstate.

“They won’t stop again. But I know we’re not far behind them.”

“Back there a little ways, you said Jake was a lying bastard. What did you mean?”

Zack spared the Ranger a glance. “Why do you want to know?”

Wyatt shrugged and rubbed the dark auburn stubble on his chin. “I’d like to know how likely you are to snap and try to kill him.”

Sucking in a deep breath, Zack let it out slowly. “Jake lied to Tracy. I’m not getting into the gory details, except to say his lies are the reason Tracy cheated on me.”

He knew it was irrational to lay blame for his shaky marriage to Lisa and her ultimate death on Jake Parker’s head, but it was hard for him to remain that rational. If Jake hadn’t broken his heart by leading Tracy on, Zack would have never wanted to find solace in another woman’s arms. And if he had never led Lisa on, she wouldn’t have married him. She wouldn’t have been killed after she found out he never fully loved her.

He couldn’t tell Wyatt all that. It was crazy to blame someone else for his mistakes. However, thinking everything had happened because of happenstance and no one, including himself, was to blame for the mess into which his life had turned was hard to believe.

“I see.” Wyatt’s quiet words had Zack looking at his friend when he stopped at a four-way stop. When Wyatt had his attention, he said, “You found an easy target to blame, but remember taking all of your hate and anger at what had happened out on Jake Parker won’t change a damned thing.”

“No, you shittin’ me?” Zack snorted. “Are you done, Dr. Phil?”

“No, I’m not done. If you go off half-cocked and do something crazy where Parker is concerned, it can destroy your future.”

Zack looked back at him. Wyatt was right.

“You and Tracy have a chance, Zack. Yes, I know it hurts like someone ripped your heart out because you’ve missed so much. That she’s been with someone else. But think about what you wouldn’t have if Tracy and you had gotten together all those years ago. You wouldn’t have your little girl if you hadn’t met your wife, and Tracy wouldn’t have Bobby if she and Jake hadn’t been together.”

Zack focused on the road as he eased through the intersection. Before he could respond to his friend, the police radio buzzed to life. “Calling all units in the vicinity of West Kingsbury and Eighth Streets. Missing boy, Robert Parker, was seen entering Rosalita’s Family Restaurant...”

Wyatt picked up the handset and glanced at Zack as he called in their proximity to the suspects. They’d just crossed Sixth Street. Zack’s heart kicked into overdrive. He was close.

Hang in there, buddy, I’ll get you.

* * * *

Zack and Wyatt weren’t the only police to respond. Two Guadalupe County sheriff deputies also pulled into the small parking lot. Brent’s truck sat in a space beside the brightly painted stucco building.

He and Wyatt got out of the Tahoe and introduced themselves to the two deputies.

The lieutenant of the two smiled. “I know this boy’s from Forest County, but it’s unusual for the sheriff to go hunting outside of his county.”

Zack took one look at the young man and the deputy lost his cocky grin. “I have a personal reason for wanting Bobby found.”

Wyatt took a step forward as the front door shattered when a bullet hit it. Zack dropped to the ground the same time as Wyatt and the two deputies, all of them with pistols aimed at the restaurant.

Jake’s voice boomed through the opening. “I have ten hostages including the boy. If you don’t let me go, I’ll start shootin’.”

Zack’s heart sank into his stomach when Jake stepped into the line-of-sight of the shot-out door window with a middle-aged Mexican woman. He held her to him with an arm around her ample waist, and with a Colt .45 pressed against her head. She was crying and muttered something in Spanish.

Jake wiggled the gun at her temple to make his point. “You have ten seconds to put your guns away.”

“Jake, you can’t get away,” Zack said from beside Wyatt as he lay prone on the cracked, hot macadam. “Half of all the law in Texas is looking for you. The Border Patrol have been alerted to your plans to cross into Mexico.”

“Shut up! Just shut the fuck up!” Jake raged. “You have five seconds or Rosalita here meets her maker.”

Wyatt glanced at Zack and the deputies before voicing the order. “Stand down.”

The deputies reluctantly obeyed the Texas Ranger, but Zack continued to aim his Glock at a man he’d once considered his best friend.

“Zack?” Wyatt spoke with determined authority. “Don’t make me regret bringing you along.”

Zack eased back and crawled behind the front fender of the Guadalupe Sheriff’s department Crown Victoria with the other three men. Wyatt pulled out his iPhone and called in the situation to his boss, who would notify everyone else involved in the manhunt.

Jake stood with the frightened woman, staring out at Zack with a hatred he didn’t understand.

“Johnny, his mother and his son Matt were caught trying to get over the border. They’re in custody in San Antonio.” Wyatt slipped his phone back into the holder on his belt. “The captain has a hostage negotiator and backup on their way. He wants me to find out what he wants.”

Zack slowly nodded, then called across the pavement, “Jake, what do you want?”

“You can’t give me what I want, Cartwright.”

“Try me.”

“Fuck you!”

“Zack, don’t agitate him,” Wyatt said. With a snort of derision, he added, “I’m beginning to think there’s something wrong with all the Blackwells. First Leon and now Jake.”

Zack didn’t respond, just stood up.

“Zack, what the hell are you doing?”

Zack ignored his friend and the cautions of the deputies as he held his hands high. “Let the hostages go, Jake. It’s not them you want to hurt. It’s me. You blame me for taking away your chance at playing football. And for it you’ve made me pay dearly. You took away the woman I loved.”

“Yeah, I got the bitch away from you, but then you went off and got richer riding rodeo, then married a damned beauty queen. I was stuck in fuckin’ Colton with nothing.”

“My life was far from glamorous. I may have married, but I never stopped loving Tracy. I spent a total of six years fighting in the war, Jake. I watched men I called friends injured and killed. I watched the man who saved my life take a bullet in the chest that should’ve been mine.” Zack swallowed hard. Framed within the broken window of the door, Jake still held the gun at the sobbing woman’s head. “I came home and suffered depression and watched my marriage fall apart. Then my wife died. I’ve suffered plenty for my part in the injury that prevented you from getting a football scholarship, Jake. Don’t you think it’s time to stop?”

“You haven’t suffered anywhere near enough.” Jake spat, and his tone became high pitched and wild, proving to Zack that he was clearly unstable. “I don’t want my son anywhere near you. I’ll kill him before I let you turn him against me, Cartwright. You hear me?”

* * * *

Brent stood back and listened to Zack’s admission and the vow made by his brother. He had to act, despite his own fear of Jake and his lack of weapon. Bobby clung to his side and turned his face into Brent’s belly as he shook with the violence of his silent sobs.

He’d never been the brave sort. Hell, this whole rustling operation had scared him shitless from the beginning. But as he had his entire life, Brent followed Jake’s orders and took his abuse.

He was done being Jake’s sheep.

Brent took hold of Bobby’s shoulders and held him away from his side. He tried to offer the boy a smile, but he knew it was pitiful at best. One of the customers stood beside him. It was obvious she was scared, but seemed to have it somewhat together. Dressed in jeans and a green button shirt, she was pretty, with blond hair, big blue eyes, and a nice round ass and enough tits to get lost in. Brent let himself wonder what she did for a living. She was exactly the kind of woman he’d have liked to settle down with someday. She met his regard with narrowed eyes. Of course, she was afraid of him. He was this madman’s brother, after all.

Brent looked back down at his nephew, a boy he loved with a heart only an uncle could have. He forced a slippery smile again. “Whatever happens, T-Rex, remember that I’m not like your dad.”

He pushed Bobby into the pretty blonde beside him, who reached for the boy and held him, steadying herself as she was knocked off balance. Brent immediately took off on a jog and came up behind his brother.

Jake must have heard him coming and turned, with his gun swinging around. He let go of Rosalita, and she fell to the floor with a scream when the gun went off. Brent held his breath as the bullet hit him in the chest, but he didn’t stop. He hit Jake with enough momentum to knock him through the door of the restaurant.

Jake tried to shove him off. When the second gunshot sounded, Brent wasn’t sure if it hit him or if the bullet aimed for Jake, but
bang
was the last sound he would ever hear.

* * * *

Bobby clung to the woman as she held his face against her heaving chest. Too many sounds swirled around him. Gunshots. A scream, sirens, shouts of men, running feet. The woman’s rapid breathing and heartbeat.

“Bobby, are you okay?”

He turned and looked into Zack’s face. He crouched next to him and held out his arms. Bobby immediately fell into them and held him close as Zack wrapped him up.

“I was so afraid, Zack. Dad started talkin’ crazy. He pulled the gun on Uncle Brent and made everyone stand in the corner.” He pulled away and met Zack’s gaze. “Uncle Brent, is he okay? How about Dad?”

Zack pulled him close again and said near his ear, “I’m sorry, buddy. Brent… Brent didn’t make it.”

“He’s dead?” His voice cracked. He couldn’t believe his next question, but he had to know for sure. “He killed...Uncle Brent?”

Zack swallowed and nodded.

Bobby couldn’t hold in the sob, then croaked, “Dad?”

“He’s being taken to the hospital.”

Another sob ripped through him. How could Dad kill his own brother? He hiccoughed. “Did–did you...?”

Zack’s voice was deep and husky at his ear. “I had no choice, Bobby. After he shot Brent, he might’ve hurt someone else or you. I couldn’t let that happen. You mean too much to your momma–and to me.”

Chapter 20

Tracy ran off the porch as soon as she heard a vehicle come up the long driveway. Her family followed close behind. Dylan, Charli and Annie had landed in Dallas just that morning. When they arrived home, Tracy called them to alert them to Bobby’s kidnapping and they came to Oak Springs immediately. Her parents had been called and hoped to be home that night. Logan hadn’t left her alone since last night and was by her side now, with Mandy in his arms.