“Detective?” Sharpe cocked his head at her.
“Sorry, I have to talk to the captain.” She stood up and walked over to the captain’s office, not even bothering to knock when she strode in.
“Detective?” Bushnell put his pen down. “What’s wrong?”
“Sir, I need to tell you something.” And she told him everything. About the connection between Dixon and Fraser and about Lucas, including sleeping with him. She tried to be as objective as possible, but she knew this wasn’t going to turn out well.
Bushnell’s jaw tightened and his blue gaze bore into her. “Detective, I don’t even know where to begin. We’re talking about a massive conflict of interest here, not to mention possible misconduct on your part just by being at the crime scene.”
She flinched. “I know, sir. But I didn’t know the connection of the two cases until we got positive I.D., and I assure you my … personal involvement with Lucas Anderson isn’t affecting my work. But still, I’m going to remove myself from the Fraser case.”
“This is extremely disappointing. I like Sharpe, and I was hoping you would get along and you could be partners.” He sighed. “You’ll be removed from the Fraser case, as well as Dixon’s.”
“But we’ve already proven Lucas didn’t do it! He’s being framed.” She bit her tongue when the captain scowled at her.
“He was your prime suspect, and now you’re sleeping with him!” His face was red and blustery. “Selinofoto, you’re the last person I’d expect this from.”
His disappointment in her stung. “I’m sorry, sir.”
“You really don’t think it’s him? What if the shirt is his?”
If it was, then that made her even more suspicious. Someone as careful and smart as Lucas wouldn’t leave around evidence like that. “I can alibi him for last night, sir.” She winced when he let out a curse. “And before that, he was at a party surrounded with family. Lucas—Anderson’s got round the clock bodyguards. You know that yourself. I’m sure if you call Fenrir’s security team, they can confirm his whereabouts and have GPS logs.”
The captain leaned back in his chair and massaged his temples. “All right. But as of right now, I’m putting you on a couple days’ leave.”
“Sir!” she protested. “You can’t—”
“It’s a paid leave,” he said. “You can’t be here. At least, not until we’ve totally cleared Anderson. This is the best thing you can do for him.”
Fuck. He was right, and she knew it. Any hint of impropriety could jeopardize the precinct, the captain, even the entire case. “Fine.” She stood up. “Is that all?”
“Yes, Detective.”
It took all her self-control not to storm out of his office and slam the door behind her. But she had to act professional. After a deep, calming breath, she walked to her desk, then grabbed her things. Thankfully, Sharpe wasn’t there so she could make a clean escape. Picking up her pace, she quickly headed outside, then took her phone out of her purse to call Lucas.
“Hey, you,” he answered. “Miss me already?”
“Lucas.” Her voice was shaking as she spoke. “I need to talk to you.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“I—not over the phone.” She lowered her voice. “Can you come to my place?”
“Of course.” There was a pause. “What’s wrong? Are you in trouble? Tell me.”
“I can’t tell you over the phone, but I promise I’ll explain everything when we’re alone.” Her heart was beating a mile a minute. “Will you trust me?”
“Of course. I’m headed to your place now.”
“Thank you.” She put her phone away and headed for the parking lot. Driving home allowed her to keep her mind off things, and helped her calm down and think. Everything would be all right. Lucas had a solid alibi. There was no need to panic. Maybe she had overreacted. But all her alarm bells were ringing. Someone was trying to harm Lucas, and there was no way she was going to let them succeed.
She parked in her garage and walked back to her building. Her keys were already in her hand as she approached the building, but she slowed down when she saw two men waiting just outside. They shuffled aside when she approached them. But before she could slip her key into the door, she felt their presence behind her.
Ugh. This was one thing she hated about living in an apartment building. These guys were attempting to slip inside with her. Maybe they had a friend who lived inside or they could be neighbors who forgot their keys. Being a New Yorker, she didn’t know all her neighbors of course, so she wasn’t sure what their business was. She straightened her shoulders and turned around.
“Excuse me, but are you—” Her heart leapt to her throat. Both men crowded into her, and one of them held something shiny. A gun. “Hold on, gentlemen,” she said in her calmest voice. “I have a hundred in my purse. You can have it now and I won’t—”
“Ha! Stupid bitch!” The man holding the gun spun her around and pressed the gun to her back. “Open that door and let’s go up to your place.”
Sofia hesitated, but the muzzle dug into her. What did they want? Did they mean to rob her place? Or worse?
“Go, bitch!”
“All right!” Her hands shook as she turned the key and let them in. She considered calling for help, but that would put her neighbors in danger. These men obviously meant business, and the only two choices in this situation were to follow their instructions or get shot.
She took her time getting to her fourth-floor walkup, trying to figure out what she could do. Given that she was on leave, she had to leave her gun at work. She had a weapon in her dresser, but that would mean having to go into her bedroom.
“Stop stalling!”
Gritting her teeth, she picked up her pace, and soon they were entering her apartment. The sound of her door closing behind them seemed to underscore her impending doom.
“Move,” the man said, pushing her into the middle of the living room, his gun trained at her.
Slowly, she turned around. As a detective, she couldn’t help but observe him. He was massive, probably half a foot over six feet and completely bald.
His companion, on the other hand, was tall and reed-thin with greasy long hair. He gave her a lecherous smile, showing that his mouth was missing a number of teeth.
“What do you want?” she asked. “I don’t have jewelry. The TV’s probably the most expensive thing I own and—”
“Shut it, bitch!” Baldy snarled. “You think we’re here to fence your stuff?”
Thin Man laughed. “What a stupid bitch!”
“We’ve got our eye on a bigger prize.” He lifted his gun. “Bianchi sends his regards.”
Her heart slammed into her ribcage. That sonofabitch.
A knock on the door made them all startle. She should have taken a chance and lunged at Baldy, but the voice on the other side made her freeze.
“Sofia!” Lucas called. He rapped on the door insistently. “Sofia! Are you home?”
Baldy’s face grew grim. “Who’s that?”
“A friend,” she said. “Let me get rid of him. Please.” Oh, God. Lucas. She couldn’t let them hurt him. “You don’t need him dead, just me. It’ll be cleaner.”
Baldy pushed her towards the door, the gun pressed to her skull. “Get rid of him.”
Relief made tears pool at her eyes. She took a deep breath as they walked to the door. “Lucas,” she called, trying to make her voice calm.
“Sofia, sweetheart,” he said. “Sorry I didn’t buzz. Your neighbor let me inside the building. Are you able to … let me in?”
“I’m afraid not.” She swallowed hard. Lucas’s words and calm demeanor made her pause. Did he have an idea what was happening? Surely, he couldn’t have heard what was happening inside. Her door was solid steel, one of the reasons she chose this place. “Lucas, you should go home.”
“What do you need, sweetheart?”
Tears streaked down her cheeks. She’d always thought that she could face dying in
the line of duty, that she would be ready for it. She thought about her mom, wondering what she was thinking about the moment before she died. Because right this moment, all she could think about was Lucas, and how she was never going to see him again. “I need you to leave. Go, Lucas. Please.”
This was for the best. Slowly, she turned to face the two men. “Just do it.”
Baldy pulled her arm and tugged her to the middle of the room. She stood there, her entire body eerily still and calm. He raised the gun.
She closed her eyes, waiting for the sound of gunfire. There was a loud boom, and she flinched. But there was no pain in her body.
“What the fuck?” Thin Man cursed.
Her eyes flew open. Her solid steel door was busted down, and Lucas stood in the middle, his face full of rage. Baldy had his gun pointed at him. “No!” she screamed.
“Sofia!” Lucas shouted. “I—”
A loud, deafening roar filled the air, and she felt a strange force knock her off her feet. She hit the floor with a thud. She lifted her head and gasped. “Lucas?” But he was gone. And in his place was a humungous black dog.
No. Not a dog. A wolf.
The wolf’s head was probably three times the size of her own. Its jaws opened, letting out a deep growl, its hateful gaze directed at the two men.
Baldy was slowly getting up, as was his companion. “Motherfucker … what is that?” He still had the gun in his hand. He began to raise it toward the wolf.
Big mistake. In a flash, the wolf leapt toward him. As it was in the air, it glanced briefly at Sofia, but it was long enough for her to see its eyes. One blue and one green. Like Lucas’s.
The gun went off, and Baldy screamed when the wolf—no, Lucas—landed on top of him. On her left, she saw Thin Man reaching into his jacket. Fuck! She leapt to her feet and tackled him before he could fire his weapon, knocking it out of his hand and sending it skidding across the floor. Thin Man fought, his fist reaching out and connecting with her jaw. The pain shot through her, but the adrenaline rushing through her body dulled it. She shoved the heel of her palm into his nose, just as she had been taught in self-defense classes at the Academy. The sickening crack of cartilage and the scream of pain told her she had broken his nose. When she looked down at him, he was curled up in a ball, his hands on his face as blood flowed from his nostrils.
“Sir!”
She looked up and saw Reyes in the doorway, his face pale as he stared at the black wolf. The animal raised its head, blood dripping from its jaws.
Sofia could only describe what was left of Baldy as carnage. She was used to seeing dead bodies and murder scenes, but this made her stomach turn. There was nothing left of Baldy’s head.
“Sir, please,” Reyes cried out.
The wolf let out a deafening roar, and Sofia felt that shockwave again, sending her staggering back and flat on her ass. Reyes too was knocked down to his knees. What the fuck was going on?
Reyes attempted to stand up, but the wolf’s snarl kept him down. The wolf took a step forward. And another. And she realized it was heading toward her.
The wolf stalked toward her, its massive jaw dripping with foamy blood. It was snarling and growling, its blue and green mismatched eyes focused on Thin Man.
Sofia realized what it wanted. Really, she should have stepped aside and let him kill the bastard. But she didn’t want that. Not for Lucas.
Slowly, she got to her knees, putting herself between Lucas and Thin Man. “Lucas,” she called out. “Are you … there? Can you hear me?”
“Detective, no!” Reyes cried out. “He can’t hear you. Not in this state. He’s dangerous!”
This whole thing was absurd, but it was really happening. Lucas had turned into this wolf and now she had to calm him down. “Shhh … Lucas. It’ll be all right. Please. Don’t hurt him.”
The wolf snapped its jaws at her.
“No, I’m safe, see?” She glanced down at Thin Man, who was still clutching his bleeding nose. “I’m going to arrest him and put him away. It’ll be all right.”
But it was like the wolf wasn’t listening to her. Its focus was on Thin Man. “Lucas!” she shouted, reaching a hand out. “Lucas …”
Tentatively, she placed a hand on his head. The fur was surprisingly soft and very thick. She rubbed her palm in a soothing manner, all the while her heart beat a mile a minute. No, she told herself. Lucas would never hurt me. She just knew it.
The wolf went still, then closed its eyes. It let out a soft whine, then lay down. She continued to stroke him, her hands running down its neck and back. She gasped when she felt the fur recede under her fingers.
Slowly, the wolf shrank. Fur disappeared under tanned, muscled skin. She let out a cry of relief and threw her arms around Lucas.
“Detective, please.”
She looked up. Reyes stood next to her, offering his hand. But she didn’t want to be away from him.
“He needs help, Detective,” he said. “Please, let me help him. I know how.”
Lucas’s skin ran hot under her hands. He was also very still, his breathing shallow. The reality of what happened hit her. Lucas had turned into a wolf. It made her head ache, and a wave of nausea passed over her. She took Reyes’s offered hand and allowed him to help her up.
“What’s going on?” she whispered. “What is he?”
“I’m sorry, Detective.”
“Sorry for what?”
She felt a small pinprick in her neck. Her hand immediately went to the spot. “How did you do—” Dizziness buzzed in her head and her legs felt like jelly. Then, the world went dark.
Chapter Eighteen
When she woke up, the first thing she thought of was the strange dream she had last night. There were two men threatening to kill her and then Lucas burst through her door and turned into a—
She shot up and glanced around her. Her hands fisted into the unfamiliar scratchy sheets underneath her. A prickle ran up her ramrod-stiff spine. Where the hell was she?
She looked around. The room was like a jail cell. White and sterile. She was sitting on top of a cot, still wearing the same clothes from … last night? Her head was foggy, and with no windows in this cell, she didn’t know what time it was or how long she was out. Fucking Reyes. He’d drugged her.
She got to her feet and took a step forward. Whatever it was he shot into her system was gone now. Of course, now that she was starting to become fully awake, the ache in her jaw bloomed. Yup, yesterday really did happen. Those two men had tried to kill her and Lucas turned into a giant wolf. But what was going on now? And where was Lucas?
“You’re awake.”
Her body went stiff, and she turned her head toward the door. She didn’t even notice there was door until it slid open. A dark-haired man stood in the doorway his arms crossed over his chest. “Sit down, Detective.”
“I’d rather stand.” She planted her feet apart, her hands flexing at her sides. In her mind, she ran through her options. If she ran fast enough, she could maybe take him by surprise and knock him down, then—
“Don’t even think about it.” He stepped into the room, and the door slid shut behind him. As he walked closer to her, she gasped.
The man was a little over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and dark hair that had a sprinkling of sliver at the temples. He was handsome, she supposed, but what made her gasp was the familiar features—strong jaw, straight nose, and the dark slashes of his eyebrows, as well as the confident way he conducted himself. His eyes were green, though, and not the same as Lucas’s mismatched ones, but this man could be him in a few decades.
“Where am I?” she asked. “And where’s Lucas?”
The only reaction she got was a raised brow, and his gaze pierced into her. She felt stripped and naked underneath his gaze, like he was peering into her very soul. “He’s none of your concern.”
“I want to see him,” she insisted. “I want to know he’s safe.”
The flash of surprise on his face soft
ened his features. “You’ve been drugged and locked up, and the first thing you want to know is where Lucas is?”
“If you’ve hurt him—
“Don’t be stupid, I would never hurt my son.”
Son. But she already knew that. “What’s going on? Is he … sick? He turned into a …”
“A wolf,” he said. “Or as we like to call ourselves, Lycans.”
“L-Lycans?”
“I would explain it to you, except you’re not going to remember anything.”
Not remember anything? “What the fuck are you talking about?” she snarled.
“It really doesn’t matter, Detective. We’re going to erase your memory and you won’t remember a thing.”
“This is insane!” she cried. “You can’t do that!”
“Oh, yes we can. We’ve done it lots of times,” he said. “You’ll forget about what happened last night and you’ll never see Lucas again.”
His words washed over her. She would never see Lucas again, might even never remember him. She sank down on the cot as her knees turned to jelly. They’d imprisoned her, which meant they weren’t concerned at all that they were detaining an officer of the law. Her mind flashed back to those other cases. The ones where the witnesses couldn’t recall what happened. They’d done it lots of times. And now they were going to do it to her.
The sound of the door sliding open and a gasp made her look up.
“Papa!”
A woman entered the room and approached them. She knelt down in front of her, and Sofia blinked. “Sofia,” she began, placing her hands over hers. “I’m Adrianna. Lucas’s twin sister.”
His twin. Of course. Her features were slightly different and more feminine, but the eyes were the same. One green and one blue, just like Lucas’s, but mirrored.
“Adrianna,” the man—Lucas’s and Adrianna’s dad—barked.
“Papa, no!” she protested. “Sofia … you care for my brother, right?”
Alpha Ascending Page 18
