“In their own neighborhood, I’m afraid they are,” Raul answered. “That is why you must be very careful.”
“I have been,” Luke answered.
Raul looked at him and nodded. “You will be safe, Ms. Carleton. Trust Luke.”
She surprised him with the readiness of her answer. “I do trust him, Raul. And please call me Julia.”
Raul smiled at her and began to slide out of the booth. “Perhaps all of us can have lunch together again, after you have solved your case.”
“We’d like that, Raul. Maybe we’ll have something to celebrate.”
Raul looked at him questioningly, and Luke pushed a piece of paper across the table at him. “My friend Eleanor is on the board of directors of the school of the Art Institute. Give her a call. I think she’ll be able to arrange a scholarship for you.”
For a second, fierce hope flared in Raul’s eyes, then it was carefully damped. “I am not interested in charity, Luke.”
“Charity?” Luke snorted. “Hell, it’s not charity. The woman was practically drooling when I described your work to her. I had to make her promise not to drive out to your house today. She said that if you’re as good as I think you are that the school would take you in an instant.”
Raul stared at the paper in front of him as if he were afraid it would vanish if he moved to pick it up. Why hadn’t he ever realized that Raul needed a scholarship if he wanted to go to school at the Art Institute? Luke thought. He glanced over at Julia. He owed her a lot for pointing that out to him.
Finally Raul looked back up at them, excitement stirring in his eyes. Luke wanted to reach over and kiss Julia right now. He hadn’t seen his friend this happy, ever.
“How do you know this Eleanor?” Raul asked softly. His hand had curled around the piece of paper as if he would never let it go.
Luke shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable. “I, ah, served on a couple of committees with her a few years ago. She’s a straight shooter, Raul. She doesn’t say anything she doesn’t mean.”
“And she has said there are scholarships available at the Art Institute school?”
“For qualified students.” Luke grinned. “It’s up to you to make sure she knows you’re qualified.”
“All she’ll have to do is see your work to know you’re qualified, Raul.” Julia spoke quietly, but with unshakable conviction.
“She’s right.” Luke watched Raul as he looked reverently at the paper in his hand, then carefully folded it and placed it in his wallet. “You’re a talented artist and you should be studying someplace where your work can get the exposure it deserves.”
Raul looked up at them, his eyes luminous. “I won’t forget that you did this for me, my friend. Thank you.”
Uncomfortable, Luke looked away. “It wasn’t any big deal. I just had to make a phone call.”
“You’re wrong, Luke,” Raul corrected gently. “It is a very big deal.”
“Yeah, well, let’s take this mutual admiration society on the road. It’s time to get out of here.”
Raul slid out of the booth and stood up, nodding. “You’re right. We need to go.”
“We’ll give you a ride back to your neighborhood, Raul,” Julia said. She turned to him and grinned. “That way you can get to your phone more quickly.”
Raul frowned. “I don’t know if that is wise,” he said slowly. “There are eyes everywhere.”
“We can drop you off in that big mall close by. That should be anonymous enough,” Luke answered.
They stopped in front of Luke’s car. “Come on,” Luke urged. “It’ll save you almost an hour.” His friend was practically vibrating with the need to get back to his house and make the phone call.
“All right,” he finally agreed. “But no farther than the mall.”
“You’ve got it.” Luke waited for him to close his door then pulled into traffic. He turned back to grin at Raul. “Just remember, I’ll expect a hell of a steak dinner when you make it big-time.”
* * *
Luke sat next to Julia in the front seat of the car and watched Raul disappear into the mall. Instead of driving away again, he turned to her.
“I don’t know how to thank you for opening my eyes to Raul. Why didn’t I realize that he needed a scholarship to go to school at the Art Institute?”
She turned to look at him, her eyes shining. “Because he’s your friend,” she said gently. “You can’t stand back and look at your friends objectively.”
He couldn’t look away from her. The tenderness in her eyes was drawing him in, pulling him under. He wanted to drown in it, to pretend just for a moment that it was for him and he had a right to reach out for it.
“How did you know the woman on the board of directors?” Her voice was soft, the tenderness still there. Was it possible it could be for him and not for Raul?
He wanted to look away, but couldn’t. He felt as if she were staring straight into his soul. He couldn’t tell her anything less than the truth. “Just like I told Raul. We were on a couple of committees together a while back.”
“Committees for what?”
“You don’t give up, do you?”
Something shifted in her eyes as she watched him. The tenderness deepened, if that was possible. “No, I don’t, Luke. You should know that by now.”
He didn’t answer for a long time, but she continued to watch him. Finally, shifting in his seat, he looked away from her. “I was a member of the board of directors of Pals. That was the program that paired kids who needed an adult role model with men and women who could give them some time and attention. Eleanor was on the board, too.”
“I remember reading about that program.” Her voice was filled with wonder, and he squirmed in his seat. He should never have opened this can of worms in front of her. “You were one of the people who got it started here in Chicago, weren’t you?”
“Yeah,” he admitted. “I got all the glory and everyone else did the work.”
“I don’t think so. Why do you let people think you’re such a hard case when you’re not?”
He turned away abruptly and started the car. “Because I’m not like that anymore. Things have changed in the last two years. I’m not the same person I used to be.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” she whispered softly.
He risked a glance over at her. It was a mistake. The look on her face definitely wasn’t there for Luke McKinley, the brutal cop who beat defenseless drunks. He could almost believe it was for Lucas McKinley, a decent man. Only he knew it wasn’t, because that man didn’t exist anymore.
He drove down the street, staring blindly at the people in the other cars and on the sidewalks. He wouldn’t ever be Lucas McKinley again. His scars had healed into a tough outer shell, and it would be too painful to peel it away. He wasn’t sure if he could bear that kind of pain, not in this life, anyway.
He glanced at the sidewalk and slammed on the brakes. Julia jerked forward and bounced, held in place by her seat belt. “What was that for?” she cried, gripping the armrest next to her and looking at him.
He nodded toward the sidewalk, not taking his eyes off the boy standing there. After a moment she said, “Isn’t that Piotyr, that boy you talked to the morning after your office was bombed?”
“Piotyr Bernowski,” he said grimly. “And do you see who he’s talking to?”
“It looks like just another kid.”
“It may be just another kid, but that kid belongs to the Demons.”
She shifted and turned to look at him. “How do you know? Do you know him?”
“I don’t have to. See what he’s wearing? That orange-and-green coat and baseball hat are the Demons’ colors. They’re as good as wearing a sign on his head.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked, still watching the two boys.
“I don’t know. I was afraid this was what was going on with Piotyr, but up until now I didn’t have any proof.” He shifted back into gear and pulled away from the curb.
“But I’ll have to do something, fast. Once the Demons get their hooks in, it can be tough to get them out.”
“That poor woman.”
“Who, Mrs. Bernowski?”
She nodded and he glanced at her, surprised. “Why should you feel sorry for Mrs. B.? She was downright nasty to you.”
“Only because she was trying to protect you. How can you criticize loyalty?”
“Even loyalty can go too far,” he answered. “Blind loyalty can be very dangerous.”
“Not when it’s for your friends. Or your family.”
Her voice was fierce, and he looked over at her. Never had a woman felt that way about him, and for a fleeting moment he longed for some of that unquestioning support for himself. What would it be like to have a woman like Julia Carleton feel that way about him?
He would never know, he told himself savagely, because that could never happen. And it most definitely wouldn’t happen with Julia Carleton. He knew better than to fall for her. He glanced over at her. Didn’t he?
Chapter 10
Julia sat down gingerly on the king-size bed and looked around the room, nerves curdling her stomach. “Are you sure it’s necessary for us to share a room?”
He didn’t even look up at her. “It’s necessary. We haven’t seen much of our shadows in the past couple of days, and it’s making me nervous. And when I’m nervous, I like to circle the wagons.”
“Couldn’t we circle them around two rooms like we did last night?” she muttered to herself.
He must have heard her, because he looked up. “If you’re worried about your virtue, don’t be. I plan on sleeping on the floor.”
“That hardly seems fair.”
“Okay, you can sleep on the floor.”
She clamped her lips together on the retort she wanted to make. Instead, she changed the subject. “Are you going to call Raul and see if he’s found anything out?”
Apparently he didn’t want to discuss their sleeping arrangements any more than she did, because he stood up and went to the phone. “I’ll do it now.”
The conversation was cryptic and one-sided. When Luke hung up the phone and turned to her, excitement gleamed in his eyes. “It looks like luck is finally turning our way. They’re meeting tonight, and Raul was able to find out where. Now we just have to figure out how to get me in there.”
“What do you mean, get you in there?” She watched him prowl the room, fear congealing in her blood. “If the Demons are meeting with the cops from your old precinct, they’ll recognize you in an instant. There’s no way you can try to infiltrate that meeting.”
“Then what do you suggest we do, ask them for an invitation? We may not get another chance like this for a long time.”
“I know.” She stared at him, an idea forming in her mind. “They don’t know me,” she said slowly. “I’ve never interviewed any of them. I’ve deliberately stayed away from everyone who’s a suspect. So if they see me hanging around tonight, no one will recognize me.”
“No woman would be hanging around at night near the place the Demons are meeting,” he stated, his voice harsh. “Trust me on this.”
“Oh, some women might,” she said, giving him a sultry smile. “Women who were practicing the world’s oldest profession might find it a very attractive place to ply their trade.”
He gave her a shocked look. “Are you saying you want to masquerade as a hooker so you can get close enough to find out what’s going on at that meeting?” he demanded.
Thrusting her chin out, she said, “Can you think of a better plan?”
“I can and I will,” he said furiously. “Yours is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard of.”
“Fine. I’m all ears.”
She folded her hands in her lap and watched him pace the room. Shooting her a black look, he said, “I’ll think of one, don’t worry. No way am I letting you do something so dangerous.”
“But it’s okay for you to do something both dangerous and stupid? At least they won’t recognize me the minute they see me.”
“Eddie has seen you before.” It sounded as if he were grasping at straws.
“Two years ago. And I wouldn’t look the same if I was pretending to be a prostitute. I suspect I would have to dress a little more flamboyantly than I normally do.”
“I suspect you would,” he mocked as he stared at her, incredulous. “You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”
“As serious as…as the Demons. I don’t see that we have any alternatives.”
“I’ll think of an alternative. There’s no way you’re going to flaunt yourself on a street corner to get some information. It’s just too dangerous.”
“We don’t have any choice, Luke. I have to do it.”
“Over my dead body.”
“Are you almost ready in there?” Luke’s voice came through the closed bathroom door, and Julia took one last look at herself in the mirror. It was a good disguise, she thought, her heart beginning to pound. She almost didn’t recognize herself.
She’d let her naturally curly hair dry without trying to style it or tame it into submission. Now it curled wildly around her face, making her look like a temptress. Her carefully made-up eyes were enormous in her face, and the eye shadow she’d chosen made them look startlingly green. Not that anyone was going to get close enough to be able to see them, she assured herself.
Smoothing her hands down the clothes she’d bought that afternoon, she licked her lips and opened the door. Show time.
The look on Luke’s face when she emerged from the bathroom told her all she needed to know about her costume. He looked as if he’d been poleaxed. She almost wanted to laugh, until she saw the expression in his eyes.
It was hot and hungry, raw with need. For her, she realized with shock. Slowly she looked down at herself. The tight red leather miniskirt exposed too much of her legs, and she had a sudden urge to cross her knees. The black lace chemise she wore as a blouse was perfectly decent, but it clung to every curve on her upper body. Resisting the need to fold her arms over her breasts, she said lightly, “So what do you think? Is it going to work?”
“Hell, yes, it’s going to work.” He moved slowly toward her. “It’s going to work too damn well. Don’t do it, Julia.” He reached out and grasped her shoulders, drawing her closer to him. “It’s too dangerous for you to go to that meeting place looking like this. You’re going to attract too much attention.”
“I’ll be a part of the background, Luke.” Her heart was thudding against her chest and her mouth was dry, but fear had nothing to do with it. It was because of the way he was looking at her. “They’ll see another hooker on the corner, and that’s all they’ll see.”
“Like hell they will,” he muttered, pulling her closer. “They’ll see just what I do, a woman so beautiful and so desirable that they can’t think of anything else. A woman they’ll want, regardless of the consequences.”
“And what are the consequences, Luke?” she whispered. Blood roared in her head and the world shrank down to include only him.
His eyes glittered with desire and need. “I don’t care,” he whispered back. “Right now, I can’t think of anything but you.”
Then his mouth was on hers in a hard kiss. There was no tenderness, just a deep, searing possession. His hands slid down her back to cup her hips in the red leather, pulling them closer.
She melted against him, her heart hammering and fire dancing through her veins. She didn’t care about consequences, either. Not now. Not while Luke was holding her, branding her with his kisses, insinuating himself into a place deep within her heart.
“Luke,” she moaned, and she felt his tongue swirl into her mouth. She was hot and weak with need, with desire for him. “Please…”
Her words were devoured as he claimed her with his lips. Sliding her hands up his back, she found his muscles were as hard and tense as steel. When her fingers drifted lower and caressed his hips, he twitched once and drew her into the vee of his legs.
He was as aroused as she was.
Dragging in a ragged gulp of air, he trailed a line of kisses down her throat to the neck of her chemise. When his fingers closed over her breast, her breathing hitched and she arched into him.
“Oh, Luke, I want…”
She felt him tense at the sound of her throaty whisper, then his mouth brushed over hers again as he sighed into her ear. “I want, too, Julia. Too much. But this isn’t the time or place.”
Luke wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. The throbbing need slowly subsided, replaced by an aching loneliness. She suspected there never would be a right time or place as far as Luke was concerned. He had his armor on, and he was determined to let nothing pierce it. She wondered what he was protecting himself from, and realized with a stab of sorrow that she would probably never know.
Edging back a little, he leaned his forehead against hers. “You know I don’t want to stop this, but we have to go.”
She disengaged herself gently. “I know. They’re not going to wait for us to put in an appearance.”
The hunger in his eyes made her reluctant to turn away. His face was all hard angles and planes, the flush of passion not yet fading. “It’s not too late to change your mind, Julia. You know that, don’t you?”
“We don’t have any other choices,” she said, turning to pick up the red leather shoulder bag that matched her skirt. “Let’s get going.”
The ride to the Humboldt Park neighborhood was a silent one. When they began seeing the Demons’ graffiti spray painted on the walls of garages, Julia felt her stomach contract. This was really going to happen. She was really going to stand on a street corner and pretend she was a prostitute, not fifty feet away from the place where the Demons and the cops from Luke’s old precinct were meeting.
“What are you going to be doing?” she asked Luke.
“I won’t be far. You won’t see me unless you have trouble.” He glanced over at her, then surprised her by reaching for her hand. “But I’ll be here.”
The wave of relief that washed over her was enormous. She’d known that Luke would be close by, but hearing him say it somehow made her feel much better. Her fingers curled around his hand, and she clung to him until the car stopped along a dark, deserted street.
An Honorable Man Page 15
