The Fire Within

by Dana Marie Bell

  Fuck. That didn’t sound good. “Do they know if it was severe or not?”

  “He’s in surgery. Bypass. We’ll know more soon.”

  “We’ll take care of him, no matter how stubborn he gets.”

  Lakisha’s answering smile was shaky at best. “Yes, we will.”

  “Has anyone called the kids?” Lakisha and Purvis had two, both just in college.

  “Chris is on his way. Betts is in class and hasn’t picked up her phone.”

  “Is there anything you need me to do?” Beth would do whatever Lakisha needed, no questions asked.

  Lakisha rested her head on Beth’s shoulder. “Stay with me.”

  Beth held the woman who was more a mom than her own had been. “No problem.”

  Chapter Two

  The paper this guy was after wasn’t green. Dante drove down Route 1 and thought about his interview with Elizabeth.

  Something was going on, something beyond a mere Shem kill. He hated to admit it, but Elizabeth’s instincts were sound. The money and credit cards had been left behind, but that could have been because of Elizabeth’s presence. Even Shem needed to blend in, with places to live and jobs. Hell, some even married and had children. It was how other Shem were born, Shem who lived in the shadows with their parents, learning about how to feed and how to hide.

  If this Shem made its living off robbing others, it could have been distracted by Elizabeth’s sudden appearance.

  Either way, Dante wasn’t happy about Elizabeth’s involvement.

  But...

  If she was right...

  Why would a Shem be rifling through the papers of its kill? Most of them fed and moved on. Admittedly, some liked to play with their food, but unless he’d missed his guess this was the kill of one of the flesh eaters, which meant he was more than likely dealing with a Shem Azar. They weren’t exactly known for lingering over their meals. Healers turned cannibals, they reveled in the pain they inflicted as they devoured the flesh of their still-living prey.

  No, something was seriously wrong here, and as soon as Dante was done for the day he planned on giving Gabriel a call.

  First, though, he was going to visit his partner in the hospital. The frantic phone call from Lakisha had frightened him. He’d raced through his morning coffee and was out the door before he’d even combed his hair. Why hadn’t he listened to his messages when he’d gotten home the night before?

  Instead, he’d sat in his family room, watching television and cursing Elizabeth’s name. He’d gone to bed to dream of sweaty, rosy skin and gray eyes glazed with passion.

  Fuck. He was getting hard just remembering it. Not the way he wanted to see Lakisha. Lakisha would need someone there for her while Purvis was being taken care of, and Purvis would need to know that Dante had his back, and his woman safe. Purvis would do the same for him if he had a wife who needed looking after.

  Hell, Purvis had tried to make friends with Lillian. Even Lakisha had tried. But Lillian had wanted nothing to do with his partner and wife.

  Dante should have known then Lillian wasn’t the woman for him. Thank God she hadn’t fought him too hard during the divorce. He had more than enough ammunition to annihilate her.

  Once he arrived at the hospital he headed straight for the information desk, flashing his badge without a second thought. Hell, if it got him information on his partner he’d flash his ass. “I’m looking for Nelson Purvis.”

  The nurse quickly looked up the room number once she caught sight of his badge. “That would be room three sixteen.”

  “Any word on his condition?” Dante tapped his fingers impatiently on the counter. At least he knew Purvis was still alive. That was something.

  “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to ask the doctor that.”

  “Thank you.” Dante headed for the elevators, glancing around for a glimpse of Lakisha. If she wasn’t at her husband’s side, he bet she was badgering one of the nurses. The woman was scary-tough and adored her husband.

  A heart attack while shoveling snow. Dante couldn’t believe it. Purvis wasn’t that old—only forty-three. But then, knowing Purvis, he’d headed home after work, started shoveling and pushed himself. He wouldn’t have wanted Lakisha to have to deal with it.

  Knowing Lakisha, once Purvis was feeling better, she’d have something to say about that.

  He stepped out of the elevator and onto the third floor and headed toward Purvis’s room. Lakisha stood outside, her shoulders hunched, her expression pinched.

  She held out her arms to him, the smile Purvis had fallen in love with wide as she grabbed and hugged him. “You’re late.”

  “Hey, I have a murder investigation to run.” He kissed her cheek gently, then glanced inside the room. Purvis was hooked up to some machines, the steady beep reassuring him. “How is he?”

  “The docs say he’ll be fine, thank God. They only had to do one bypass. He won’t be back to work, not for a while at least. He’s got months of therapy and rehab before they even think of putting him at a desk, let alone chasing bad guys.” She glared at her husband, who smiled at them and feebly waved. “And we are definitely buying a snow blower.” Dante heard the slight tremor in her voice.

  “Think he’ll mind if I stop in? If he’s resting I don’t want to disturb him.”

  “I know he’d be delighted.” Lakisha’s smile gleamed brightly against her dark brown skin. Other than his mother, Lakisha was his favorite woman in the world. If she wasn’t married to Purvis, Dante would have snatched her up in a heartbeat. He noticed the fine strain lines around her dark eyes, the fear that she was trying so valiantly to hide.

  Damn it. Where the fuck was Rafael? If his brother were here, he’d make sure Rafe got in to see Purvis. The Azar would heal his friend and make sure nothing like this would ever happen again. “If you need me, I’m here for both of you. Capisce?”

  “Capisce. Make sure you say hello to your mama for me next time you see her.”

  “I will. She’ll probably invite you over for dinner.” Knowing his mama, more than likely she’d bring the Purvises dinner more than once. Dante smiled fleetingly at the thought. His tiny mother was fiercely protective of her friends, and she’d made both Nelson and Lakisha family when Dante was paired with the older cop. Hell, the two women had a weekly poker game going on with some of the other police wives. His father had told him that she’d called him more than once, totally drunk and begging for a ride home.

  Dante was thrilled his parents had made friends with his coworkers. They both said it made them feel easier about his being a cop. They got coping tips from the other wives and mothers, and had formed their own little support group.

  And the fact that his mama was a Knight in the service of Gabriel and the Nephilim meant he rarely had to worry about her. She was small, but she was mighty, with the ability to summon weapons out of thin air.

  No one messed with Dante Zucco’s mama.

  No one.

  He entered the hospital room, smiling when he saw that Purvis was watching TV. “Don’t take him back, hon,” Purvis muttered. “You know what an S.O.B. he is.”

  Dante grinned. “Are you watching soaps again, Purvis?”

  “What the hell else am I supposed to do when I’m stuck in this bed? It’s either this, cartoons or—” Purvis shuddered, “—the news.”

  Dante studied his partner, looking for signs of his illness. Purvis looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes. His skin was paler than Dante liked, and his hands held a faint tremble, either from the surgery or the drugs they were currently sending through his system. For all he was joking around, he sounded weary. The man wouldn’t stay awake for much longer.

  “Lakisha says she’s buying you a snow blower for Christmas.” Dante settled in the chair by the bed and grinned at his partner. He tried to
ignore the IV lines in Purvis’s arms, the oxygen tube up his nose.

  “Please. She got me an iPad. The woman can’t hide a gift to save her life.” Purvis shook his head, smiling slightly as he looked at Dante. “I had some time to think while the docs were checking me out, and I had a friend who was willing to look some stuff up for me.”

  A friend? Shit. He hated it when Purvis got that evil look. It usually meant Dante was about to suffer.

  “Jennifer Blake was working on the campaign of Todd Blessing.”

  “And? We knew that.” Dante poked at one of the wires sticking out of Purvis’s arm. “Are they giving you the good drugs?”

  “Asshole.” As Dante chuckled, Purvis continued. “What we didn’t know was that she was his legal advisor and his right-hand woman for much of the campaign. She had fingers in all of their inner workings.”

  “Huh.” He leaned back in his chair and stared intently at his partner. Well, now. Maybe a Shem did have a reason for going through the victim’s papers. Like the Nephilim, most of the Shem had day jobs, lived normal—well, normal for them, anyway—lives. It was entirely possible a Shem had made his way onto the Blessing campaign trail. What he’d been looking for on Jennifer Blake, though? That was the real question. “We’ll need to interview everyone in the office.”

  He was almost glad Purvis would be out of action for a while. Most of the time, when a Shem couldn’t pull off a natural-looking death, Dante managed to get to the case before Purvis even saw it, cleaning it up before his arrival on the scene. This time Elizabeth had called it in, and Purvis had been right next to him when they’d gotten the call. None of his brothers had seen the kill so instead of it being routed immediately to Dante it had gone out through normal channels. Dante had no chance to clean up the crime scene and make it look more, well, human. It was going to be obvious to the M.E. that someone had gone at the body with their bare hands and teeth. And when they got the DNA out of those wounds...

  Yeah. He was going to have to make sure Gabriel did something about that.

  Purvis grimaced, but that damn evil gleam was still there. “You’re not going to like what you hear next.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “The widower hired Elizabeth Rand to look into the death. Said he doesn’t trust the police to handle the case because of his wife’s political ties. He’s worried that pressure from the top will either cause us to bury her murder or force us to nail the wrong guy in order to make a quick arrest.”

  Dante closed his eyes and once again forced himself not to grind his teeth. “Why do I feel like I’ve been here before?”

  “Jerry Hershman?”

  Dante glowered at Purvis. “Didn’t I ask you not to mention his name to me? Ever?”

  Purvis hummed a jaunty little tune under his breath. “Yes, I believe you did.”

  “Then do me a favor—don’t mention it again.” Dante got up and began to pace the tiny hospital room. He wondered briefly about how best to pull Rand off the case before she did any damage.

  “One of these days you’re going to have to tell me everything that happened between you and Hershman, you know. Other than Lillian, I mean.” Purvis shifted slightly on the bed, trying to make himself more comfortable.

  “You mentioned that damn P.I. again.” Dante glowered at his partner. He hated being reminded of his ex-wife and her unfaithful ways.

  “One of the best cops I know retired to become a P.I.” Purvis grinned at Dante.

  “Ugh. Fine. Some of them are all right.” Especially hot-shot females who see things I missed. Damn it.

  “Looks like you’re stuck dealing with her.” Purvis grinned. Dante just knew the man was laughing at him.

  If Purvis didn’t come back to work, Dante was going to miss the hell out of him. The man and his wife had been good friends ever since Dante had been assigned to him. Dante would miss the way their minds seemed almost synced with each other.

  The good thing was, Purvis was family. And Dante never left family behind. Even if Purvis was forced to retire he’d still be in Dante’s life, whether Purvis liked it or not. Besides, Dante’s mama adored them. She expected Nelson and Lakisha at his Aunt Rosa’s birthday party. Speaking of which, he needed to call her and let her know what was going on. She’d be seriously pissed if he didn’t let her know about Purvis’s condition.

  Dante Zucco was afraid of very little on this earth, but he made it a point never to piss off his mama.

  He glared briefly at Purvis. “Not for long, if I have anything to say about it.”

  “Lakisha loves her, by the way. And if Lakisha loves her, your mother is going to adore her.”

  Dante froze in terror. No, no, no. If Lakisha got a hold of his mother, Dante was screwed. Lakisha and Teresa Zucco got along like sisters from another mister. His mother would make him work with Elizabeth just to please her BFF. He needed to get a handle on this before Elizabeth ever realized the power those two women had over him.

  He tried his best to ignore the drama being played out on the television, as the drama of two tiny, powerful women took over his foreseeable future. Purvis’s gaze was beginning to shift back and forth between him and the show. The man was addicted to his soaps, and mourned each one as it disappeared from his screen.

  He debated briefly whether or not to tease his partner by sticking around, but decided against it. Purvis could pretty much keep himself out of trouble, tied as he was to the beeping machines. “Stay safe, my brother.”

  Purvis shot him an odd look and Dante flushed. Damn it. He’d slipped, using the farewell he used for his Nephilim brothers. He’d never done that before—but Purvis had never been hurt before, either.

  “You too.” Purvis held out his hand and Dante took it, surprised at the strength in the other cop despite his illness. “You watch your back out there. I don’t want to have to explain to your mama how you got shot on my watch.” He shivered. “That woman scares me.”

  Dante grinned. “You know I will.”

  But first, he’d have a little talk with a certain annoying, sexy-as-fuck P.I. With any luck, it wouldn’t take long to ensure which one of them was going to be leading this little dance.

  * * *

  “Anything else you’d like to tell me about, Mr. Blake?” Beth held her pencil over the paper, ready to jot down any further thoughts the widower had. She studied Jonathan Blake while she waited for his answer, sympathy stirring at the sight of his red-rimmed eyes. His short blond hair was a mess, as if he hadn’t combed it in days instead of hours. His T-shirt and jeans looked like they’d been slept in.

  As far as she was concerned, Jonathan Blake wasn’t a suspect—far from it. If he was a murderer, then he was the world’s best actor.

  She understood the pain he was going through. She’d dealt with enough missing persons cases that turned out to be homicides to know that until they found the killer, he’d never be at peace. Unfortunately, she’d had to deliver bad news more than once, and it always wrenched at her heart. She hoped this time would be different, that this time she’d be able to find the answers necessary to bring closure to this small, devastated family.

  Until she could do a thorough background check, she couldn’t completely write him off, but so far nothing odd stood out. The brief background check she’d done before arriving at his home showed he was a network engineer who worked for Romanov Enterprises.

  He had a medium build, and he moved well, like he’d been an athlete in his youth. From the pictures framed on the mantel Beth saw evidence of a past in baseball during his college years.

  He was an intelligent, attractive man in his mid-thirties who had been married to an intelligent, attractive woman. And it showed. The Blake home was littered with happy family photos. Jonathan and Jennifer standing on a beach in Hawaii, where they’d obviously been married. Jennifer holding their on
ly child, a tiny daughter named Hailey, one of the first pictures Mr. Blake had shown her. Now four, she had her mother’s blue eyes and her father’s determined chin. There were shots of Jonathan coaching little league softball. Next to that was a shot of Jennifer shaking hands with Todd Blessing, the gubernatorial candidate. Blessing’s campaign poster stood between them, his wife smiling at his side.

  If anyone had led a charmed life, it apparently had been Jennifer Blake. A husband who adored her, a child, a home and a fulfilling career that was tumbling her straight toward a life in politics. She’d had it all.

  So the question was, who had wanted to take it away?

  Beth glanced out the window then grimaced. Dante’s boring beige sedan pulled up to the curb. It was such a cop car. It practically screamed unmarked, right down to the discreet cop lights in the back window and the Fraternal Order of Police license plate. “The police are here, Mr. Blake. Detective Dante Zucco. I’m acquainted with him. Would you like me to talk to him for you, or would you like to answer his questions?”

  “I’ll talk to him, thank you. Anything to find out who murdered my wife.” Jonathan Blake walked to the front door and opened it just as Dante hit the front step. Beth was two steps behind her client.

  “Detective Zucco.” She kept her tone as bland as she could. She’d expected him to show up at some point, but she’d sort of hoped she’d be on her way out the door before then.

  He eyed her warily, his expression, as usual, unreadable to her. “Elizabeth.”

  She refused to show him just how much the sound of her name, said in his deep voice, affected her. “You don’t seem surprised to see me.”

  “I went to see Purvis.”

  “Ah.” Of course he’d gone to check on his partner, and of course Purvis had told him she’d been hired by Mr. Blake. She just hoped Dante wasn’t going to give her any trouble. She’d much rather work with him than against him. “How was he? When I left, he was sleeping.”

  Did Dante’s expression actually soften? Hell, monkeys might fly out of her ass any moment now. “He was awake and talking, but tired.”