by Aimée Thurlo
He nodded. “Makes sense. Why don’t you work the east side of the street, and I’ll work the west? At the end of each block, we’ll touch base and share what we’ve learned.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She placed the GPS in the glove compartment after he exited, then they got to work.
Luca couldn’t get anyone to answer the door at the first house, so he looked around the side and listened to see if there was anyone around. A dog barked behind the wooden fence and through the slits he saw fangs.
As he went to the front again, he saw a child peek out from behind a curtain then get pulled back out of view. It had only taken seconds, but in that time Luca had caught a glimpse of Navajo talking prayersticks. The bundle, wrapped with colorful yarn, had caught his attention immediately. Those particular prayersticks were carried for personal protection by Navajos away from the Rez.
Walking back to the front door, Luca identified himself in Navajo and held out his badge near the peephole. Several minutes later a young Navajo woman wearing jeans and a sweatshirt opened the door. Luca addressed her in Navajo and soon learned she hadn’t heard or seen anyone. Taking care of an active two-year-old took all her focus and attention. Luca continued down the sidewalk and strode up to the next house.
TWO HOURS LATER, it was getting close to dark and they’d still failed to get a lead of any kind. Most of the people, including the few Navajos he’d met, had been very guarded around him, and more concerned about his presence in their neighborhood. One middle-aged Hispanic man had even questioned his badge, convinced it was a fake, and had ordered him to move on.
They continued canvassing the area, and eventually entered an old trailer court with four rows of mobile homes, many of them in need of major repairs. Judging by their age and condition, people here were just getting by.
The first two homes were deserted as a quick look inside their small, curtainless windows confirmed. Moving on, Luca noted a Navajo Tribal Rodeo bumper sticker on the ten-year-old pickup parked beside the third house. As he drew near the front door, the scent of fresh fry bread filled the air and made his mouth water.
Luca knocked and identified himself, but nobody responded. Going around the back to a half-glass patio door, he knocked then cupped his hands on both sides of his head and peered inside.
“Whatcha doing peeping in windows, pervert?” a husky Navajo in jeans and a T-shirt growled, coming around the corner of the home. He had a big rake in his hands, raised and ready to strike.
“Yáat’ééh, friend,” Luca said. “Put down the rake, please. I’m a Navajo police officer.”
“Long way from the Rez, aren’t you? Or do you have a problem with geography?” he countered. “I’m the captain of this neighborhood association, and if you move an inch, I’ll bounce you off the wall.”
Two more Navajo men appeared from around the same corner. One had a big folding knife, and the other was carrying a roofing hammer, the double-headed kind with a hatchet side. “Way to go, Hoskie. You caught the pervert.”
“Hold on. Let me show you my badge,” Luca said, reaching slowly toward his pocket.
“He’s got a gun!” the man with the rake shouted, swinging it at Luca’s head.
Luca slipped to the side, throwing up his arm. The tool bounced off with only a glancing blow and struck the metal sidewall of the trailer. The handle splintered with a loud crack.
Luca knew he couldn’t draw his weapon here. Even a hit could pass through an attacker and kill an innocent bystander in one of the mobile homes. Grabbing the half of the rake handle still in the man’s hands, he kicked his attacker in the chest and knocked him back. Although the handle was longer than the nightstick he’d been trained to use back at the academy, it would serve to fend off his attackers.
The slender man with the knife took a swipe with his blade next, but Luca was able to block the move with the oak handle and almost succeeded in knocking the knife from the man’s hand.
“Be careful,” a woman yelled from inside the house. “He could be the evil one the police have been searching for. Don’t let him witch you.”
“I’m not the evil one,” Luca yelled out, slamming the man waving the hatchet across the wrist. “But that man did come this way about an hour ago. We tracked the car he stole to this location. I’m here to hunt him down,” Luca explained in a rush, keeping the staff moving to ward off the two weapons still threatening him. “I’ve got medicine to protect me.”
“Liar! You’re him!” The big man reached for the rake handle, but Luca jabbed him in the chest with the blunt end, sending him stumbling back with a gasp.
Out of the corner of his eye Luca detected movement from beside the house just as the man with the hatchet cocked it back to throw.
With a yell, Valerie suddenly leaped the remaining six feet and tackled the man to the ground. Rolling away quickly, she scrambled to her feet. When the man grabbed her shoulders, she kicked him in the groin. He gasped, then doubled up and fell to the ground.
One of the other men grabbed her arm and swung her around, bouncing her off the wall. Valerie recaptured her balance quickly and pressed her back to the trailer. As two more neighborhood men moved in, she knew that she was in for the fight of her life.
Suddenly Luca was there beside her. She’d never seen a man move so fast or fight so effectively in her life. Two more men went down, but the entire neighborhood was now turning out, eager to join the fight.
Suddenly there was a loud, ear-shattering whistle. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks and turned around to look.
A tall Navajo man in his late sixties stood at the street curb. “Stop,” he ordered in a calm, resolute tone.
While she and Luca held their ground, the men they’d been fighting stepped back, allowing the newcomer to approach.
Catching her breath, Valerie spoke quickly. “My name’s Detective Jonas, and I’m with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department. If you’ll let me reach for my badge, I can prove it.”
“Keep your hand away from that holster,” a man holding a crowbar growled.
“It’s all right. Let her show her identification,” the older Navajo man said.
There was something about him that compelled the others to obey. The man had presence, she’d give him that. He’d meet any challenge to his authority with a cold glare that made any hint of opposition fade instantly.
The man looked down at Luca’s medicine bundle, then studied his face for a moment. “Hasih.”
“Bideelni,” Luca answered, relief on his face.
She wasn’t sure what had just happened, but the tension that had surrounded them dissipated instantly. The old man nodded to the others and immediately the men retreated. Moments later only he, Luca and Valerie remained.
“We should go back to my home,” the man said. “Even our streets aren’t safe enough after dark.”
“Uncle, we would appreciate your hospitality. My partner’s bleeding,” Luca said.
Valerie glanced down at herself and wasn’t surprised to see her shirt streaked and dotted with blood splatters. Her hands and left arm had some minor cuts and scrapes, and when she touched a tender spot on her cheek her finger came back moist. Although her entire body ached, she found some satisfaction in the fact that most of the blood on her clothing had come from her assailants.
“I’ll live,” she said with a quick half smile.
“Yes, you will,” the man answered, smiling back at her. “I’m known as Deez.” He lifted his arm and showed them the scars left by a bad burn. “It means singed.”
She nodded but didn’t comment. Hoping either Deez or Luca would explain the connection between them, she waited. They’d obviously recognized each other. But when Deez didn’t volunteer any further information and Luca remained silent, she curbed her curiosity, opting to wait for now.
Several minutes later they arrived at a small pueblo-style stucco home in a cul-de-sac. A smaller structure that resembled the first stood at the back of the property. Ca
sitas. They were often used as guest homes or in-law quarters. Sometimes, they became home offices or workshops.
There was a bright porch light on at the main house, and Valerie could see the place was well tended, with bright yellow sunflowers framing the entryway.
They were inside the main house a moment later. Valerie and Luca remained standing, reluctant to sit because of the dirt and debris on their clothing. Deez insisted, however, then offered them some cold herbal tea. Though Valerie normally wouldn’t have accepted anything like that from someone she didn’t know, particularly someone connected to a case, there was something about Deez that assured her he could be trusted. Luca, too, seemed very relaxed around him.
“It’s getting late now, and you’ve been through a lot tonight. You shouldn’t drive again until you’ve had time to rest. My wife and I use the casita out back for friends and relatives who drop by. You can rest there till morning if you wish.”
“There’s no need—” she started, but then saw Luca shake his head.
“We will accept, Uncle,” he said. “There’s no place safer than where we are.”
Considering that they’d nearly been beaten within an inch of their lives, Valerie could have argued the point—but didn’t.
As Deez went to get some keys, Luca explained. “He’s from a well-respected tribal organization,” he said, deliberately not mentioning the Brotherhood by name. “To turn down his hospitality would be an insult.” Seeing she still wasn’t convinced, he added, “And it might cost us crucial information.”
Considering she was exhausted and ached everywhere, Valerie nodded, deciding to go along with it for now.
A short time later Deez escorted them to the casita. It was meticulously clean, and fresh flowers were on a vase on the dining-area table. Everything appeared to have been readied for guests.
“You were expecting company tonight?” Valerie asked, wondering if they were upsetting his plans.
“No, but since unplanned guests often drop by, my wife and I keep things ready here just in case,” he answered. “Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. In the meantime, Nephew, you and I should talk.”
As Valerie glanced around she noticed the bathtub just beyond the open bathroom door. A long soak…that’s just what she needed.
“We have clothing inside the closet,” Deez said. “Help yourself to anything that fits you.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t—”
He smiled and shook his head. “That’s why they’re there—for unexpected company.”
Although she wondered about that, every muscle in her body ached badly and she was too tired to care. A long soak…Afterward she’d ask.
Deez said something to Luca in Navajo. Then after making sure she’d have everything she might need, he and Luca went back to the main house.
Alone at last, Valerie checked in with her captain via cell phone, giving him a brief report and catching up on news from the crime scene—which, so far, was unchanged.
After ending the call, Valerie slipped out of her clothes while the bathtub filled up with hot water, then eased in. The warmth soothed her aching muscles. There was no better prescription for what ailed her.
Resting her head against the edge of the tub, she closed her eyes and allowed her thoughts to drift. Too many things were happening in her life and it was all coming at her at the speed of light. She’d always run as fast as she could from love. She, of all people, knew that emotion for the cheat it was. Love weakened you in a world where only the strong survived. Yet around Luca, love became a constant temptation that demanded her surrender.
Her eyes popped open. Whoa…who said anything about love? Taking a deep breath, she closed them again. She was just tired. A long soak would eventually unscramble her brains.
LUCA MET WITH Deez in the main house. He was more curious than ever about the man. He hadn’t expected to meet a member of the Brotherhood here and now.
“I see the questions in your eyes,” Deez said, waving him to a chair. “But meeting a brother shouldn’t have surprised you. All of us here in the metro area were put on alert, given the code words and told to help you if the situation arose.”
“Without you today…” Luca shook his head. He didn’t have to continue. Deez knew.
“Nephew, people are very scared. Even Diné who would normally respect another member of the tribe might turn on you now if they don’t know you. People go on the offensive when they’re afraid.”
“I saw,” he said, nodding.
“I’ve been told to let you know that you’ll have backup close by—within fifteen to twenty minutes—no matter where you are in the county. But trust no one outside our circle—and never lower your guard.” He paused for several long moments and silence stretched out between them. At long last, he spoke again. “The woman with you…I sense you have feelings for her.”
He started to deny it, then stopped. “She’s my partner in this investigation.”
“There’s more to it than that, though you may not be ready to define it yet,” Deez said slowly. “But remember that even though she has proven to be a good ally, she doesn’t really understand what you’re fighting.”
Luca thought of the way she’d jumped in, stood her ground and fought beside him. She’d risked her life to save his. It was what partners did for each other. Yet, in this case, it was that—and more.
“The detective should have called for backup first but instead she rushed forward to help you,” Deez added, voicing Luca’s unspoken thoughts. “She led with her heart instead of her head, a dangerous tactic.”
“It happened so fast she had no time to think things through. She reacted instinctively,” he argued, though in his own heart he knew Deez was right.
Deez said nothing for a moment. “Watch yourself. Emotions can complicate your assignment and lead to mistakes when you can least afford them.”
“Understood.” Luca absently rubbed the back of his neck, then his bruised bicep, where he’d taken a glancing blow from the rake handle.
“But now you’re tired, and it’s understandable after what you’ve been through. Go rest. You’re safe here.”
Luca thanked him then headed back to the casita, tired and needing a rest. As he walked in through the front door, he called Valerie’s name, mostly to let her know who it was. But only silence greeted him.
Anticipating trouble, his body immediately tensed and he drew his weapon. A search of the casita revealed that she wasn’t in the house. As his glance took in the bedroom dresser, he saw her badge and gun.
Fear shot through him, though there were no signs of a struggle in any of the rooms. Moving silently and cautiously, he stepped into the shadows.
Spotting a flicker of movement in the darkness up ahead, he moved toward it, then heard the rustle of leaves and a gasp of pain.
He wasn’t sure how he knew, but he was certain it had come from Valerie. Luca crept forward, ready to fight, but as he rounded the corner someone kicked him in the back of the knees. He went down hard.
Chapter Sixteen
Luca rolled and tackled his opponent to the ground. In an instant, he moved on top of him, fist back, ready to punch.
“What are you doing creeping around out here?” an all-too-familiar voice demanded. “It’s me. Now get off.”
A wave of relief washed over him as he recognized Valerie’s voice. “I thought you were in trouble,” he said, but didn’t move away. He liked the feel of her below him and wanted to enjoy it for a few seconds more. “What are you doing out here?”
“I was going to sit down and enjoy the cool night air. I tried to drag the chair over here, but my muscles weren’t up to it. Then you sneaked up on me—but I didn’t know it was you,” she said, her heart pounding and her voice breathy.
She wanted him. Everything male in him knew it. Valerie shifted below him, and as he slid into the cradle of her thighs, needs exploded inside him.
Luca gazed down at her and saw her lips part. That invitation pushed
him over the edge. He brought his mouth down roughly over hers, greedily taking everything.
With a soft moan, she surrendered, melting into his kiss. “More,” she managed.
The pressure tightening the lower part of his body was making him crazy, and her plea only fueled the heat pulsing through him. “In another second there won’t be any turning back,” he warned, his breath hot over her moistened lips.
“That second’s passed,” she whispered, her words nothing more than a sigh. “It’s too late for you—and for me.”
Desire and passion shimmered in the warmth of her eyes. Wrapping his arms around her, he rose to his feet and carried her back inside.
As he held her against him, she slipped her hand inside the folds of his shirt. A shudder tore through him as he felt her soft caress.
“Don’t do that. Not yet. Patience,” he said, sucking in a breath.
He wanted to take her hard and fast, forgetting everything but the fire burning inside him. But he had to hold back. She needed…more.
Setting her down before him, he kissed her slowly, then with practiced hands worked her shirt open. The realization that she was wearing no underwear shot through him like a high-voltage current.
He pulled the fabric down her shoulders, trapping her arms and pinning her against him. Raw needs blasting through him, he found her breast, nipped at the soft tip then soothed it with his tongue.
Valerie cried out his name, melting against him and begging for more. “I want you,” she managed, clinging desperately to him.
“Not yet, we’re just beginning.” In one deft movement, he undid her jeans and slipped them downward, his hands tracing the soft outline of her hips. “Lean on my shoulders,” he ordered, and knelt before her parted legs. Opening her to him, he tasted her sweetness.
The way she responded nearly broke him. Her muffled cries rang in his ears. When he felt her grow too weak to stand, he lifted her into his arms and set her down on the bed.
