Lucca

by Karen Michelle Nutt

  “He’s…the vic… What’s left of him is in the kitchen,” Hammond’s eyes watered as he tried to hold it together. Most likely this was his first homicide. It never got easier. You just learned to hide it better.

  “The kitchen again,” Squires cursed. “What’s with this bastard? Killing them over a cup of coffee or what?” Squires stayed with Hammond, while Juliet went to speak with the M.E. and find out if they were looking for the same killer.

  As she neared the kitchen, her feet faltered. It was like evil hung in the air, waiting to suck the life out of the next victim. She looked back at her partner, debating if she should let him question the medical examiner. “Get a grip, Romeo, and do your job.” She straightened her shoulders and strode forward.

  Her gaze landed on a man kneeling down next to Georgia—long burnished strands of wheat-colored hair was tied back in a neat ponytail. Broad shoulders strained against a navy blue T-shirt. There was no mistaking who the man was. Lucca.

  As if he sensed her, his back stiffened and he turned his head. She swore his blue-gray eyes blazed brighter, but with a blink of an eye they resumed their normal intensity. He rose to his full height in one fluid move, taking the steps that separated them. How could such a large man move as though every muscle, every joint was under his command? He reminded her of the predator cats in the wild with their mesmerizing eyes that missed nothing and the strength, endurance, and graceful moves that could turn lethal at the spur of the moment.

  “What are you doing here?” She couldn’t keep the accusation out of her voice, but this was the second time she came across him at a brutal murder site. There had been too many coincidences with this man and she felt she was somehow missing the bigger picture.

  “Same as you, it would seem.” His brows drew down over his straight nose. He possessed perfect bone structure, a face designed to make a woman whimper with lust. Even the M.E. gave him a once over, sweeping her gaze over his faded blue jeans that fit Lucca exceptionally well. Georgia’s tongue slid over her lips as if she planned on tasting a delectable treat. Juliet’s hands fisted and it took all her control not to leap over the crime scene and slap her desire-lit face.

  Her foot moved forward, but she stopped herself. Good Lord, what was wrong with her? She forced herself to relax her hands, wiggling her fingers to get the blood circulating into them again. Jealousy was a new emotion to her and she didn’t like it.

  “Juliet, are you listening to me?” The concerned tone of Lucca’s voice drew her back, but she couldn’t talk to him here where Georgia could hear what they were saying.

  Her hand snaked out, taking hold of Lucca’s arm. His skin felt warm to the touch and smooth with no traces of fine hair that most men possessed. Odd, he didn’t strike her as a man who would wax. Were his legs smooth to the touch, too? Her gaze landed on the Celtic scrolled tattoo on his forearm. She hadn’t noticed it before. She led Lucca away in hope of a little privacy.

  She halted their steps at the back door, which was situated near the laundry room and adjacent to the kitchen. “Explain why you’re here again.” She folded her arms against her chest as she stared at him, her anger building. She didn’t like to be lied to and Lucca couldn’t possibly have a good reason to be here.

  His wheat colored brows rose high on his forehead obviously noticing her odd behavior. Anger, jealousy... her emotions were roller-coastering all over the place. “I told you,” he said slowly. “I’m investigating the murder.”

  “You’re a private detective, Lucca. No one called you in as a consultant.”

  His lips pursed together as if he didn’t want to reveal his connection to the case. Finally, he let out a sigh. “Purcible Andrews hired me to investigate a break in.”

  She eyed him closely. He was lying or a part of what he told her was a lie. She noted the way his gaze shifted as if he didn’t want to meet her eyes.

  “Two people, who hired you have met their demise, and all in the same week. Seem a little suspicious to you?”

  His large shoulders lifted in a nonchalant shrug.

  “You know I need to report this,” she told him.

  “You need to do what you have to, Juliet. I won’t stop you.” His expression turned grim. Something was wrong, as if he was trying to piece together a puzzle, but one of the pieces came up missing. This time he did meet her gaze. “Did you know him?”

  “Excuse me? What are you talking about? No.” She hadn’t considered that she knew the vic. Purcible Andrews was a preternatural being. Could she have met him at Leroy’s?

  Lucca took a frustrated breath. “I’m going to go out on a limb here. You have to tell me the truth.”

  “Okay.” She looked at him, waiting for him to tell her what he thought was so important. Whatever it was, unease crept into his gaze. “Evil,” she murmured under her breath. Her hand automatically went to her amulet. She rubbed the metal between her thumb and forefinger, saying a silent prayer to ward off the presence weighing down on her.

  Her emotions were heightened here in the house as if the residue left behind, fed off of negative energy, bringing the worst out in her—jealousy number one on the list. Suspicion burrowed into her pores, contaminating any rational thoughts. Her body convulsed, a small tremor as the magic expelled the black essence weighing down on her, pushing it away and building a wall around her to keep her safe.

  “You tremble,” Lucca had noticed. “You feel the presence too, don’t you?”

  Her gaze riveted to his. He felt the evil. How? She sensed it because of Raziel’s gift to sense preternatural danger, but how was Lucca sensitive to it?

  His frown deepened, his hands gripping her shoulders as he stared at her with worry. “Are you okay?”

  She let the amulet slip from her fingers as she went into his arms. Her cheek rested against his chest where she could hear his heart beating faster than it should. “Hold me, Lucca. Hold me.”

  His hand landed in the middle of her back, anchoring her against him in a fierce hug. He breathed her in and for the first time she understood why he did so. To her, Lucca’s scent filled her with longing, but also with something more. His essence gave her peace. It shut out all the evil around her, allowing her to think clearly again. She pushed back only to look at him. The restless desire in his eyes made her heart race. It was the same fierce longing that coursed through her. He lowered his mouth to hers. His kiss was demanding and fierce as if he poured everything he had into the caress. He awakened something in her that had never been touched before and it scared her to know how much he was beginning to mean to her. She shifted, pulling away if only to take a needed breath.

  His fingers brushed her hair behind one ear. The sweep of his dark lashes against his cheek lifted and he looked at her. Worry darkened the color of his eyes, confusing her. She stepped out of his embrace, immediately regretting it when all the warmth left her.

  “We need to talk,” he told her.

  The way he said it was like he wanted to tell her they couldn’t see each other anymore. Heck, they weren’t really seeing each other now. He was hot and cold, taking her under with his kisses then pushing her away. What was wrong with him? Or was it her? She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling ill at ease. “So talk. What is it you wanted to ask me?”

  He hesitated for a moment, but then shook his head. “No, we cannot talk here. Can we meet later?” He closed his eyes and swallowed; his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he did so. Then he looked at her again, determination evident within the depths of his eyes. “It’s important. It’s regarding the murders, but there’s too many ears here.”

  “The murders?” She thought he wanted to talk about them. What was she thinking? What was she doing? She was here on a job, a murder case and she was in the laundry room sneaking kisses. Her gaze swept over Lucca. God, he looked like he was about to confess to the crimes. She swallowed back a lump threatening to close off her larynx. He must have recognized the fear in her eyes and he hurried to explain.

&
nbsp; “I didn’t kill them if your thoughts were going there.”

  She brushed a stray hair away from her face. “Of course not.” His lips twitched into a sad smile. He knew she lied. Guilt washed over her and she reached for him. Her fingers laced through his, giving his hand a quick squeeze. “Of course not,” she said with more conviction and meant it. A whisper of unease slithered over her, making the fine hairs on her arm stand at attention. Whatever he knew about the murders, it had him worried. “We have rehearsal tonight. We can talk afterwards,” she told him.

  His other hand went to the talisman she wore around her neck. “Tonight then.” He nodded then stiffened. His nostrils flared and his gaze riveted toward the kitchen.

  She followed Lucca’s gaze.

  “Zaiden,” Lucca murmured the name like a curse.

  If Lucca could see him, Zaiden had skipped his shadow sleuthing for the day.

  She moved away from Lucca and headed over. Her gaze caught sight of the badge around Zaiden’s neck. He had the right credentials on, making it look like he was one of the forensic team. Zaiden noticed her approach, his icy blue eyes narrowing in on her.

  “Why does it not surprise me you’re here?” she asked, frowning.

  Zaiden lifted one dark brow. “Purcible Andrews was one of our own.”

  “Seems like you have a possible serial killer on your hands.”

  He didn’t appear perturbed. “We’ll handle it.”

  "Really? Because you’re doing a bang up job as it is. This may be preternatural business, but once the media gets a hold that there was a second murder, they’ll be screaming for results. How’s it going to look when we never arrest anyone?”

  Zaiden’s eyes blazed brighter making her take a step back. “Don’t worry. We will take care of it. You deal with your messes and I’ll deal with what I’m good at.”

  She wondered just what that entailed, but she had a hunch she wouldn’t get much more out of him. She turned to see where Lucca had gone, but a quick scan of the room told her he left. He probably didn’t want to go head to head with Mr. Tall Dark and Brooding. On this she couldn’t blame him.

  Zaiden stepped closer. “Who are you looking for?”

  “No one.” She half laughed in protest. Her hand landed on his chest. “Do you know the meaning of personal space? Back up.”

  Zaiden’s low growl seemed to rumble from his chest. “Lucca.” His hand gripped her arm in a steel-like grip.

  “Let go,” she hissed.

  “Why was Lucca here?”

  “He’s working on the case?” Her chin lifted in defiance. “Why are you interested in a civilian anyway?”

  Zaiden’s chuckle made her flinch. “Civilian? Is that what he told you?”

  She yanked her hand free, but she had no doubt her freedom was granted only because Zaiden allowed it. “He didn’t have to tell me. I would know if he was a preternatural being.”

  His dark brow rose. “Really?” That one word seemed to speak volumes, but Juliet wasn’t sure what the Watcher was trying to imply.

  “You obviously are itching to tell me something so why don’t you just spill it and get it over with?”

  He tilted his head to the side as he stared at her with those unsettling eyes of his. In this regard he reminded her of Raziel. “Have you slept with him?” He didn’t just ask, he demanded.

  “Excuse me; I don’t believe that is any of your concern.” She huffed out the response, sounding guilty to her own ears and she had nothing to feel guilty about. They hadn’t slept together. Fantasizing about it, didn’t count. “We’re friends.”

  He laughed, but his eyes narrowed in on her. “Friends,” he repeated with a harrumph. “If you’re so chummy with Lucca, ask him how he knows about the Watchers. All relationships should start with honesty, don’t you think?”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “I’m glad you could set up the book signing with us.” Trinity McTavish brushed a dark lock behind her ear. Skulls, dangling tooth and a silver-etched wing adorned her earlobes in a gothic array of antique silver. Gideon liked the wing the best and had to smile at her choice of jewelry.

  “I’m glad to do it,” he told her. He never did a book signing before, told his publicist no, over and over again. He hated to be in the limelight, but when Trinity turned those baby blue eyes on him, he couldn’t resist. There was something about her that kept him coming back to find out what drew him to her. “A glutton for punishment,” he murmured. Every visit sent his heart thumping like a beating drum and his libido went up a notch, but he knew he couldn’t sleep with her.

  Her gaze met his, her eyes dilating, the black iris taking over. Yeah, she wanted to know him in the biblical sense, too.

  The elders may say the Watchers could search for their soul mates, but Gideon had yet to understand what attributes designated a soul mate. Yes, his very essence wanted Trinity in a very bad, bad, bad way. Her scent of sweet almond and the lemony floral scent of bergamot made his head spin, but he liked Trinity too much to take a tumble with her and risk he’d been wrong about the whole soul mate thing. If he took it too far and the whole relationship thing didn’t work out, it could get real messy. He’s seen bad breakups and didn’t want to go there. Besides, he was damaged goods, a freak with his one wing an ugly mass of flesh and bone. Not exactly appealing when he wanted to impress the woman.

  He shoved his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket and looked around the shop, if only to keep his mind occupied on other things than how he would like to kiss Trinity just to find out if she tasted as good as she smelled.

  Trinity had turned the comic book store into a place where a fan could come in and browse for their favorite comic book, graphic novel, or Animee series with ease. For the book signing, she set up a table in the back. His publicist supplied the large poster, showing off his hot off the press graphic novel: Fallen Angels. The hero was a one winged Angel. They always say write what you know about. In this case, he drew it, too.

  He felt the power shift in the air and his gaze landed on Eli entering the comic book store. Gideon’s back stiffened, wondering why the Watcher would seek him out here. This wouldn’t be a chance meeting since they weren’t best buds or anything.

  His gaze wavered to Trinity who was still helping a customer. Eli appeared in his human form dressed in blue jeans and a long sleeved shirt.

  As Eli reached the table, Gideon held up his book. “Didn’t know you were into graphic novels. You only had to say the word and I would have given you a copy. You didn’t have to come all the way down here for the book signing.” They both knew Eli had no interest in a book, but Gideon wasn’t in the mood to play nice. This was his big night and he was nervous as hell.

  Eli took the book from him if only to appear to be interested. Good, he would play along for the moment. Watchers were all about appearances. They’d make great undercover agents. They were the masters of covert. “I’ll make this quick,” Eli said, keeping his voice to a low murmur. “Do you know where I can find Lucca?”

  “No. He doesn’t check in with me.” Matter of fact, the last time he had a one on one with Lucca, he all but told him to get lost.

  “Could he be with the human female?” Eli asked. A hopeful glint lit his gaze.

  Gideon couldn’t help but be surprised by the question. “Like I said, he doesn’t check in with me.” Lucca just met Juliet a few nights ago, if one could call it a meeting. How they ended up striking up a friendship still mystified Gideon. “Why do you care anyway? Isn’t his confinement here meant for him to interact with humans? As far as I can tell, he’s following orders.”

  Eli nodded but his troubled expression spoke louder than words.

  “What do you think Lucca is doing with the woman anyway?” Gideon snapped his fingers with a quick flick of his forefinger and thumb. “Maybe Lucca is using her for his own devious plan of revenge.” Gideon had meant it as a jibe, but saying the words aloud made him flinch. He hadn’t thought of the possibility, but
Lucca proved to be complicated on so many levels, he lost count.

  A few nights ago, Lucca flirted with death. Gideon wasn’t blind to Lucca’s pain. The Watcher had wanted out as if death proved preferable over embracing his human side. Then Lucca met Juliet. Hell, her scent called to him, saved him as far as Gideon could tell. The Lucca he knew did his best to keep his distance from humans as if their humanity were a disease he could catch. Yet he let Juliet in. Gideon leveled his gaze on Eli. “Answer me this: Why did you allow Lucca to live if you believed he’d fail?”

  Eli seemed to consider the question, weighing the answer before he spoke. “I fought with Lucca at Culloden, did you know that?”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  Eli ignored the question and continued, “The battle was a slaughter. The Duke of Cumberland gave the order. There was to be no quarter given to the Jacobites. Men who were injured and couldn’t escape, were hacked into pieces where they lay.” Eli leveled his gaze at Gideon. “Lucca is adamant that he despises humans, but on that bloody day, he went back over and over again trying to drag the fallen to safety. He behaved like…”

  “A human,” Gideon filled in the blank.

  “Yes. Lucca doesn’t hate humans. He fears his human side. There’s a difference.” Eli held up his hands. “I know, I know. Lucca being afraid of anything is an oxymoron, but to him having human feelings means he’s weak.” He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “I thought maybe if I spoke to him. Maybe I could help him.” He looked at Gideon. “I don’t want him to fail.”

  Nephilim weren’t known to lend a hand to each other. They weren’t the friend-making types, but Eli had changed since he mated. He embraced the human side they’d been taught to keep dormant. But Eli had Lucca banished and his pretense to help him was something he’d have to digest.

  “Just line up outside,” Trinity’s voice distracted Gideon and he turned to look at her as she instructed the gangly youth where to go. “The book signing will begin in about twenty minutes.”