Nothing is going right!
“You can go now.”
Luke leaped from the bed. Shrugging into his shirt he walked out into the waiting room where Priety was pacing up and down.
“Can we go now?” she asked and Luke nodded.
* * * *
“Cut him loose,” Luke said as he walked into Stanton’s office the same night, with Priety beside him. He helped her into a seat with a large blanket he borrowed from the doctor wrapped around her. He turned to a tired looking Lee Chen, “Whoever you’re holding is not our guy.”
“The hell you say? How do you know? He is the guy!”
“There’s a body hanging from a tree at the back of my cabin that says otherwise. I sent a team up there to see if they can gather anything…you got the wrong guy.”
Chen swore but Luke only frowned and moved to sit beside Priety. It had been so long since he had a good night’s sleep and it was starting to wear on him. His temper was getting short, his patience almost nonexistent and the knot in his shoulders now throbbed and pushing against the wound.
He didn’t like the fact the killer got so close to them. He hated knowing the deranged man could be anywhere at any time. The prospect of protecting Priety from something like that scared him more than he cared to admit but there was nothing he could do for now. If the evidence didn't speak to him, his hands were tied. It seemed this guy was one step ahead of him every time and there was no possibility of catching up.
Luke ran a hand over his cleanly shaved head and tried to steady his flying thoughts before he looked up at Chen again. “We are right back where we started.”
“You’re telling me,” Chen slouched in his seat. “God damn it!”
Luke would have uttered the sentiment but he didn't want to with a woman in the room. Actually he wanted to say something much worse but bit down on his lip to keep himself holding onto whatever was left of his temper and patience.
With a labored sigh Luke stood up and turned to Priety, “You can take a nap in my office. I am going to need some help on this one.”
“What about you?” Priety tilted her head. “When do you sleep?”
“I don’t. Not until we get this guy.”
When she nodded he gave her a small smile and she stood up and walked out of the office ahead of him. Luke turned to Chen, “That was too close,” he spoke in a quiet voice as he referred to the dead body at the cabin and the closeness of the killer.
“We can’t let that happen again. I want everything that was brought up on this case, Chief. I don’t care how small it is and you’re the only one that can get me that. The sooner we can put this case to bed, the better it is for everyone.”
The man nodded and shoved a piece of gum into his mouth before sitting down at his desk. That was his way of saying the meeting was over and you need to leave.
By the time Luke got two cups of coffee, an officer came over to him to tell him that the lady was in his office. Luke thanked him and walked in to see Priety already asleep. He figured she felt safe in a place filled with cops. If only she knew how dirty most of them were she would have thought different. The last thing Luke wanted to think about was a dirty cop being in their midst but it was the way of the game. On a cop’s salary, one could survive and live like a king, but on a cop’s salary with a family, one could be barely above the poverty line.
Placing the cups on the desk, he pulled the blanket over her and moved back to his desk as officer after officer began bringing files.
The phone rang and Luke reached for it. “Stanton.”
“Bro, it’s Riyu. I got some bad news.”
“Let me have it,” Luke said. “The way my day's been going today, I don’t see how much worse things can get.”
“We got nothing off the bullet,” Riyu reported. “We found a partial print on it but there are no hits on AFIS.”
The Automated Fingerprint Information System had nothing which meant the partial was unusable or the person who left it wasn’t an offender. Luke groaned. “The print isn’t Priety’s because she never touched it,” Luke spoke more to himself than to Riyu. “And if I had corrupted it my print would have popped up from the database. Damn it!”
“Sorry, man. But I’ll keep the guys and gals down by ballistics busy.”
“Send the bullet back here,” Luke suggested. “I want to see if it matches the bullets from any of the other Ojo victims. I don’t know if anything got into AFIS from here yet. Thanks, Riyu.”
“No worries, I’m on it.”
The conversation ended and Luke rubbed a hand over his face. Turning his eyes, he looked at Priety who tossed, turned and moaned in her sleep. He could tell she was having a nightmare and a part of him wanted to soothe her but he didn’t know how. Getting up from his seat, he moved over to the desk and sat down beside her. Stroking her hair from her face, he trailed a finger over her nose, down over her sexy, puckered lips and when she breathed against him he pulled his hand away. Her breath burned his finger sweetly and it felt wonderful. Luke didn’t think he was worthy to feel like this when the killer had both his hands tied. There was nothing Luke could do until that sick psycho struck again.
But again could be Priety.
He squeezed his eyes shut to mentally yell at himself. When he opened his eyes, Priety was staring at him. This time she didn’t have a sad look on her face, but a smile and her eyes were filled with passion.
This is what fantasies are made of.
“Priety,” he whispered.
“You know you want to,” she told him in a soft voice that reminded him of warm sunshine flowing over his skin.
“Kiss me.”
“I-I shouldn’t,” he told her and started to get up when she grabbed his arm. Luke looked down at his hand where she held him and fell heavily back against the seat as if he had no will of his own. He turned his head and looked down into her liquid brown eyes and felt himself leaning forward. When she didn’t panic or toss racial slurs at him, he allowed his lips to fall closer to hers. When no insults came about how he made her sick, he allowed his lips to claim hers.
Instead of putting him down, a moan escaped her lips as her arms wrapped around his neck. Luke knew having a sexual relationship with a witness or a potential suspect was a bad thing especially in his office at a crowded precinct; but there was nothing he could do.
She tasted of heat and sex. He growled and deepened the kiss. Pulling away he rested his forehead against hers. “Priety,” he pleaded.
* * * *
His kiss was all consuming and threatened to burn her alive but Priety wanted it. She loved the way his large lips felt against her smaller ones and the way they tasted. Luke’s scent caused her body to tremble.
When her arms snaked up around his neck, she felt him kissing her lower lips before letting his tongue sneak a taste and tease the flesh there. She had never been kissed so roughly yet tenderly and she felt her toes curling. She whispered his name each time his lips moved from hers, and thought if he ever pulled away and apologized like he had in the cabin, she would certainly die.
“What is it?” she whispered when he called her name. “Please don’t tell me you’re sorry.”
“I’m sorry—” Luke started and Priety shoved against his chest but he didn’t budge.
“Get off me or I’ll scream.”
“Then scream.” He dared her and Priety could see a hint of laughter in his beautiful brown eyes. “I didn’t apologize because I kissed you. I said I was sorry because we can’t do anything here. We shouldn’t have even kissed in this station house.”
“Why not?”
“Because if they think my personal feelings have anything to do with this case they will yank me from this case faster than you can say Ojo strikes again.”
Priety watched his eyes and something caught her attention. His large hand lifted to stroke her cheek. She sighed as a shot of electricity tore through her from the tips of his fingers. Her eyes fluttered closed. There was time for nee
dless words all she could do was release her body to the sensations flowing through her very being.
* * * *
Luke allowed himself the luxury of touching her. Not because of any important reason, but because he could. His last girlfriend hated his touch but this stranger, Priety, was enjoying the simplest of caresses from him. He lowered his head and brushed his hot, wet tongue over the thin fabric of her shirt covering a breast and smiled when the nipple hardened against the fabric.
“You aren’t wearing a bra,” he mused, allowing his tongue to reach out and taste the nipple through the material.
“I didn’t think you would ravage me, Detective,” Priety whimpered as her hands moved up to caress his shaved head.
“Are you complaining? I can always stop.”
“Don’t you dare! Mmm—more.”
He grinned at her. “Seriously…we should save this for later.”
* * * *
The night wore on and the moon long since reached its zenith. There was something about that night that just spelled death and damnation. Something stood out in the air causing crickets to chirp extra loud and for the normally howling wolf, Declin, to remain silent.
Meanwhile, across the compound the ballistic result returned with something most interesting. The attendant stared at the paper with his mouth hanging opened. A sound behind him dragged him back to reality and he sprang into confused action.
“Oh man, this is not good,” he whispered as he paced the room one way and then the other before rushing from the room like someone lit his pants on fire. “Not good at all.”
He folded the paper and shoved it into his jacket pocket and took the stairs rather than the elevator. When Detective Stanton found out, he was going to have a fit. The killer was right there all along and no one knew. How could every one over look him?
The attendant hit the ground floor running but didn’t have time to take a full stride. As he burst out the door a small sound was heard as he slumped forward against the ground in a bloody heap.
Leather gloved hands rolled him over and rummaged through his pockets until the results from the ballistic test was found. The figure walked off again to disappear in the darkness of the parking lot while unscrewing the silencer from the gun.
Chapter Ten
It was Luke's turn to take Declin home since his owner was on the disabled list with a surgery no one wanted to talk about. Each time he thought about it he had to fight the urge to roll his eyes like a dejected teenager. Declin sat across from Luke on a leather sofa staring and panting before leaning forward to rest his head against his front paws.
A scream dragged Luke from his reading and he tore through the house with Declin at his heels. His mind reeling because he couldn’t believe the killer could get into the house.
“Luke, there’s a man!” Priety shouted.
“Lady, calm down!” Keegan cried and Luke skidded to a halt with a smile on his face. Declin crashed into the back of Luke's legs.
She continued screaming oblivious to him standing there so he grabbed her shoulders. “Priety!” he cried. “Calm down!”
“What’s all the…” Michel came rushing into the room through the opposite door closer to Priety. He quickly stopped speaking but wasn't quick enough to move back when one of her fists caught him in the stomach. “Hey!”
“Priety!” Luke called again. “It’s fine. I know them!”
Priety reached out and kicked Keegan in the shin. Riyu entered the room as Luke tried to hold back and not laugh but it was hard. Keegan was hopping around on one leg while rubbing the other; an action like that with Keegan's size just made Luke laugh harder. The frown on Michel’s face indicated he didn't think it was so funny.
“You scared the hell out of me!” she yelled at both of them.
“The man hopping around like a rabbit is my brother Keegan,” Luke introduced before turning to Michel . “And this is my friend Michel Toriano and you already know Riyu Kotsuke.”
“Hi.” Michel extended a hand but only took a fist to the shoulder from Priety. Both men apologized to her before they all sat down to dinner. Luke told her she didn’t have to cook since they were gathered to discuss the case, but Priety told him she could either make dinner or go crazy.
Within a short while, everyone sat for dinner. “This is delicious, Priety,” Keegan complimented, and for the first time since they met, Priety smiled. Luke smiled as he watched her, wanting to see her smile more. It did his heart well.
“Thank you,” she replied proudly. “If it's one thing my mother taught me, it was how to cook.”
“Where are your parents?” Michel asked in a matter-of-fact tone.
“They died when I was young...a month apart,” she whispered and took a sip from her drink.
“I'm sorry,” Luke added to the chorus of apologies from the other three men.
“No need to be. They were really sick and in a lot of pain. The doctors couldn't do anything for them so I did what they told me to do. I made them as comfortable as I could.”
Silence rained down on the room as each of them seemed dumbfoundedwhat to say next. Finally, Luke stood up and grabbed a plate to clean up and Priety followed him. In the kitchen Luke didn't know what came over him but he pulled her into his arms and held her.
“What's this for?” Priety inhaled deeply.
“Nothing,” he whispered stepping back. “I just didn't know what else to do...”
“My parents?”
Luke nodded.
“A hug is plenty,” Priety told him and Luke smiled brightly like a six year old who was just told he won a boat load of candy.
* * * *
As Priety sat on the balcony the wind blew off the lake, ruffling her. She was waiting for the men to finish their huddle. She giggled at the thought of being Luke Stanton's wife and having the boys come over for dinner. It was a beautiful thought but reality set in and she cringed.
“It gets cold out here doesn't it?” the voice spoke causing Priety to gasp and spin around. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you...again.”
“Mister Stanton.” Priety let out a breath and started to stand up.
“Keegan, please,” he told her. “And you don't have to get up.”
When he moved to sit beside her, Priety felt awkward. She didn't know what to say to the brother of the man whose life she managed to wreck just being born. What do you say at a time like this?
Sorry, I am going to get your brother killed.
Sorry, I’m a plague on your family.
Or, sorry I was ever born.
Nothing she could think of worked and she felt insignificant in the whole thing. “You know, he likes you.”
Priety turned to Keegan and pushed a strand of hair from her face. “I bet he doesn’t. I just waltz into his life and ruined it without even blinking.”
Keegan chuckled. “Has he complained?”
“No...not yet...but he will. It's only a matter of time.”
“Then you know nothing about my brother.”
Priety saw the pride in Keegan's eyes just before he turned away and she could feel how much he loved Luke. “Look, I'm sorry about all of this.”
“Why? He's not. You know he may be too dumb or busy to see it but I can tell you're crushing on him by the way you look at him. “
Blushing, Priety looked away and tried to dig her toes into the balcony floor. “It's that obvious, huh?”
“My brother has been through some really bad relationships in the past,” Keegan divulged. “And even though he may try and push you away, don't take it personal.”
Nodding, she wondered why he was telling her all of this and a thousand and one different possibilities ran through her mind. He was telling her all this to scare her away from Luke, to make her rethink anything she may want with him romantically or he could just be telling her all this because he loved Luke.
Priety sighed and nodded. “I understand—and ah, sorry about that kick.”
When Ke
egan didn't answer she turned her head to see him smiling at her.
The same smile Luke gave her when he was up to something or happy about something. “It's all good. I shouldn't have scared you like that.”
“You're right, you shouldn't have.”
“Oh man.”
“Guys get in here,” Luke's voice called and Keegan got up and helped Priety from her seat. He allowed her in ahead of him and Priety thanked him and stepped into the room. She almost swallowed her tongue when she saw an elderly man sitting across from Luke in the living-room.
“Hey, Dad,” Keegan bent forward to give the man a hug and Priety went as stiff as a board.
Luke waved to her and she walked to his side. “Priety Roshan, my dad William Stanton. Dad, this is Priety.”
The man resembled an older version of Luke and stood up to shake her hand before sitting down. “It's a pleasure to meet you.”
Luke placed a tender palm against the small of her back and caressed briefly before sitting down again. He made a place for her beside him and Priety took great comfort in his simple motion.
* * * *
All four men sat together in the small living room. Keegan, Riyu, Michel and Luke hunched over the files on the Ojo case. Luke was starting to feel defeated even though he told Priety not to worry.
“I’m telling you guys,” Luke sat back and rubbed his eyes, “this case has just taken a strange turn. Evidence is now missing and Jacobs is dead.”
“Makes you wonder why he was in the parking lot with evidence. I know Edison PD has a rule against evidence leaving the building,” Keegan frowned and placed his beer bottle on the table.
Silence tore through the room. No one knew what to do next. Something came to Luke’s mind like a shot and he cringed with the power of it. He didn’t like where his thinking was going and knew his friends wouldn’t either. The thought made him sick to his stomach and saying it would leave a bad taste but it was a possibility.
See No Evil Page 9
