Chen would pay dearly and Luke could taste the sweet elixir of Chen's death.
His body tensed. “Easy, bro.” Keegan's voice came through the darkened night to Luke and he turned to look at his brother.
“Are you sure he's here?” Riyu questioned as he shuffled.
“Let's hope so.” Michel tilted his head. “I can see why the man never talked about himself. How he got into the force without them checking this out is beyond me. This cannot have been the first time he pulled a stunt like this.”
“True,” Riyu’s voice echoed with annoyance. “A killer just doesn’t start out of the blue. They start somewhere.”
Luke said nothing as the men whispered amongst themselves. He was looking for some sign of life, something that would tell him that Priety was there. “Come on, Goddess,” he whispered. “Give me something, anything at all, Priety.”
A scream broke the air and Luke jumped up to run for the house but Keegan grabbed him around the waist causing Luke’s body to suspend in mid-air, like a cartoon character, before settling back on the ground. “Take it easy.”
“Take it easy?” Luke snapped and slouched forward with a defeated look on his face. He wanted to cry, something he hadn’t done in a long time. He needed her. He felt frustrated as he allowed his brother to keep him in place. Irritation was never a good thing for a cop to feel—especially in their current situation. “I'm through taking it easy. I can't let him hurt her...I can't lose her. Don’t you see? She's all I have left.”
“No, bro.” Keegan stared at his brother. “You have me. I thought you knew that and I won't let you go in there half cocked and get yourself killed.”
Luke wanted to fire back, he didn't care what Keegan wanted. He wanted to tell his only brother to go to hell. Luke wanted to smash his fist through something, someone, anything. Closing his eyes, he turned his head away from Keegan and swallowed the lump forming in his throat. “Keegan...”
“I know,” Keegan spoke calmly. “I know you feel for her because I've never seen you like this before. But we need to be careful.”
“Riyu, you and Michel take the east side. Keegan, you and I will take the west side and work our way back to each other. When that is over we're going in.”
The exterior of the building was clear; the men met again and Luke hunched down to try the door. It was locked and he wanted to send his foot through it but knew better. That kind of gallantry might get Priety killed.
Reaching into his pocket, he removed a small object the size of a nail clip and pulled out a silver section.
“You walk around with a lock pick?” Riyu whispered.
Luke shrugged. Sticking the pick into the lock, he wiggled it around until he heard a faint click.
Standing, he slowly pushed opened the door. Walking into the darkened room, he placed one foot gingerly ahead of the other. Someone crashed into his back and he almost fired his gun.
“Sorry,” Michel muttered and Luke took a deep breath to settle his pounding heart.
Bit by bit his eyes became accustomed to the dark and he glanced around him. Something scurried across the floor, over his foot and made a small shrieking sound as it went. Luke hated rats.
Continuing, they made their way across the room, careful not to crash into anything. Luke felt another door handle.
Millions of thoughts ran through his head as they took the unwanted tour of their suspect's and chief's house. What if he found Priety and she hated him and blamed him for her kidnapping?
What if she never wanted him anymore after this? What if Chen had touched her the way Luke had touched her?
What if….
His brother and friends fanned out over the room and used small pocket lights to search every inch of the place. The door opened slightly and Luke almost swallowed his tongue. He was shocked to see Priety strapped to the wall. She looked dirty, weak and her hair was a mess. He wanted to rush to her but his brother’s words of caution came to mind. He panned the room, stepping in and turning his back to areas he already investigated. When he found no one else there, he rushed over to Priety and touched her face.
“Get away from me you prick!” She shrieked and struggled against the binds.
“Priety, it’s me,” he whispered, hurriedly backing up and lowering his gun to his side. He’d rescued enough people to know that when their adrenaline started pumping, they would fight the first set of hands to touch them. “Come on, baby, calm down.”
Priety thought he was back and touching her. She couldn’t let him touch her. Priety didn’t mind dying; she would rather do it in Luke’s arms.
His voice cut through the fog in her mind and she lifted her head slowly to look at him. He looked tired and she tried to give him a smile to show he didn’t have to worry about her but it didn’t come out right. “Luke,” she whispered. “You have to get out of here.”
“Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?” Luke asked while picking the lock on the cuffs holding her in place.
“No, he didn’t touch me,” Priety responded and fell heavily against his chest when she was free. “You can’t be here. I was only the bait.”
“I know that.” Luke touched her face before pulling her back against him.
“How touching,” the voice came out of nowhere and everywhere all at the same time. Priety’s head snapped up and she looked around while trying to shield Luke with her body.
“Don’t think this is over,” Chen spoke again. “The only way any of you are leaving here is over my dead body.”
“Oh, but that can be arranged,” Luke’s voice sounded like a low rumble of a storm that would cause much devastation if tested.
Priety was scared and she turned to look at Luke. She wanted to question him as he led her from the room. She screamed when the room went pitch black.
Luke clamped his free hand over her mouth to silence her. He needed to listen and with her screaming in his ear, he couldn’t hear anything but ringing. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her behind him. “Hold on to me,” he whispered fiercely.
“Luke?” she whispered back.
“Quiet.”
He could hear his heartbeat thumping in his ears but soon the sounds began to single out. Each sound stood out in his mind on their own. His heart was a dull thud now, getting duller by the second. Soon the sounds of his friends and brother going through the house were a distinct blur. Lifting his gun, he aimed around the room but someone slammed either a fist or foot to his chest. He fell backward and Priety yelped as he fell on her. His gun clattered to the ground. Pain tore through his body as he clutched his chest and moved from her. It felt like someone ran a truck into him.
Moaning, he scooted back until he stood beside her. Taking her hand he moved her behind him, yanking her across the floor.
“Come on, Luke,” Chen taunted. “I know you can do better than that.”
“You’re a coward,” Luke taunted, getting up with the love of his life behind him. “You only fight when the person is handicapped. Is that why you chose women, Lee? Because you think they are weak and can’t fight back?”
Luke heard a growl of anger and sidestepped as a body moved past him. He felt the breeze and smelled the cologne. Shoving his fist out, it connected with Lee and the man grunted. “Come on, Lee!”Luke taunted.
“Luke!” Voices called from above him. He couldn’t lose his train of thought, not now.
Lee hit him in the face and Luke staggered backward. The thought of why Lee could see so well in the dark crossed Luke’s mind and he growled as he heard Priety scream. Staggering to his feet he held his hands out like a blind man trying to fend off his attacker. Slowly, he turned in the room, feeling a change in air. “Keegan! Get the damn lights on!” Luke ordered.
“Working on it!” Riyu’s voice came instead of Keegan’s.
The air pressure to his left changed and he sent a high kick in that direction and missed. Something slammed into the back of his knee and he buckled to the ground, and slammed
face first onto hard concrete. Dust seeped into his nose as he inhaled to try and stop the pain and he began coughing. The gunshot wound he sustained before began hurting once more. He prayed it wasn’t bleeding.
“Get up!” Lee taunted. “Give me a fight! If I can’t have what I want, no one can!”
Luke was getting sick and tired of this guy. He knew he had broken something on that last fall. Every move, every breath was like someone stabbing a steak knife into his gut. Groaning in pain, he pushed himself up and waited.
He waited, listening and feeling. He memorized where the drafts were coming from and each time he didn’t feel one he lashed out. Finally his fist connected and he heard a shriek. His heart lurched. “Priety!”
“I’m here!” she responded.
Walking across the floor his toes hit something soft and he stomped down. Chen swore in pain and tugged at Luke’s foot sending him flying to the ground. Arching his back upward, Luke rolled over to his side and writhed in agony. But he couldn’t stop. He had to make sure Lee would never hurt anyone again. If it meant killing the man then so be it. He pushed to his feet.
* * * *
Priety moved into a corner as she heard the scuffle. She bit down on her lower lip and waited. She couldn’t see what was going on. She prayed to every god she ever prayed to and more to protect Luke, to come out of this alive.
When the voice came from above she looked upward—human nature—even though she couldn’t see anything in front of her face. She wanted them to help Luke. She wanted them to do something.
“Keegan!” she shouted. “Keegan, are you there?”
“Yeah, Priety, hang tight,” Keegan’s voice answered like Luke’s, cool and dark.
“You have to do something! Help Luke!”
“I am…”
“Just….a….little….bit….” Michel’s voice strained out.
Soon the room flooded with lights. Priety scanned the room. Luke was on the ground holding his stomach and Chen was on the ground bleeding from the face. She moved for him and someone grabbed her.
“Let me go!” she shrieked and tugged. “Get off me!”
But the arms held her. Footsteps hurried into the room sounding like thunder to her dazed mind. But the scent was familiar to her. Falling helplessly against hard chest, she pressed her face into it.
“Stay back,” Luke’s voice commanded as he saw Michel and Riyu coming to his aid. He walked over to Chen, stepping with one leg and dragging the other.
“What’s the matter, Chen?” Luke asked, grabbing the man by the back of the neck and pulling him upward. “I will teach you to mess with innocent lives. And trust me, El Capitan, this is going to hurt…a lot!”
He sent the man flying across the room and swirled around. “Get her out of here….”
Before waiting for an answer, he moved across the room like a puma on the prowl. He had his eyes on his prize and he was going to be damned if he lost it. The man caused him enough heartache to last him a life time of hurt and mental anguish. But most important, Chen had harmed Priety. The man made her cry, worry and sad. He would see Chen burn in hell.
Getting to him again, Luke reached down for him. Chen was limp in Luke’s arms but for the life of him he wanted to pound the maggot into oblivion.
“Luke, no!” Priety’s voice startled him and he swung around. “Don’t do it.”
“Get out of here, Priety.” Luke looked back at Chen who was sobbing uncontrollably. “I want him to pay.”
“I know you do.” Priety walked over to Luke and touched his arm gently. “Let him go, Luke.”
“But he took you away.”
“I know, Luke, but he has to pay in other ways. He will get the chair if he’s lucky… Luke, you can’t sink to his level. Look at him... he’s a sniveling little man.”
She caressed his arm hoping she could talk him out of it. “Please, Luke. Let him go, for me.”
His fingers opened and Chen slumped to the ground. Priety took Luke’s hand and led him out the door just as the sirens began blaring. He was bleeding. Her heart hammered even harder inside her, she didn’t see a wound—then she remembered, the gunshot wound hadn’t had time to fully heal. She checked to make sure. It was bleeding slightly. The sirens in the distance alleviated her worry because help was on the way. She moaned when he pulled her into his arms. Ignoring everything and everyone around them, Priety sighed as he buried his face into her hair. She felt his chest go in and out as he inhaled. Wrapping her arms around him she smiled and let the tears fall, finally.
Chapter Sixteen
Priety lay on the side of Luke’s bed and stroked his dark forehead. The doctors tried keeping him in the hospital but he only gave them a hard time. They threatened to dope him up, that didn’t go over well with him at all. Finally, Priety agreed to sign him out and promised the doctor she would keep him in bed. He had smiled at that.
Leaning in, she kissed his forehead and sighed. For the first time in her life, a man had taken her seriously and risked his life to protect her. Her heart soared and with that one thought, she knew she was in love with Luke Stanton.
Giggling like a school girl she snuggled into his chest and sighed.
“Pree?” Kerry stuck her head in the door and Priety moved to get up but Luke’s arm tightened around her.
“Where you going?” Luke’s voice came out husky.
“Kerry wants to talk to me.” She turned and kissed his nose. “I won’t be long.”
“Kiss me.”
“Luke!” Priety blushed.
“It’s all good. I’ll be in the living room,” Kerry grinned and waved to Luke. “Hi, Luke.”
Luke waved a hand to her but he didn’t look away from Priety. When she finally leaned down and kissed him, Luke curled his fingers in her hair and deepened the kiss.
He grunted when her hand brushed his ribs. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Priety apologized while kissing his cheeks, nose, lips and forehead trying to take away his pain. Luke smiled up at her. A silence washed between them. He stared into her eyes saying nothing. When he finally spoke, Priety felt her heart break.
“I thought I lost you. Oh, God I thought my life would be over. I realized something when I thought he was going to kill you. I realized that I love you with all my heart. I love you even more than life. I was ready to die for you and God knows I don’t say that often.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying,” Luke tried to move with gritted teeth and pushed up on his elbow. “That I love you and I would be a fool if I let you walk out of my life and not say anything. I was going out of my mind with worry. I am so sorry for what happened. I should have known better. I shouldn’t have let him touch you.”
Priety looked into his face and smiled. She kissed his lower lip and caressed his face. “I’m not going anywhere, Luke. I know I love you and I was going to stick around here until you fell in love with me. I was gonna wear you down.”
Luke laughed but groaned in obvious pain. “You have a sick sense of humor, you know that?”
She giggled. “Don’t say you’re sorry. None of this is your fault.”
That sound made Luke’s heart race and he fell backward against the bed. Priety loved him. The goddess who took his soul, loved him and he wanted to dance.
He stroked her arm and pushed her tank top off one of her shoulder. “I want to touch you.” His finger trailed down her arm and he watched as tiny goose bumps followed his finger. “I want you to scream for me.”
“Luke…” her voice was soft. “We can’t. Your brother and the guys are downstairs and Kerry…”
“I want to feel you around me, Priety. It’s been too long.”
Pushing up, ignoring the pain, he reached for her lips. Roughly, he drank from her lips as though they were the fountain of life and he had to be quenched. The kiss got rougher, hungrier. He was desperate to taste from her and never wanted it to end.
His good arm wrapped around her and pulled her down over him.
With a growl, he pulled his mouth from hers to trail down her neck.
“Luke,” Priety’s whisper spurred him on and he ravished her neck and downward. He pushed her top out of the way and tasted one breast then another. He felt her arch against him and a smile stretched through him. Touching her spine gently with one finger, he felt her shiver against him.
* * * *
“Baby,” Priety got out as her mouth hung open. She wanted to cry, yell, scream; he was so tender. His fingers down her spine made her crazy and his mouth enclosed over her ear-lobe. Her nails tore down his back and over his arms. She positioned her body to sit astride him. She ground her hips against him, pleading with him to move faster and then slower.
Priety was naked and didn’t even know how it happened. She glanced down to see their clothes together on the ground. Their bodies moved against each other. He rolled her body over, taking her lips again. Pressing her into the bed, he moved between her legs as their gazes locked.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered before feathering kisses over her brows and down her nose to her chin.
Priety lurched forward and buried her heated cheeks into his chest. She moved her body against him like a cat, snuggling into its master’s warmth. Life away from Luke had opened her eyes and made her see being away from Luke was being without breath. She nuzzled his neck as he moved his hips slightly and sank within her. Her back arched upward and her head fell back as a satisfied sigh left her lips.
She wrapped her legs around him as their bodies twisted and arched into one another. She dragged her nails down his back and he growled and surged deeper. Biting down on her lower lip she felt his arm wrap around her back pulling her upward. Screaming his name, she squeezed her eyes shut as her body trembled deliciously.
See No Evil Page 13
