A Phoenix Is Forever

by Ashlyn Chase

  “Don’t shoot!” the man said.

  Luca cuffed him, then pulled out his radio and pressed the button. “All clear.”

  Moments later, Joe came in through the front door, followed by Amanda and Delvin. Joe raised an eyebrow that said I don’t know how you managed to pull this off, but we’ll talk about it later.

  Luca knew he had to come up with a cover story, and he wasn’t looking forward to writing up that report. His mind was already churning, trying to come up with something plausible. Saying he climbed the pile of junk to the window should work. He saw an opportunity to save lives and acted. He had to.

  They took the shooter back to the squad car while Amanda and Delvin escorted the woman out. They were both babbling about a large bird with bright red and yellow tail feathers that had flown into the house and grabbed the gun.

  Two more squad cars arrived. While Joe was speaking to the other officers, Luca texted Dawn that it was all clear. He asked her to come outside.

  A few moments later, Dawn appeared on her front stoop. Luca was standing at the base of the stairs and tried to keep from smiling at her appearance. She looked adorable in flannel pajamas decorated with penguins. She’d thrown a coat over her shoulders and was gazing at the activity around her.

  “You okay?” Luca asked.

  She nodded, coming down the three steps and standing in front of him. “Are you okay?”

  Her eyes reflected worry, and he wanted to allay her fears. “I’m great.” He grinned. “Nice outfit.”

  “Hey, I was ready for bed when the commotion started. I never thought about staying dressed for a neighborhood shoot-out.”

  Luca nodded. “Yeah, unfortunately, this happened too close to you. We got him though. Did you hear anything else before we arrived?”

  Dawn shook her head. “No, just the shots and lots of shouting and swearing. It sounded like he was in some kind of Wild West movie, making threats and shooting up into the air. I’m sure he must have hit a few poor birds with all the shots he fired.”

  Luca tried to clear his expression at her comment about birds. He wondered if she sensed or had had an actual vision that exposed him as a shape-shifter—or was she simply making a joke? “Well, I have to get these people to jail. I’m glad you’re safe. Call me if anything else happens, okay?”

  She smiled. “Thank you. Trying to keep this neighborhood protected seems like an impossible task. I feel better knowing you’re around.”

  “I wish you didn’t live here. It’s not safe, Dawn.”

  “Well, I’m not exactly flush with cash, am I? Besides, I’ve lived here all my life. I can take care of myself and my grandmother.”

  “I know you’re tough, but promise me you’ll always call or text me if you’re ever in trouble.”

  She gazed at him, and he wondered what she was thinking. Her pretty gray-green eyes glowed in the moonlight, and he had the sudden urge to kiss her. Damn! Not here, dummy.

  “Fierro, we need to get going,” Joe called out.

  “I’ve gotta go,” Luca said.

  “It’s okay. I know you’re on the job. Thanks for getting here so fast.” Dawn gave him a sweet smile and then a little wave as she trotted back up the steps and inside. He heard locks snap into place and felt a sense of relief that she was safe. In that moment, he decided he would help Dawn and her grandmother get away from this area…somehow.

  * * *

  Dawn heaved a deep sigh, leaning against the inside of her front door. Relief washed over her. And fear as well. She had to get her stubborn grandmother out of this neighborhood. It was becoming far too dangerous. Thank goodness she knew Luca. She felt safer knowing he was just a phone call away, but at the end of the day, she could only rely on herself and Annette. Besides, it wasn’t like they were dating or anything. He was still hung up on his ex-girlfriend, Lisa. She shook her head and went back into the living room. Annette was probably exhausted by now.

  “Gran, are you okay?” Dawn flicked on the lamp, and her grandmother poked her head up from the couch where she was lying down.

  “I’ll be fine, sweetie. I’ve been through worse before and likely will again.”

  Dawn helped Annette stand and then held her arm as they started upstairs. “That’s just it, Gran,” Dawn began. “I don’t want you to go through anything like this ever again. You already got shot in the leg before I was born. You still limp sometimes.”

  Annette patted Dawn’s hand. “Don’t you worry about me, dear. I’ll be just fine. I want you to focus on your career and your own life. Maybe even a nice young man.”

  Dawn rolled her eyes at Annette’s twinkly expression.

  “Was that police officer the same young man you were telling me about?”

  “Yes. How did you see him from inside? Did you peek out a window?”

  “I just heard his voice. Seems like you’re sweet on him and vice versa.”

  “Oh, Gran.” Dawn laid her hand on Annette’s shoulder. “I do like him, a lot, and that’s what scares me. I’m not exactly a great catch.”

  Annette suddenly stopped and grabbed Dawn’s shoulders. “Don’t ever say that, young lady.”

  When Dawn hesitated, Annette gave her a little shake. “You are an amazing and strong young woman. Any man would be proud to have you in his life. Don’t ever doubt that. Okay?”

  Dawn smiled at Annette. “Okay, okay. You’re one tough cookie.”

  “Well, it takes one to know one.” Annette tapped Dawn on the nose. “And speaking of cookies. Since we never got our tea, how about one of my homemade peanut butter cookies and a cup of hot chocolate before bed?”

  “That sounds fantastic right now.”

  As her grandmother limped back downstairs, Dawn followed and pulled out her cell phone to check her messages. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a new text from Luca: I like the penguins BTW ;)

  She texted back her own smiley face and thanked him again. Then as she waited for her snack, she stretched out on the couch and thought about those blue eyes. She sighed again. She was in big trouble as far as Luca Fierro was concerned.

  A cop and an ex-gang girl? Talk about opposites!

  * * *

  “You could get in big trouble for doing what you did tonight.”

  After Luca and Joe hauled the shooter in and processed him, they went back out on the road, stopping for a quick coffee at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through.

  “I’m sorry, Joe. I don’t want to disappoint you.” Luca glanced at the older man as he bit into a cinnamon cruller.

  “Don’t give me that look, Fierro.”

  “What look?”

  “That ‘you shouldn’t be eating a doughnut’ look,” Joe said around a mouthful. “This is stress eating.”

  “What about the other eleven doughnuts in that box?” Luca asked with a grin.

  “I’ve got a lot of stress,” Joe replied, licking his fingers and reaching for a Boston cream. “Besides, we’re talking about you, not me. What happened in there?”

  Luca sighed. “It’s like I said, I climbed up a pile of junk, got into the upstairs bedroom through an open window, and as I was making my way downstairs, the perp swung his gun away from the woman and pointed it at the front door. That’s when I made my move. He had his back to me, so he didn’t see me coming. I had no choice. He could have shot her or whoever came through that door.”

  Joe wiped the side of his mouth with a napkin and then reached for his coffee. Taking a sip of the strong brew, he said, “I believe you, but next time, wait. We have protocol for a reason. I won’t say anything in the report about it.”

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”

  “You’ve got good instincts. Just be careful. There are a lot of wolves out there who don’t like heroes. They get jealous when someone like you comes along.”

  Luca contemplated Joe�
��s warning later on when he was driving home after his shift. Wolves? Interesting word choice. He had heard there were werewolves on the force.

  As he turned onto Mass. Ave., he passed the corner pub and spied a man lying in the gutter.

  Luca pulled over and got out of the car. Making his way to the prone figure, he squatted down and bent to check for a pulse. The man groaned. At least he was alive.

  “Hey, man, you okay?” Luca shook the man’s shoulder, trying to wake him up.

  The man groaned again and started to move. Luca helped him turn over and then recognized him. The man’s eyes opened and widened, clearly recognizing Luca as well.

  “Hey, I know you. You live aroun’ here,” he slurred.

  “Hi, Jack. Are you hurt?”

  Jack burst into tears. “Hurt? You’re asking me if I’m hurt? My wife was killed, and my little girl is missing. Hurt doesn’t even begin to explain what I’m feeling.”

  “Sorry, man.” Luca hooked his arm around Jack’s elbow. “I meant, have you sustained any injuries?”

  “Nah, just had too mush to drink and then I guess I mush have passed out.”

  “My car is right here. I’ll drive you home.”

  “Thanks.”

  Luca helped Jack to the car and eased him into the front passenger seat. As Luca drove him a couple of streets over and down the block, Jack rubbed his forehead and glanced over at the uniform. “You’re a cop?”

  “Yeah, just started my first week.”

  “I don’t think those detectives are doing a damn thing.”

  Luca hesitated. There was a protocol. He didn’t want to overstep, but at the same time, he was feeling frustrated himself. “It takes time, Jack.”

  “I don’t have time. I went online to see if it’s true, what they say about the forty-eight-hour thing, and it’s not good. After forty-eight hours, it becomes even harder to find a missing person. She’s just a little kid, and there’s no ransom call. Maybe you can help me? I keep calling those detectives, and they say they’re working on it, but I need to find my daughter. Sh-she’s all I—”

  Jack broke down, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed.

  Luca reached out and awkwardly patted the man on his shoulder. “I promise I’ll do my best to find your daughter. But you have to do something for me.”

  Jack looked up at Luca, his eyes red from crying. “Anything.”

  “You have to give me something of Mandy’s, a stuffed toy or a doll.”

  “Are you gonna use sniffer dogs?”

  “No, I’ve got something else in mind, but you can’t tell anyone. I mean it. I could get fired.”

  Chapter 7

  “’Bye, Gran. See you later.”

  Dawn grabbed her keys and slipped on her leather jacket. She figured it was a thirty-minute walk to the Youth Community Center, plenty of time to get there and avoid the subway. She loved to walk as much as possible. It was the only exercise she ever got, and it helped her sort out her feelings. That and her visits to the Christian Science Center kept her sane. Now that she had Karma Cleaners to help her, she hoped her path would be easier, and she could finally live the life she’d always dreamed of, helping others—and free from the Keene Street Gang.

  It was early yet, so most of the people in her neighborhood were either sleeping one off or already at work. Keene Street had always been that way. Most were decent, working-class people usually with two, sometimes three jobs to make ends meet, while the others wanted a quick fix, in more ways than one. Distracted by her thoughts, she didn’t notice the footsteps behind her and felt a sudden tug on her arm.

  She growled and swung around with her baton key chain, ready to do battle.

  “Hey, take it easy. It’s just me.”

  Ice Spider. Great. Just when I think I’m headed in the right direction… “What do you want?”

  “Out for a morning stroll and just happened to run into you.”

  “You’re never out for a morning stroll. More like you were behind that building waiting for me.” She gestured with her chin at the tenement a few feet away.

  “I figured it’s the only way I can talk to you.”

  “Well, you figured wrong, Ice.” Dawn turned away from him and started walking again, faster than her usual pace.

  “Where you headed?” He sped up and matched her stride. Damn him. Even with all the booze and drugs he consumed, he still had the stamina to keep up with her.

  “None of your business.” She wished he would go away. She didn’t want him knowing about her volunteer work at the community center. The center probably had to deal with gangs trying to infiltrate it on a regular basis, and Dawn didn’t want to be one of those conduits.

  “C’mon, Dawnie,” he cajoled. “You’re hiding something from me. You wouldn’t be working with the cops, would you?”

  “Are you crazy? Why the hell would I be working with the cops? I’ve got a mom doing time for dealing.” Shit! He knows something. The question is what.

  “Little Bobo said he saw you talking to a boy in blue the other day. He was running an errand in the South End. Said you looked pretty cozy.”

  “I’m not cozy with anyone. Now leave me alone.” She kept walking, facing forward, not even looking at him. Hoping he would slink away.

  Instead, he grabbed her arm and pulled her close, hindering her ability to swing her keys at him. “You better not be fuckin’ anyone, especially a cop,” Ice said with a leer. “You and me were real hot together once, babe. We can be that way again. We can do great things together, both in and out of the sack.”

  “The only reason you slept with me was because you wanted to win a bet. Oh yeah. You didn’t know I found out about that, did you?”

  He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter how it started, babe.”

  She rolled her eyes, pretending a bravado she didn’t feel. His face sported a smirk, but his grip was steel. She suddenly wished she’d taken the subway instead of walking.

  “Ice, we’re done. I’m not interested in you or anyone else for that matter.” Well, that wasn’t entirely true. An image of Luca’s handsome face flashed through her mind. “I don’t know who Little Bobo saw, but he must have been mistaken. As you know by my address, I don’t associate with people in the ritzy part of town.”

  “Well, just in case, I wouldn’t want you or your grandma getting into any trouble down the road.”

  She managed to yank her arm out of his grip. “Don’t threaten me,” she began. “And do not threaten my grandmother. I’m still good with Carla, and she wouldn’t like hearing about this little conversation. Do you think she doesn’t know about your deals in the back of her store?”

  “Carla’s in Florida,” he shot back. “She might not return until spring.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” she countered. “Ever hear of cell phones?”

  Ice’s lips thinned as he stepped back. He held his hands up in a gesture of innocence. Yeah, like anything Ice Spider ever did was innocent. “I’m just trying to look out for you, babe.”

  “Don’t bother, okay? And don’t threaten me or my grandma again. Carla would be royally pissed if she knew.” That was true. Carla owed Annette her life. Annette had hidden her when Carla’s husband had beaten the shit out of her. She’d managed to get away from him, and Annette had taken her in and called the cops.

  Dawn’s mother had been only thirteen when it happened. Carla’s husband had been stinking, reeling drunk at the time and got into a fight with the officers who showed up at their house a few doors down. He had pulled a knife and lunged at one of the cops, and the other officer had shot him in the chest. Carla had lived with Annette and Elise for the next few months until she got back on her feet.

  Carla’s job at Keene Street Convenience resulted in her marrying the owner a year later. He was twice her age, but he was good to her. She had inherited the store
and the building after he died, but she had never forgotten what Annette had done. Even though the years had toughened Carla, she was still good to Annette and sent her a gift basket every Christmas with a one-hundred-dollar bill slipped into a candy tin. Annette had saved it up over the years, not telling Dawn’s mother about the money. It had helped Dawn pay for her clothes and shoes. Dawn’s mother would have squandered it on drugs.

  “Easy, Dawn. We’re cool.” Ice smiled and added, “Let’s pretend we didn’t bump into each other.”

  “I have a better idea,” Dawn shot back. “Let’s pretend we don’t know each other.”

  She turned and walked briskly toward the subway entrance a block down the street. She didn’t want him to keep following her and find out where she was headed, so she decided to take the subway a stop past the community center and then walk back.

  So much for a peaceful morning walk.

  * * *

  Venti white chocolate mocha. Two Sweet’N Low packets.

  Venti white chocolate mocha. Two Sweet’N Low packets.

  Venti white chocolate mocha. Two Sweet’N Low packets.

  Luca kept repeating it like a mantra in his head. According to the unofficial rookie rules, it was his job to get their captain her favorite coffee drink from Starbucks on Saturday morning at 8:00 sharp along with the Saturday edition of the Boston Globe. Glancing at his watch, he noted it was 7:42 and there were four people ahead of him. Shit! What’s with all the crazy people up early on a Saturday? Finally, it was his turn.

  “Hi, what can I get you?” The perky blonde barista with a high ponytail smiled brightly at him.

  “Venti…” He hesitated. “Venti…” Oh no! What’s the name of the drink?

  “We have a wide array of coffee and tea beverages as well as a great selection of breakfast sandwiches.”

  “Mocha latte for Amanda!” a male barista shouted from the end of the coffee bar.

  “White chocolate mocha,” Luca said in a rush. The blonde barista asked his name and processed his drink order. Two minutes later, he was out the door and on his way to Captain Moore’s brownstone on Marlborough Street. He wished he could turn on his siren, but this early on a Saturday morning? The upscale neighborhood wouldn’t appreciate it.