He transformed back into his human form, dressed in seconds, pulled his own gun out, and rushed back downstairs.
He whispered to the woman, “Where is he?”
She whispered, “Probably the kitchen, getting a knife.”
Luca peeked around the corner, saw the man, and yelled. “Hands up! Now!”
The man had a drawer open but apparently hadn’t had time to locate a suitable knife.
Luca strode forward with his gun pointed at the shooter.
The suspect’s eyes were wide, and thankfully, he put his hands in the air.
“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.
* * *
