Luca should have been listening to Mary Beth’s advice about dealing with sociopaths, but his mind kept wandering to Dawn. They’d had one amazing week of hot sex followed by nights of sated sleep, cuddled in each other’s arms. He had to get his own place and fast. Was it too soon to think of moving in together?
What about Annette? He knew Dawn would refuse to leave her grandmother in such a bad neighborhood, and he agreed. An elderly woman living alone practically invited a home invasion. They’d have to find a place for her too, but could he afford that yet? He wanted to start looking around but was a little hesitant to bring it up with Dawn.
“So you need to watch out for him, Luca. He can be vicious.” Mary Beth glanced at him, a frown on her face. “Did you hear what I just said?”
“Uh, sorry. I’ve just got some stuff on my mind.”
She smiled. “Uh-huh. I’ll bet it has to do with Dawn Forest.”
Luca couldn’t help smiling at the mere sound of her name. “Yeah, it’s going really well. She’s terrific.” Her weird name. She could get rid of the teasing if she wanted to become Dawn Fierro. Whoa! Too soon.
“I’m glad. But just stay aware of Butts, okay? He’s a real SOB, and he’s already written you up once. Don’t think he won’t do it again. He could get you suspended.”
“Got it, thanks.” Luca glanced at his TO. “You said before that you had a few run-ins with him. Any you can share?”
She blew out a breath. “Let’s just say he’s not exactly pro-woman. He was pissed when Wanda Moore got the captain’s job. He made it plain he thought she was given preferential treatment because she’s a woman. And he’s an asshole. A bully at best.”
“No argument there.”
“You may hear rumors among some of the female support staff and junior cops about him being handsy. Nothing has ever been reported though. If he tried anything with me, I’d break his arm.” Mary Beth glanced at Luca with a grin. “I think on some level he knows that. He’s been wary of me.”
Luca smiled. “I guess he knows you take a direct approach.”
“The thing about bullies is you need to stand up to them. But you have to do it right. Don’t let him get under your skin, no matter how hard he tries. Got it? It’s almost easier for a woman, because of our smaller size. If a woman loses her temper and punches him, no one will worry. People would doubt she could really harm him as long as a weapon isn’t involved. They’d be wrong, but they wouldn’t be as concerned.”
Luca was about to reply when the dispatcher announced suspicious activity coming from the abandoned Green Park Zoo.
“Let’s go.” Mary Beth sped up, and even though it was out of their usual area, she got them there in under ten minutes. They were the second car to arrive, so she consulted with the Hyde Park unit.
The first officer on the scene motioned for Luca to go around behind the main building to the right, Mary Beth to the left, and he would enter through the front.
Luca nodded in agreement and, crouching down, ran to the back of the building that had housed an interactive zoo until the owners moved locations.
He radioed that everything was clear from the outside. Mary Beth responded all clear from her end. He told her he was going in and would meet her inside. Opening the back door, Luca cringed when it made a squeak and groaning sound from the rusted-out hinges.
Slipping inside, he didn’t have to wait for his eyes to adjust to the light. His phoenix abilities gave him great eyesight in the darkness. Being able to avoid using a flashlight and possibly alerting a perp to his presence came in handy. He made his way down a dark hallway toward a door at the end.
Remembering trips to this zoo when he was a kid, he knew there was an open area in the main hall where some of the animals had been kept, including a huge lion’s cage. Opening the door, he stopped for a moment and thought he heard a child crying.
Shit! Could this be where they had taken Mandy? He felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He’d put it on silent back in the car. He would answer it later. Right now, he needed to stay focused. The area was a bit like a maze with barrels and bales of hay stacked in places. It was hard to discern which direction the crying was coming from.
He made one turn and found himself at a dead end, looking into a glass enclosure. A huge painting of a wolf snarled back at him. The image was so detailed, Luca almost thought it would come to life. Turning back the way he’d come, he took a left and walked down another hall in the maze. In the almost pitch-black, Luca’s instincts kicked into high gear. Hearing scuffling sounds behind him, he turned around and felt a hard object smash into his skull.
That was the last thing he felt, saw, or heard…
* * *
I knew this would happen. I just knew it.
Dawn paced back and forth in the ER waiting room at Boston General. Luca’s mother, Gabriella, was sitting beside his father, Antonio.
Gabriella patted the seat beside her. “Come, Dawn. Sit down. You’re going to wear a path in the rug.”
She gave her a weak smile, then lowered herself into the chair beside the kindly woman. “Thank you for calling me, Mrs. Fierro.”
“Gabriella, please. I know how much you care about Luca.”
“I wish they would let us in to see him,” Antonio muttered, running his hands through his salt-and-pepper hair. “They’re taking too long. If they aren’t out in five minutes, I’m going in.”
