See No Evil

See No Evil Back Cover Saying that Preity Roshan's life has been hell would be the understatement of the year. When she was young she lost her dad and then soon afterwards she lost her mom. She moves to a small town just on the outskirts of Edison City and finally her life is taking off...that is until she witnesses something that threatens to destroy her. Luke Sinclair has been having a bad feeling, and whenever the Edison City cop gets this feeling something bad happens. Then a hysterical woman seeks him out to help find her best friend who has gone missing. Now Luke is shoved into the path of a serial killer who has his eyes set on Preity and if he gets the chance, will take Luke as collateral damage.

See No Evil © 2011 by Kendra Mei Chailyn All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, events, is coincidental and not intended by the author A MuseItHOT Publication MuseItUp Publishing 14878 James, Pierrefonds, Quebec, Canada, H9H 1P5 http://www.museituppublishing.com Cover Art © 2010 by Delilah K. Stephens Edited by Carrie RO Copyedited by Lea Schizas Layout and Book Production by Lea Schizas eBook ISBN: 978-1-926931-36-4 First eBook Edition * February 2011 Production by MuseItUp Publishing

See No Evil

Kendra Mei Chailyn

MuseitHOT, division of MuseItUp Publishing www.museituppublishing.com ADULT CONTENT: Some scenes contain violence, mild sexual content, adult language

Dedication For you, my Grandma

Darkness shall fall throughout the land and a mad man will reign. He will destroy everything! When he thinks no one knows; he is wrong. Something is watching… …The Eye. -Kadian Tracey-

Prologue Night had fallen over the ghettos. But then again, it was always night in the ghettos. No matter if the sun was out, the place still seemed as though it had a black cloud over it – completely blocking out the sun. The people living there didn’t live there because they wanted. They were stuck there; stuck in the same mentality as their parents. It was the mindset that nothing was good and that the world was out to get them – nothing mattered more than survival. No one mattered to them. The thick silence over the neighborhood was often times broken by the screaming of sirens going by. It was either squad cars, ambulances, fire trucks or all three. With disastrous frequency, gunshots broke through the air and sent everyone ducking for cover. When the smoke cleared, someone was either badly hurt or worse—someone was dead. Many times it was someone who was too young but people didn’t care. One less person to them equals one less mouth to feed, one less thug; one less potential murderer. Those were the worse nights. When someone got shot, no one got any sleep. When someone got shot there were lights, engines, yells, more gunshots—it became a dark swirl of confusion, a kind of atmosphere no one in their right minds would want to be a part of. But these people, for the most part, weren’t in their right minds. A raw stench crept through the air. It was the smell of fear, hate, depression and brutality all mixed into one. It was a smell that no one there recognized but most of them hated inhaling. A few of the residents allowed this scent in and those were the ones to live and die by the gun. They were the ones who let the streets eat them whole. They allowed the eeriness of the place to crawl through them like a plague. It was hell here. But the deepest, darkest part of hell seemed to be in one house. Before all hell broke loose, the whole place went silent. The silence was enough to make a person go insane. It wasn’t the kind of silence that happened after some people stopped speaking, but the kind that came when everyone stopped moving, speaking and breathing all at the same time as if in anticipation of something about to happen. It was the

deafening kind of silence that made one want to run to the nearest dark corner, curl their body into the fetal position and hide there in fear. It was dark outside and the boy knew what was coming. Not that he was psychic or anything like that; it was much worse. He knew what was coming from raw, horrible experience. What was coming was the same thing that came every time it got dark. The shouting, the beatings, things breaking; it was a given that every time night came at his house, evil descended in the form of his father through the front door like an unwelcome apparition that would continue to haunt him forever. It was the kind of haunt that clung on and would not leave until it was exorcised. Even then, sometime it stuck around, taunting outside a window while he cowered in fear. The stench of alcohol already spelled doom in the boy’s little mind and each time he smelled it, whether he was at home or not, he would try hiding. If the smell snuck up on him he would whimper then fall to his knees with both hands up protecting his head. At his age, he should be worried about the newest toy car on the market, what Santa was going to leave him for Christmas or what mud puddle to jump in the next time it rained; but not this little boy. He wasn’t as lucky as the other little boys on his block, in this tainted neighborhood, where everyone hears you cry; yet, no one heard. This little boy had far bigger things to think about because to his father, this boy was a man, an adult. The kicks to the ribs, punches to the face, caused him to grow up faster than was recommended. With each broken bone, sprain or open wound, his skin got thicker and thicker. He tried to figure out what was happening around and to him. It was the way things had always been and always would be. He didn’t know anything else and chances were he would just carry on the vicious circle. The cycle continues… Round and round it goes, like a wheel or the hand of time. Where it’ll stop, nobody knowsIt’s taunting you. The dining room was the last place the fights reached and there he would be safe until his mother tried to run. When the beatings began she would try and run for the stairs or out the front door but he would always catch up to her. It seemed as though he could move at

the speed of light. He is the Boogey Man. The house wasn’t large enough to escape a man’s wrath for long and this was tattooed to the little one’s brain. There was no where to hide. Closet doors were ripped off the hinges; they were used as previous hiding spots. Bedroom doors had gaping holes in them from his fists. Windows were boarded up because he had thrown a beer bottle through each window on different occasions. Everything in that house was broken with scars and patchwork. A broken down chair sat in the far corner of the room that had always been there for as long as he could remember. When he slid past it, the little mind wondered what it would be like to be a broken down chair. To just sit there, in a corner, for so long that people didn’t even know you were there anymore. What would it be like, to be covered in dust and cobwebs and just be ignored? Would it make all the happenings around him less terrifying? From somewhere inside his body a small voice gave him an answer that didn’t make the little boy any happier; it would be just like being a human. Humans broke. The chair broke. It had long since used up its usefulness but like a punishment, they left it where it was, propped up without pride. No one threw it out and the little boy knew he couldn’t touch it. He knew that the moment he picked that chair up and set it on the curb for someone else to take away—because garbage trucks rarely visited—his father would miss it. His father would demand to know where it is, and the little boy would suffer a fate worse than death. What a wonderful thing it would be to be invisible. What would it be like to not be able to feel anything anymore; just like that old chair that everyone walked pass day in and day out but didn’t even see. Still it didn’t cry. It didn’t beg for someone—anyone to pay attention to it. It just sat there, in the corner. The old table cloth that hung over the shaky table used to be white. Now it was a terrible brownish color, with spill stains all over it. Some of the stains were food. Others were sweat stains, dirt and even blood. Others, the little boy didn’t even recognize. On his knees, he crawled until he sat down and looked up. All he could see was the dirty table cloth. He sat there, arms wrapped around his knees and waited. and waited…

It would come. The big blow; the screaming, heart pounding, things shattering – it would come. He straightened his legs to work the sudden cramps that raged through his poor feet. The calves throbbed, warning of a Charlie horse. Swing low sweet chariot…. Where was that coming from? The little boy sat underneath the table with his hands covering his ears. Ignoring the throbbing in his legs, he pulled in his knees tucking his face into them humming the old slavery song Swing Low Sweet Chariot he had heard the teacher sing. She had explained that slaves would sing it when they got scared. She said it calmed them but he wasn’t a slave, far from it. He wasn’t even black. The song wouldn’t work so he stopped humming and rocked back and forth. He was tired of hearing his parents yelling and most of all he couldn’t take his father beating his mother around. On a few occasions he had tried jumping on his father’s back to get the man to leave her alone but only succeeded with getting tossed across the room into a wall. On those occasions, he always ended up in the hospital. “I fell off my bike,” was the explanation for the three broken ribs he had sustained the first time. “I was hit by a baseball,” he explained the black and blue circles beneath his left eye. “I fell out of my tree-house.” This one for the broken arm. I don’t have a tree-house. I don’t have a bike. I hate baseball with a rabid, unexplainable passion. The boy was shocked that the authorities had bought the tree house explanation since there were barely any trees in the ghettos. The only trees he could remember were the ones in the park. Those had little fences around them to protect them from the drug head that went around cutting them down one summer. Fences around trees? What a joke! From somewhere outside, in the black of night, a dog barked and then for some strange reason, it began howling. Quickly the howling turned to pain filled cries. The dog smelled the doom that was coming. There were no other explanations. The little boy darted from beneath the table. He was taking a chance in giving up his hiding spot just so he could rush up the stairs. His father screamed after him to stop but he

wouldn’t listen. He simply kept on running as fast as his little six year old legs could carry him. In the safety of his bedroom he slammed the door and stuck a chair behind it like he had seen in the movies. He crawled into the closet and pressed into the farthest, darkest corner he could find. There, morning caught the little boy sleeping soundly with his head tucked against a pair of shoes. He found out later that his father had tripped down the stairs knocking himself out. That was the only reason why the boy didn’t get a beating that night – divine intervention. Hallelujah! **** Seven years later, at thirteen, the boy walked into the house but was grabbed in a choke hold and yanked backward. He flailed his arms. Like any human being, the boy panicked because death flashed before his eyes. His short life turned into a movie inside his head. Every good thing, bad thing or stupid thing he’d ever done came forward and played in slow motion; all the girls that laughed in his face due to his awkwardness around them, nights of beatings – everything. He yelped in pain and tried harder to pry the hand from his throat as he coughed and sputtered. Air was being cut off from his brain. A strangled voice began screaming that he needed to breathe. “I—can’t—breathe,” he managed, flailing in the air like a dying fish and as his hands clawed at the hand holding him in a death grip. The harder he tried to draw air into his dying lungs the dizzier he got. His body began slowly losing its fight as he looked up with his last ounce of strength to see his mother standing at the door of the living room with a smile on her face. Her hands were folded over her chest as she just stood there. It was as though she was happy that her man was killing him. She didn’t try to help him. It was then that he knew that she had made a deal with the devil; him for her. Somewhere deep inside his dying brain he knew that mothers were supposed to do things the other way around. They were supposed to protect their off-springs with their lives; but his mother wasn’t typical. He wasn’t sure she was even a mother. She did things that completely went against what mothers are. He stopped fighting.

As the last bit of oxygen continued leaking from his body, the boy used his last thoughts, strength and consciousness to vow revenge. His stepfather made one fatal error that day—he should have killed the boy. **** Getting his first pay check, the seventeen year old smiled. “What’re you going to do with your first check, boy?” the severely overweight man dressed in the dirty chef’s uniform asked as he picked his nose before reaching back to pick a wedgie. The teenager smiled. “I’m going to get me a birthday present. Something I’ve wanted ever since I was six.” “I see.” The man hauled up phlegm from the back of his throat and spit it. The horrible, black looking blub sailed through the air and landed on a bicycle stand across from them. “That’s good. Don’t blow it all in one place now.” Disgusted, the tall lanky kid hurried on his way while whistling, Happy Days are Here Again, jovially. Nothing was going to spoil his day. He had plans. Those plans were hatching in his head ever since he was six, and finally, he could do something about them. His first stop was at the bank. He handed over his card proudly to the woman at the desk who eyed him suspiciously. It was the first time he would put money into his account since he had created it two weeks before. Since he was still young they assumed he was in school so the account didn’t have any bank fees charged to it. When she asked for his check, he gave it to her. “I’d like to deposite half and would like the other half in cash please,” he explained. She nodded and was soon placing cash in his hands. Task one on his list was complete. He mentally checked it off an imaginary list. He exited the bank and almost skipped a little way down the street to the hunting store. He entered with purpose – head held high. His steps were those of a man who had accomplished something – he had money in his pocket. He browsed slowly until he came to what he wanted. Carefully checking each item in the large glass case, he finally made a decision and nodded his head as though in confirmation. With a skinny finger, he jabbed against the case pointing to the hunting knife when the storekeeper finally looked up from his tattered newspaper. The older man with the old cigarette butt hanging from his lips didn’t ask any questions.

He simple accepted the money, wrapped the knife and its case into a piece of newspaper before shoving them into a bag and handed it over. Without even saying Have a nice day or Thank you come again, he sat back in the corner and pulled out his newspaper. The boy didn’t let the unfriendly storekeeper wreck his good mood. He simply smiled at the man’s newspaper and exited the store causing the bells above the door to jingle. He did a silly impression of Fred Astair by jumping and clicking his heels together, spinning around a telephone pole before hurrying down the small stretch. Still whistling the teenager stopped by a local beauty store and bought a stick of Vixen, a red lip stick. Upon his exit, he stopped for a brief moment to smirk, flip himself the bird in his reflection on the beauty store’s window then headed for home. He didn’t go the short route to his small house in the ghetto. He took the scenic route to clear his head. The scenic route was nothing spectacular; with giant graffiti on store walls that spelled out any number of swear words along with names and things like “Hyde wuz ere.” “Wuz ere? How?” he asked then arched a brow. He then got the joke. “Ha! Clever!” He laughed. And what in the world was a fuck-tard? He stopped briefly to whiz against a tree, and then ducked across the train tracks that were no longer in use. Passing beneath some tress he jumped up to grab an apple from a low hanging branch and without even wiping it in his shirt he sunk his teeth into it. Sweet nectar ran down the sides of his mouth as he finally crossed a small bridge over polluted water and headed down the alley behind Mister Cesaer’s Bakery. He stopped and pushed through the front door of the bakery and bought himself a donut. The sweet pastry was still slightly warm causing the teenager to moan in utter satisfaction. The down side was, four bites later, the snack was gone. Emerging in front of Tony’s Pizza, which everyone had to know was a front for some kind of illegal activity, he stopped, cupped his hands against his face and peered in through the window. A group of gang-bangers sat, hunched over a table in deep conversation. One turned to flip him off. The teen shrugged and continued on his way across town while thinking of the kind of weirdos that lived in that neighborhood. Whoever said that the freaks came out at nights, definitely didn’t know what they were talking about. Either that or they

have never been to his neighborhood. Down here freaks roamed all day, every day. Down here, the freaks ruled. Happy days were definitely back. Finally, he was before Mrs. Howell’s house. Her husband used to be the postman until he was shot and killed in a drive-by. Then no mail got to the ghettos. If anyone wanted mail, they had to drive into the city to the post-office. The boy looked both ways and when he saw no one, he hunched down and proceeded to yank every rose and all the other flowers from the ground and stomped them to death. When his task was finished he smiled down at his destruction with satisfaction, laughed and was on his way. The thought of why he’d just done that flashed through his mind and for a moment he stopped in his tracks to think about it. He finally stopped on the thought it was simply because he wanted to, shrugged and carried on. He checked to see if his mother was home – like she’d be anywhere else. She was sitting in her usual spot. Humming to himself he climbed the stairs to his room. He spent the evening, in his room, putting things into their rightful spots. He placed his shoes in order by color then by style. He hung his shirts by color and his pants by the reason he would need to wear each. Often his mother called him an obsessive compulsive but he liked things in their rightful place and order. He recently started shaving—later than most boys his age—but he was proud of that. He bought a whole lot of razors. He laid those out on the shelf over his bed in alphabetical order by the company that created them since he hadn’t decided which would be his brand yet. That was how he would use them until they were all gone. That night, he sat down at the table and silently ate some cold cereal. His mother, as usual, sat in the living room puffing on a cigarette even as the previous one was still smoldering in the ashtray. As long as he could remember, she never cooked anything major for dinner and he would have been lucky if she was sober enough to remember to feed him; this meant he had to learn to fend for himself early. One day he almost burnt the house down by catching the stove on fire when he tried to make soup. It boiled over onto the burner, got caked on and started a fire. When he felt the heat and saw the rising flames, he got scared and darted for the phone. He called emergency services and the ambulance, fire department and cops all showed up. His mother lied—told them she only meant to sit down for a second and was so tired that she fell asleep. They bought the excuse.

No surprise there. He was ten. When he was finished, he washed his bowl, turned it down in the sink and proceeded to his room and changed. He was still in his work clothes and didn’t think it was right to wear that for the special occasion. He got dressed in a black pair of jeans, a black t-shirt with Pookie for President written on the front—even though he didn’t know who or what Pookie was he found the shirt to be perfect for his ever changing moods. The Pookie shirt was for days when he felt silly and happy. That unbelievable happiness that girls must feel when they gathered around each other, held hands, jumped up and down and screamed at the top of their lungs. He didn’t get much of those days and the truth was, he couldn’t tell when the last time he had one. That was why his Pookie shirt seemed fairly new. Slicking his hair back, he smiled at himself in the mirror, did a corny gun salute to himself with a wink and took a deep breath to study himself. He was positively giddy. His eyes were hollow and lacked life. He had bags underneath that told the tale of countless sleepless nights. His chiseled face sunk in as though he had been smoking for years but he never had a cigarette. Personally, he detested the things because they stink and caused everything around him to smell. He hated cigarettes because when he was a kid they caused him to cough for so long that sometime he would holler that his throat was on fire. True to form his mother would only ignore him and light up another just to blow the smoke into his face. Picking up the bag with his toys and then a second bag he got a week prior he walked down the stairs and sat down in the living room with his mother. The room was fogged up with thick cigarette smoke that caused him to cough when he entered. He fanned a hand before his nose to try and get some fresh air in but gave up after a few seconds because he knew it was futile to even bother. Sitting down across from his mother, he watched her. Over the years, her beautiful black hair had changed. It was now a dull, silver color and he marveled at what damage age caused. But age wasn’t the only thing to blame. His father had used her as a punching bag and the cigarettes took away the vitality that her skin once had. To add to it all, karma seemed to be kicking her butt. Age didn’t have time to work on his father. One night his father had messed with the wrong man while in a drunken stupor. The teen didn’t think six

feet under was enough to bury him. At his father’s funeral, he stood and screamed. “Deeper! Bury him deeper!” “How many times,” he started after a while, “had you seen Dad beat me?” His mother didn’t answer. She simply puffed on the cigarette. Being ignored only made him angry and he growled. “Answer me!” “Don’t you raise your voice at me!” she snapped back and he moved from his seat. “I am your mother!” She tried moving but he was quicker and grabbed her from the sofa. He pushed her roughly against the wall near the window and hauled off his belt. “What the hell are you doing, you little jerk?” she questioned. “Get your hands offa me!” His mother began fighting but he just continued working calmly as though she was a willing participant in what was about to happen. Strapping her hands against the window rack screwed tightly into the wall, he backed away from her and pulled his chair up to face her. He sat down and crossed his legs. “Well, now are you more inclined to answer my questions?” he asked in a composed voice. “I mean I have all the time in the world…but you, dear mother, are on borrowed time” Leaning over, he picked up his first bag and removed a gun. The gun was bought a week before with money he had stolen from a neighborhood bully. That kid didn’t have any responsible use for all that cash anyway. His mom’s eyes widened as he screwed on the silencer. The last thing he wanted to do was disturb the neighbors. They had to work or rob and pillage in the morning.

He sat back toying with the tip of the gun for a while; feeling

the weight in his hands, twirling it around, pointing it at himself then at her. It was as if he wasn’t holding a dangerous weapon. Each time he pointed it at her she would gasp and press her eyes shut. He would simply laugh so hard tears streamed down his face. “Any answers for me, mother dearest?” he questioned. “No? All right then.” Aiming the gun, he frowned and fired. Because she refused to answer his questions, the bullet tore through her head. Silently in the dim light of the room, he removed her eyes carefully with the hunting knife and placed the orbs on a plate. Now she wouldn’t be able to watch him get beaten up

again. He had helped her. Being a good son, he cleaned up after himself, buried the body in the backyard and dropped the eyes in a bottle of water and covered it. He climbed the stairs slowly as he thought the urge to kill would stop… Those delicious urges…

Chapter One Tick tock. Tick Tock. The giant clock in the hall was the one of the only sounds that emanated from the room until it had started raining. The sound of the rain falling outside was not noticed by the occupants of the small home until thunder crashed across the heavens and lightning streaked across the sky. They had much more important things to think and worry about. More important than the rain outside that would cleanse one's soul should they stand in it. What in the world could be more important than being pure? Life? Darkness. The one thing that seemed to be more important than anything else was also the one thing that was followed by a gasp and said in a whisper. Death. Death was placing his hands over the family within and taking from the midst of love, a mother. What would be left when the mother was gone? She had always been the lifeline of the house; the one parent whose prayer was said to be stronger than any other. It was said that she had the ear of the gods and it was said that of all the gifts to the earth, the most precious was mother. A home will never be a home without her and no one could love more completely than a mother. The love and comfort of the arms of a mother would be gone with her and there was nothing anyone could do to stop that. A miracle? The remaining occupant of the house no longer believed in miracles, for miracles are for children who are still naive to the evils in the world. Darkness flowed over the small house like an eerie cloak covering everything except the small room where the teenager hunched over the bed. She was gently dabbing a cold cloth along the forehead of the woman that occupied the small bed while whispering a lullaby the old woman had long since forgotten but found comfort in.

The tick–tock of the clock was a distant memory now as the sky opened up and sobbed for the loss of a cherished one—mother. The loud roll of the thunder outside drowned out everything except for a sound of love and sweet memory. The melodious voice carrying the Hindu lullaby cut through the silence that had returned and plagued the house ever since the month before when the same scene had happened. Death had arrived and taken the man of the house. When the song ended, the silence came back and wrapped its arms around the house once more. When the rain eased, insects could be heard chirping away outside as the darkness grew thicker and thunder rolled above. The rain wasn’t back but the sky showed its displeasure of the injustice of the lost angel. The teenager looked up to see if lightning would follow but it didn’t and she looked back at the pale woman. “Ma,” she whispered because she knew what was coming. It was a feeling she knew all too well. The sensations of tiny fingers dancing on the back of her neck and then reaching down to twist her gut into knots. The cool wind that only blew against her neck as though a spirit stood there breathing against her. She knew the end was near and she didn’t want it to be. How could a mother leave her daughter in a world that seemed so foreign? What would the daughter do; she was an outsider in her own life. “Don’t leave me, Ma,” she begged, pressing her forehead to her mother’s chest. “You can’t leave me. I will die. Kripyaa—Please.” In a way she was being selfish. Her mother was in pain and all she could think about was how lonely she would be if her mother passed away. She couldn’t help it, she was only human. When her mother’s voice caught her ear, she didn’t lift her head until a feeble hand brushed her hair. “If it was up to me, Beti,” the woman spoke in a voice that was barely a whisper, “I would stay. But the gods don’t see it that way.” She shook her head stubbornly causing her tears to topple freely down her cheeks. “Nahi,” she whimpered. “No.” “It’s time, Priety…” ****

Priety jerked into sitting position on her bed panting for air. It was like someone was holding her nostrils shut and as she tried to breathe through her mouth they sat on her chest. Her neck felt as though she had twisted it the wrong way during her sleep and she massaged it. She prayed the action would alleviate the pain and allow her to breathe normally again. Holding her breath, she counted to five with her eyes closed before exhaling and opening her eyes. With shaking fingers, she shoved a mass of black hair from her face and looked around. Her eyes traveled over the framed picture on her bedside table of her parents on their wedding day. Her gaze moved to the clock and then the vacant dresser. The fleeting thought of why she didn’t have anything on the dresser breezed through her mind and disappeared like a puff of smoke before her gaze moved again. Eyeing the coat rack behind her door she wondered why it was still there. After her parent’s death she carried it up from down stairs —to do what? Priety couldn’t remember. She looked back at the picture of her parents. Her mother’s face was covered with a red veil and her father was smiling. They were truly happy, she knew that. During the years she had them they were smiling, loving to each other and to her. That was one of the times when an arranged marriage was a good thing. She looked out the window to see sun streaming in through the blinds and swore softly to herself before flopping back against the bed. Why had the nightmares come back? It had been so long since her parents were ripped from her life without much of a warning. Priety had mourned by seeing shrinks and writing in journals to calm her nerves. She cried and starved herself and finally she managed to pick up the pieces of her life and move on. What was the meaning of the nightmares’ return? Staring up at the ceiling she continued trying to control her breathing as she closed her eyes to fight the tears. Instead of stopping, they just streamed through her lashes at the thought of her mother and father. She thought back of the pain she had gone through watching them die because the hospitals claimed there was nothing they could do for them. “So? How do we make this better?” Priety asked as she looked from the doctor to her mother. “There has to be something.” “I’m sorry, Miss Roshan,” the doctor started but Priety cut him off by slamming her

open palm into his desk. “No! Don’t you dare tell me you’ve done everything because you haven’t done everything or my mother would be getting better! There has to be something else!” “There is no cure for the cancer your mother has, Miss Roshan,” the visibly shaken doctor managed to get out. “And by waiting this long before seeking treatment didn’t help her case any either. If she had come to us earlier chemo and surgery would have helped. It has spread too drastically for any further treatment. We could operate but she wouldn’t live through it.” Priety opened her mouth to say something but her mother simply touched her arm. “You’re telling me that now I have to watch my mother die like I did my father?” The doctor didn’t say anything so Priety continued on the brink of tears, “She’s going to be in pain, damn it! Do something! Anything!” “All you can do is make her as comfortable as possible,” he advised her. Priya and Jai, Priety’s parents, needed a specialist and with their savings and her small salary, she couldn’t afford one. The doctors had looked at the sobbing sixteen year old and told her that the best she could do for her parents was to make sure they were comfortable for their last few days—first her father, then her mother. It was the same thing all over again. What were the chances? Why were the gods punishing her? At the time, the tender age of sixteen, Priety was still a virgin so why had they taken her parents from her? She had done everything her parents asked of her without complaints even though sometime she wondered the validity in their requests or orders. She was a good girl. Using an angry hand, Priety wiped her tears away as the alarm clock began blaring. “I’m up.” She swore and slammed a fist into the snooze button but stayed where she was a little longer before shoving her feet out of her bed. She didn’t know why she had the alarm clock set because it was her week off. She worked so much that her boss finally told her she should take some time. It was pointless to argue with him, even though she tried her best to let him see things her way. She wanted him to see she would go crazy if he forced her to stay home. He laughed and said that he would pay for her stay at the asylum. It was a big joke for him but Priety wanted to deck him.

Yawning, she stripped as she walked toward the shower. By the time she got there and closed the door, Priety was buck naked. Rubbing a hand over her stomach she eyed the shower with contempt. It seemed everything was starting to rake at her nerves. She lifted her face to the downpour of water beating against her. Lowering her head, she allowed the water to throb against the back of her neck, lifting her head to try and beat the memories of the night’s nightmare from her mind. Flashes of her mother’s last words came to her followed by her father’s dying wish. Her father wished that she would find a husband, settle down and be happy. No such luck. By the time she showered and dressed, her mind calmed down. She sauntered into the kitchen. She had a craving for pancakes. The quiet of the house was starting to unnerve her. She needed some form of noise to make her feel as if she was all alone in the world. Taking a deep breath, she hurried into the living room, flipped on the television, cranked it up and returned to make her favorite, pancakes with chocolate chips. “Do something other than worry about us.” Priya’s voice came back to Priety. “I know you and all you do is feel guilty about things…you have a life to live. You are young…” “We are sorry we couldn’t provide more for you, Priety,” Jai spoke as he broke out into a bout of coughing. “We are so sorry…” Although her parents’ deaths were separate and so long ago, they were beginning to mesh together in her head. Priety squeezed the fork she held in her hand until she felt it would sink through her flesh. Looking down, through tear-dazed eyes, she opened her fist but the fork didn’t fall. She used her free hand and pulled it. Luckily, it hadn’t cut through the flesh but left an imprint. A defeated sigh left her lips. She wished she could go to work. Priety wanted to work so hard until she forgot her name. Money. Throughout the day, Priety tried to find something else to do so her mind wouldn’t go back to her nightmares. But everything brought back the memories; a sound, the smell of curry, absolutely everything reminded her of how alone she was in the world and she felt like throwing up everything. Self-pity had never been her strong suit but lately she seemed to be getting better at it. Everything around her reminded her of her parents and it seemed

easier to be pulled down by doubt and guilt rather than fight. Fighting took too much energy, something she was quickly running out of. Every morning, she woke up and felt less and less alive. Just getting out of bed took more energy than she cared to admit. Reading was something Priety loved doing. She tried reading but the romance novel she was reading was given to her by her mother. After tossing the book so hard across the room, it ripped into nothing but pages. She watched the different pages fall soundlessly to the ground and that made her fly after them, falling to her knees, sobbing, while trying to gather and stick the pages back together feverishly. She needed a drink, something that would make the hair on the back of her neck stand on end; a drink that would burn its way down her throat to take her mind off the pain in her heart. Ignoring the pages, she braced against the wall to pull herself to her feet before weakly wobbling out the door. **** The television blared from the living room and Priety couldn’t believe she had left it on. Her head pounded like someone was inside taking a hammer to it. She winced. Every thought, movement, every breath caused her to want to curl up into a ball and die. The throbbing just wouldn’t stop. She couldn’t believe she drank so much; it wasn’t at all like her. Somehow, during the evening she had found her way down by the local pub and sat at the bar. Most of the night’s memories were foggy but now her head throbbed like the devil. With a groan, she grabbed her head to stop the sound vibrating off her brain causing her vision to blur. Priety stumbled out of bed and staggered into the living room to flip off the television before collapsing onto the sofa. It was amazing how much energy it took to stop one’s head from exploding. Every noise, no matter how low, caused her head to throb and she closed her eyes, resting her head back against the sofa. How could she have been so stupid? She knew no one at the bar would tell her she had too much to drink. The bartender would never cut her off. It was after all Danny; Mister Shit For Brains. The same guy that thought the capital of Jamaica was Mexico. Well it was not really all his fault; she was as much to blame for her hang-over as anyone else. She had wanted something to kill the pain and Danny handed over a bottle of vodka.

The shrill ring of the telephone caused her to jerk and moan in pain. She looked around for something to toss at it but that only caused the phone to ring longer. Like a daredevil, she dove across the sofa and grabbed it. “What?” she groaned. “Priety?” the voice called from the other end. “I think they can hear you in Turkey,” she rubbed her forehead. “I don’t want to change my long distance plan. I don’t want to see your girlfriend on your cam. I don’t want to enlarge my penis – whatever you’re selling I don’t want or need. Got that?” The feminine voice on the other end chuckled. “Priety Roshan, are you drunk?” “Hoo boy!” She sobered up somewhat, the pain in her head turned to a dull throb. “I am so sorry…” “Drink lots of water,” the woman offered. “That will help.” Heat charged Priety’s cheeks and she smiled even though she knew her best friend couldn’t see her. “Thank you. I don’t normally get this drunk, I…” “I know, hon.” Kerry giggled. “Listen, I’m coming over. I have news and we should celebrate.” Priety moaned; she couldn’t believe she was still so out of it, she didn’t recognize her best friend’s voice. She opened her mouth to say something but before she could protest or accept, she heard the dial tone. Staring blankly at the phone she made a sound in her throat and let it fall into the cradle before leaning back against the sofa to calm the spinning in head. Grabbing a hold of furniture and walls, she made her way into the kitchen and grabbed a glass. Filling it with water, she began chugging. “The person who thought of this hang-over cure obviously hasn’t heard of water poisoning,” Priety moaned, but chugged another glass of water. By the time the doorbell rang, Priety drank enough water to cause a small flood and used the bathroom a good five times. She jerked when the Dixie horn of the doorbell blared. She tried remembering why she chose that tune for her doorbell. It was getting more and more annoying. Putting down the glass she rushed for the door and pulled it open. “Diva!” Her best friend Kerry cheered while waving a bottle of champagne and grabbed her into a hug. “I am so happy! We so have to celebrate!” “No more alcohol.” Priety covered her mouth with a hand. Even the mere thought of

alcohol made her ill. “I’ve had enough for two lifetimes.” “Nonsense.” Kerry giggled while hurrying into the kitchen with Priety following behind her. “I am not kidding, Ker. Anymore alcohol and I swear I’ll hurl! And then you’ll have to clean it up.” “Spoil sport.” Kerry pouted but placed the bottle down and turned to face her friend to wiggle her ring finger in the air. “He asked me !” “Chad asked you to marry him? Finally?” Kerry nodded with a wide smile on her face and Priety screamed before diving into her best friend’s arms. The force she rushed with caused both women to topple to the ground with Kerry on the bottom. “Congrats! About time! I would offer you a happy squeal but, hang over and all.” “I know!” Kerry echoed. “Took him only five years.” “Okay we need to make a toast,” Priety admitted as she helped her friend up from the floor. “But with juice.” She hurried over to the fridge. “Orange or strawberry juice?” “Orange.” Kerry moved to the cupboard to grab two champagne glasses. Filling them with orange juice, Priety raised hers and smiled. “To new beginnings and good times,” she smiled even though deep down it felt like something was missing in her own life. She couldn’t be jealous of Kerry; Priety swore never to get married unless she was in love. But increasingly men didn’t want love. They wanted to hit it then quit it – that was how the man on the television had said it. Men wanted sex and that was it. They didn’t want the strings – children, commitment. What was it he called those kind of men? Commitmentphobes. They even had a name for breaking a woman’s heart into a million little pieces. What was the world coming to anyways? “To new beginnings and good times.” Kerry repeated. Absentminded, Priety touched her glass daintily to her friend’s. Hopping back onto their seats the two friends leaned forward as though sharing a secret no one else in the world could hear. “Can I ask you a favor?” Kerry spoke up and placed her glass down before staring at her fingers. “Anything, you know that.”

“I would like it, if you’d be my maid of honor.” Priety blinked in disbelief. “What? Are you sure? I mean I don’t want to mess things up because I’ve never been in a western wedding before…” Priety made excuses, but she actually hated weddings. The few she went to in her life always reminded her just how completely unlovable she was. She saw them as a slap in the face and something she could never have. But Kerry was her best friend and for her, Priety would do anything. “You’ll do fine, just boss everyone around.” Kerry laughed and Priety chuckled. “And if Chad gets cold feet and tries to run, you have my full permission to take him out.” “That I can do!” Priety laughed heartily. It was late that afternoon when Kerry left and Priety began going through proofs for the photo shoot she did the week before. Her boss told her not to worry about it until the end of her vacation but Priety never did like idle hands.

Chapter Two The crime rate in Edison slowly grew, proven by the number of cold cases piled on top of the desk in the mid-size office. Homicide had almost tripled in the last two years and rapes—the ones that were reported—along with assaults were through the roof. Edison was in trouble. The politicians kept on denying it but that didn’t change the truth. With a frown he rubbed his tired eyes and grabbed another folder. It seemed as though it never ended. Each time his crew solved a case, it seemed like a hundred more took its place – one foot forward, six back. The sound floated down the corridor like a familiar spirit and everyone knew what was happening. Chief Chen was at it again. The man screamed into the phone until he got beet red in the face like he forgot he was human and needed to breathe. A few of the officers had bets going on when the chief would finally yell for so long he’d pass out. It was cruel but funny at the same time. Two officers with notepads stood off to the side peering into the office through the glass wall wondering who was going to win the bet. Detective Luke Stanton shook his head and flipped the file shut before running a tired hand over his face. Sitting up straight, he stretched his aching back and could literally hear the bones cracking back into place. He moaned and rubbed his neck before tilting his head one way and then the next. He rubbed a hand over his cheeks and under his chin. He could feel his day old stubbles growing in and made a mental note to shave. He didn’t like shaving one bit, he would rather catch his pants on fire or run down Main Street naked but he had to shave in order to maintain a business-like demeanor. He wasn't a beat cop anymore but still they wanted him to look his best. With a tired sigh, he wondered why. It wasn't like he was going to see anyone from behind a desk or going door to door or mocking through a crime scene. He would end up getting muck on his good suits and ruin them. He missed being on the beat; the chases through long, worn out alleys. Memories of tackling perps in mud after a downpour were enough to send Luke’s adrenaline pumping. Luke missed his stops over by the Black Magic Jamaican restaurant on the west side of Edison. Due to his new promotion to detective, he barely had enough time to breath much less going across town for delicious, mouth watering, eye-burning Jerk Chicken. His favorite

order over at Black Magic was their fried fish and festival, a fried, sweet pastry. His stomach growled in disappointment from not eating the chicken, and festival or the fish. Luke moaned. What he wouldn’t give for some good-ole soul food from Jamaica. He made a mental note to stop by the restaurant one day soon but knew chances were slim. Placing the folder on top of the pile he gathered of Edison City's cold cases, he glanced at the clock and flew out of his seat. He hadn’t realized it was so late. Grabbing his things, he reached for his leather jacket on his way out the door and rushed toward the locker room to pick up a few things before heading home. Walking into the locker room still felt strange. Even after so many years on the force. He still hoped to see Riyu Kotsuke and Michel Toriano when he entered with their conversation “Who is hotter? Jessica Alba or Beil?” He had to remember they were no longer in the academy. They graduated, with honors and stationed throughout Edison. Grown men who sometimes fell into the games of who would you do, or who is hotter, just to pass the time. They said boys will be boys and when Luke, Michel, Ryu and Luke’s brother Keegan got together, that statement couldn’t be truer. But back in the academy it was worse. The games happened everyday. He would walk into the change room after a long day to Riyu and Michel going back and forth yelling, “Alba!” “Beil!” “Alba!” During these arguments Ryu would be hauling on some kind of graphic t-shirt that said something inappropriate like “I’d hit that,” or have pictures of naked women silhouettes on it with one crossed out and below those images were the words “my to-do list.” The two would argue back and forth until Luke would jump in with a smirk saying, “They're both hot and I would do them both, alright!” The other two friends would simply arch a brow and smile before heading to the showers. But those were good times. With a labored sigh, he reached into the locker and pulled out a t-shirt that said Edison City Police, and stuck it into his bag. He grabbed another with everything’s bigger in Texas and an arrow pointing downward on the front. Luke frowned at it. That wasn’t his at all –

chances were it was Ryu’s. How’d that get in here? He shoved it back into the locker. He slipped his arms into his jacket before grabbing a plastic bag with clean socks. Shoving his gun into the holster around his shoulders, he reattached his shield to this belt and pulled both sides of the jacket in to zip it up. It had been a long day and even though he couldn’t have a drink with his boys, he had one of them stopping by the house for a drink. He didn’t really feel like going out that night, but then again he never felt like hitting a club. He hated the club scene. Maybe I’ll see what Keegan is doing tonight-Drunken women hitting on him was not Luke's idea of a good time. It annoyed him as he tried to figure out why a woman would do something like that to herself when they knew all the dangers that lurked in the dark corners of a club. Perhaps it was the cop in him showing its face again but it worried him that no one taught these women that you just didn’t pick up some random guy and take him home. Didn’t their parents teach them not to talk to strangers? Other officers around him in the locker-room talked in hushed tones because it seemed as though he was the only veteran there. All the others in the room were rookies. That wasn’t something that bothered him but he still wished there were more than a handful of seasoned cops left at Edison. All the others retired early to go on to other things like the army or SWAT. Luke shook his head at the thought of the ones in the army getting deployed to Iraq and his heart sank. Grabbing his gear, he bid the others good night and left the precinct. When the door opened, the cool air greeted him and the sounds of a busy highway called out to him. The sounds of vehicles whizzing by lulled him like a sweet lullaby. Then again lately he wasn’t getting much sleep. The same feeling kept grabbing his insides and twisting it into a knot and he didn’t know why. One of his close friends, Detective Riyu Kotsuke, had only laughed while weightlifting and told Luke he was being paranoid. Luke didn’t think it was paranoia, something wasn’t right. “See? That’s the thing about you, Luke,” Riyu explained. “You get the feeling and half the time you’re right. Which is starting to creep the hell out of me.”

Michel put down the weights he was wielding and began strapping a pair of boxing gloves to his hands. “Riyu's right. Instead of sitting around here going X-Files on our asses, go out and look around see what you can find. Even though you don’t know what it is yet. Who knows? You might crash into something.” “I don’t know, bro. That’s like looking for trouble,” Luke pointed out. “I don’t want trouble I just want this feeling gone.” Dumping some files onto the passenger seat along with his bag, he got into the late model SUV and pulled out of the parking lot. The drive back home didn’t take long; Luke knew the short cuts to get around the traffic. After scoping up the mail that had been shoved through the mail slot in his front door, he set his cell phone to charge and rifled through the envelopes as he made his way for the living room and his voice mail. “Junk, junk, junk,” he muttered as he tossed envelope after envelope into the garbage but stopped at one. “Would you like to enlarge your—” Luke frowned and crumpled that one in a fist for even suggesting he needed help in that department. He tossed it into the garbage and returned to the others. “Bills, bills,” those he chucked onto the counter while wishing he could trash them. Turning his attention to the voice mail and the flashing red light, he pressed play and began rummaging through his bag. Five of the calls were different companies wanting to know if he wanted to change his long distance plan and he growled. How many times did he have to tell them to take him off their lists because he didn’t want what they were selling. Deleting the annoying messages, he stopped at a message from Riyu saying he would try to show up at the get together later that night but he wasn’t sure. Finally, there was a message from his brother Keegan asking what was happening that night and if he was invited. Chuckling, Luke reached for the phone to call his brother. “It’s a party, son,” Luke laughed when his brother finally answered the phone. “You want in?” “I am going crazy, bro,” Keegan complained. “Taking time off work is a pain in the ass. There is nothing to do around this dump.” Luke smiled at Keegan referring to his house as a dump. In fact, Keegan’s house is no dump with five bedrooms, a swimming pool, and professionally decorated. The house is

beautiful. The hot tub is large enough to hold an entire football team’s defensive line. “Let me guess, you would rather be on the job, busting down some doors playing G.I Joe for the day?” It was a rhetorical question and Luke got a grunt for an answer so he chuckled. “That’s why I don’t have to deal with that crap. I don’t take time off.” “You don’t have a life.” Luke ran a hand over his cleanly shaven head and frowned. Living inside the real world was hard enough without sex and relationships complicating it. “I have a life…it just doesn’t include a sexual one.” “You said it, not me.” Keegan laughed. “So what’s up with tonight?” “Just me and Michel getting together for a few beers. Riyu may not make it. Just stop by when you’re ready.” “Aight,” Keegan jargoned. “I’ll be there.” After hanging up, Luke stripped out of his shirt and folded it over the back of his chair. If his mother saw that she would scold him and tell him a gentleman does not strip in his living room. To which Luke would respond no one ever accused him of being a gentleman. Luke smiled thinking about it and glanced at the calendar. His parents were on vacation somewhere in the Caribbean and would be returning in a few days. He moaned because even at his age and even though she wasn’t really there for him as a child, he still missed his mother. After-all, she had been trying to get closer to her sons—maybe it was because she was getting older, closer to the grave. Death, what a powerful motivator. The Stanton family wasn’t really a close knit one. The brothers, Keegan and Luke were close but Marcia and Fredrick, their parents, were too busy with their careers and therefore Keegan ended up raising himself and his younger brother Luke. Sometimes Luke felt the absence of his mother caused his awkwardness toward women and the way he felt around them. He loved women but he could never find the right thing to say around them. When they cried he felt as though he should be doing something to make them better. He would try to talk but his mouth got dry, his heart hammered inside his chest and his voice escaped him. When they were angry he would promptly tell them off and storm out. That was not the way to do it. Growing up in Edison all his life, Luke spent most of it with his older brother playing

street hockey after school or football at Edison High. Other than that there was nothing else to do but movies and underage drinking. After all, they were teenagers and left to their own devices. The other kids their ages had to rush home because of curfews but the Stanton brothers were left hanging out under the only bridge in Edison or staying up until morning. Then they would skip school to sleep. The school didn’t bother complaining because they knew nothing would be done about it. Somehow though, both brothers managed to keep great grades and graduated with honors. He spent the rest of the time, before his brother arrived, going over cold case files, working out and paying bills. It was pretty much a wasted evening but Luke felt relaxed and rested by the time it got really dark out. He glanced out the window before running into the shower. If he hurried he could get a quick shower out of the way. By the time he finished his shower, it was an hour later and the outside lights came on automatically. He sat down in his living room, lost in his thoughts again. He had a terrible feeling something was wrong. “Yo, Luke!” Luke looked up to see his brother tapping on the front window of the house and wondered what Keegan was doing. Pulling the door opened he arched a brow. “Door bell not working?” he questioned. “It’s working fine,” Keegan stepped past his younger brother with a box of beer in his hands. “You just tuned out for a bit; I kept ringing but you just sat there.” Luke frowned and followed Keegan into the kitchen and watched as his brother stocked the fridge with beer. “Something you want to talk about?” “What makes you ask that?” “Come off it, bro. I just stood outside your door ringing your doorbell over and over like a bloody stalker and you didn’t even hear it.” A sigh left Luke’s lips and he sat down. “I don’t know, man. Lately I’ve been having this…this feeling.” That got Keegan’s attention and the older Stanton brother stopped what he was doing to face Luke. “You working on a new case?” “Nothing like…” he was cut off by the front door opening. Looking up, Michel walked in with another box of beer and Luke laughed and shook his head.

“Hey, boys,” Michel shared their mirth and placed the box on the counter before gently touching his fist to Luke’s and then to Keegan’s. “This is going to be one party.” “Not that much for me,” Keegan grinned. “Got duty tomorrow. I don’t really have to go back yet but I think I’m gonna go nuts just sitting around doing nothing but the gym every day.” Luke and Michel laughed. “Going nuts? I think you made that trip years ago!” Keegan smirked and chugged from his beer. Luke’s head went back to the strange feelings he had inside. He had been having them for weeks but every time he brought it up, they all told him the same thing; relax and breathe. Being a cop for so long meant he had developed a form of gut feeling and each time he got it, something cropped up that just made him want to cringe or hurt someone. This time, the feeling was doubled and he ran a hand over his cleanly shaven head. “You’ve been quiet,” Michel spoke up. Luke turned to his friend and smiled. “Sorry, bro.” He walked out to the balcony but Michel followed him. “Still getting that feeling?” Michel wanted to know as he lowered his muscular frame into a nearby chair and rested his beer on the glass table. Luke nodded and sat down with his friend on the other side of the table. “Maybe Keegan and Riyu are right. Maybe it’s just morbid paranoia. Maybe it’s nothing at all and I’m just having one of those months.” That got a chuckle from Michel. “Right. Nothing cropping up around the house?” “Nah. The station is quiet. Maybe that’s why I am feeling this way, man. It’s been almost too quiet around that place. Normally there is something. I don’t know why I feel bored. I’ve got cold cases up to here.” “You humans,” Michel grinned. “It's either too much noise or too quiet.” The guys laughed. They went silent for a bit just staring out over Edison at night. It was a beautiful sight from the second floor balcony on the hill. The city was nothing but lights and color at nights and Luke loved sitting in the dark on the balcony and just watch the city below him. How quickly people moved about their ways. “Then open a cold case,” Michel recommended. “Nothing big because you really need

something major to officially crack open a cold case. But read over some files and see. You never know, you might find something the first cops missed, fresh eyes and all. “ Taking a swallow from his beer, Luke nodded. “Fresh eyes.” Luke thought about what Michel said and the more he thought about it the better he felt, but then a thought cropped into his head. The rising crime rate in Edison just wouldn't go away and he knew it was because the city was getting bigger each year. Either that or people were just getting angrier or as Riyu had joked, “Divorces are getting worse.” **** Something moved between the trees of the large house over on Talmack drive; a dark figure peeled itself from the shadows and seemed to move with the grace and fluidity of a dancer and a predator; a lethal combination. The dark figure moved soundlessly across the front lawn and tested each door. Locked. “There are so many people in this world and yet they don't trust each other,” the figure muttered before trying the door another time as though he expected it to magically unlock. “Why is that?” Looking both ways, the figure went down on one knee and dug something from his pocket that glowed in the soft moonlight of the night. Sticking the long object into the lock, there was a slight click sound with just a flick of a wrist and the door slowly crept open. Maneuvering through the large house was no trouble at all. He had broken into the house many times before and had a floor-plan drawn up to make this job go as smooth as butter. A smile creased the figure’s face as he removed his mask and stuffed it into his pocket. Climbing the stairs, he was careful not to step on certain parts because he knew which one creaked and which ones didn’t. Quickly enough, he was on the second floor and peering into the bedroom where the lone blond slept. A smile that lit up his face from ear to ear passed over his face and just as quickly as it came, it was gone. His heart beat steady as though he was meditating. This was his meditation. Slowly, he screwed on the silencer to the gun and moved into the room. He moved like a shadow over the floor, creeping silently up to the bed with a smile on his face and his gun

raised ready for the kill. He was close enough when his feet smashed into something on the ground and he yelped in pain. The blond flew off the bed and screamed. Without even thinking, the man flew at her and slammed his fist into the woman’s neck to silence her then watched as her body slumped to the floor. That wasn’t the way he had planned it. No. She would pay for interrupting his pleasure. Picking her up, he carried her to the far side of the room and propped her up against the wall. He went to work as he hummed to himself, tying her hands and feet apart to the hook above the far window and gagging her. He sat back against the bed waiting for her to wake up. What seemed like hours later, her eyes fluttered opened and when she lifted her head she tried to struggle. He loved the look of fear in her eyes as he slowly applied her lipstick to his lips. Her trepidation to him caused adrenaline to begin pumping through his body like a drug. Sweet euphoria flowed through him as he prepared for her. His eyes rolled back in his head as though he was on a high. A smile crept onto his face causing the sides of his lips to tug upward like a clown. When he was finished, he cut the tip of the lipstick off and dropped it into his pocket before placing the lipstick softly on the dresser. “You know,” the man spoke calmly as he worked. He placed his little bag down and removed a hunting knife. “They say that there is a test that can show the last thing that a person sees before dying. Do you think that’s true? I don’t know. Sounds a little farfetched to me, like something a crazy nut would make up to scare people.” He looked back at her but she only shook her head. “How rude of me. You cannot talk with your mouth full.” He proceeded to sit down on the bed while toying with the point of the knife. “See, just in case that’s true, I need to make it easy for the cops.” The woman whimpered at the sound of his words and he chuckled. “Don’t fear, my pretty. You won’t feel a thing. I may be a killer but I’m not completely without feelings.” He got up and placed the knife down on the bed and reclaimed his gun from where it was. Walking over to her, he kissed her softly against the forehead leaving an imprint of the

lipstick there as she sobbed against the cloth gagging her. “You can tell my mother when you see her in hell, that this is all her fault.” He stepped back, lifting the gun, aimed…and fired. He felt something against his back and turned slowly. He saw across the way a woman by her window with her hand clamped over her mouth, binoculars to her eyes and fear written all over her face. She has to die too.

Chapter Three “Luke!”The voice called. Luke stood up and glanced around him. The woman's voice, filled with love- true, pure love, called to his soul and made him shiver. He suddenly felt in love and all he wanted to do was find her. He felt a strange urgency to get to her; he wanted to hold her in his arms. A sigh left his lips as he turned around and around trying to get a glimpse of her. “Luke! Come find me, Luke...I love you.” Luke was jarred awake by the peeling of his cell phone. He was having the first beautiful dream in a long time and now yanked from it causing him to feel cheated. It was as though a sweet fruit was dangled before his face only to have it snatched away when reaching out for it. Swearing, gruffly he reached over blindly to the bedside table to find the phone without even opening his eyes. When his hand caught the small phone, he flipped it open and brought it to his ear. “Yeah,” he moaned into the receiver. He paused and listened for a second and then flew out of bed. He was in his pants before the sheets landed back on the bed. Hurrying, he got dressed and dashed out the door with one arm out of his jacket. It was just like Edison, when you want to take your time and drive leisurely, to enjoy the scenery there was no traffic on any of the streets. But on the day you are in a rush that is when everyone and their uncles are on the street. He honked to get the attention of a car that seemed to sit there long after the light changed to green. That didn't go over well with the driver ahead of him because the man simply turned and flipped Luke the bird before driving off. If it was any other day, Luke would have just pulled him over and let him sit there for hours waiting for the cop to come to his window but not that day. That day Luke Stanton wanted to get to the station house and fast. It was a good twenty minutes later when he walked into the chief’s office. Chief Chen was on the phone, yelling and swearing a blue streak and puffing for air as usual. His face was beet red and Luke knew that one day the man would fall over from the lack of oxygen to his brain or a severe heart attack – not that he was calling anything bad on Chen.

A jingling sound could be heard and Luke looked down to see the resident wolf trotting toward him. Luke went down to scratch the animal behind the ear. “Morning, Declin,” he smiled. The wolf was there because one of their officers was a native Indian who trained Declin as he would a sniffing dog. In fact, Declin was even better. Narcotics often came by to borrow the animal. Declin lifted a paw and covered his eyes and Luke hid a smile. “I know how you feel boy.” Standing up, he turned to face his superior again. “You wanted to see me, sir?” Luke asked once Chen hung up the phone. “There’s a woman here to see you, she said it was important that she spoke with you. She’s waiting for you in your office.” Before Luke opened his mouth to say something the phone rang and Chen was once again yelling at the top of his lungs. Shaking his head, Luke whistled and Declin got up from his little spot on the ground and followed him out the door. Luke’s mind was going on overdrive as he tried to figure out who this woman could be and why she requested him. When he opened the door Declin barged in before him as usual and that sent the woman sitting in his chair leaping to stand on his desk, screaming. Luke smiled at the reaction Declin received all the time until people got used to the fact he won’t maul them to death. Declin hopped onto the sofa and curled up with his head on his front paws giving them the impression they were wasting his time. Luke grinned as he looked up at her. She was African American with a slender body, long black hair flowing over her shoulders and legs all the way to the North Pole, “That’s Declin,” Luke spoke with a smile before grabbing the woman around the waist and lifting her gently off the desk. She gripped onto his arms and he placed her into the chair. “Th-that’s a wolf!” the woman sputtered. “Yes, that’s a wolf,” Luke said. “He belongs to one of our officers. Don’t worry, he’s trained so he won’t harm you.” Declin looked up with a somewhat bored expression as if to ask “Why do they always do that?” “Have you ever seen the show When Good Animals go bad?” “They are no bad animals,” Luke spoke still watching Declin. “Just a few morons that

believe taking an animal out of its natural habitat and treating it like dirt is a good idea.” Luke turned to the woman. “What can I do for you?” “You’re Detective Stanton?” she questioned with a hint of surprise in her voice. “The last time I checked,” Luke said, while wondering why his temper was so extremely short today; first the traffic, now this. Maybe it was his way of showing his disapproval for having to go to the station on his day off; a day off that he hadn't asked for but was thrust into his lap because he had too many vacation days saved up. “Was there something I could do for you?” “I’d like to talk to you about finding someone for me,” she spoke up still eying Declin nervously. “Did you try missing persons? I work homicides and cold cases.” “I tried them but when I told them that she might be hurt or worse, they sent me to another officer who sent me back to missing persons who sent me to you. Look, people have been passing me off all day and to be frank this is starting to get on my damn nerves.” Luke sighed and glanced at the mountain of work on his desk and was about to send her back to missing persons but the look in her eyes told him not to. He mentally kicked himself for what he was about to do and could think of at least a dozen ways in which he would regret his decision later, but he picked up a notepad, pulled a pen from his pocket and faced her fully. “All right, let’s start with your name.” “Kerry-Ann Kittrich,” she spoke with a sigh of relief. “Who do you want me to find?” “My neighbor…Priety Roshan.” “Er- her name is Pretty?” “No. Prie-ty – P-r-i-e-t-y.” Scribbling down the information he tried to run over in his head the many ways in which this could be a simple mistake. In fact, he prayed it was a mistake because he really didn’t like to have to search for someone and when they turned up dead, he was the one who had to inform the family. He hated that part of the job. Most of the time the deceased was too young to even be in the places they were found, places like strip clubs, and dark alleys. A sigh left his lips and he looked at her. “Tell me what happened.” He wanted to smile at the shy way Kerry-Ann shifted in her seat but the situation was

too serious. “Well we normally meet for coffee at her place or mine but yesterday she didn’t show up. I tried calling her but no answer, so I went over to the house but the place looked as if a tornado ran through it.” “A tornado? Explain.” “Drawers were overturned, the bed ransacked, broken glass on the ground…something bad happened to her. I can feel it. If you know Priety her house is always immaculate— almost obsessive compulsively clean.” Luke thought about his options. He could hand the case off to a rookie but that could freak her out since she went out of her way to find him. Then there would be one more person who believed cops were overpaid assholes. “Something bad has happened to her. I just know it.” “Let’s not jump to conclusions—” “How can I not jump to conclusions? She’s missing and it’s not like her. Even more strange her house was tossed. So my question again, Detective, how can I not jump to conclusions?” “Maybe she had a party that got outta control. I don’t know. Maybe she met someone and left with him.” The woman chuckled. “If you knew Priety you would know that wouldn’t happen in a million years.” Luke arched a brow. “You saying she wouldn’t have a party?” “I’m saying,” the woman countered, “she wouldn’t leave with anyone and not tell me— especially some stranger.” Ripping the page he had written on from the notepad, he pushed it into his pocket and stood up. “I’d like to take a look at her place, would you mind taking me there?” She nodded, causing her hair to bounce. He reached for his jacket. Declin took that moment to hop from the sofa and left the room followed by Luke because it was obvious that Kerry was still afraid of the wolf. When he hopped up, she jumped back almost slamming into Luke's chest. Luke walked Declin back to Lt. Greystone’s office and then exited the building behind Kerry. Following Kerry toward her friend’s house, Luke frowned. They were headed into Lipson. He didn’t see why they couldn’t get a police station but that was a whole other

matter. Political mumbo-jumbo and a whole crap load of red-tape. He pulled up behind her and looked up at the small house. It looked out of place being flanked by two rather large mansions. Stepping from his vehicle, he shrugged into his jacket and a pair of gloves and met her at the front of his car. “Which one is it?” Luke questioned and she pointed to the smallest of the three houses. “That's it?” “Yeah…” Walking along the front he stopped and then ducked around the side. Checking windows to see if they were locked or tampered with all around the house and ended at the front again before Kerry let him into the house. “Did you touch anything?” He got his answer when she shook her head and stood by the door clasping her purse as though she thought he would steal it. Walking by her, he unclipped the pin holding his holster closed, stepped over an over turned chair and moved through the house. Checking each room he frowned as each room was in a sorrier state than the last one. It was just as Miss Kittrich had said. Chairs were overturned, drawers pulled out and emptied on the floor, curtains and blinds were ripped down; something had happened in the house for sure. The small house looked like someone had gone through it in a hurry looking for something and from the looks of it, they didn’t find it. “I’ll take it from here,” Luke spoke to Kerry when he walked back to the front door. “You’ll have to leave because I will have to close off the house as a crime scene so that CSI can go through it to see if they can find anything. In the mean time, here’s my card.” He stopped and dug a card from his breast pocket and handed it over. “I know it’s not going to be easy but try and get some rest. Give me a call if you need anything.” When she didn’t answer him, he wanted to say something to make her feel better but he had nothing. He watched as she took the card, nodded and left, without saying a word. He walked out the front door and cut across the side lawn to the neighbor on the other side of Priety’s house in hopes they had seen something. He took his gloves off and put them in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “Hey, Jim, I need a forensic team,” he spoke hurriedly and stopped to listen to what was being said to him. He knocked on the front door and was about to leave when the door gently opened with a creek.

He thoughtfully closed the phone and placed it into his pocket. Something caught his nose and he tilted his head to one side while using the toe of his boot to push the door opened slowly. He had been to too many crime scenes not to recognize the putrid scent leaking from the house. There was no mistaking it. The smell got stronger and more familiar and Luke’s hand immediately went for his weapon. With his gun drawn, he pushed the door further open with his foot and cautiously made his way through the house starting with the lower floor. What he found in the kitchen only wound him tighter. There, sitting on a plate on the table, was what looked like eye balls. As he got closer and leaned in to inspect them, his fear was confirmed. Eyes. Just when I thought I’d seen everything on this job. A lump grew in his throat. He pulled himself from the scene and continued through the house. He gripped the gun with both hands willing them to stop shaking. Over the years, Luke tried his best to be strong and not show emotions at a possible crime scene. But if he was to succeed in that, what kind of heartless monster would he become? As he got toward the bedroom, the scent got so strong Luke had to breathe through his mouth, almost tasting the bad stench. Moving in front of the open door he walked in and cleared one side, then slowly turned his body to view the whole room. When his eyes connected with the body hanging from the wall he bit down on his lower lip to avoid throwing up. Half dried blood was flowing down her face from her eyes and Luke realized she was the donor of the eyes he found in the kitchen. He lowered his gun and quickly reached for his cell and a handkerchief to put over his nose and mouth. After the call was made he stumbled outside and greedily fought for air. This whole thing had turned from weird to downright scary.

Chapter Four Priety turned to stare at her friend to see Kerry’s mouth hanging open while her eyes bulged out. “I know, this is bad,” Priety offered. “I don’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to do then. This whole thing is getting messier by the second.” Kerry still didn’t speak so Priety walked over to her to shake her back to reality, “Are you listening to me? I am going to prison and I can’t go to prison!” “We have to call the cops,” Kerry blurted out and reached past Priety to grab the phone. “They will know what to do.” “No! No cops,” Priety said, snatching the phone from Kerry and slamming it back into the receiver. “I already made a mistake coming to see you. Do you have any idea how much danger you could be in? I shouldn’t have told you what happened. What the hell was I thinking?” “Are you kidding me?” Kerry snapped, slowly getting back to the swing of things. “Are you kidding me! Do you realize what is happening? Or is everything just going over your head? They think you’re missing! A woman is dead and they think you did it! They think you killed this woman and ran because you didn’t want to get caught!” “Don’t be silly! They can’t think I killed anyone!” “Really? Are you paying attention? Not only do they think you killed someone, some deranged psychopath could be after you because you saw what he did!” Priety was pacing the floor nervously and hardly heard a thing after a woman is dead and they think you did it. She was shaking visibly and her legs were threatening to give out from under her. “You can’t believe I killed anyone.” That only caused Kerry to suck her teeth and feel even more agitated. “Of course I don’t think you killed anyone, I know you better. But after I reported you missing, the cops needed help before it was too late so they released your picture and name to the media. The media think they know exactly what happened especially after they found out that a body was found next door to you... I know you didn't kill anyone but the media thinks you did and I’m pretty sure the cops do too. You have to do something. You can’t just spend the rest of

your life running from this because we both know that sooner or later it’s going to catch up with you.” “I know that! Don’t you think I know that? What am I going to do? This isn’t the life I wanted, damn it!” She had to think of something. She couldn’t go to the cops because they would put her in jail and she had no other place to run to because the killer would only find her. It seemed at that very moment that jail would be better than running around blindly. “Priety, calm down…” “Don’t tell me to calm down! My life is down the crapper. I don’t want to calm down until something happens.” The night she witnessed the crime she heard the scream and wanted to know what was happening. She didn’t know what possessed her to grab a pair of binoculars but she had. When the woman was shot, Priety wanted to run and scream but couldn’t. Her brain barely allowed her to cover her mouth, hide her scream and move at the same time. Instead, she covered her mouth to bite back on her fear and was caught spying. Stupid brain. Kerry was right and Priety knew it and in the long run, jail was probably safer than running around by herself trying to out run a killer. Just the thought having her freedom taken away made her stomach ache and her throat go dry. Tears toppled down her chin and she turned and walked into Kerry’s arms. That was her way of telling her best friend that she had surrendered. Her body rocked with sobs. “I’m going to jail, Ker.” She sobbed. “I can’t make it in jail. I’ve seen Oz.” A chuckle left Kerry’s throat. “You’re not going to jail, Priety, and Oz is a television show. I don’t think jails are really like that.” “Yeah, sure. Some of those women haven’t seen a man in decades. And me going in there as some shy woman will be like Christmas morning to them. What am I gonna do?” “Just tell the cops what happened and you’ll be fine. I’ll be there with you and, besides, if you do go to prison I’ll come and visit.” That got a smile from Priety as she lifted her head. “Thanks, Ker…please make the call. I might as well get this over with.” Kerry nodded and Priety let her go reluctantly to curl up in the sofa and buried her face

against her knees. She heard the conversation and each word stabbed at her heart. “Detective Stanton please?” Kerry’s voice carried. “Yes…Detective, this is Kerry-Ann Kittrich. Could you please come over to my place…I found something that might interest you…no, I don’t think….what? No…..yes that would be fine.” There was a click and Priety stayed where she was. The silence tore through the room and soon she could hear each beat her heart made. So many things danced through her mind. Her mind raced so bad it began throbbing slightly. Her thoughts went to things like maybe she should have taken a shower first before the call was made, or went out and had sex with a man before she reached prison. She squeezed her eyes shut to silence the thoughts in her head. When a knock came at the front door, she probably jumped a mile in the air and her heart began to hammer in her chest. She pressed her back into the seat as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on ends. “Priety Roshan, you are here-by sentenced to death for the murder of…” …To death… …death… The thought stormed through Priety’s mind like a tornado leaving her panting for air and cringing as Kerry glanced through the blinds. “It’s Detective Stanton,” Kerry hushed her before letting the detective in. Priety didn’t move, she stayed where she was in the same position and waited for the cold clamp of the handcuffs. This evil man had taken away everything she held dear in one night. He had taken away her peace, her happiness and now her freedom. He managed to do something that life hadn’t succeeded in doing. This murderer managed to break her spirit and brought her down. She sat up as Kerry and the detective entered the room. Priety had to admit, even with the impending doom of going to jail hanging over her head, the detective was not at all what she expected. She expected an overweight, slightly balding man with his gut sticking out far enough to touch the ground if he simply bent over at the waist. But not Luke Stanton. The man had wide shoulders, delicious dark skin matched with brown eyes and Priety took a moment to shake herself and close her eyes to kill the images. What was wrong with her? She never had such feelings for a black man before. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. She wanted to have Denzel Washington’s babies but

that was about it. “You must be the infamous Priety Roshan.” It was more of a statement than a question on his part and she nodded. His voice was hard even though he said it softly. “I didn’t kill anyone…” she started as she stood up, placed her hands behind her assuming the position. “Let’s get this over with please. The sooner I can stop thinking about it the better.” **** “Sit down, Miss Roshan,” Luke spoke when he saw her move. Taking the seat Kerry offered he watched as Priety slowly sat down and crossed her legs. “Now tell me what happened and why you ran?” “I ran because he was after me. I wasn’t gonna just sit there and wait for him to come over and do the same thing to me.” “Who?” “The man who shot the woman next door.” “You saw who did it?” “I heard a scream so I went to my window. I saw movements in the window next door which was strange, so I grabbed my binoculars. He saw me and then left the room so I assumed he was coming for me. I ran.” “Could you recognize him now if you saw him?” Luke wanted to know. “I don’t think so. I was too busy eyeing the knife, the gun and running for my life.” **** Luke watched her, trying to read if she was lying. Her long black hair flowed in a mess over her back as though she hadn’t washed it in a few days. Her brown eyes were filled with fear and tears. Something told him she wasn’t lying but another part of him screamed not to trust her because she was a woman. In Luke’s experience a crying woman meant nothing because deep down he knew she could be using him to get what she wanted. Standing up he walked to the window and stared out at the darkness. He was trying to make up his mind about Miss. Roshan. She didn’t seem like the dangerous killer type to him but just because he was a cop, that didn’t mean he couldn’t be wrong. He met many over his years in homicide so he should know.

Shouldn’t he? He let out a pent up breath, bowing his head as though thinking in earnest. The truth was, he thought he saw someone outside but he wanted to make certain. Glancing out again, he saw nothing so he chocked it up to his mind playing the paranoia game with him again. **** Priety watched him silently as he stared out into the night. At that moment she would give anything to know what he was thinking. His large shoulders looked tired but when he looked at her his big brown eyes seemed to have dug through her seeing her core. She felt naked before his suspicious eyes and a tingle went through her body. Fighting the urge to yell at him to say something, she brought her legs up beneath her body and tried to wait patiently but that didn’t work. She wasn’t strong enough. “Say something.” He faced her and she sucked in some air through her teeth. If she could call no other man beautiful, Luke was. He was utterly breathtaking. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push. It’s just my life is over and you’re kind of prolonging my doom.” “Do you own a gun?” was his reply to her apology. “What does that have to do with anything? No, I can barely afford my rent, where the hell am I going to get money to spend on a gun?” “You could be in danger,” he spoke, and walked back to sit down before her. This time he pulled his chair closer to hers and sat down so she could feel his breath against her face. “Miss Kittrich!” he called and Kerry came running into the room. “You called, Detective?” “Do you have any family members you could stay with for a while?” Luke questioned. “My fiancée…” “Good, pack some things and stay with him for a while. If you can go on vacation or something…I do not want you in any danger…you, Miss Roshan, are staying with me.” Priety opened her mouth to protest but his next words shut her up, “Either that or jail. I have no qualms with sticking you in a cell until I can figure this out because, truth be told, I’d rather you be alive than dead.” Kerry nodded and dashed from the room. “I don’t think you could have strapped that woman to the wall the way she was up there.

The media went on the assumption that your neighbor is dead and you were conveniently nowhere to be found. It happens. If I got a sketch artist could you get a picture of the man you saw?” “You asked me that earlier, detective.” Priety shook her head and her tears escaped. “And I told you that my eyes were glued to the gun and…” He nodded, shoulders lifting as he took a deep breath and that stopped Priety’s words. She took some time to help Kerry pack in silence. With that complete, they hugged then piled into Luke’s vehicle. By the time Kerry was dropped off at Chad’s, Priety felt smaller sitting in the leather seat beside the detective. She knew he was trying to help her but she wanted to scream, yell, pound her fist into something. “What now?” She wanted to know as she turned her head to look at him. “Now I get you some place safe and try finding this guy.” Luke started but was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. “Excuse me. Stanton.” He listened and swore beneath his breath before flipping the phone shut. She watched as he dumped the phone into his lap, reached down and flipped a switch and the siren on the hood of his car began flashing red before it blared. He hung a U-turn and made his way back in the opposite direction. “What’s going on?” Priety questioned, gripping the dash board for dear life. “Our killer did it again.” “Maybe that’s it for him…maybe he’ll stop after this one.” Luke glanced over at her for a split second before returning his attention to the road. He leaned on the horn. “Get out of the way!” he shouted before speaking to her. “This looks like a serial killer, Miss Roshan and serial killers don’t stop until someone stops them.”

Chapter Five Pulling up at the crime scene, Luke told Priety to stay in the car. The look on her face stopped him. He couldn’t very well leave her by herself. “I’m going to have a uniform stay with you,” Luke said. “Stay here a sec.” He turned to leave the car but she grabbed his arm. “Don’t leave me out here and please don’t leave me with a strange cop,” she whispered. “Miss Roshan, I—okay, but you have to stay just inside the door. No deeper in the scene.” When she nodded at him, he climbed from the vehicle and waited for her to walk around. He led her against the small of her back leading her gently toward the yellow tape at the front of the house. He showed his badge and dipped beneath the yellow tape and then up the front steps and into the house. Nothing was out of place. The house was clean, almost too clean. One would expect that a house would have something out of place; a cushion set wrong on the sofa, a ruffled curtain, even a wayward cheerio that rolled off a table, something—anything. The faint smell of cleaning disinfectant reached Luke’s nose and he looked up to see the lead scene investigator walking over to him with a grim look on her face. “I know what you’re going to tell me,” Luke spoke before she even opened her mouth. He saw she was looking behind him at Priety with her arms wrapped around herself. He lowered his voice. “Lipstick kiss on the forehead, her eyes are on the kitchen table in a plate, the area was cleaned so no prints, no fibers, a whole lotta nothing.” The CSI pulled her gloves off and rested a hand on a cocked hip. “You know it, stud.” She smiled and motioned to Priety. “Isn’t that…” “Yeah…” “What?” “It’s kind of a long story.” “You shouldn’t have brought her into a crime scene, Luke.” “Don’t you think I know that? But she didn’t want to stay alone and she doesn’t seem to trust any face she doesn’t know at the moment and I can’t say I blame her.”

Luke stepped by the red haired woman and walked across the room. He stopped in the bedroom and looked over at the body and frowned. The same as the other woman; blond hair, perfect body and the eyes were missing. The profile was starting to set in Luke's mind and even though he knew that a real profiler would say that the two women looking alike could be a coincidence, Luke knew better. This guy was killing blond, beautiful women and cutting their eyes out. So many questions popped into his mind, but the most prominent question was, why the eyes? Why not the tongue or fingers? The eyes are said to be the windows to the soul, but then again who really knows what goes on in the mind of a killer. Sighing, he walked back out the door and stopped beside the CSI he spoke to earlier. “Fax over all the reports to me when you’re done.” “You got it, partner.” She smiled and slipped her slender hands back into her gloves. Walking over to Priety, Luke took her elbow and led her out the door back to the car. “Let me take you to my home so you can rest,” he said to her because he didn’t know what else to tell her. His place. That thought made him frown but he said nothing to her as she climbed into the vehicle again. As he drove, Luke tried to remember the last time he brought a woman to his place; for protection or otherwise. He never brought a woman home for protection before and it had been way too long since he had a woman. No matter how frustrated he got over the years, he would simply roll over and go to sleep. Losing his heart was not worth soothing his sexual ardor. Love to him had become over-rated and that was the saddest part to his pathetic existence on the planet. It took longer than normal to get to his place because he stopped to get her something to eat. “You know,” Priety said, “I never thought things could get worse. You know those days when you just wake up and you start having a bad day as soon as you open your eyes?” “All too well,” Luke told her as he pulled into his drive way. “The days you wish you stayed in bed?” She nodded, feeling a little relieved that he knew what she was talking about. Priety let him show her the way into his house and she looked around at the size of the

place. In the back of her mind she wanted to ask where he got the money to afford something so elegant on his cop’s salary but kept it to herself. He was saving her life and that was all she really needed to know at the moment. She followed him up the winding staircase as he rambled on about her taking a shower and he would try and find something that could fit her so she could change. She chuckled wondering how such a large man could find something to fit her until she thought he might be married. Her mind took her back to the ride over; she had glanced at his hands on the driver’s wheel and hadn’t seen a ring but that didn’t mean anything. He could have removed it. Sighing, Priety shook her head trying to pay attention to what he was saying and by that time he was standing in a door. “You can sleep in here,” he said. Priety tried to step past without touching him because his large body seemed to take up the whole area; but her arm brushed his chest and she shivered moving quickly into the room. “Thanks,” she whispered and he nodded. “I’ll go find you something to wear. The shower is the final door down the hall to the right.” He pointed toward the area. When she was alone, Priety closed the door behind her and pressed her back against it. She wanted to cry again but something inside of her yelled for her to suck it up. She had been through worse—her parents’ death, fending for herself. So what if a nutcase was after her? She could handle it. She could! If she could handle her parent’s death, she could do anything. Taking a deep breath, she nodded trying to convince herself. Taking a shaky step further into the room, she walked over to the window and checked it. It was locked so she pulled the curtains in place. She glanced around the room before falling to the bed. The only thing she could do was to do as Luke said; try and get some rest after her shower. When a soft knock came at the door, Priety jerked around to face it. She was twitching and her heart was trying to jump out of her chest. Her first thought was the killer had found her. Glancing around her for something to use as a weapon, she quickly discovered there was nothing. It dawned on her then, she was inside with Luke somewhere in the house. Why was she so jumpy with him around? Inhaling, she rubbed her sweaty palms against her thighs and made her way to the door. Pulling it open she found a small smile somewhere

deep inside and placed it on her face when she saw him. “Hi.” “I found these.” He handed her clothes. “They may be a little big but that’s all right.” Priety took the clothes and held up the shirt first. It was a T-shirt with Edison Police Academy written across the back and a torch on the front. She smiled. “Thanks,” she said, holding up the jeans. He was right, it may be more than too big for her but she could do with it. She would simply transfer the belt she was wearing with her dirty clothes to the pants he had given her–simple enough. He handed over a loofa still in the plastic and a bottle of body wash. “Sorry about the scent. I don’t have many women visitors.” **** Luke felt like an idiot. She was human, a woman, he should be able to talk to her without falling over his words or making small talk. When she opened the door and smiled at him, his insides heated up and curled and he wondered why that was happening. He had a file downstairs with her name on it and he had to get to the bottom of this murder investigation, and catch the killer before something else happened. But why was it he felt like a teenager with a crush? “Ground rules,” he spoke deliberately. “Stay away from the windows. Stay inside and no phone calls unless I clear them. Got that?” “I'm not a prisoner!” she fired. “Tell that to the man trying to snuff you out.” Luke turned without an ounce of sympathy. Dealing with women was more of his brother’s thing. When it came to the softer sex, Luke was a complete idiot; not because he knew nothing about women, but because he had no patience for them most of the time. His brother, Keegan, knew what it took to calm a woman down and let her feel comfortable around him. Luke was completely oblivious to anything under the topic of ‘woman’ except for how to save their lives. The clothes he brought her were from his academy days. He was a lanky kid to begin with and when he got to the academy, they packed the pounds on him and bulked him up. He remembered his drill master telling him – more like yelling at him-, “Boi! You need some flesh on them bones and ahm just da man to do it! Now drop and give me twenteh!” The memory caused Luke to cringe, even after so many years. That man scared the crap out of Luke all the way up to his death. Luke attended the funeral. It was heart wrenching.

Luke was the one to present the widow with the flag. It was a heart breaking thing to do; he never wanted to do again. He knew though, that one day, sadly, he would have to perform that task once more. The flag was supposed to be some consolation to the mourner that their loved one had died but his work for his country was appreciated. He was told the flag meant nothing–they would gladly give it back to get their loved one back. So why give it? Damn tradition. Stepping away from the door he turned again toward the stairs but stopped. “I’ll be downstairs when you’re finished,” he told her and proceeded down the stairs. He did a double check on the doors and windows on the ground level before sitting down in the dining room to the file. He flipped on the television and instantly greeted with news about the murders. “The Ojo Killer has struck again. This time the victim is twenty seven year old Melinda Kensington of Edison City. Friends who remember the bubbly blond say she always had a kind word for others and always tried to help whenever she could…Police still have no suspect in mind…” A growl left his throat. Why must the media give a name to all the jerk-offs who decided to snuff out an innocent person? His back further went up when Priety’s picture was splashed over the screen; being needed for questioning and wondered how the news got out already that there was a second murder. The idea of a leak came to him but he tried to shake it off because no one at the precinct would be that stupid. He hoped. Then again people have done much worse for money. That in itself was pathetic. No one wanted to get a job anymore – they all wanted easy money, a quick fix. The telephone rang and he absentmindedly reached for it. “Yeah,” he answered and muted the television. “Are you seeing this?” It was one of his best friends, Riyu Kotsuke. “One of yours?” “One of mine.” Luke ran a hand over his bald head. “I think we have a leak down at the house. I don’t get how all this got out already.” “I wouldn’t be surprised. People will do anything for money. These reporters are something aren't they? They even gave this bastard a name!”

Luke nodded but remembered that Riyu couldn’t see him. “If you need a hand,” Riyu started but Luke interrupted. “I know. You’ll be the first to know.” “Guess a beer tonight is out.” “Sorry, Bro, maybe next weekend.” It was too bad because Luke could have used the beer. After hanging up, Luke dug into the file from the first crime scene. None of the evidence found pointed to Priety. The worse news was that none of the evidence pointed to a suspect period. That made him furious. “There’s a car outside.” He turned at her voice and swallowed the lump that formed in his throat at the sight of her. He never thought a woman would look sexy in his old clothing but she somehow managed it. Luke bit his tongue and wrapped his mind around what she just said and got up from his seat. He wanted to remind her of what he said about staying away from windows but couldn't get his mouth to co-operate with his brain. Tearing his eyes from her he pressed an index finger to his lips motioning for her to be quiet before walking over to the light switch and flipped off the light, plunging the room into darkness. He heard her gasp but ignored it to walk over to the window that faced the front. He glanced out and sure enough there was a car there. That was strange because for one, there shouldn’t be a car parked on that side of the road since it is a one way street. Perhaps that was why it caught her attention. Luke turned to head back to the light switch when a gentle shaking sound caught his ears. He walked over to where she was standing before the lights went off and stuck his hand out. He felt her shoulder. “Listen to me carefully,” he whispered. “Head up the stairs and lock yourself in your bedroom. Do not turn the light on.” “Okay.” Her voice sounded tired and shaky and he felt her leave his grasp. When he heard her feet softly on the stairs, he pulled his gun from the holster on his shoulder and made his way toward the front door. He could hear soft clicking sounds that someone was trying to pick the lock. Moving like a phantom he was about to pull the door open when a car whizzed by outside. The clicking was gone by the time the car’s engine faded and Luke took a deep breath before yanking the door open.

No one. Had he simply imagined the sound? Checking the perimeter of the house, he went upstairs to find Priety. “We have to leave,” he said simply. “He knows you’re here.”

Chapter Six Priety sat in the car beside the detective and bit down on her nails. She had bitten off every one of her carefully manicured nails so gave up and placed her hands in her lap. She couldn’t believe it. Not only had she messed up her life but she messed up his life too. His chief threatened to take his badge if he screwed up and she didn’t see how that could be avoided. Thanks to her inquisitive nature, she could be living out of a bag for years to come. He explained they would head out of Eddison, through Lipson and into Saudaa, a small town on the outskirts of Lipson and stay there. Saudaa was the cottage area–where rich people own vacation places. That way he could get work done on the case. She opened her mouth to ask something when suddenly he glanced in the rear view mirror and swore. The car began moving faster through the smooth morning traffic. “What’s going on?” “We have a tail,” he responded and ducked through several cars before pulling in front of them. Not up on her police lingo, she arched a brow and widened her eyes. “A what?” “We're being followed...” Deep down she knew she shouldn’t look back but she couldn’t help it. She glanced back and the same car that had been parked out front of Luke’s house earlier was about three cars behind them. “Doesn’t this guy every give up?” she questioned rhetorically. “Hang on.” Luke ignored her question and floored it. Priety bit back a scream and grabbed a hold of the dash board as the car made a sharp turn off the highway and swerved around the bend on the ramp. Horns honked behind them but Luke didn’t pay the honkers any attention. He glanced in the rear-view mirror from time to time. Merging into traffic, Priety screamed. The car was heading right for a large eighteen wheeler that merged around the same time Luke did. She pressed her eyes shut, ground her teeth, trying desperately not to scream again. Tires screeched. She kept her eyes squeezed shut and waited for it all to be over. When she didn’t feel anything and the car kept going, she dared to open one eye. She didn’t see the truck and glanced behind her quickly to see it safely behind them.

“Slow down!” Priety shrieked. “Do you want to die?” “Okay...don't slow down!” Luke was still speeding. Glancing behind them again she saw why. The car that had been following them was swerving from side to side trying desperately to pass the truck. If she hadn’t been so scared she would have been angry at the guy’s persistence. The car sped through the traffic with other vehicles honking at them. “Damn.” Luke swore and she turned to look what he was swearing at. A traffic block was ahead of them forcing them to exit the highway if they wanted to get where they were going in one piece. Swerving around a bend on the ramp, she glanced back to see the car coming after them. “This is ridiculous.” Luke frowned and after making a left turn onto a less crowded street, he slammed on the brakes while yanking the wheel violently to the left. The car spun sideways screeching to a stop. “What are you doing?” “Keep your head down and stay in the car,” he ordered, reaching for his gun. “If things get bad I want you to get into the driver’s side and drive!” “But…” “Just do it!” Luke ducked a bullet. Priety screamed but dove for cover. **** Luke was barely out of the car when a bullet whizzed by him. He sunk behind the car and listened to the bullet smash the window of his side of the car and Priety screaming. Rising cautiously, he lifted his gun to fire but ducked again as the assailant fired at him. He aimed for the car and fired. He missed but fired two more and moved, being careful to keep his car between him and the killer’s gun. He was about to duck again when a bullet caught him in the shoulder. The force of it lifted him slightly off the ground and backward. He slammed into the ground and grunted as pain soared through his body causing him to grit his teeth. Dragging himself forward he moved to the opposite side of the car and lifted his gun but the car was already speeding

away. It was too far to waste another bullet. Leaning heavily to one side, he walked over to where the other car was and inspected the area; nothing but broken glass and annoyance caused him to want to throw his head back and howl. There were no casings which meant chances were the bullet in his shoulder would be from a revolver. The assailant had been careful—too careful to be a novice. The thought that perhaps this person knew the way cops operated and what evidence the cops would look for after a shoot-out crossed his mind. There were no shells, which meant they’d tied something around the gun to catch the shell casings or had used a revolver. Another dead end. Everything on his body hurt. Breathing pained him even though he took the hit in his arm. He walked back to his car and yanked the door open. Moaning he fell heavily into the driver’s seat and instantly Priety gasped. “You were shot! We have to get you to a hospital!” “And say what?” Luke wanted to know as he closed the door and with effort managed to start the ignition and drive off. “I’ll be fine…” “You’re going to bleed to death….” “If I go to the hospital they will call my chief, who will freak out and eventually it would make it to the media and back to this jerk that I’m hurt–which will give him added incentive to come after you.” “You can’t just walk around with a bullet in your arm—” “Let it go, Priety. Stop being overly dramatic, it’s only a flesh wound.” “I may not know much about bullet wounds, detective,” Priety sounded irritated, “but I know a flesh wound when I see one and that is not a flesh wound. Do you at least have a first aid kit where we’re going?” “Yes.” **** Priety didn’t give him a chance to breathe when they got to the cabin and Luke didn’t have the strength to argue with her. He simply pointed in the direction of the first aid kit and then sat back while she worked on him. He tried removing his shirt so it wouldn’t be destroyed but she shoved his hands away, gripped both sides around the bullet hole and tugged. The material ripped easily in her hand and he wanted to say something funny—

something he hoped would take away the sad look in her eyes. He wanted to tell her he didn’t want a woman to rip his shirt unless they were making love or something equally funny to see her big eyes smile but he couldn’t manage it. His body jerked when she used a clean piece of white cloth to wipe away the blood. The soft material grazed over the wound and he wanted to scream. He held his breath and waited until she finished the task and then his chest heaved. Gritting his teeth, he watched as she poured whiskey over tweezers to sterilize them. Taking the bottle from her hands he chugged from it before handing it back. When she pressed the tweezers into the wound to get the bullet, a growl escaped his throat. Whoever said that alcohol killed pain lied. Still the bullet didn’t budge. “I don’t like this,” Priety spoke. “I don’t like causing you pain. I still think I should drive you to a hospital.” “I’ve been through worse…” Priety didn’t see how it could get any worse, with the possibility of bleeding to death or getting an infection or both. Pouring some of the whiskey over the wound, she made a crying sound when he took in a sharp intake for breath and a rumbling sound left his lips. She looked down into his face and winced. He was in pain. She could see it in his eyes just before he squeezed them shut. He held his breath and turned his head away from her; and it was all her fault. Sweat poured off his forehead and hers. He saved her life and now she was hurting him. She gritted her teeth and moved forward a little. She could see the end of the bullet in his shoulder and each time she reached toward it and felt him tense, she whimpered and pulled back. “Priety,” he whispered, “I’m not fragile. I promise you. I won’t break. Even though it’s not something to brag about, I have been shot before. I can handle it.” He lifted a free hand to touch her cheek and wipe a lonely tear away. “Just go for it. And whatever you do, don’t touch the bullet. We’re gonna need it for evidence.” “You were shot and you’re still worried about evidence? What the hell is wrong with you? Hang the damn bullet!” “Priety, if you ever want your life back, that bullet could be a step toward that. Don’t

touch the bullet.” When she nodded at him, he smiled weakly at her. This time she went into the raw wound. He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and held his breath when she yanked it back. The bullet made a sucking sound when it exited his shoulder and then a slight popping sound. Tilting his head back, he groaned and ground his teeth to keep from crying out. “Drop the bullet into that bowl,” he repeated in a frail voice. “We need it for evidence…” He watched her as she did what he asked. She turn to begin bandaging him up. “Thank you, Priety.” “You’re welcome,” she sobbed. “I should get you up. You shouldn’t be on the ground. It can’t be good for your back.” “No, just leave me here for a bit,” he whispered with his eyes closed. “Just let me…” Luke fell heavily into the seat and winced as the simple, everyday action took the wind out of him and sent pain surging through his body. He ran his good hand over his head before resting back against the seat. Images from the Bollywood movie Ajnabee came to his head but instead of the actress, it was Priety. She was dressed in a beautiful, blue, satin night gown and the wind was blowing her long, dark hair behind her. He was there wrapping her hair around his arm and pulling her lips beneath his. Her curves wrapped round his body and her big, brown eyes heated with passion and desire looking up at him. It was such a wonderful feeling to be needed not only for love but for pure, primal lust. “Luke!” Luke’s eyes shot open and he glanced around him. He was trying to clear the dream from his head; he thought she was calling out to him. “Luke!” “Priety?” he muttered, and ignoring the pain in his shoulder he hurried toward her room. She was sitting up in bed with tears in her eyes and as usual his constant disability with the female gender sprang forth. He took a nervous step backward. It was strange to him that he could teach himself Chinese, chase down killers, get shot and still had no idea how to act around an emotional woman. A woman was the biggest mystery in the entire universe to

Luke, a mystery that he had no idea how to go about solving. That used to bother him but he figured if he loved women, he would respect them enough to keep away. He swallowed a lump in his throat and sat on the side of the bed. He didn’t know what else to do but Luke hoped his presence would calm her. When she tossed her body into his arms, he tilted his hurt shoulder out of her reach and sat there like a bump on a log trying to wrap his mind around the fact she saw him as her protector. Luke saw himself as emotionally inept. Sighing heavily, he finally wrapped his good arm around her body and pulled her gently into him. “Help me!” His mind and heart screamed but Luke’s brain couldn’t find the strength for him to say it out loud. For as long as she needed him, Luke sat there with her head against his shoulder until she breathed softly. He laid her back against the bed. A strand of hair fell into her face and he smiled and took great pleasure in reaching for the soft, dark strand and pushed it behind her ear. Slowly he brought the sheets up to her neck and smoothed her hair back. He took the seat across from her and stayed there, watching over her until morning. “Luke.” The softness in her voice did his heart well. He shifted in the chair and moaned. The ache in his shoulder was a dull throb compared to the rest of the ache in his back. He had fallen asleep in a rather awkward position. “Hmm?” “You stayed all night?” He gave her a small smile. “Yes. I thought you would sleep better that way.” He looked away from her–not able to hold her gaze out of guilt. When she went silent he looked back at her and she smiled that beautiful smile and her eyes lit up. Luke started getting up; he wanted to taste her, to hold her. Suddenly, he caught himself and settled for getting up and helping her from the bed. “Come on,” he told her softly. “We need to get breakfast and then you can look through some mug shots.” “I’ll do the mug shots first,” she whispered, taking his hand. “I don’t think I can eat anything now even if I wanted. My stomach isn’t sitting right.” ****

Sitting around the small table in the cabin, Priety flipped through sketches of criminals on the laptop. She told him she didn’t remember anything but Luke hoped seeing a picture may bring something back to her. He was hoping the killer was a two time loser that way nabbing him would be easier. But none of the serial killers he knew used the M.O. their current killer was using. The profiler gave him a partial profile but had been quick to explain that the profile could be all wrong because all the information wasn’t in yet. Also, the profiler explained he couldn’t complete a true profile unless the killer committed a third murder. Luke wanted to slam his fist into something. Then again a profiler has never really helped to catch a serial killer in the past. It was splashed all over the news that the Washington D.C sniper was a white male but it turned out to be two African American males. Luke glared at the paper in his hand as he thought about how useless the Edison city profiler was. He was pretty sure if he got another profiler he or she could have been some help to him. “Nahi,” Priety whispered, “I got nothing.” Luke watched her full breasts heave when she pushed the computer from her. He looked away. “All right, we’ll try something else,” he said. He paced one way, then the next. He didn’t know what else to try to help jog her memory. The only thing he could think of was taking her to the crime scene but that would mean taking her into danger and back into Lipson. He ground his teeth. “I’ll make something for lunch,” she offered, and he nodded as she left the room. Pulling out his cell phone he dialed Riyu. “Dude, I need some help,” he quickly explained. “Where are you?” Riyu asked in a hushed tone. “Keegan is freaking.” “I can’t tell you that now, it’s a long story. Look, I need you to keep an eye on my place for a while. I have something I need to do.” “This isn’t like you, Sarge,” Riyu used Luke’s old nickname. “But fine, I’ll keep an eye on the place.” “And there’s something else.” “Name it.” “I’ve got a bullet I need tested and you’re closer,” he spoke to his best friend. “Can you give me a hand?”

“Where did you get a bullet?” “My shoulder.” “What?” Riyu sounded incredulous. “You were shot? God! I’m going to call Keegan and have him find you.” Luke held up a hand even though Riyu couldn’t see him. “No, wait. I’m all right. I’m still standing. We’re going to come see you in a bit.” “We?” “Yeah, I’ll explain later.” “Okay, I’ll stay at the house until you get here.” “Thanks, man.” “And Sarge?” “Yeah?” “Try to stay out of trouble.” Luke managed a laugh. “You know me,” he said before flipping the phone shut and turning back to face the window. As he leaned against the frame his mind went from the deranged killer to Priety. He saw her body in his clothes and he moaned and rubbed a hand over his face to kill the images. Luke could see himself wrapping his arm around her long, black hair pulling her lips to his. Biting back a groan he tried bringing his thoughts back to what he had to do but was unsuccessful. The intimate thoughts ravaged his mind and caused him to lick his lips. Her curves looked inviting and he wondered briefly how they would feel wrapped around him. “Damn,” he swore softly. “Come and get it!” her voice rang from the door and he couldn’t help but smile. **** Priety stood by the door watching him. He was rubbing his face as if he was tired and she wished he would rest. She couldn’t remember him sleeping. But if he was anything like the cops she had seen in the movies, there was no sleep in Luke Stanton’s future. He wouldn’t stop until the bad guy was either dead or rotting in jail. She smiled and a sense of safety rushed through her core. Turning on her heels she walked back into the kitchen with a little more swish to her hips. He walked in the kitchen behind her and she motioned to a chair and placed a plate

with a ham sandwich before him. She placed a glass of juice down before serving herself. They ate in silence until she couldn’t take the silence anymore. “Do you have a family, Detective?” When he didn’t answer she looked up to see him staring at her. “Sort of,” he replied and looked down at his half eaten sandwich. “Sort of? It’s either you do or you don’t.” “It’s not that simple.” “Of course it’s that simple.” “My parents are always off somewhere or working,” he admitted. “My older brother is Arcadia SWAT so I rarely see him but once in a while for a few beers or if something is wrong.” Priety nodded. “I see.” Silence fell over the room and she realized he wasn’t much of a talker. She sat back in her chair and watched him. He broke his sandwich up in pieces and shoved them around on his plate. Priety began wondering what her parents would have said if she brought home a black man as the love of her life. They probably would have been uncomfortable with it at first until they saw what a good man Luke was. Blushing, she lifted a stray piece of ham to her lips and looked down at her plate. “Do you have a girlfriend?” she found herself asking before she could stop. “No.” “Married?” “No.” “Were you ever married?” “What is this? The Spanish inquisition?” “I’m just curious.” He lifted his head. She flushed under his intense scrutiny. “I never got around to it. My last girlfriend said I’m emotionally handicapped. I think those were her exact words. Can't say I blame her. I think I spend too much time playing inspector gadget to care for anyone.” “Oh.” When he thanked her for the food and left the table she sighed and picked up the plates.

He hadn’t eaten much and she knew he had to be hungry. She missed talking to Kerry. Priety took her time washing the few dishes before going to find him. He was on the speaker phone with Chief Chen. She sat down silently in a plush chair to listen. “Something came in with your name on it.” The chief yelled as usual. “A package.” Luke cleared his throat. “Did you open it?” “No, it has your name on it. Why the hell would I open it?” “I didn’t order anything so open it.” He tried remembering if his brother, Riyu or Michel had sent him something but that didn’t make any sense. If they wanted to give him something they would drive it over to him. That thought caused a strange twisting feeling to grip his insides. The line went quiet. He heard ruffling and then an expletive, “It’s just a cassette. Hold on let me play it.” “Hello Detective Stanton.” The voice seeped over the line like a curse over one’s soul. It wasn’t a real voice. The person disfigured it beyond recognition to hide his identity. “You have something I want. So here’s the deal. One girl per week until you hand her over!” There was a scream and then a sharp sound and then quiet.

Chapter Seven The phone call put Luke on edge. Luke found himself deeper in thought than before. Maybe they would be lucky and their killer would have left some evidence on it. He wasn’t going to hold his breath though. He ran a hand over his shaven head and rested back in the seat. He almost forgot Priety was in the room ; he was so wrapped up in his own thoughts about the next step to get ahead of the killer when he heard a soft sobbing. Luke looked up at Priety and found himself moving across the room to her. He couldn’t stop himself as he went down on his knees and reached out for her. She tumbled into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her body and moaned when his hurt shoulder throbbed. He stroked her head and her back. “Shh,” he whispered. “It’s going to be fine.” “They are all going to die because of me.” She sobbed against his shoulder. “This isn’t your fault,” Luke hushed her. “This is the mind of a sick, twisted thing that isn’t human. If you start blaming yourself for any of this it’s going to eat you alive and you can’t do that.” “We have to do something.” “We are. And as much as I hate to admit it, it’s going to take time and more girls are going to die. But I’m not going to hand you over. You got that?” She didn’t answer and he kept holding her and stroking her hair. Lifting her head from his shoulder he looked into her big, tear-filled brown eyes and used his thumbs to dry her tears and caress her cheeks. Her skin was like smooth honey between his fingers; soft and flawless. Drawing closer to her, he watched as her eyes drifted shut and no amount of scolding himself could break the trance he fell into. Luke moved until he could feel her breath against his face and pressed a soft kiss against one eye lid and then the other. Not knowing he was capable of such tenderness, he kissed her nose and then brushed his lips against her trembling ones. **** A small moan left Priety’s throat and she shivered when he kissed her eyes. She felt beautiful at his gentle advances and felt like crying even harder. It was a strange feeling

deep inside; no man had been this close before and her mind screamed to push him away. She couldn’t find the strength because her heart wanted whatever he was offering. She lifted her chin slowly when he brushed his lips over hers. His large hands cupped her face causing her lips to brush his chin. He lifted his head away from hers. Feeling his body jerk, she dropped a chaste kiss against his lower lip and reveled in the sound that escaped his throat. **** “It’s over, Luke,” Kayla said with a smile on her face and for the first time Luke felt like hitting a woman. He stuck his hands deeper into his pockets and heard the fabric give. “What do you mean it’s over?” He tilted his head slightly to one side in confusion. “You know? We not date anymore? Look, you’re emotionally handicapped. You have no idea how to act around a woman. You’re a great lover, Luke, that’s all there is but I want more. And besides, I can’t stand the looks we get when we’re in public. I mean, you’re black and well…I’m not.” “Three years and you’re going to end it like this?” “Not just like this! This has been happening for months, you just haven’t been paying attention. You disgust me!” Luke’s eyes snapped open and he pushed back from her. “I’m so sorry,” he stood up. “Please get ready, we have to take that bullet in to get tested.” He took one last look at her and hurried from the room as though she had the plague. The drive into Saudaa’s downtown took very little time. In no time they were walking into the station. A few faces looked up with smiles for Luke who gave them a mock salute. “Sarge,” a voice greeted. Luke turned to shake the man's hand. “Jimmy boy.” Luke smile. “How long has it been?” “Too long. The girls miss you.” Luke smirked. “You tell them they have to wait a little while longer.” Nodding, Jim smiled. “He’s in interrogation one.” “Thanks, Jim.” Luke rested his hand against the small of Priety’s back as they walked

through the station house causing a shiver to go through him. As he got to the door he quickly moved his hand and he looked into the room through the two way mirror to make sure that Riyu wasn’t in with someone. Opening the door he allowed her in ahead of him. As soon as Riyu saw him the younger officer was out of his seat. The two men touched their fists together, as was their custom greeting, before Riyu offered Priety a seat. “What’s this about you getting shot?” Riyu asked straight to the point without even looking at Priety twice. “I’m on the Ojo case and the sucker followed us out of Lipson,” Luke explained while sitting on the desk. “Man, I’m telling you, I got tired of being chased so I stopped to try and catch him. I didn’t see it coming.” “How’d you know it was him?” Riyu wanted to know. “Who else wants us dead? Aside from you that is?” Riyu chuckled. “Good point.” Riyu let out a labored sigh and took the envelope Luke offered. “I’ll get this shipped down to the lab. “Oh, hi.” Riyu turned to Priety with an outstretched hand as though he just realized she was there. “Hi, I’m Riyu Kotsuke, the good looking one.” Luke snorted. “So he thinks.” Priety’s eyes snapped to Luke to ensure she should tell Riyu her name. When Luke nodded, she gave Riyu a dazzling smile before taking his extended hand. “Priety Roshan.” **** Riyu reminded Priety of a singer she had seen in the movie Speed Racer, his name was Rain. The cop was tall with dark, curly hair and a body she knew was absolutely divine. She didn’t have to see him shirtless to know he had ripped abs. Her thoughts made her blush. She took her hand back after a quick shake. “I’ll have the lab drop everything and do this.” Riyu waved the package at Luke. “Thanks, Bro.” Priety’s eyes stayed on Riyu’s strong back as he left the room before turning to face Luke. “Can we trust him?” “There are only three people that I trust with my life,” Luke started, “my brother Keegan, my friend Michel and that man.”

Pressing her lips into a thin line, Priety nodded. That was enough for her. **** Fear is a dangerous motivator. It caused the mind to shut down and the body to paralyze. Fear is what got her in this mess and it was what would keep her in it. She passed a lazy hand over her face and sighed as she stood up straight and bent at the waist to stretch her back. She could hear the bones snap back into place and she moaned with satisfaction at the sensations that throbbed through her. Why couldn’t all things in life be as simple as fixing a stiff back? Then what would the world have to fight about? Sucking her teeth she pressed her hands against her hips and pushed her pelvis forward, bending backward. That too made her sigh in pleasure before standing up straight and rolling her shoulders. Priety sat on her bed with her hands clasped in her lap as she stared at the closed window. She had to do something; all those people were going to be killed because of her. Standing up she paced the room deep in thought. She couldn’t think of anything that would help but turning herself over to the killer. A sigh left her lips and she prayed silently to Ganesh. If anyone could get her out of her issues it would have to be the god of obstacles. She hadn’t prayed since her parents died, blaming the gods for their deaths. The gods were supposed to protect their people from pain and suffering, yet still they took her only support systems away from her. The gods had left her in a world where pain was everywhere, everyone wanted something for nothing and no one valued love and friendship She was never sure if she wanted to be a part of that world, but still she lived. Priety whispered the prayer silently, “Vakratunda Mahaakaaya Suryakotee Sama Prabha Nirvighnam kuru mey Deva Sarva kaaryeshu Sarvadaa.” O Lord Ganesha of Large body, curved trunk, with the brilliance of a million suns, please make all my work free of obstacles, always. Feeling somewhat stronger, she exited the door. “Luke?” she called softly while searching for him. She finally found him in the small den hunched over the desk. He looked up and she could see his eyes change color when he saw her. She rubbed her hands against her hips and she took a seat across from him. “I want to go back,” she whispered. “I want to help them.”

“There’s nothing we can do until he either contacts us again or we find something from the trace.” “I feel so damn helpless! I mean, people are going to die and I’m sitting on my ass doing nothing.” Anger coursed through her veins and he was the only one there for her to take it out on. “I can’t believe we ran when he came after us! We shouldn’t have left Lipson. What the hell kind of cop are you? You shouldn’t be running from a fight!” “Do you think this is easy?” Luke growled at her and moved around his desk like a tiger jabbed one too many times. “I didn’t run because of me. I’d rather stand and fight but if I had stayed in Lipson or Edison and something went south, you would be dead. I would rather stand up and put a bullet between the son of a bitch’s eyes but I can’t do that. I’m a cop, Priety. I am supposed to uphold the law, not break it. Forget upholding the law, my job is to make sure you stay alive. But if you want to go back and walk into the arms of a killer then by all means be my guest. But know if something happens it won’t be on me because your self-righteous bullshit will only get you killed.” He stormed out of the room and Priety sat there wide-eyed. In a way she knew she deserved everything he said, because she pushed him and he only pushed back. She couldn’t believe after all these years she still couldn’t control her temper. A sick feeling ran through her and she felt like the worse sort of human being on the planet. She hurt him. She could see it in his eyes. Priety got it plain as day. Suddenly, she felt empty and alone and she remembered what it felt like to have him close to her. She felt even worse when his heat was wrapped around her. She rubbed a hand over her neck and slumped back against her seat.

Chapter Eight A ticking sound could be heard as Priety walked along the path. The warm rays of the sun kissed her skin sending wonderful heat through her body. She loved the sun. When she was a child her mother would often times find her lying on her back in the front yard, with her eyes closed, just basking in it. But as she got older, more and more hardships came her way and the chance to enjoy nature’s heat was gone. She pushed the bad thoughts from her mind and tried desperately to allow the one small chance of reprieve that she was feeling. Birds chirped happily and the air smelled so fresh she wondered for a brief moment when she arrived in the country. But she wasn’t one to complain or dwell on the technicalities— she was in paradise. Suddenly it went dark. The birds were gone and the feeling of safety she felt previously somehow disappeared. Removing her sunglasses she glanced around as the ticking got louder and more insistent. Something pulled her toward the ticking. Her legs moved as though she had no mind of her own and when she tried to stop, nothing happened. It was as though her brain was firing but her feet weren’t listening. A bitter taste rose in the back of her throat as she began sweating. Stopping before a large bush, she found herself leaning forward. Instantly, there was a man standing before her; he had no face but she knew he was smirking. Inside her mind, she could see his lips curled upward at her. She tried to back away but something held her in place. She began flailing her arms, to get away, desperately yelling at her feet to remove her from such danger. The ticking sound kept going and the man neared her. A bell went off and Priety could see the gun slowly lifted at her. A deranged laughter could be heard from the darkness behind her. A scream ripped from her lungs piercing the dark and the arms holding her clenched tighter. She looked down and Luke was lying on the ground, bleeding from his head. The migraine came out of nowhere starting as a dull throb and quickly graduating into

the grand poo-bah of migraines. He was glad Priety decided to get some sleep; at the moment he wouldn’t be any good for her. He switched all the lights off and tried to turn his brain off, as well, but it didn’t happen. With each thought, each moment, the ache got worse until he could literally feel his temples shaking. He lay on his back with his head pressed backward and his eyes closed. Luke hadn’t realized he fell asleep. He meant to sit down for a quick second, to rest his aching back and throbbing head. But something yanked him from his sleep and he shoved upward. His mind was still a bit hazy. Was that screaming? Luke’s mind ripped from the daze of sleep and his hand snaked underneath his pillow to clasp the cold handle of his gun. Shoving his feet out of bed, while removing the safety on the gun, he tore through the cabin from his room to hers and slowly pushed opened the door. The scream erupted again. Training his weapon around the room he noticed it was empty but she was flailing on the bed like a mad woman. Luke tucked the gun in the back of his pajama and moved to the bed. Sitting on the side, he held her hands and inched close to her. “Priety,” he whispered, and her body relaxed. “Open your eyes.” “No! I didn’t mean it!” She screamed and Luke reached down and scooped her into his arms ignoring the slight throb in his shoulder. He held her against his bare chest and stroked her head. “Come on, wake up…” “Luke!” She cried and clung to him as her body rocked with sobs. “It was so real…” “I know,” he whispered with more emotions than he thought he possessed. His tenderness toward her scared him because he was once called a big oaf who wasn’t capable of such things. Her smaller body against his made him shiver even more. She melted into him and wrapped her arms around his back. She felt like she was built to be against his body. He bit back the groan that threatened to escape his lips. Her face pressed against his chest and Luke could feel the hot, wetness of her tears flowing over his skin. He caressed her back and whispered things to her; things that didn’t make sense to him but he knew they made a difference to her. ****

Priety let herself be comforted in the arms of her protector. She couldn’t believe she had freaked out the way she did but in her state she felt she had the right. Even after the hurtful things she said to him, he still ran to her rescue and held her because she acted like a child and had a bad dream. A deranged killer wanted her dead. She held onto Luke Stanton enjoying the wonderful heat that wafted from his body and surrounded her. The way his large hands caressed her back and her hair made her bite back a moan. “Sorry I woke you,” she whispered and scooted away from him. “It’s okay…” They sat there side by side not really sure what to say to each other until Luke spoke, “I think we should head back in the morning.” “Are you going to hand me over?” “Do you really think that little of me?” Priety didn’t answer. She got off the bed and walked out the door. She wasn’t sure what she thought of Luke Stanton because every time he got close to her, he tensed up and pulled away. Except when she screamed her fear to the night and he came running in to save her. That made her feel like a princess and a tear trickled down her cheek. She dreamed of her prince charming but she always thought he would be a nice Hindi man from a good family. Instead, she got Luke Stanton, tall, dark and handsome. Sighing she wiped the tear away. She heard heavy footsteps behind her and knew it was him. She turned around to face him. There was hurt in his beautiful brown eyes and she felt like the biggest jerk on the planet. “Please, I didn’t mean to…” “Yes you did,” he interrupted. “I believe a woman who’s worth anything doesn’t say things she doesn’t mean. Neither does a man that’s worth his salt.” He avoided her eyes. “Get some sleep and I’ll take you back tomorrow. We can hopefully get something done about this whole arrangement and you can go back to you life.” Priety felt hurt by his words; it was like he reached out and slapped her and as he stepped by her, his scent of musk tore through her senses and left them in shambles. She wavered on her feet slightly and had to grip the wall to avoid falling over.

Following him into the den she stood by the door and folded her arms as she leaned against the frame. “Tell me everything,” she implored before walking in to sit down across from him. She felt naked underneath his stare.. The look he gave her was smoldering as he locked eyes with her before letting his gaze roam over her body. Each place he looked, Priety felt wonderful heat caress the flesh beneath her clothes and she sighed. Luke’s scrutiny gave her the feeling that she was the sexiest woman in the world. She knew Luke Stanton made his women feel that way just by looking at them. Then again she wasn’t one of Luke Stanton’s women. “It doesn’t look good,” Luke spoke finally when she bit down on her lower lips and rubbed her palms over her thighs. “We’ve got nothing but that tape and I am still waiting to hear if they found anything on it.” Priety nodded. “So what do we do until we hear something?” “We head back to Edison tomorrow and I try and light some fire under forensics.” The ringing telephone caused Priety to scream and her hands flew to her mouth. She stared at him as he leaned over and hit the speaker phone button. “Stanton,” Luke spoke his name with authority. “Stanton,” Chief Chen’s voice barked over the speaker and Priety flinched. “You two need to get back here. I think we found something.” “What do you have?” “Where’re you anyway?” “You know I can’t tell you that.” “I think we found the Ojo Killer!” **** Luke couldn’t believe his ears as he looked over at Priety who stood to her feet and wavered as though she was about to fall. He flew out of his seat and caught her right as she started plummeting to the ground. “Damn it!” he swore. “Stanton?” Chen’s voice rang out with confusion. “We’ll be in first thing tomorrow,” he reported and hit the button to kill the speaker phone. Carrying her to the chair, he lay her down and tapped her cheek gently. When she didn’t

move, he kneeled beside her and watched her. Her eyes fluttered open and he smiled at her. “You really need to stop doing that,” he said. He wasn’t the kind of man to make jokes especially at a time like this. When she smiled at him and tried to sit up, he gently pushed her back against the seat. “Stay still,” he told her. “I’ll get you something to drink.” Wondering what was going on with her, Luke filled a glass with water and was walking back toward the den when he heard a scream. He fought to keep from dropping the glass because he knew she wasn’t dreaming. There was no possible way she could have fallen asleep in the little time it took for him to reach the kitchen, pour the water and take a few steps back. Placing the cup down on the floor, he stepped over it and moved toward the den. Slowly, he made his way to the door where he could see inside the room and see her but if anyone else was there, they wouldn’t see him. He switched to the other side and when he saw no one, he entered the room. Her eyes were glued to the window and he wondered why. When he turned around he saw it, a face with blood down from the eyes. She flew into his chest and he cuddled her face against his skin as he reached behind him and pulled his gun. He led her out of the room and into the basement. It had no windows and only one door in or out. “Stay here.” He told her as he lowered her into a corner between two book shelves. “Don’t move.” “No, I can’t stay here alone. Please don’t leave me here.” “I’m going to lock the door upstairs behind me. There’s no other way in or out,” he assured her. “Just stay down. I have to check outside.” When she finally released her death grip on him, he climbed the stairs and locked the door as promised and proceeded outside in the dark barefoot. His gun aimed for instant discharge as he passed one foot over the next around one side of the house. The wind seemed to sense something was wrong because it was quiet. The moon disappeared behind a cloud. With one side of the house cleared, he checked the other side before stopping at the body. Anger coursed through him. The killer was right under his nose and he didn’t even know it.

Chapter Nine It took a while before Luke could see the chief because Chen insisted Luke see a doctor about the bullet wound on his shoulder. He spent a good fifteen minutes trying to convince his superior he was fine and that the case came first, but Chen wasn’t having it. Finally, Luke relented. With Priety in the waiting room being watched by a uniform, Luke sat on the bed of the red-headed doctor. He was impatient and angry having to take time out of his investigation to deal with this. He was already patched up and sure he would have a scar, but it was another badge of honor to him. Riyu always joked Luke was a Klingon in another life but a scar was a scar—no big deal. One thing Luke hated more than a perp was a doctor. “Hold still would you?” the doctor asked. “Hurry up,” Luke growled as the bandage Priety put on was removed. “It is healing nicely,” she told him. “Someone did a very good job with this.” He didn't reply but tapped his heels against the bed. He allowed his mind to drift back to the case to pass the time. There were so many things that could be in play with the Ojo killer. If the killer managed to get a body up to the cabin how did the chief have him in lock up? The body wasn't there before the chief called because Luke had spent his time away from Priety staring out that very window. That could only mean the person in lock down was not the Ojo Killer. 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 needless 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 Keegan 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. “I know that look.” Michel pointed to Luke’s face. “I can see your wheels cranking. What’s up?” “I have a really bad feeling right now,” Luke shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “What about?” Riyu questioned. “The parking lot can only be accessed by cops,” Luke offered before leaning inward. “No one can get in and out without an access code and Jacob’s code wasn’t entered as leaving the lot.”

“But CSI said that was the crime scene,” Michel tilted his head while playing the devil’s advocate. Luke arched a brow. “I get that, which means someone was waiting for him to exit the building. And that someone needed an access code to get in.” “Or it could be a cop…”Riyu added. A strange tension-filled silence fell over them. The thought of a cop being the Ojo killer was enough to make anyone sick. “What if his death was random?” Keegan offered. “Jacobs getting killed could have been a total coincidence and nothing to do with our case.” The four men nodded in agreement. “But it’s worth a look,” Riyu said before sipping from his beer. “We know Jacobs found something because he wouldn’t be leaving the station house until the wee hours of the morning. So where was he going?” “Yeah and it’s too much of a coincidence that the power died after his death,” Michel nodded. “When the power goes out the last search gets deleted because it hasn’t had time to be archived. The dumbass who came up with the system should be shot.” Luke chuckled. “Technology can only go so far, my friend.” Luke loved speaking with his brother and friends. They usually gave his mind such clarity but not this time. This time their little chat left him angry, frustrated and with a bitter taste in his mouth. With a sigh, he closed his file before reaching for his beer. “Guys, I should go.” Riyu glanced at his watch. “You know where to find me.” he nodded in Luke’s direction. “Thanks, Bro.” Luke stood to hug his friend. “How is she doing?” Michel wanted to know after Riyu’s departure. Luke emptied his bottle. “Not so good. The killer wants her and now she feels guilty.” Keegan patted his brother’s shoulder. “I get that. I’ll keep my ears to the ground for you.” “I’ll look into Jacobs.” Michel pressed his lips into a tight line. “Just in case.” Luke smiled. “Thanks.” Silence. “She’s pretty.” Keegan grinned, Michel laughed but Luke growled. “You’re human,

Luke.” “I’m a cop,” Luke fired. “That’s my queue.” Michel chuckled. “I can tell when you two are going to get into it. Call me later.” After the others had left Keegan challenged Luke to a wrestling match. Luke knew it was his brother's way to try and take his mind off things. But no matter how much he tried, he just couldn't stop thinking of the case with a little bit of Priety mixed in. With his brain on other things, Keegain managed to slip away from Luke over and over. “Come on man, concentrate!” Keegan called while reaching in to smack Luke against the right arm then the left. Luke growled, bent forward and attacked, catching his brother around the waist and throwing him. Keegan flipped, landed on his feet and attacked. “Remember Jason Michaels?” Keegan asked as the two tussled on the ground for supremacy. “Yeah,” Luke got out through clenched teeth. “He's doing five to fifteen for drugs,” Keegan explained and grunted when Luke flipped him and pinned him to the ground. Luke stopped and backed off to grab a towel. “What?” He extended a hand to help his brother off the ground. “What do you mean he's in prison?” Keegan accepted the hand and grabbed a towel. Luke watched as his brother rubbed the towel over his face before answering, “I had to serve a warrant over at this warehouse in Salzman County. When we rushed it, we picked him up. I couldn't believe it, man. We grew up with this Cat. He was the one voted most likely to succeed.” Luke nodded and sat down on the bench at the side and straightened his legs before him. His mind drifted back to their childhood days when Luke, Keegan and Jason would play hockey on the lake by the cottage. Now, since they grew up, they decided to choose different sides of the law. “Remember when he fell through the ice up at Bobcaygeon?” Luke questioned. A smile crossed Keegan's sweaty face. “Yeah. I thought you were gonna go in after him.” Luke remembered looking around and not seeing Jason but a gaping hole where the kid was only moments before. He didn’t think twice about it but skated to the hole, fell to his

stomach and stuck his arm and half his body in trying to find his friend. Keegan saw what was happening and dove for Luke's legs. Luke remembered how the water bit him like a slap in the face. He couldn't open his eyes to look where his friend was because the cold was stinging his eyes as though someone poured soap into them. Later on that week when their parents returned from a trip to Jordan, both Luke and Keegan were grounded for skating on the lake before it was ready and Jason was in the hospital with a kick ass case of hypothermia. “Mom and Dad were pissed.” Keegan chuckled and Luke grunted. “Now that, big brother, is the understatement of a lifetime. Sometimes I don't see why they cared really.” Luke let out on one breath. “They were never there and it was like you raised me.” Keegan nodded and Luke continued, “Man, I was your idea of birth control wasn’t I?” Keegan chuckled. “That’s one way to put it.” “Fine, then I must have ruined your sex life back then something awful.” “Yeah you did,” Keegan said soberly. “But you were my brother. I'd rather have you over any of those girls any day.” Silence flowed through the room like unseen magic. **** Priety fell asleep listening to the muffled voices downstairs. She couldn’t hear what they were saying but the lullaby of Luke’s voice lulled her sweetly. With a defeated breath, she gave in and her eyes drifted shut. Not long afterward, however, she was awake again with a sense of panic. Yanking the sheets from her body, she tore through the house, shoved open Luke’s door and dove under his sheets to cling to him. If it was any other situation she would have burst out laughing at the sheer hilarity of what happened. She was reminded of cartoon characters diving beneath a sheet. “Priety?” His confused voice broke through her paranoia. “Priety? Baby?” She felt herself shiver against him but she hung on to him. His arms wrapped around her and her racing heart slowed down slightly only to begin racing again. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “I’m right here.” “Luke…” was all she got out before panting to breathe. “I think I’m having a panic

attack.” It felt as though her world was spinning around her and the only constant she had was Luke's arms around her. Her breathing got shallow and her head began throbbing out of control. Her heart hammered and the thought of having a heart attack swam to the forefront of her mind. She panicked even more. She heard a humming sound in her ear, and a tightening in her chest caused her to grunt in pain as one hand left Luke to grab her chest. Priety was relieved that he seemed to know what to do to calm her down. He began caressing her back gently while whispering against her ear. Her breathing began returning to normal. When she was calm again she lifted her head from against his chest. “Luke?” “Yes?” his voice was low like the beginning of a thunder storm. “You have that look in your eyes again.” She licked her lips. “I think you should kiss me.” “I think I should carry you back to bed.” “I can walk.” Pushing away from him, she tested her legs to see if they would hold her before walking out his door. She felt like a fool because she tried again and once more he pushed her away. Maybe she should just give up; he wasn’t interested in her that way. Maybe… Her thoughts died when Luke’s large hand caught her by the hip and pushed her against the wall. She didn’t have time to complain because his lips devoured hers. **** Luke couldn’t help it. Her soft lips beneath his were all he could think about. When her arms wrapped around his bare back, Luke growled and ripped his mouth back. “I’m sorry,” he chocked out quickly but recaptured her lips before scooping her up into his arms. He didn’t let the link they had break as he drank from her lips and heard his heart hammer in his ears. He was slowly losing control and there was nothing he could do to stop it; a runaway train tearing through his mind, causing him to flinch but kiss her harder. Lowering her to his bed, his gaze locked with hers. “I didn’t want to touch you until this was over…” “Shh,” Priety pressed her right index finger to his lips. “I want you.”

“You do?” Luke smiled teasingly at her before leaning in to steal a kiss. “I haven't heard a woman say that to me, and meant it in years.” “I mean it, Luke. Please....” “How much?” Priety smiled impishly and rolled them over so she was on top. As she straddled him she began undoing her pajama top slowly; painfully leisurely; unclasping each button as though she hadn’t a care in the world. She writhe her hips against the growing bulge beneath her. She watched with pleasure as Luke’s eyes rolled into his head before he clutched her hips. When she was fully naked, she watched as Luke’s eyes darkened. He sat up and kissed her between her breasts before slowly rolling his fingertips over her nipples. He flicked his tongue out to taste her. “Luke…” Preity whimpered as sweet fire roared through her body uncontrollably. Luke felt her moving sensually against him and joy flowed through his veins. No woman could fake the passion he heard in her voice each time she said his name. He shoved her long hair over one shoulder and nipped her neck when she reached down and squeezed him intimately. “Priety,” he sucked in some air as she pushed him back against the bed. Luke felt himself slipping into her and when she stopped his eyes widened in shock. He tried to stop but Priety pushed her hips downward hard and shrieked in pain. Grabbing her hips, Luke felt like the biggest jerk on the face of the planet. He felt as though he could cry. How had he not known? He should have seen it in her eyes; in the way her body jerked innocently against his. The way her touch was hesitant and unsure, he should have known. “Priety! Oh God, Priety.” Luke tried to scoop her into his arms to cuddle her but she pushed against his arms and shoved him against the bed. “Don’t stop.” She sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “Because it wasn't important.” “But why...” “Can we argue about this later? We're kinda in the middle of something here!”

Luke looked into her face, trying to gauge what she was feeling and the lost look in her eyes told him everything. She was no longer in pain, and as she rolled her hips against him, he got his proof. With a smile, he pulled her closer to his body, wrapping his arms around her and brought his lips up against her throat. He felt her tighten around him and tried to hold back but she made him feel like a teenager during his first time all over again. He pushed against her. “Priety!” he managed through clenched teeth as his whole body tightened then shuddered with release. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Luke cuddled her against him. “Is it really that important?” Priety shivered sweetly. Luke pushed himself up on his elbow and looked into her eyes. “You gave me the most precious gift…you were a virgin…how can you not…Priety, look at me.” “I can’t.” Tears streamed down her face. “I’m sorry I hurt you.” “That’s not it, Luke.” Arching a brow, Luke was puzzled. “Then why are you crying?” “You’re being so gentle with me…” Luke leaned in and kissed her before climbing from the bed with her in his arms. He silently carried her into the bathroom and stepped into the shower with her. Turning on the water, he held her close while the water poured down around them. The knowledge rushed through his body like a wildfire and he shook against her; there was no way he could ever let Priety go. **** “Well, Detective. I see you’re a hard man to learn. All right. Let’s up the anty. Since you cops can’t even seem to catch a cold, I’ll make your chances better. I’ll kill two girls per night until I get what I want. Don’t these women’s lives mean anything to you?”

Chapter Eleven “We’re going where?” The shock in his voice caused her to stop fighting with the pin she was trying to use to keep her hair up. She faced him and took a deep breath. “It’s Holi. It’s a celebration in my culture. I don’t expect you to understand but I’ve been doing it ever since I was a child with my parents and they’d expect me to be there— killer or no. I can’t miss it.” “I kinda figured that.” Luke pouted and Priety reached up to press a kiss to his sexy lips. “And I don’t want you to miss something as important as a cultural holiday. What does Holi mean anyways?” “Roughly, it means burning.” “Sounds like herpes… that’s not something I would celebrate.” Priety laughed. “No,” she told him. “There are many stories about what Holi signifies but they all end the same way—good triumphing over evil. Love over hate—fun stuff.” “Good over evil, huh? Sounds like my kinda party,” Luke told her. Priety had turned back to the mirror to fuss with the pin and her hair once more. She watched as he moved in behind her and took the pin. He pressed it between his luscious lips before picking up another and began fixing her hair. That stunned her to no end. No other man had ever been that gentle with her before—not even her beloved father. She had tears in her eyes as she watched his concentration. He removed the pin from his lips and had his tongue stuck out one corner of his mouth slightly stressing his concentration. She knew he was thinking hard; she often times did the same thing when she really wanted to figure something out. “Tell me more about this triumph over evil story,” he said. She blinked back her tears and met his gaze in the mirror. The smile he gave her took her breath away. She thought it again, Luke Stanton was a beautiful man with beautiful brown eyes, a strong set of cheekbones, full lips with a proud chin. “Well, one story is there was a demon-king named Hiranyakashipu who…” “Wait. Hira-what now?” “Hir-any-aka-shi-pu,” Priety enunciated slowly. “He won over the kingdom of earth and ordered everybody to worship him and not the gods. But his son Prahlad refused to pray to

his father and continued to worship the almighty Lord Vishnu, a Hindu god who is considered to be the preserver of the universe. Hiranyakashipu tried many times to kill Prahlad for his outright defiance but Lord Vishnu saved him every time. One of Hiranyakashipu’s sisters named Holika had powers to walk through fire unharmed. So, Hiranyakashipu ordered her to kill Prahlad by walking through the fire with him. However, Lord Vishnu came to his help and Prahlad was saved while Holika died.” She saw his brow shoot up in confusion and she knew a question would leave his lips. “Wait a minute. I thought she could walk through fire without getting hurt. How comes she died?” “Ah, that, my dear Luke, is the bare bodkin of it all. There was a loop hole, you see.” She beamed, rather proud of her feigned Indian accent. Luke moaned. “There’s always a loop hole.” “You see, Holika didn't know that her powers were only effective if she entered the fire alone. “ “I guess she should have read the fine print. Those are always the killers.” She smiled at his joke. “Even today, bonfires are lit on the night of Holi in memory of the event and burning of the wicked Aunt Holika.” “Sad,” Luke whispered. He was finished with her hair by the end of the story. He had done a marvelous job. “Yeah,” Priety answered. “There’s also a story about Radha and Krishna and Kamadeva.” “Kam-who-now?” “The Hindu god of love. I should tell you the story some day for they say he rides a parrot.” “A parrot, eh? Sounds manly.” Luke smirked. “Okay, so what do we need to do about this, Holi thing?” “Well, we dance through the streets, eat yummy food and throw color powder at each other.” She laughed as one of Luke’s brows arched again. “Say what?” Priety grinned and took his hand. She knew he was allowing her to drag him after her,

otherwise there was no way she’d be able to move Luke. **** As the day wore on, they found their way into the heart of the Holi celebrations. She squealed as Luke grabbed a handful of colored powder and tossed it at her. She tried ducking but it smacked her right in the forehead. His laughter as he got splashed with powder from behind caused her heart to soar with emotion. She didn’t cry because she didn’t have time. He took her in his arms and twirled her around to the beat of the Indian drums. Those drums, that released those absolutely breath-taking sounds, that tantalized the soul, were absolutely breath-taking. The pounding filled the air and caused one to sway at their will; the drums, the most powerful instrument in the world. She allowed her soul to whisper to his and to answer whatever waves he was sending back to her. He’d shocked her; he never once complained at being at the celebrations. Some other men would have complained and caused a scene about getting hit with colored powder, but not Luke. He had integrated himself into something that was from her very essence of being; her beliefs. From time to time he would pull her to him when someone passed a little too close to her. She could tell even though he was having fun he was still on alert, afraid they would harm her. At one point a car backfired and he pushed his body before hers. That took her breath away. He was a man that wanted to protect her with his life and Priety had never had that before. That night as they showered together, he was so tender. She sobbed and pressed her face to his wet chest. He took her hair in his hands and washed it with care. Luke kissed her senseless, turned her gently to face the wall and entered her slowly from behind. Priety was in heaven. She arched backward into Luke’s hard body. She cried out to him and he answered by kissing her ear, nipping at her neck and raking his fingers softly over her back. By the time they were both over the moon, the colored powder from the day’s festivities was gone and the two stumbled, still wet from their shower, onto the bed. **** Luke spent the whole night, after Priety went to sleep, thinking of ways to catch his first

ever serial killer but nothing came to mind. Most of the night was spent thinking of Priety in a way that caused his heart to race and his pajamas to tighten, and then guilt washed over him like the plague. He used the night to decide where to go the next day. He needed some perspective on things, to sum up everything that happened up until that moment in time. He had fallen for someone involved in one of his cases. He always prized himself on being objective, cold and no-nonsense when it came to the women that were involved in any way with his work. Priety had something that intoxicated him. Priety moaned and snuggled into his chest and Luke couldn't help himself. He bowed his head and kissed her head and then her ear lobe before resting back against the bed wondering how many ways he had just complicated things by not being able to resist her. It wasn't that she forced herself on him and he was weak; it was that he wanted to so much but was afraid. After they made love he thought about leaving her before she could hurt him but something was inside of him telling him not to. Something, inside, told him she was different from all the others and Luke wanted to stay around and see what that something was. Luke glanced at the bedside clock and frowned; it was way past midnight and it began to dawn on him that he was not going to get any sleep. He started thinking about the last time he had a good night's sleep and no date could come to mind. With a sigh he moved away from Priety and stuck his feet out of the bed. “Luke?” Priety's sleepy voice called and he turned to see her sitting up. “Is something wrong?” “No, sweetie, go back to bed.” He watched as she pulled the sheet up to her chest and arched a brow at him. “I may be all groggy from what you did to me last night and still a bit sleepy but I'm not an idiot. Talk to me.” Luke sighed and walked over to the window to glare out at the darkness with contempt. “I am all out of fight, Priety,” he whispered. He turned his head to see her pushing her feet out of bed, wrapping her naked body with the black satin sheets. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled her body close to his. “You can't give up, Luke. I need you.” “What does that mean? Does it mean you want me to save you? Does it mean you want

me to love you and care for you?” The silence between them seemed to last forever before she spoke. “All of the above.” “I don't want to hurt you, Priety... the last woman...” He heard her intake of breath as she pulled away from him and stepped around to face him. She leaned against the window looking up into his dark eyes. Reaching up she touched his cheek and he couldn’t help but give in to the urge to turn his lips to press a kiss into her palm. “I am not like the last woman you've been with, Luke. I am me and I can only give you so much. I have no money, no power, no stature and I barely graduated high school. It is too soon to be talking about forever. Don't you think?” “So you don't want me that way?” Luke didn’t want her to feel as though he was trying to force her but the questions he was asking were necessary. They were painful for her, he could tell for her eyes glazed over with raw emotions. But in order for him to heal, he had to get them out. “I want you in every way imaginable,” she told him. “But your eyes tell me that you want to run.” Luke gripped her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. The sheets fell to the ground to puddle at her feet. Her arms were now wrapped tightly around his neck. “I promise to try and be a good man to you,” he whispered against the side of her head. “I promise to at least try not letting my work or the fears of getting hurt again take control.” His fingers sank into her long, flowing hair and he moaned, “ So help me I want you.” The kiss was hungry and Luke felt like he couldn’t breathe without her. He only meant to kiss her but there was no such thing. Picking her up, he kept his lips fused to hers, his tongue moved against hers. Her legs wrapped around him tightly and he moved them to the bed, placing her down on her back. Luke ate from her neck, the swells of her breasts and against her shoulders. He growled as her nails dragged down his back. He made a trail down her body, stopping to lick against her ribcage, her belly button. He could smell her arousal and his mouth watered. He gripped her knees and pulled her legs apart. “Luke,” she panted. He had to taste her. Her body arched, her hands found the back of his head pressing him

deeper into her. He didn’t complain. He feasted from her, taking great pleasure in her taste, her scent, her. She was delicious. “Priety,” he growled. Her legs tightened. Licking his lips, he rose over her body and looked down at her face. She smiled at him through half closed lashes. But he wasn’t finished yet. He found her entrance and sank within her. **** Priety’s eyes shot open. No matter how many times she made love with Luke Stanton, he still managed to completely satisfy her. He made her body boil, her eyes roll into her head and sent her senses flying. She used her body to beg him for more and he responded. She licked her lips, dug her nails into his back and arched into his body. She felt her body shattering around him once more and she welcomed it. She heard him growl. His face was now pressed against her neck, his tongue lashing her heated flesh. Her mouth fell against his unhurt shoulder and let her teeth sink into it. He yelled in pleasure and she felt him explode. She slumped into the bed, panting for air and he slipped on top of her, breathing in her scent and pressing her sweetly into the bed. **** The ringing telephone woke Priety and instantly she had a smile on her face. Luke was with her holding her against his chest. “Luke?” she whispered before pressing a kiss to his pulse. She giggled when he moaned. “Luke, your cell phone is ringing.” She watched as his hand snaked out and grabbed the silver phone from the bedside table. “Stanton,” he groaned with his eyes still closed. Suddenly his body tensed against her and his eyes flew open, “Uh-huh...I'll be there...” “What?” Priety questioned sitting up. “I have to go to a meeting.” Luke moved from the bed as though she had the plague and she pulled the sheets up to her chest as she sat up. “Okay, let me get dressed.” “You're not going,” Luke let out on a breath. “Keep the doors and windows locked. Don't answer the door for anyone.” He pressed the cell phone into her hands and she curled her fingers around it. “Only answer this phone.”

“Luke, you can't just leave me here!” Priety exclaimed and wrapping the sheets around her body she rushed for the door where he stood. Luke turned and gripped her shoulders. Automatically Priety lifted her lips to him. When he kissed her, she felt her heart soar again. “I'll be back as soon as I can,” he promised. “My number at the precinct is programmed under speed-dial seven on my cell and if you have to use the house phone, hit speed dial seven on that as well.” Priety clung to him long after he had let her go. “Priety, sweetie? You have to let me go...” Sighing, she stole another kiss and locked the door behind him before pressing her back to it. Never in a million years did she think she would be in danger, running from a deranged killer and at the same time fall hard for the one man who was set to protect her. Then again she always thought she would marry an Indian husband and do all the things that were dictated to her by her culture. Luke was the opposite of that. Luke was the tall piece of chocolate that stormed her life and left her defenseless against his kisses, his touch, even a look from him. The way he looked at her just caused her to lose all control and melt to his wishes. His brown eyes turned from brown to hot liquid. They resembled the sky during a thunderstorm. When his eyes got like that she could tell exactly what he was thinking. He reminded her of a sexy lover from the romance novels she stopped reading years ago. Walking back into the bed room, she stripped the sheets from her body, placed fresh sheets on the bed, and scooped the used ones up. Without even getting dressed, she dumped them into the laundry and started the washer before heading back and getting dressed in a pair of jeans that once belonged to Luke—when he was a lanky kid—and an over-sized dress shirt that he now wore. She giggled as the sleeves fell down over her fingers. She lifted her arm to sniff at the shirt for his scent. A faint scent of Arctic Breeze aftershave caught her senses sending them into a frenzy.

Chapter Twelve Unease flooded his body as he drove through the streets and every time he came to a stop light he felt like screaming. That same nagging feeling he felt, before the serial killer started on his rounds, came back and he bit down on his tongue to try and feel something. There was a little sting and he opened his mouth before closing it again. His fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly as he tried to navigate through the morning traffic. He didn't like the idea of leaving Priety alone but what else could he do? He couldn't keep bringing her along with him everywhere he went. It wasn’t fair to her and what if they never caught the killer? The thought caused Luke to tighten his jaw resulting in a sharp grinding sound as his teeth pressed together. The thought of never catching that monster made him sick to his stomach and angry as hell. He shoved his hand down over the horn as someone cut him off and then slowed down almost causing him to slam into their back. The man flipped him the bird and hurry or not, Luke stuck his siren on his dash and pulled the man over. He generated a ticket from the small computer in his dash board then slowly walked over to the man's window. “Here you go, courtesy of the Edison PD,” Luke told the man bitterly while handing him a ticket. He hardly ever had to do that anymore but the jerk got on his nerves. “Have a marvelous day, Punk.” He knew his voice was dripping with sarcasm but Luke couldn't care less. He hurried back to his vehicle and sped off again but this time he left the siren on. Rushing into the station house, he signed in and took off for Chen's office. It struck him as odd that Chen wasn't there yelling into his phone but he only dwelled on that for a second. He was frowning as he saw the man sitting in Chen's chair. That was the last person he ever wanted to see again. “And they said this day couldn't possibly get any worse,” he muttered before pushing open the door. Walking into the office he let his tired body fall into a chair across from his chief's desk. “This better be important,” he growled. “Detective Stanton,” the man spoke to Luke. “Where's the Chief?” Luke wanted to know instead of answering the man's greetings.

“Miss me?” “Like hemorrhoids.” “What? No, oh it's you...no, up yours Larson?” Christopher Larson, Internal Affairs and giant jerk extraordinaire teased, but Luke was beyond jokes, he was in a hurry. “See? Normally I would have been in the mood to play your little games, but today isn't one of those days. What do you want?” Christopher Larson had been a giant pain in Luke's side since the first day Luke made detective. It was as though Larson was waiting on that very day to start flexing his proverbial muscles. He probably took Luke for a sucker who didn't know much about the force but Luke had friends—and family—in high places and all the little tricks Larson thought Luke didn't know, Luke mastered by age seventeen. Luke hated show-offs, teacher's pets and know-it-alls. Nothing grated on his nerves more than a man who talked too much and not say anything at all. “Well, your chief couldn't be here. He said something about leave of absence as he gunned the engine of his Lancer out the parking lot; so he asked me to stand in for him and IA is looking into some allegations of a leak here so they sent me. I'm filling in until Chen gets back.” “And I care because...” “We know the leak didn't come from you. There is no risk in telling you because you seem to know how to keep your mouth shut.” Luke stood up and turned for the door when Larson's voice stopped him cold, “I have some information for you.” “Well?” Larson handed the folder to Luke. “They've managed to recover the data that got fried on Jacob's computer.” Luke hurriedly flipped it open and scanned the contents. “Did you see this?” Larson shook his head. Luke returned his attention to the contents of the folder. He read the information before him and tilted his head. Picking up the first picture he arched a brow. It was a sketch artist rendering of something that resembled a shark jumping through a ring of fire. Frowning he

turned the picture to Larson. “What's this?” “A tattoo,” Larson spoke. “We spoke to a witness over on Lombardi that said a man with that tattoo bought a hunting knife from him a few months ago. Real high end too.” “So the bastard's got style,” Luke spat. “Thanks for this.” Luke dropped the picture back into the folder and hurried from the room while tossing a half-hearted wave over his shoulder. Pushing into the office for Trace, he dropped the file down on the desk. “Find out who this belongs to. Fax me a copy at my place.” “But...” Mitch Clemons started to object. “As of now, this is your only project. Got that?” “Got it...ah before you go, I had some stuff faxed over to me by some guy named Larson just now. He said you might be interested in it.” Briefly Luke wondered how Larson knew he would be heading to Trace but shook his head and leaned his tired body against a large filing cabinet. “What is it?” “He sent me the autopsy reports on the victims from your Ojo Killer.” “And?” Luke asked in a voice sounding like a bear that had been poked one too many times. “And each of the victims had black sand in the wounds,” Mitch explained as his fingers typed away at his keyboards. “Before you say and again. There's only one place in Edison or surrounding counties that you can find black sand.” “Brair Beach!” Luke stared at the computer over Mitch's shoulder. “Give the man a cookie!” “But that's in the ghettos. These women were middle and upper class they wouldn’t be caught dead in the ghettos—forgive the pun.” “Uh-huh,” Mitch nodded. “But it still remains that you're looking for someone from there or someone who would have a reason to be there for an extended amount of time.” “It could be anyone living there and that place is huge!” Luke ran a hand over his head. He didn’t have time to shave and his head showed some growth of hair. “Let's think about this.” Luke stewed over this new set of information for a while and paced the limited space permitted in the lab. “The sand was found in the gunshot wounds?” Mitch nodded again.

“Ballistics report?” Luke questioned. Mitch rolled across the small space, narrowly missing Luke's toes, to a beeping printer and grabbed the printout, “A Taurus Twenty Four Seven,” he read. “The striations match a Taurus but it didn't match anything in our database.” Taking the paper from his hand, Luke read the report. Particles of sand were found on the bullets, the gun had small traces of rust. “Surprise, surprise the gun isn't registered. Thanks, Mitch.” “Oh wait!” Mitch yelled as one of his many screens in the room beeped. Luke turned around to see Mitch picking up a piece of paper. “Ah, we didn't find out who the tattoo belonged to, but we found out who did it.” “Even better,” Luke grinned and walked over. “Death Star Designs over on Lombardi.” Thanking the young lab tech, Luke left the labs and once again sat in his office rummaging through his desk. “Where are you?” he muttered. Something on the file had caught his attention. He was sure he had seen that tattoo before.

Chapter Thirteen The pictures in her head came out of nowhere. Everything from her parents' death to the crime she witnessed and then nightmares she had all her life, all mangled into one. To soothe her were memories of Luke and how loving he was to her after they made love. Images of the storm that captured his eyes and completely whispered to her soul made her moan. Priety moaned and remembered she had to finish folding the laundry and then finish dinner. “Dinner! Oh no! The stove is on!” She moved her feet to run to the kitchen but something stopped her. She tried to bend forward to see what was around her ankles but her arms were restrained. Panicking she yanked but nothing happened. The cuffs just started digging into her wrists. “What the...” she started but then it dawned on her. “You have caused me so much trouble,” the voice spoke out of the darkness to her left and she gasped. The voice was cold and heartless but it sounded different than the one from the tape. The one on the tape was obviously altered to hide the man's voice and identity; she was hearing the real voice. “You have interrupted something that was supposed to be fun for me and so help me I'm going to make all of you pay!” What he said didn't sink in because she was busy trying to figure out why she was shackled and where she was. “Where am I?” “That's for me to know and you to find out. And don't worry. I turned off your stove for you.” “How considerate.” “Your sarcasm doesn't escape me, Miss Roshan, but I'm going to let that go.” Tugging again she groaned. “You'll only cut yourself open doing that, Miss Roshan, so don't bother.” “You won't get away with this.” “And in fear of sounding like every television bad guy out there, who's going to stop me?”

The man stepped out of the darkness and faced her. She gasped. “You! It was you all along? Luke is going to get you for this!” Fear was replaced by anger inside of Priety and she wanted to rip his eyes out. She wanted to do to him the same thing he did to all those other women and was about to do to her. “The man can't even catch a cold! I mean, I am right under his nose and he couldn't catch me. What makes you think he's going to be able to now? Well, my dear, the game has just gotten interesting.” Priety tugged again but this time warm liquid began dripping down her arm and she looked up. She was bleeding, just like he warned earlier but she couldn't let that affect her. It dawned on her that if she bled too much she would pass out or die but she would have to take those chances. **** Luke entered the house and locked the door behind him then turned around with his arms opened. When Priety didn't come bolting at him or appear at all he arched a worried brow. “Priety?” he called and dashed up the stairs. “Priety!” Shoving open each door his apprehension turned into stress, anger even longing as each room bore no sign of Priety. He returned down the stairs and into the kitchen. There on the table the note stared back at him like a kick in the groin. Detective, You should know better. Locked doors and windows do not a prison make. “Oh God...” Luke felt the strength to hold his body up leave as he slumped to his knees. He crushed the letter into a tight fist and growled as he hurled it across the room. Grabbing a nearby chair he gritted his teeth and shoved, sending it across the room into the wall. How could he have been so stupid? Grabbing a hold of piece of furniture, he managed to push himself to his feet. Swiping his hand across the large desk sent everything on it across the room. He looked around the room helplessly. Luke told Priety he felt like giving up but how could he give up now? He could have spent the rest of his life protecting Priety from the psychopath , Ojo Killer, but now the killer had Priety; what was he to do? Luke knew if anything happened to her he would never be able to forgive himself.

Every time he thought of Priety being harmed or killed, his heart beat erratically. Maybe his heart was trying to tell him he could not live without this Indian woman who stormed into his life and brought with her innocence, second chances, mind blowing passion and a deranged serial killer. Priety was the woman who cured Luke of his fear to be intimate with another woman and that meant more to him than he realized. Luke stumbled from the kitchen, bracing himself against the wall and any piece of furniture he could into the living room. He was reaching for the phone when it rang. Diving over the coffee table, he chucked the phone off the hook, “Listen to me you sick son of a bitch...” “Whoa!” Keegan's voice was confused. “What did I do to deserve such a sexy greeting?” “Sorry, Bro, but he's got her,” Luke spoke through gritted teeth. “Say what now?” “The killer has Priety! Damn, I shouldn't have left her but I couldn't bring her along with me down to the house for my meeting...” “All right, sit tight, I'm gonna gather the boys and get over there.” “You can't ask me to just sit here...” “I know you want to go out and beat the crap out of something or someone. But we have to do this right or this jack-off could walk on a technicality. You got that?” Luke nodded. “Got it. But I can't just sit here while she's out there somewhere...” “Damn it, Luke!” “I got it!” “Good.” The phone went dead in his hands and he yanked it from the wall and let it join the killer's letter, the contents from the desk and the broken chair across the room. There was a sharp ringing noise as the phone slammed into the wall and landed on the ground in pieces. “Damn it!” For the first time in his life, Luke felt utterly and completely helpless. He felt almost handicapped and he didn't like that feeling one bit. When Jason had fallen through the ice, Luke had known what to do. On every one of his busts, car chases, traffic stops... he had known what to do. When the woman he loved was gone, nothing but pure, unaltered anger flowed through his veins. Causing him to breathe heavier, his hands curled

into fists and he paced the room like a caged cat, running his hands repeatedly over his head. It was a feeling Luke made a mental note to take out on the perp once he got his hands on him. It may not be right but his anger was too much to think about anything else. He turned his attention to the clock, staring at it until the face blurred. They were taking too long. Bowing his head, Luke pressed his eyes shut, trying to stop the haze that had fallen over him. When he looked up again, the clock was still out of focus. The silence told of time slowly dragging by. Soon, the door sprang open and Michel barged in. “I heard what happened,” he said and Luke walked over and fell against his friend. “Hey, buddy. I've never seen you like this before.” Before Luke could say anything Keegan rushed in with Riyu on his heels. “People, we need to get to work,” Keegan spoke before stepping in to give Luke a hug. “I stopped by the house and picked up the evidence we'll need. It was like pulling frigging teeth.” Luke wanted to laugh at that but his body was too numb. He couldn't get himself to even smile. “Okay,” Michel spoke as the men sat around the table, “let's start with what we've got.” Keegan grabbed a chair from the den while Luke spread the photos over the large table. “We have a climbing number of victims that has deviated from the original profile I had of the Ojo Killer. He started out with clean, blond haired vics. It seems as if he was meticulous on whom he chose. Now, he's just grabbing women off the street. Now he has Priety. I know she's still alive because now he wants me to find him.” “How do you know that?” Michel questioned. “Because her eyes aren't here,” Luke muttered as he focused intently on the pictures before them. The tattoo kept flashing in his head but he didn't know why. “I wish we could sit back and wait until he makes a mistake because at the rate he's going, he's bound to.” Keegan frowned. Luke knew he was right but no matter how hard he thought about it, he could not think of anything. “We have a tattoo artist over on Lombardi who did that tattoo. The hunting shop that sold the perp the knife is also on that street. Michel, you and I will go check out the Lombardi leads. Keegan, you and Riyu take off down to Brair Beach. We have to cover all possibilities and right now these are all we got.”

“On it.” Keegan stood up and patted his brother on the shoulder. “We will find her.” “I think I love her, Keegan.” Luke gave a small, sheepish smile turning to look at Michel, thinking about Priety his sunshine—his breath of fresh air. “Ready?” “Born ready.” Michel nodded and stood. They all formed a circle, wrapping their arms around each other’s shoulders and bowed their heads. Riyu said a small prayer and the four friends stood there for a split second before stepping away from each other. “Let's go hunting,” Keegan growled.

Chapter Fourteen Priety looked around trying to see a way out but she was under a spotlight on the floor. Everything around her was in blackness and she felt as though on the edge of the world, alone, without Luke and wanted to cry. Her mind flashed back to the last time she felt that way. Her parents had just died and all she could do for days on end was sit in a corner, curled up in a ball and sob. It was a horrendous time in her life, a time she never wanted to revisit but this sick, evil person made her live it all over again. Taking a deep breath, she glanced around again hoping the darkness would vanish and she would see her captor, but that didn't work. She started thinking of happy times. How she felt when Luke thought he hurt her during their love making. Since her parents' death, the only person that cared deeply for her was Kerry. “Oh God,” Priety whispered as she remembered her friend. She knew Kerry must be worried sick. Priety hadn't called her since that night at her house. She feared her phone call to Kerry would lead the killer to her friend's door. Happy times. It was her tenth birthday when her father bought her a yellow balloon because he couldn't afford to buy her anything else. Priety thought back to the day and how sad her father was. But Priety was happy just to have the floating object. She took the strings, kissed her father on the cheek and then took off across the yard with the balloon floating above her. She remembered laughing and giggling as the balloon bopped along with her. For it was bright yellow with birthday girl on it. But then it popped. A loud bang sound that caused Priety to jump so many years later and whimper as sadness coursed through her body at the loss of her gift. Happy thoughts. The first time Luke kissed her in his office. Sparks turned her body into a live fireworks show that made her moan and melt against his body. Her toes curled at the mere thought of his large, chocolate lips taking hers and she wanted to have him again no matter the danger. Happy thoughts.

Luke loved her. Priety knew that but he hadn't said the words. He hadn't formally told her, but she could tell by the way he touched her; softly, gently, lovingly. She remembered the way he stroked her hair as though she would break, and then reared up from the bed just to take her lips. But then he had to go. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. **** Lombardi Street was the high street of Edison. The place was filled with high-rollers, shot callers, and wanna-be gangsters. The street was lined on both sides with luxury cars, some of which weren't even on the market for regular people yet. Lombardi Street was filled with the Hollywood type. It was the busy street that had all the posh hotels, the thousand dollar dinner restaurants and the expensive barbers. Luke remembered going in for a hair cut when he was fifteen and his father dropped three hundred dollars on one hair cut for him. They had the money but Luke didn't see the point. The hair was only going to grow back. His father said, “Son, when you get my age, you learn that you can't take it with you.” The street made him uneasy. There were too many lights. He got the feeling of no privacy. The place was like Vegas on steroids and he growled. “Let's find this guy and get outta here,” Luke said to Michel who was looking around as he was trained to do. “See it?” “Nah—is that it?” Michel pointed and Luke glanced down at the paper in his hand and folded it up. Shoving it into his pocket he nodded and they dodged through traffic to the other side. One car almost slammed into Luke. He brought a fist down on the hood of the car and glared at the driver with enough fury to cause the man to reverse the car and drive away in a hurry. Ducking into the tattoo parlor, a blonde woman walked over to them. “Welcome, are you gentlemen looking for a tat?” Luke was looking around even as he pulled out his badge and held it up. “We're looking for the person that did this.” Luke held up the piece of paper. He could see the fear in the woman's eyes and Luke felt Michel press in closer. “Who did it?” Michel questioned and the woman pointed.

Holding up their badges, Luke took a deep breath. “Everybody out!” he yelled. When no one moved Luke wanted to howl. He was beyond losing his patience and those not co-operating were only making it worse. He decided to ask nicely by pulling out his gun. “Please.” They may have been hard of hearing but a black man waving a gun in posh Edison got people's attention; cop or not. People started screaming and tearing for the door.”The gun they get,” Luke shook his head. The man made a dash for the door but Michel stuck a foot out and tripped him, “Where you going, Skippy?” Michel questioned as he reached down and hauled the portly man to his feet. “Hang around a while. We need to chat.” Luke watched as Michel shoved the man into a chair causing it to wobble before settling back on its legs. He re-holstered his gun and walked calmly over to the door to lock it. “Wh-what do you want?” the man questioned but no one answered. Luke was walking back to him and Michel hopped onto the counter. “Okay, listen up,” Luke said. He knew the scowl on his face said it all; his mood, his temper, his impatience. “I am a man with very little tolerance for lying; especially when someone I care about is in danger. Understand?” The man nodded. “Good.” Luke held up the paper. “Did you do this?” Again the man nodded. “Who got it?” The man glanced over at Michel. “Small tolerance,” Michel reminded him by holding up his pinky finger. “Some cop,” the man wheezed. His face turned bright red and from somewhere deep inside Luke’s subconscious he knew a human being should not be that color but he didn’t care. “Do you understand how many cops there are in this city...this town alone?” Michel inquired from his perch. “Be specific.” Luke pushed through gritted teeth. “Look, I never got his name. He just said he wanted the tat to remember his mother.

Actually he got two tats that day. That one and one set on his chest. I kinda thought it was odd that he got two eyes tattooed to his chest to remember his mother, but I did it. He paid cash and only came back once for a touch up about two weeks ago.” Silently, Luke nodded while his mind traveled. “Describe him.” “Short, about 5'7”, on the chubby side, slightly balding....brown hair, looks Chinese— yah Chinese. I remember wondering how come a Chinese man had brown hair.” Michel and Luke looked at each other. Luke said nothing but Michel arched a brow. “No way.” Before Luke could react, sirens could be heard in the distance and Michel was off the counter. The two left the building and made their way down the sidewalk, and made a left onto another street. They wanted to be long gone before the cops came into view of the tattoo parlor. “There is no way,” Michel repeated as they pushed into the hunting goods store. The small building looked run down and out of place for a street where nothing costs less than three hundred bucks. “Let's see what this guy has to say,” Luke spoke but his mind wandered to their recent discovery. It could have been a huge coincidence but Luke knew that in his line of work, coincidences are few and far between. Tiny bells jangled above his head and the dirty looking man at the counter looked up to face them. “Can I 'elp you?” the man questioned closing his newspaper. Luke got busy looking through the cabinet of knifes while Michel questioned their store-keeper. Luke stopped and stared. “Can I see that?” He pointed to a particular knife. “Yo' 'ave good taste,” the man bared his teeth like a hyena ready to pounce. He removed the blade from the case and handed it to Luke. “This is the Buckskin trader stag hunting knife. It can skin anything you catch out there in the wild. It's designed to cut smoothly and take pressure off ya wrist. The blade, look how thick and heavy the spine is. It has a five inch blade...amazing.” “How long have you owned this place?” Luke asked, examining the blade. “Forever...ma grand-papi started it; passed it down to ma papi, who gave it to me.” “Throughout the years how many of these, would you say, have sold?” Luke wanted to know as he placed the blade on the counter.

“Not many. My papi always comes home with this big grin on his face when he finally sells one because they’re so expensive and you can’t really use them for everything—just skinning the big things. I don’t know if this would mean anything, since you asked. But about twenty five years ago I remember ma papi saying some punk kid bought one once...” the man leaned against the counter. “He remembered because the boy was whistling as he left. Scrawny looking kid, with brown hair, his eyes sunk in like he hadn't slept in years. Papi said he was shocked because he thought the knife was bigger than the kid.” “He would stand out to me too.” Michel sighed and turned to face Luke. “Tell me,” Luke was almost afraid to ask the question. “Was he white, Indian, black— did he say? Would you remember?” “Chinese. I remember because it was the first time in my life I’ve ever heard him use a racist term...” The man had a frown on his face. It was clear he disapproved of racism and Luke had to appreciate that but at the same time, his worse fears came through. “Oh damn,” Luke muttered and both he and Michel tore from the store to where they parked their car. Luke was on his cell phone to his brother. “Keegan, it's Luke.” Luke tossed the keys over the top of the car and Michel caught them before he hopped into the driver's seat and turned on the ignition. “Bro, I know who has Priety...” “Who is it?” Luke paused to put on his seat belt before replying to his brother's question, “It's Chen!” “Oh hell no!”

Chapter Fifteen The four men hunched down outside the darkened, broken down house and watched through the bushes. The place resembled something out of a horror movie. The windows were boarded in cross-like patterns and the front door was welded shut with the word 'abandoned' written in big red letters across the front door. A stale stench was in the air. Luke knew instantly the smell of death; perhaps a different kind of death. Luke was never the kind of person to hurt someone on purpose. But when it came to the killer, he yearned to see the bastard lying at his feet dead. This man had invaded the sanctity of his home; the man who took the one woman who managed to let him feel like a man; the woman who had taken him selflessly into her arms and gave him her innocence. The woman who smiled down at him during their nights and made him want to go out and buy an engagement ring. 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 earlobe. 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. Watching her body let go pleased Luke more than he could ever explain. Trailing a hand down her chest, between her breasts and over her stomach as it arched beautifully up at him. He lowered his head and tasted from her nipples and moaned with pleasure. His body was on fire, burning to the fullest extent of desire. When his body threatened to explode he buried himself within the love of his life. He threw his head back and a sound that rivaled any thunder storm ripped from his body. For a while his body just stopped, held in suspension as he tried to bring his mind back from blissful oblivion. Shuddering sweetly, he let out an almost pained cry as he pulled away from Priety and cradled her against his body. “I do love you,” he whispered against her hair. “I know you didn’t lie about that, Luke.” “How do you know that?” “Your eyes gave you away.” **** Luke walked into the room and everyone looked up at him. He gave a wave and fell into a sofa heavily while clutching his side.

“Couldn’t you wait a week?” Keegan asked with a grin. “Not in front of the lady,” Michel motioned to Kerry who was giggling and shaking her head. She got up and walked from the room. Luke only gritted his teeth and rubbed his side. “And no, I couldn’t wait a week. I thought I lost her… I don’t know what I was thinking leaving her by herself with a serial killer after her.” Luke shimmied deeper into the soft material. Guilt was still tearing through his body even though Priety told him not to worry about it. It was too bad Chen was acting like he was crazy. Luke wanted to see the man fry but they would probably put him in a nut house for the rest of his life. Where was the justice? “I don’t know, man,” Riyu spoke up and took a deep breath. “At what point in a man’s life does he say he is going to go around killing with no regard for human life. I mean, something had to make him snap.” Luke remained silent as the men spoke around him. He wanted to dwell on Chen but he just couldn’t. He had to focus on getting better and Priety staying with him. The pain in his side faded to a dull throb. They were silent for a while until laughter from up the stairs caught Luke’s attention. A smile snuck across his lips and his head rolled to one side. “You love her,” Keegan spoke. Luke didn’t answer right away. He smiled again and turned to look at his brother. “I can see a brotherly conversation coming on.” Michel stood up and walked over to pat Luke on the shoulder. “I’m gonna go see what’s going on with Chen. I’ll stop by soon.” Luke nodded and Riyu hugged him goodbye. “She smells like peaches, you know,” Luke spoke absentmindedly. “Her dimples only show when she’s smiling and I just want her to keep smiling so her eyes will twinkle and her dimples deepen. When she wants me to kiss her she gets this look in her eyes and she leans in….” “I take that as a yes.” “Ya damn right that means yes. I am just scared she’ll leave me.” Luke watched Keegan for a while before sighing and got up from where he sat. He wavered on his feet and Keegan rushed over to catch him. “I’m fine.” Luke took in a shaky breath. “I’m gonna ask her to marry me, Keegan.”

“You? Talking marriage?” Luke laughed and moved for the kitchen. He understood what Keegan meant. Luke vowed never to get married. When it came to women he had no clue but with Priety he seemed to know what she wanted when she wanted it. He knew when she wanted to be held, touched, tasted; he could just tell. Reaching into the fridge he pulled out a bottle of water and chucked it at his brother before grabbing a second bottle. “Drive me down to the jewelry store on Fontaine.” Keegan nodded and drank his water. Luke laughed.

Chapter Seventeen Priety sat cross-legged on Luke’s massive bed when a knock came at the door. Glancing around to make sure everything that had been disturbed during their love making had been put back into place, she smiled. “Come in.” Kerry tore through the door and dove onto Priety. They both giggled as they hugged. It was a while before Kerry let her best friend go. “I was so worried,” Kerry confessed. “It was all over the news and I was scared to call you and not only that, I didn’t know where to call.” Priety nodded pushing hair from her face. Her ordeal had been harrowing to say the least but Luke made it all better. After everything he had taken her into his arms and just held her. He touched her as though he had lost her and couldn’t believe she was there. He held her so tight and even though he was squeezing her she didn’t care. He was there. “Kerry, I love him… when he touches me everything that is wrong with the world completely disappears. Then all that is left is him. The way he smells, the way he smiles at me.” “Oh, sweetie.” Kerry pressed a dainty hand to her chest. “I am so happy for you.” “But he blames himself for what happened. He keeps apologizing even after we just made love all he could do afterward was tell me how sorry he is for not taking me with him. It’s not his fault. Who would have thought, even though the windows and doors were locked, from the inside, he would have gotten in?” “I get that. But he is a real man, Pree. He thinks it’s his job to protect you and what happened was not him protecting you. Did he tell you he loved you?” “Yes. Then he touched me to prove it to me. Kerry, what am I going to do?” “Stay with him, Pree. This man is the real deal. He has proven himself to be loyal, truthful and good in bed, huh?” Priety blushed and nodded. “He is.” She tried to think back to one of the times when she had been this in love and couldn’t think of one. She remembered having a crush on Tiger Woods when she was younger and thought she’d never love another man compared to what she was feeling at that moment.

She bit down on a nail as she thought about what Kerry said. “Priety!” Luke called up the stairs and Kerry giggled when Priety gasped. “Yes, honey?” Priety replied as she got up and moved for the door with Kerry close behind. They went down the stairs and Luke instantly wrapped his arm around her. “You all right?” she wanted to know. “Yeah. Riyu and Michel went down to see Chen and they say he wants to talk to me. Something about his mother.” “I don’t trust that man,” Priety voiced. “With everything that he’s done? He’s probably going to lie to you.” Luke pressed his lips into a thin line and leaned in to kiss her. “You would have been a wonderful cop.” He smiled down at her knowingly. “But Keegan did a check on his mother and it seemed she fell off the face of the planet years ago.” “My God—do you think he did to her what he did to the others?” Kerry wanted to know. “His own mother?” Priety asked and pulled closer to Luke’s side. Luke knew exactly what Priety was thinking but with a psycho like Chen there was no telling what he was capable of doing. But Luke also knew that if he didn’t go down to see Chen, it would bug him forever. Taking in a deep breath he walked into the foyer and reached for his jacket. He couldn’t even put on his own jacket. The wound on his shoulder had been agitated in his fight with Chen and that made him want to kill the man even more. “Priety, help me into this?” he asked her. While she helped him, he gritted his teeth and held his breath. He turned to Kerry and smiled. “You’re welcome to stick around here until we get back.” “That’s all right. I have a fiancée to go home to that’s probably freaking out.” Luke reached in to kiss Kerry’s cheek. “We’ll see you later.” When Kerry said her good-bye to Priety, Luke took her hand and placed his car keys into it. He never let anyone drive his car but he was in no condition to drive; the doctors had him on Morphine for the pain. Priety wasn’t just anyone. He willingly trust her with everything. She is the woman he wanted as his wife. The thought made him smile like a mischievous prankster, making him

feel alive. Kissing her head, he wrapped his arms around her and led her toward the car. His mind was all over the place as he stroked her thigh absentmindedly. Turning his head against the head rest, he watched her lovingly. She was busy watching the road as she drove and he took that moment to take her in. He loved the way her dark hair cradled her face, the soft way her chest rose and fell. The silly way she tilted her head to the side when she thought no one was looking. I really love you.

Chapter Eighteen Walking back into the station was like walking to his doom. The hallways were eerily silent. The hallways used to be noisy with Chen yelling and other officers making whispering bets when the chief would have a heart attack. Chen’s office door was blocked off with the yellow police tape that Luke had seen so many times but inside of a police station it only made his heart sink. He always thought cops were supposed to uphold the law and not obliterate them. He took a deep breath when Priety squeezed his hand and he looked down into her face. He could see in her eyes she was there for him and that made the trip down the corridor toward interrogation two that much shorter. Glancing through the one way window, he saw Chen seated at the cold table with a guard in the far corner. Michel and Riyu were also standing outside the glass looking in. “What does he want?” Luke questioned. “Something about his mother,” Michel shrugged. “What does it have to do with me?” “He says he will only talk to you.” Riyu frowned. Luke looked at Priety who had her arms wrapped around herself as she stared at the man sitting feebly at the table. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. “This won’t take long,” he whispered against her ear. “I don’t think it’s a good idea you being here.” “No. I want to be here,” Priety spoke, nodding her head. “I want to see the man that can never harm us again. I want to look into his face and really see what evil is.” Mouthing for his friend to keep an eye on her, Luke released her reluctantly and moved into the room. He walked toward the head of the table. He felt dirty breathing the same air as Chen but Luke swallowed the lump in his throat. Leaning against the far wall, he folded his arms across his chest. “What do you want?” Luke got out on a low rumble. When Chen looked up at him, Luke would have felt sorry for Chen if he didn’t know what he did. The man looked beaten, down on his luck with a cut above his left eye. The right side of his face was puffy where Luke had slammed his fist. Chen had a bandage

around one wrist and against his chin. “I figure I have nothing left to lose,” Chen spoke. “A better man beat me and I just have to accept that.” “You’re wasting my time, Chen.” “That’s chief to you.” “Like hell.” The room fell silent as Luke watched him. Even after everything, he still wondered why Chen did what he did. But asking Chen would never happen. Luke knew Chen would lie and he’d only end up punching his former captain in the face. Pushing away from the wall he walked for the door. “Wait!” Chen called. Luke stopped and turned to face him slowly. “What? I really don’t have the patience for this.” “My mother… I didn’t want to do it. I really didn’t. But she just—she made me do it.” “Made you do what?” Luke asked.” “I know cops who spend their entire careers wondering why. Don’t you want to know why I did it?” “I don’t particularly care.” “It started out with me just wanting to get back at my mother for what she made him do to me,” Chen muttered, barely audible. “But then—then it got so much bigger than me and what I was doing. It turned into something that I craved and one turned into another and then another and then I just couldn’t stop it.” Luke made a face. “This is me playing the world’s smallest violin for you.” “You don’t understand!” “You damn right I don’t understand!” Luke thundered. “I can never understand how a person could just kill someone to satisfy some perverse little urge.” Luke moved forward then and bent over the table to level his eyes on Chen. “Now you listen to me—I am going to make it my mission that you get fried.” Pushing from the table, Luke once more made an effort to leave. There was a sick feeling inside him telling him Chen had murdered his mother but he just didn’t want to know.

“She’s buried in my backyard.” The confession stopped him in his tracks and Luke moved to the table again. This time he grabbed Chen from his chair. Hoisting him up against the wall Luke pressed against his neck. “You bastard!” he growled and felt a hand on his shoulder. Luke’s brown eyes continued to stare at his capture not loosening his grip. “Your own mother? I thought…” He could not believe what he was hearing. Letting Chen go, the man fell to the ground like a sack of potato sputtering for air and grabbing his throat. Luke backed away from him, crashed into his brother who’d stopped him from pummeling Chen into the ground. “You’re going to hell,” Luke whispered. “You’re sick.” “You—you have to find her,” Chen pleaded. “Her eyes are on my dresser!” Luke turned and stared at the window. He couldn’t see her but he knew Priety was watching. He didn’t understand how a man could kill his own mother; no matter how horrible she had been to him. He was always told the mother is the greatest gift God gave to man. The love of a mother surpasses the love of everyone else and the prayer of a mother is stronger. Squeezing his eyes shut he ached to hold his mother. “Luke?” Keegan asked. “I’m fine.” “Can I leave you in here alone with him?” Luke took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay then…” He watched his brother’s back until the door closed behind Keegan. He turned once more to Chen. “Explain something to me,” Luke spoke. He still refused to take the seat across from Chen. He knew it would be too close to not want to reach out and snap Chen’s neck. “One of the things that bothered me during this whole disgusting ordeal is, of all the other parts to the human body, why did you pick the eyes?” There was silence in the room as Chen fiddled with his thumbs. Luke stood there waiting for an answer. He was truly baffled how a man could do something like that. Even after dealing with criminals for so long, Chen was a new breed. The thought that Chen was such a high ranking officer made Luke feel as though the walls were closing in around him. “She never loved me,” Chen started and Luke growled. Chen glanced up at Luke before

looking down at his fingers. “Every time he beat me she would watch and do nothing. The first time it happened, she handed me over to him. It was her or me and she was only too happy to hand me over.” “You make me sick,” Luke spat, moving in to face Chen. “You go around killing perfectly innocent people who had nothing to do with you. They didn’t even know you existed and you thanked them for their trouble by putting a bullet between their eyes and cutting their eyes out. If it was up to me, you would be getting the same courtesy. But don’t worry ,karma’s a bitch so you will get yours.” Priety saw Luke’s anger and it frightened her. She gasped and pulled up against Michel’s side. When Luke came back to them she rushed over to him. “Do you believe him?” “That would explain where his mother has been all these years,” Luke growled like a pissed off bear. “His own mother. We couldn’t find a death certificate on her so legally she’s still alive.” Priety bit down on her lower lip. What she wouldn’t give to have her mother by her side at that moment. There was nothing in the world she wouldn’t give for a single hug or smile from her mother. She sighed and pressed her face into Luke’s chest and allowed her tears to soak his shirt. She felt him wrap his arms around her and she stepped even closer and tightened her arms around him. “It’s going to be fine,” he whispered against her ears, and she believed him. His words rang true to her heart even though her head was yelling at her. How can this ever be fine? Women are dead, his mother is dead. Chen’s a dirty cop! Not fine! Never fine! “Michel, take Riyu and a couple of CSIs and head over there. Find those bones,” Keegan ordered and instantly the other two friends were off and heading down the corridor. “Come on you two, let me take you home. I’ll have your car towed to your place, none of you are fit to drive right now.” Priety lifted her face from Luke’s chest but she didn’t move far from him. **** Sitting alone in the huge house with Priety was a lot more satisfying than Luke thought

it would be. With all the drama that engulfed them lately, he hadn’t really had time to just sit back and hold her in his arms. Crickets chirped outside and soon the soft patter of rain could be heard on the roof. Shifting slightly, he sighed and pressed a kiss to her head. “Will there be a trial?” Priety asked. “Maybe. But Chen already began laying grounds for his defense. He may act crazy so he won’t have to go to jail.” “Don’t go to jail? Where would he go?” “Psych ward.” “They can’t believe that. He knew what he was doing. I mean you can’t go around killing people because you weren’t loved as a child!” Luke went silent again. He agreed whole heartedly with Priety what kind of man went around killing people because his mommy never hugged him as a kid? So your mother was mean to you, suck it up, get some counseling or something and get over it. He couldn’t believe humanity’s knack for blaming other people for things. The thought of almost losing Priety came back to Luke and he shivered and pulled her closer to him. “I would have killed him if he’d hurt you.” “I know.” She turned her head and pressed a kiss against his bare chest. Silence. “Priety?” “Mhmm?” “Would you marry me?” Priety lay still for what seemed like an eternity, trying her best to see if he was joking. When he said nothing else, she sat up slowly and looked down into his face. His eyes were closed and she touched his cheek. When his brown eyes opened to look up at her, she saw no joke. “You want to marry me?” “Yes, I’m very serious.’ Flying into his arms, Priety wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, “Yes!” she exclaimed. He grunted and she suddenly remembered his injuries. “Sorry,” she whispered. But she wouldn’t let him ask twice. She knew she scored herself the most wonderful man in the world. There was no two ways about it. “I will make you happy, I swear,” he promised.

“I know,” Priety whispered through her tear-filled eyes. “I don’t have the ring yet because Chen wanted to—” “That’s not important—you love me that’s all that matters right now.” She knew he would fulfill his promise. He had already proven he would willingly give his life for her.

Epilogue Priety stepped out of the house and glanced around. She began fingering the engagement ring on her finger as she stepped down and took a deep breath. “Luke?” she called. Turning from the front door she walked back into the house and locked it behind her. She moved through Luke’s house like someone who was born in it. She walked into the gym but he wasn’t there. She found him swimming laps in the pool. She stood on the deck watching his dark muscles chopping through the water. The flow of the water over his chocolate skin made her lick her lips. She smiled and moved closer. “Luke?” He stopped and she watched as he rose out of the water like Poseidon. A smile graced her lips and she felt like the luckiest woman on the planet. She had scored a man that looked like a bronze god, loyal, loving and so tender to her. She watched him as he moved up to her. “Join me?” he grinned at her. Priety grinned and shook her head. Backing up she giggled and held up her hands in surrender but he was quick. Soon he was out of the pool, had her in his arms and jumping back into the pool. Shrieking, she wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled when they surfaced. Luke used one hand to hold her to him and his free hand to push her wet hair from her face. He leaned forward and took her lips. The kiss caused him to moan and groan when she pulled away to tilt her head and look up at him. He spun her around and she laughed. “How was it?” “Well, apparently the reason why I have been so sleepy lately and haven’t been able to keep anything down is because I am pregnant. Who knew?” “Are you playing?” Luke arched a shocked brow. Priety shook her head and Luke let his head fall back and yelled his pleasure to the sky. “I’m gonna be a dad!” he shouted before looking at her again. His voice echoed and returned to them. “I shouldn’t have jumped with you into the pool.” He looked at her slyly. “Ok… I think we should celebrate. And I have just the way to do it, that we’ll both enjoy.”

“Oh?” **** Luke nodded while lowering his lips to hers. It was the kiss that threatened to take his sanity but he would have willingly given it up. A touch from Priety meant more to him than anything else and for a brief second that scared him to the core. He carried her from the water and laid her softly on the sun-bed. With the sun shining around them, he moved in beside her. “Are you happy to be having our baby?” Luke asked. “What kind of question is that?” Priety asked. “I aim to please you, Priety, and if you’re not happy, I want to know.” “How can a woman not be happy having your baby, Luke? You are a wonderful man. I am not only happy to be having your babies, I am honored.” Luke grinned like an idiot before kissing her again. “I’m the honored one. I have no clue what I did to deserve you but I am thankful I did it.” He moved his mouth down to her neck. “I’ve waited a very long time for this,” Luke whispered before leaning forward to taste one darkened nipple through her wet shirt. “Oh really?” Priety teased while arching her back. “Oh yes.” Luke moved his head to the other breast. He nipped softly at it before reaching up for her lips. “I’ve waited forever.”

About Kendra Mei Chailyn Kendra Mei Chailyn lives in Canada. When she’s not writing she trying her hand at acting, a little photography and trying desperately to have a social life.

Also available at MuseItUp Publishing The Lighthouse By Kat Holmes Genre: Paranormal Mystery Romance Erotica eBook ISBN: 978-1-926931-18-0 When Rachel Westmont inherits a lighthouse from an aunt she didn’t even know she had, she’s overjoyed. The news couldn’t have come at a better time. Newly divorced from a selfserving doctor, the change of scenery is just what she needs. So she packs up and leaves California for a little island off the coast of Maine. Rachel falls in love with both Star Island and the beautiful lighthouse and cottage she’s inherited. But, odd things begin to happen right from the first day. Cold chills permeate the cottage and books fly off the shelves. And someone seems to be playing pranks on her. But when the ante gets upped and someone tries to kill her, Rachel must turn to hunky local sheriff Craig Lewis for protection. Now bodies are turning up, people are getting hurt, and Rachel is starting to suspect her aunt didn’t die a natural death. Can Craig stop a killer from claiming Rachel as the next victim? A little help from a ghost may be in order.

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