“Are there any nice young men at your workplace?”
“Graaaaan.”
“Dawwwwwn.”
Dawn and Annette were curled up on the sofa and had just finished watching Sleepless in Seattle. It was one of her grandmother’s favorite movies. “I wish you could find someone like Tom Hanks,” Annette said. “I think he should have married Meg Ryan for real. I always thought they made such a cute couple.”
“Grandma, it’s called acting. Besides, he’s been happily married forever.”
“Well, I’m not surprised. The good ones usually are.” Annette gave her a playful swat on her leg. “But seriously, aren’t there any nice boys at your job or even in the building where you work?”
“I don’t really pay attention to the men in my building. I’ve only been there a little over a month.” Dawn cuddled the pillow closer to her, Luca’s cute grin and bright-blue eyes flashing through her mind.
“Oh…” Annette said with a sly grin.
“What?”
“There is someone. Is he nice?”
Dawn blew out a breath. “Actually, I did meet a nice guy this week, but not at work.”
“Well, he can’t be from around here, because most of the young men in this neighborhood aren’t the ‘nice guy’ type.”
“He’s not from around here.”
“Well, good. Tell me about him.” Annette looked like an excited teenager. Dawn hadn’t seen her grandmother so energized in a long time. She sure as heck didn’t want her to get her hopes up.
Dawn fidgeted. “I already did. The cop I mentioned to you. The one I’m helping with the missing child case.”
“A police officer. Hmm.”
“His girlfriend just broke up with him. I doubt he’s even interested in dating anyone right now. Not seriously anyway.”
“His girlfriend broke up with him? What’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing is wrong with him. He said they started dating in college, and she wants to meet other people before settling down.” Dawn remembered the vision she’d had of Lisa with another guy, driving around in a red Corvette.
“If you ask me, I think there are far too many young people wanting to let loose. It gets you nowhere. Look where it got me, and look where it got your mother—”
“And look where it got me.”
“What do you mean?” Annette wrapped her arms around Dawn. “You are doing so well. You finished college, and now you have a good job. You are going places, young lady, and don’t you forget it.”
“Thank you for being my biggest cheerleader, Gran.”
“Always.” Annette gave her a kiss on the forehead, then stood up. “I’m going to make us some herbal tea.”
Dawn stretched her legs and closed her eyes. She was looking forward to heading over to the Youth Community Center tomorrow, but she hoped she wouldn’t mess up. She wanted to make a difference, not screw up lives. They had enough screwed-up people in this area, let alone around the world.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
“Grandma, are you making popcorn?”
“No, why?” Annette called back from the kitchen.
Dawn heard the popping sounds again, followed by screams and cursing.
“Grandma, it’s gunshots!” Alarmed, Dawn jumped up, ran to the kitchen, and pulled Annette down on the kitchen floor. They had thought about setting up a panic room in a closet but never did it. You could get shot just by sitting in your living room.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, dear,” Annette said, out of breath. “I wish they would stop with these guns. Too many senseless deaths over the years.”
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Dawn called 911, and then she texted Luca. She knew he was working tonight, and she trusted him.
Shots fired on my street. Very close.
Within seconds, her phone pinged back with a text from Luca: On my way.
* * *
Luca and Joe were parked at a McDonald’s. It wasn’t Luca’s favorite restaurant, but the sandwiches hit the spot, and they could get their food in a hurry. Joe was a good guy, and Luca liked him. But unlike his father, Antonio, who could probably still keep up with any of his sons, Joe’s twenty-five extra pounds thanks to the night shift and twenty-four-hour fast-food places slowed him down some.
He was about to chomp into his burger when the dispatcher alerted them to a 10-71, shots fired in the area of Dorset Ave. and North Street.
“That’s where Dawn lives!”
“Who’s Dawn?” Joe asked, shoving the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth as he put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot.
“A friend of mine.”
Joe flicked on the siren at the same time as a text came in on Luca’s phone.
It was Dawn, asking for help. He texted her back, hoping they would get there before anyone was hurt.
“I know a shortcut,” Joe said.
He made a left and drove down an alley behind an old warehouse, then out the other side onto Dorset Ave.
Luca’s heart was beating fast. He hoped Dawn was okay. If there was one thing he knew from his training and experience, it was that sometimes a situation could escalate in a matter of seconds.
They arrived only a couple of minutes later, just as another police cruiser was arriving.
Joe radioed the officers in the other car. “You guys cruise the main drag, and we’ll go on foot and check out the houses on North. Over.”
“Copy that,” Amanda Tillson replied from the other vehicle. Luca had met her the other day. She was a ten-year veteran on the force and before that was in the Air Force, with two tours in Afghanistan under her belt. She was one badass chick. Her partner was Delvin Jordan, who, like Luca, was a trainee. Luca liked Delvin and thought he was a good guy. They came out of the police academy together. He was married with twin boys.
Amanda and Delvin drove away, and Joe and Luca stayed in their car and started cruising along the street, keeping a lookout.
A chair smashed through a window just down the street from where they were.
“Change of plans,” Joe radioed Amanda. “We may have found the location. Double back.” Joe gave them the address as they got out of the car and ran toward the disturbance.
“Copy that.”
As they approached the run-down three-decker, they could hear shouting and cursing. The house was just two doors down from where Dawn lived. Luca wanted to go check on her, but he had to do his job first. Luca and Joe ran toward the steps at the front of the house. A man was standing by the broken window.
Joe called out, “This is the police. Lay down any weapons and put your hands in the air.”
The man on the porch followed Joe’s orders immediately. Luca was behind him in a split second and cuffed the man.
A woman screamed for help from inside, followed by a man yelling at her to shut up. “I’m not going back there again,” the same man’s voice shouted.
“If you come out, we can talk this through. Just put your weapon down and come outside with your hands up.”
“Fuck you!” Gunshots riddled the front door, followed by more screaming.
Luca and Joe stood on either side of the door, looking at each other.
“Go around back and see if there might be a way in,” Joe said.
Luca nodded and took off around the back of the house.
When he returned, he said, “Joe, I can get in from upstairs. There’s a second-floor window next to the flat porch roof. The window is open a few inches.”
“And then what?” Joe countered. “Get shot on your way down the stairs? This is your first week on the job, kid. I can’t risk it.”
“Joe, please, I know I can do it.”
He sighed. “All right, go ahead. Then we’ll proceed from there. Don’t get shot. That’s an order.”
“Yes, sir.” Luca stayed low as he ran around to the back of the house. The postage-stamp-sized yard was full of junk: Luca could make out old tires, a rusted-out wheelbarrow, and a mattress. He glanced up and spotted the open window on the second floor of the house. In a split-second decision, he did what he had to do. He opened the top button of his shirt, transformed into his phoenix form, grabbed his uniform, including his duty belt, in his beak and talons, then flew onto the porch roof. As soon as he shifted back, he opened the window wider and slid right in. He dropped his clothes on the bedroom floor, changed back into his phoenix form, then glided down the stairs, where he spied a man with his arm wrapped around a woman’s neck.
“You bitch.” The man pressed the gun to the woman’s temple. “You made me do this. You fucked my best friend when I was in jail. In my own bed. MY BED!”
The young woman whimpered, tears streaming down her face. “Please don’t hurt me.”
Joe called, “Why don’t you come out and we can talk about it,” from the other side of the front door.
The man pointed his weapon at the door and cocked the gun again. “I’m not coming out, and I’m not going back to prison! You figure it out!”
Luca took the opening and swooped in. He landed on top of the man’s head and dug his claws in.
“What the fuck?” The shooter screamed and began flailing at him. Luca let go, circled the man, who by now had covered his head, and plucked the gun out of the shooter’s hand before he even knew what hit him. The suspect ran out of the room, cursing all the while. Luca flew back up the stairs with the gun in his beak, then dropped it out the window.
He transformed back into his human form, dressed in seconds, pulled his own gun out, and rushed back downstairs.
He whispered to the woman, “Where is he?”
She whispered, “Probably the kitchen, getting a knife.”
Luca peeked around the corner, saw the man, and yelled. “Hands up! Now!”
The man had a drawer open but apparently hadn’t had time to locate a suitable knife.
Luca strode forward with his gun pointed at the shooter.
The suspect’s eyes were wide, and thankfully, he put his hands in the air.
“Don’t shoot!” the man said.
Luca cuffed him, then pulled out his radio and pressed the button. “All clear.”
Moments later, Joe came in through the front door, followed by Amanda and Delvin. Joe raised an eyebrow that said I don’t know how you managed to pull this off, but we’ll talk about it later.
Luca knew he had to come up with a cover story, and he wasn’t looking forward to writing up that report. His mind was already churning, trying to come up with something plausible. Saying he climbed the pile of junk to the window should work. He saw an opportunity to save lives and acted. He had to.
They took the shooter back to the squad car while Amanda and Delvin escorted the woman out. They were both babbling about a large bird with bright red and yellow tail feathers that had flown into the house and grabbed the gun.
Two more squad cars arrived. While Joe was speaking to the other officers, Luca texted Dawn that it was all clear. He asked her to come outside.
A few moments later, Dawn appeared on her front stoop. Luca was standing at the base of the stairs and tried to keep from smiling at her appearance. She looked adorable in flannel pajamas decorated with penguins. She’d thrown a coat over her shoulders and was gazing at the activity around her.
“You okay?” Luca asked.
She nodded, coming down the three steps and standing in front of him. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes reflected worry, and he wanted to allay her fears. “I’m great.” He grinned. “Nice outfit.”
“Hey, I was ready for bed when the commotion started. I never thought about staying dressed for a neighborhood shoot-out.”
Luca nodded. “Yeah, unfortunately, this happened too close to you. We got him though. Did you hear anything else before we arrived?”
Dawn shook her head. “No, just the shots and lots of shouting and swearing. It sounded like he was in some kind of Wild West movie, making threats and shooting up into the air. I’m sure he must have hit a few poor birds with all the shots he fired.”
Luca tried to clear his expression at her comment about birds. He wondered if she sensed or had had an actual vision that exposed him as a shape-shifter—or was she simply making a joke? “Well, I have to get these people to jail. I’m glad you’re safe. Call me if anything else happens, okay?”
She smiled. “Thank you. Trying to keep this neighborhood protected seems like an impossible task. I feel better knowing you’re around.”
“I wish you didn’t live here. It’s not safe, Dawn.”
“Well, I’m not exactly flush with cash, am I? Besides, I’ve lived here all my life. I can take care of myself and my grandmother.”
“I know you’re tough, but promise me you’ll always call or text me if you’re ever in trouble.”
She gazed at him, and he wondered what she was thinking. Her pretty gray-green eyes glowed in the moonlight, and he had the sudden urge to kiss her. Damn! Not here, dummy.
“Fierro, we need to get going,” Joe called out.
“I’ve gotta go,” Luca said.
“It’s okay. I know you’re on the job. Thanks for getting here so fast.” Dawn gave him a sweet smile and then a little wave as she trotted back up the steps and inside. He heard locks snap into place and felt a sense of relief that she was safe. In that moment, he decided he would help Dawn and her grandmother get away from this area…somehow.
* * *
Dawn heaved a deep sigh, leaning against the inside of her front door. Relief washed over her. And fear as well. She had to get her stubborn grandmother out of this neighborhood. It was becoming far too dangerous. Thank goodness she knew Luca. She felt safer knowing he was just a phone call away, but at the end of the day, she could only rely on herself and Annette. Besides, it wasn’t like they were dating or anything. He was still hung up on his ex-girlfriend, Lisa. She shook her head and went back into the living room. Annette was probably exhausted by now.
“Gran, are you okay?” Dawn flicked on the lamp, and her grandmother poked her head up from the couch where she was lying down.
“I’ll be fine, sweetie. I’ve been through worse before and likely will again.”
Dawn helped Annette stand and then held her arm as they started upstairs. “That’s just it, Gran,” Dawn began. “I don’t want you to go through anything like this ever again. You already got shot in the leg before I was born. You still limp sometimes.”
Annette patted Dawn’s hand. “Don’t you worry about me, dear. I’ll be just fine. I want you to focus on your career and your own life. Maybe even a nice young man.”
Dawn rolled her eyes at Annette’s twinkly expression.
“Was that police officer the same young man you were telling me about?”
“Yes. How did you see him from inside? Did you peek out a window?”
“I just heard his voice. Seems like you’re sweet on him and vice versa.”
“Oh, Gran.” Dawn laid her hand on Annette’s shoulder. “I do like him, a lot, and that’s what scares me. I’m not exactly a great catch.”
Annette suddenly stopped and grabbed Dawn’s shoulders. “Don’t ever say that, young lady.”
When Dawn hesitated, Annette gave her a little shake. “You are an amazing and strong young woman. Any man would be proud to have you in his life. Don’t ever doubt that. Okay?”
Dawn smiled at Annette. “Okay, okay. You’re one tough cookie.”
“Well, it takes one to know one.” Annette tapped Dawn on the nose. “And speaking of cookies. Since we never got our tea, how about one of my homemade peanut butter cookies and a cup of hot chocolate before bed?”
“That sounds fantastic right now.”
As her grandmother limped back downstairs, Dawn followed and pulled out her cell phone to check her messages. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a new text from Luca: I like the penguins BTW ;)
She texted back her own smiley face and thanked him again. Then as she waited for her snack, she stretched out on the couch and thought about those blue eyes. She sighed again. She was in big trouble as far as Luca Fierro was concerned.
A cop and an ex-gang girl? Talk about opposites!
* * *
“You could get in big trouble for doing what you did tonight.”
After Luca and Joe hauled the shooter in and processed him, they went back out on the road, stopping for a quick coffee at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through.
“I’m sorry, Joe. I don’t want to disappoint you.” Luca glanced at the older man as he bit into a cinnamon cruller.
“Don’t give me that look, Fierro.”
“What look?”
“That ‘you shouldn’t be eating a doughnut’ look,” Joe said around a mouthful. “This is stress eating.”
“What about the other eleven doughnuts in that box?” Luca asked with a grin.
“I’ve got a lot of stress,” Joe replied, licking his fingers and reaching for a Boston cream. “Besides, we’re talking about you, not me. What happened in there?”
Luca sighed. “It’s like I said, I climbed up a pile of junk, got into the upstairs bedroom through an open window, and as I was making my way downstairs, the perp swung his gun away from the woman and pointed it at the front door. That’s when I made my move. He had his back to me, so he didn’t see me coming. I had no choice. He could have shot her or whoever came through that door.”
Joe wiped the side of his mouth with a napkin and then reached for his coffee. Taking a sip of the strong brew, he said, “I believe you, but next time, wait. We have protocol for a reason. I won’t say anything in the report about it.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”
“You’ve got good instincts. Just be careful. There are a lot of wolves out there who don’t like heroes. They get jealous when someone like you comes along.”
Luca contemplated Joe’s warning later on when he was driving home after his shift. Wolves? Interesting word choice. He had heard there were werewolves on the force.
As he turned onto Mass. Ave., he passed the corner pub and spied a man lying in the gutter.
Luca pulled over and got out of the car. Making his way to the prone figure, he squatted down and bent to check for a pulse. The man groaned. At least he was alive.
“Hey, man, you okay?” Luca shook the man’s shoulder, trying to wake him up.
The man groaned again and started to move. Luca helped him turn over and then recognized him. The man’s eyes opened and widened, clearly recognizing Luca as well.
“Hey, I know you. You live aroun’ here,” he slurred.
“Hi, Jack. Are you hurt?”
Jack burst into tears. “Hurt? You’re asking me if I’m hurt? My wife was killed, and my little girl is missing. Hurt doesn’t even begin to explain what I’m feeling.”
“Sorry, man.” Luca hooked his arm around Jack’s elbow. “I meant, have you sustained any injuries?”
“Nah, just had too mush to drink and then I guess I mush have passed out.”
“My car is right here. I’ll drive you home.”
“Thanks.”
Luca helped Jack to the car and eased him into the front passenger seat. As Luca drove him a couple of streets over and down the block, Jack rubbed his forehead and glanced over at the uniform. “You’re a cop?”
“Yeah, just started my first week.”
“I don’t think those detectives are doing a damn thing.”
Luca hesitated. There was a protocol. He didn’t want to overstep, but at the same time, he was feeling frustrated himself. “It takes time, Jack.”
“I don’t have time. I went online to see if it’s true, what they say about the forty-eight-hour thing, and it’s not good. After forty-eight hours, it becomes even harder to find a missing person. She’s just a little kid, and there’s no ransom call. Maybe you can help me? I keep calling those detectives, and they say they’re working on it, but I need to find my daughter. Sh-she’s all I—”
Jack broke down, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed.
Luca reached out and awkwardly patted the man on his shoulder. “I promise I’ll do my best to find your daughter. But you have to do something for me.”
Jack looked up at Luca, his eyes red from crying. “Anything.”
“You have to give me something of Mandy’s, a stuffed toy or a doll.”
“Are you gonna use sniffer dogs?”
“No, I’ve got something else in mind, but you can’t tell anyone. I mean it. I could get fired.”