Another day of nothing. I hit the street and talked to every hooker I came across. There's fear in their eyes. The local news stations released the story at noon. I hoped it would get the women talking, but they tell me little. I even had a sit-down with a sergeant in vice. The asshole didn't approve of laying off the hookers for a short time so they wouldn't be afraid to talk to me. I don't have sergeant stripes, so all I could do was pass it to my supervisor so he could deal with Sergeant Dickhead's supervisor.I don't have a working partner at the moment because of our two-year hiring freeze, so I head to the ME's office to speak with Kurtis. He has a level head, keeps his mouth shut, and works a lot of high-profile homicides.He's walking out of the autopsy room when I open the outer door. His bloody gloves go into the hazard bin after he removes his goggles. "Hey, Linc, let me scrub and I'll meet you in the break room.""Deal. I'm in need of your spidey senses." This gains me a la
I scan my phone contacts looking for a badge bunny. I'm sitting on my couch with my feet kicked up on the coffee table, beer resting on the table within reach. It's a little after five in the evening and I've been home for an hour. This is what my life's come to. I want a steady relationship and my next door neighbor has me so horny I'm sinking just about as low as I can go. My conviction to settle down and have the two point four children is out the window. I need to get my rocks off.I glance down at a name that catches my attention. I haven't spoken to Candy in a long time; like her name suggests, she's usually up for a hot night between the sheets. My finger moves over her number. A steady knock starts on my front door. Shit. I know it's Shelby even before I check outside.She's standing with Daisy.I open the door and the full effect of what she's wearing hits me. Skimpy skin-tight black running shorts and sports bra. The colorful head visor is the only sign of her quirky personal
We decide on dinner first. I need to eat to keep up my stamina. We hit a small Italian place a few miles away. I drive my lifted truck. Shelby's in a short pink skirt with a white girly blouse, a cowboy hat, and pink cowboy boots. The ever-present scarf is knotted around her neck. How she stands it in this heat is beyond me. I help her step up on the side-runner and admire the flash of pink panties as she adjusts herself in the seat."I wore them for you," she says."Nice to know. Hope you don't mind if I take them off as soon as we get home.""A man of action, I like that.""You'll like it more later," I come back with.Our sexual banter continues through dinner and the wood I'm sporting below the table would be embarrassing without the checkered tablecloth hiding it. Even nicer than the sexual overtones of the evening is not thinking about work. As a detective, it's a rare luxury.The drive home is mostly quiet. I think we're at our max for verbal foreplay. I turn into my driveway. T
We make it to the bed and I pull a condom from the bedside drawer. I removed her skirt and bra and wrangle her boots off before laying her on the bed. I leave the sexy scarf on because the longer I've watched her tonight, the more I've liked it, and fuck, her nipples are pierced too. I remove my jeans and boxers barely able to take my gaze from the pointed tips of her breasts. Her eyes remain on my cock as I slide the condom over it. I rest my knee between her splayed thighs as soon as it's on."You're big," she breathes.Exactly what every man wants to hear. I know I'm big. Again, good genes. "I won't hurt you," I say gently."Don't take all the fun away now," she says with a smile.She's every fantasy and wet dream I had as a teenager combined. Where the fuck has she been my whole life? "You want it rough, honey?""As rough as you can make it, buster."That makes me smile. She doesn't take my shit and I like it. I lift her and angle her onto the bed before coming down on top of her w
I put the MO of my killer into the UCR database. I know there might be look-alikes that will create even more work. At this point anything is worth a try, and sleep is highly overrated.Dan, an older cop set for retirement within the next six months, sticks his head in my office right before I bail from my chair to hit the street again. "Good morning, Detective Street. You have a minute?"Dan's old school. He uses titles, so I give him the same back. "Sure, Officer Wilder, have a seat. I can spare a few minutes." He sits down in front of me and steeples his fingers on my desk. "I'm light duty for another week and heard you could use some leg work. My supervisor okayed it as long as I can partner up. That is if you want me?"He's the answer to my prayers. "I need you desperately. Let's go talk to my sergeant about getting you some help." He follows me to Detective Sergeant Sadoski's door. I knock once and enter. "You got a minute, Sarg?" I ask.He glances up from his computer screen. "F
The pizza's good and the company better."He never hit me. If he had, I'd have ended it then and there and called the police. That shit doesn't go over with me." Shelby steals an olive off my slice of pizza. "Mark solves problems by yelling louder than anyone else in the room or at least tries to. I wasted a long time thinking he'd change. He called me two days ago and said he was taking anger management classes. He just wanted to talk. His idea of talking was trying to get back together. He wasn't raising his voice, but he was being rather insistent even after I told him to leave.""He doesn't come back," I say with finality. "If he does, you call me immediately."She salutes me and takes a bite of her pizza. Sauce sticks to the side of her mouth and I'm not quick enough to lick it off before she grabs her napkin. "The look in your eyes is scaring me," she breathes. My mouth is an inch from hers.I take her hand, bring it to my lips, and bite the end of her finger. Her eyes shine and
I'm at my desk a little after four in the afternoon when Donna, one of the records clerks, buzzes my office phone. "I've got a Detective Smith from Shreveport, Louisiana, on the line for you.""Put him through," I tell her. I blink a few times trying to clear my vision after staring at the computer screen for the past twenty minutes while I work on the latest report. I'm not a fan of autopsies like I was in my younger days. Too much blood and violence. All I got from watching Kurtis work was a sense that this is one sick motherfucker.The phone makes a clicking noise. "Is this Detective Street?" a gruff voice asks."Speaking.""I've got a look-alike hit on the info you put in UCI." I sit up straighter and my adrenaline immediately picks up. "Five kills beginning three years ago. Twelve months from first to last and then they stopped. All prostitutes with their throats slit and multiple knife wounds to the torso.""I've got three now, one from early this morning. Did you have any witnes
I'm almost asleep, but something's bothering me. I get up and walk to the living room. I peer out the front window and stare sleepily at the empty space where Shelby's car should be. Son of a bitch. She's out doing her do-good bullshit. I'm instantly awake and angry. Also hell of worried.I'm driving to Central Avenue within ten minutes. It's eleven thirty when I hit the section of town known for fulfilling every man's desire if he's willing to pay. These aren't the high-dollar escorts by any means. Most of the ladies here have drug habits and other assorted problems.My first pass is non-productive. On the second, I notice a commotion on my right and crane my neck just in time to see Shelby fly backward and land on her ass. I pull my truck to the side of the road and charge out the door.A large woman dressed in skintight spandex with more hanging out than can be controlled by the unforgiving material is standing over Shelby with her hands at her waist."I tol' you get lost. Don' need
I stayed with Mr. Loche for two hours. When I came back to the cabin, Father Andrews and Madison were cooking dinner together in the kitchen. She was laughing and he was telling her that anyone can learn to cook, it just takes practice. I don't add my two cents that the meal Mrs. Loche prepared would have been safer. I word it a little more carefully, "Please don't encourage her. Gabriella will throw a fit if Madison moves in on her territory." They stop what they're doing and I receive my first genuine smile from Madison that I've seen in weeks."It's a simple lasagna. Mak can make it when you're here at the cabin. Even I wouldn't do anything to piss off Gabriella." He cringes with great exaggeration and Madison laughs.She looks at him with a huge smile. "You didn't tell me you know Gabriella.""I know her daughter. I've heard all the stories from her and I'm terrified of her mother."I walk to my wife and wrap my arms around her from behind. She leans into me and places her hands on
It's three more days before our guest arrives. I'm actually tongue-tide when Moon introduces me to Father Andrews. He's American but lives in Mexico and drove all this way to return a favor he owed my husband. He's younger than a priest has a right to be and he's too damn good looking for his job. I place him in his early thirties. It's strange because he looks oddly familiar even though I'm sure I've never met him.The three of us walk into the living room where Mrs. Loche put out cucumber sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies. Father Andrews's eyes light up. "I haven't eaten since breakfast and these look delicious," he says while filling a plate.Moon doesn't sit with us. "Mr. Loche and I are working on a new garden and clearing some land. I'll be next door if you need me." He leans down and places his lips on mine for a short kiss. It actually embarrasses me because Father Andrews is watching. Moon taps me under the chin in understanding because of the heat traveling up my neck and
With revenge motivating me, dealing with what happened was easier. The need for blood became a driving force that allowed me to put my thoughts and feelings on hold. Now my feelings, doubt, and shame overshadow everything. My mind is a dark hole with a smoky mist that Moon stands in to beckon me out. His hand is there. I can almost touch it, but my fingers slide away, a millimeter short, and the darkness covers me once more.Sleep is the worst. Nightmares make me toss and turn throughout the night. Most center around blood on my hands. They drip the red, congealed mess onto everything I touch and when I open my eyes it's still there. Or so the dream goes.I find it strange that I don't dream about what Fernandez did to me. It's his laughter, though, that wakes me night after night. Moon is always there to comfort me during those horrible hours. He pulls me close to his body when I give the slightest gasp. I breathe in his scent and fill my lungs with his strength. Until I fall asleep a
Part of my heart-stopping fury recedes when I pull Madison back into my arms. Her entire body is shaking and she's still clutching the knife I handed her. Alex takes it from her hand after I scoop her into my arms and cradle her against my chest. I breathe in the scent of her hair and try to gain more control.This woman is everything. She's the reason I wake up in the morning. Everything I hold dear is wrapped up in her. Cori meets my eyes and she tips her head in acknowledgement. When she turns away, Duke is standing behind her. He pulls her into his arms and walks her toward the front room. He stops when Goose is dragged closer by one of Dax's men and places himself between Cori and Duke. Duke casually pulls his gun and fires, striking him between the eyes. Goose blankly stares at the ceiling by the time the sound of the gunshot fades from the room. Cori spits on Goose's body before Duke leads her forward. Alex gives orders to clean up the bloody mess."Please take me home," Madison
She steps forward and Fernandez spins and tries throwing a punch at my head but misses. He moves quickly even with a bullet through the foot and gets between Cori and Sofia's rifle. Melina takes the opportunity to bring her gun down on the back of his head. He stumbles and I kick the tibial pressure point in his good leg. He drops and I kick Celina's gun away from him. She grabs it and aims it at him as he wiggles around like a flopping fish. I hand Melina my gun and slam down into his back with my cuffs primed. I practically pull his arms from their sockets in order to secure his hands behind his back while he's stunned."Help me get him up on the kitchen island and I'll cut off his fucking clothes." We drag him back to the kitchen minus Celina who stays at her post, which is the front door. He struggles but it's not enough for four women on a mission.The sick feeling in my stomach stays and I turn slightly and rub tears from my eyes. Not a minute has gone by that I haven't thought a
We park a half mile from the home. Melina and I run up the street, carrying the post driver between us because it's so damn heavy, and check out the property. Like the house he kept me and Cori in, this one is away from other homes and on a nice sized piece of property. The desert foliage on the north side of the area gives us a good vantage point to see the back door. I call Celina."Send Cori north to our location. The front door is on the south side of the house and you'll have about twenty-five yards from the truck to the door. Sofia will be your driver and leave as soon as you're inside. She'll park and meet us. We'll come through the back five minutes after you enter." We covered all of this in the car, but it helps me to go over the plan out loud again. "Give Cori ten minutes to get in place before Sofia drops you off.""Cori just took off. We're set," Celina says before ending the call.After Cori meets us, we stay low and wait for Sofia to text me that Celina is in the house.
Alex brings the car to the front. Austin jumps into the back and I take the passenger seat. I told the men to put Gabriella in our safe room until everything settles. She can cuss them out in Spanish, I don't have time. Sirens can be heard in the distance and we need to be completely clear of the house before they hit the street that leads to my private road.I've also notified additional men to meet us at the warehouse. As soon as we have Fernandez's location, we'll be moving out quickly. It suddenly occurs to me that Dax is totally out of the loop, so I dial his cell."You're fucking kidding me," he practically yells when I tell him his wife ran over a man and picked up the women. "I'm on my way." Another call comes in and I look at the display. It's Caleb."Start heading here with reinforcements," I tell Dax quickly. "I'll call as soon as we have a location. It won't be long."The man in the trunk is moaning loudly. There are metal plates over the taillights and nothing he can do to
Madison is up to something. The strange feeling persisted while she dressed and then at breakfast. Sending her off to the service without me was nearly impossible. The fact is, I need to get my head out of my ass and take care of Fernandez once and for all. The thought of him taking Madison again is eating me alive.While she's at EE, I can focus on what it takes to keep everyone safe. The Frontera Cartel is out of the picture and now we can focus on one man. I have everyone but our outside security in the conference room. Austin joins us too."How do we bring him out in the open without risking one of our women as bait?" I ask the men. It didn't matter how much Madison complained, there was no way I would give into her plan.I've never reached my current level of frustration as we debate the best scenarios. Alex hasn't said a word since entering the meeting, which surprises me. When I look at him, his eyes are on the door leading to the hallway."What has you worried?" I ask him when
The women with Celina give whoops and atta-girl shouts. I can't help smiling. "We'll be another thirty minutes. There's a building supply store not far from you and I need you to pick up two metal fence post drivers." I never worked Cave Creek as a cop, but one of the officers lived there and loved having barbeques, so I'm familiar with the area."We're on it. Meet us in the parking lot."I disconnect the call and decide to join Cori in the front. I wiggle between the seats and then lean back and exhale after I attach my seatbelt. "I'm worried Moon could beat us there."Cori puts her foot on the gas and shoots forward on the freeway. The 51 is one of the lighter trafficked freeways if you're not driving it during rush hour and we're pushing the witching hour. It's the most direct route from central Phoenix to the north valley and we're in luck because it's wide open. If that luck continues, highway patrol won't have units in the vicinity.We make it to the building supply store in twen