“That’s because there are. It’s been quiet for the most part, but I feel it, too. I feel it stronger since arriving in New York. Let’s get ready to go, and open our wolf spirits to the directions of the gods and goddesses. For they know our destiny, and they will guide us.”
“Good luck and be safe. Call me if you spot them and I will get to you,” Angus told Quinn.
“Same here. No heroics on your own. I would like a piece of them myself,” Quinn said then winked.
Angus watched him go and then he grabbed his gun and followed. Tonight there was an edge of trouble on the heels of the soft breeze. His wolf felt it. His spirit felt it. But he was ready. Angus Fennigan didn’t care if he lived or died, just as long as he brought justice to his mate once and for all.
* * * *
Salina tried to calm her heavy breathing. She gripped her revolver in her hands, feeling the cold, hard metal embed against her skin. She was trying not to shake. She needed to maintain control of the situation she was in. She tried to swallow, but her dry, nervous throat nearly made her cough. She couldn’t do that. That would alert the creeps that she was in the vicinity.
She cursed Reggie, her partner, for the third time since he took off all gung ho after two guys he spotted and obviously recognized as criminals. Basic training enforced the rule of sticking together and never leaving your partner. But no. Not Reggie. A detective sergeant, her training officer and then partner, for the last five years, and he does this?
She peeked around the corner, keeping her cheek against the concrete wall. It was an old building, by the way the paint peeled away in shredded curls from the walls. It was probably filled with lead paint or even asbestos.
She could hardly make out the scene around the dark corner. Her heart hammered in her chest. Her lungs filled with the damp, moldy smell of old, dilapidated building. She’d called in for backup minutes ago. Why wasn’t anyone coming to help? She saw one asshole, his gun pointed to the back of Reggie’s head. Somehow, he’d gotten the upper hand on her partner. Another one stood there looking beaten and about to pass out. She felt proud of Reggie. He obviously did some damage to that guy.
She thought she heard a low growl, but looking around her, into the darkness, nothing came into view.
That was all she would need now, some rabid dog coming in and attacking her before she could help Reggie.
“You think you’re so fucking smart, pig. You don’t know who you’re messing with. You don’t even know who I am,” the gunman stated in a thick Irish accent, his hand steady as he pressed the gun against Reggie’s head, giving it a shove.
“Fuck you. I know who you are. You come from a family of shit, your father included!” Reggie yelled back.
Shit, Reggie, don’t egg him on. This kid has killed before. It was obvious by the way he held the gun and didn’t shake. His expression was cocky, arrogant, and all punk. How the hell do you know him? Shit, I need to get in there, but if I move now, he’ll take the shot and kill Reggie.
“Fuck you, Fennigan, and your whole fucking bloodline of weak beasts. The clan should have destroyed you all by now. Your pack means shit.”
The gunman slammed the barrel of the gun against Reggie’s head. Reggie fell over.
Pack? Clan? What the hell?
“Stop, police!” she yelled out. Reggie looked to the side, right at her. His eyes looked funny. They almost glowed yellow. Something made her hesitate and think of the beast in her dream. Then she heard the kid with the gun growl, and when she looked at him, she could have sworn he had sharp teeth. He aimed and fired. Salina didn’t hesitate. She took the shot, hitting the gunman with the face of a teenager right in the forehead. She felt the hit to her upper arm, but she turned to the left where the other guy pulled a gun from his hip and pointed it at Reggie. It happened so fast. Two shots rang out. The guy shot Reggie, then turned to shoot her, but she pulled the trigger, hitting him in the forehead. She was an excellent marksman, thanks to her father.
She pulled the radio from her hip.
“Officer down. I repeat, officer down.” She gave their location again, demanding to know where the hell their backup was.
She fell to the ground next to Reggie, feeling her own arm ache from the bullet wound. Even if the guy shot further to the right she would be okay. She wore a bulletproof vest.
“Reggie. Reggie, are you okay?” she asked. She heard him chuckling, eyes closed, his breathing funny.
“Reggie?” She didn’t know why he didn’t answer as she heard sirens in the distance, coming from outside the building as she painstakingly ran her palms along his body where the bullet went.
“You crazy son of a bitch. Holy shit, I love you, Sal. You have got to be the best shot in the department. Whoo!” he yelled out. She gave his shoulder a smack and he cringed.
“I thought he got you. What the fuck, Reggie?”
When she tried to stand up, she felt dizzy. He reached for her. “Slow down there, cowgirl. The adrenaline rush is leaving your body. Just sit still.” He tried to sit up, but he cringed then moaned and groaned.
“Fuck, I don’t remember it hurting this fucking bad,” he said, referring to being shot even with a bulletproof vest on.
She chuckled this time. “Serves you right. Why the fuck did you run off like that? We’re partners. We’re supposed to stick together. You didn’t know if there were other people in here. People that could help them. How did you know that kid anyway? You said something about his father.”
“A thank-you would be sufficient.”
“A thank-you for what?”
“For saving your ass from getting shot.”
“Uh, I did get shot. Which is why I’m bleeding like a fucking fiend right now and feeling dizzy.”
He scrunched his eyes together in an expression of concern. He looked at her arm. “Apply pressure to the wound. Shit.”
“I am, and I’m fine.”
“Fuck, you’re not. You got shot. Fuck,” he exclaimed, suddenly acting awfully concerned and not so humored by the situation.
He ran his fingers through his salt-and-pepper hair he kept too long. The sexy bachelor loved the attention it got him from the ladies. She shook her head.
“You need an ambulance.”
“You need a shrink,” she replied.
He stared at her, mouth gaped open, and then he chuckled.
Their backup arrived, better late than never, with guns drawn and calling out, “Police!”
“It’s all over. She needs an ambulance,” Reggie said and then ran his fingers through his hair, a habit he did when he was concerned. He had a good fifteen years on her, but he was a great partner. As detectives they’d worked on hundreds of cases together. He knew her father, Pierce, and promised him that he would take good care of her. But it seemed that Salina was taking care of Reggie and his wild, old-school ways.
He reached out to her as she was looking down at her arm. He caressed her cheek.
“You did amazing, Sal. Like always. Your dad is going to be pissed off at you for being so gung ho.”
“No, he won’t. He’ll be pissed off at you, for causing me to get shot.”
He chuckled as the paramedics arrived and other officers came onto the scene.
“Would one of you like to explain this fucking mess?” their lieutenant asked as he approached, looking around at the two dead bodies with bullet wounds to their foreheads. He sniffed the air and she assumed he was taken aback by the stench of mold and old-building smell.
“Don’t look at me. Sal is the one with the sniper shot abilities.”
Salina shook her head at her partner.
“Sal, are you okay?” the lieutenant asked. Benjamin McCallister was an older, attractive man, and had a thing for her. She heard Reggie exhale in annoyance as Benjamin placed his hand on her shoulder and looked at her wound.
“Get the fuck over here. This detective’s been shot.”
“I’m okay, Lieutenant.”
He gave her a ser
ious expression. “You’ve been shot, Sal. Damn. We’ll get you looked at immediately.” He yelled again as the paramedics entered the room.
“Holy shit. Was that your handiwork, Reggie?” the paramedic asked. Reggie shook his head as he slowly undid the bulletproof vest in obvious pain, scrunching his eyes together. “That’s Sal’s handiwork.”
The paramedic began to undo Salina’s shirt to help see where the bullet was. The lieutenant helped to remove her bulletproof vest, and thank God she wore a tank top beneath it, or he would be removing her blouse and she would be sitting here with only a bra on.
She heard a whistle as another two detectives entered the room.
“Hot damn, we’ve got good timing. I’ve always wondered what Sal looked like under all those neck-high blouses and slim-fitting dress pants,” London Perez said, walking around the front of her to get a better look.
The paramedic chuckled. “Shit, Salina, it’s a bad one, but at least the bullet went right through. I’ll patch this up best I can and bring you in,” he stated as someone yelled about bringing in a gurney. The other paramedic looked at Reggie, who now had his shirt off. She couldn’t see any bruising on his stomach or chest. She wondered why. He should be bruised up and red despite the vest protecting him.
Benjamin nudged her arm as the others brought in the gurney.
“No gurney for me. I’m walking out of here,” she said firmly.
The paramedic wrapped up her arm, the blood seeping through despite his efforts. She went to stand up and the lieutenant and London reached for her.
“I’m okay,” she said, but truth was, she felt awfully dizzy. She leaned in to the lieutenant. His arm went around her waist, his palm landing over her tight abs. She felt uncomfortable, and the way he caressed her, she knew he was taking advantage of the situation. She wished she had some sort of attraction to him, to any man for that matter. But she never felt anything more than a tingling sensation. Now wasn’t any different. Besides, she was no damsel in distress. She was a New York City homicide detective. She kicked ass and took names. Fuck being vulnerable and showing weakness.
“I’ve got you, Sal,” Benjamin whispered.
“I’m okay,” she replied, trying to stand alone.
“I do, too,” London added, placing his hand on her waist on the other side and guiding her along with the lieutenant. Reggie chuckled and she looked at him and gave him the evil eye. Reggie was enjoying this. She got hit on all the time at work but never dated a fellow cop. She didn’t want the hassle or the gossip. Plus, if things didn’t work out, she would be dragged through the mud. She knew guys, and they could get pretty damn nasty when a woman broke things off with them. It was safer being alone. Who had time for dating or even a love affair anyway?
As they escorted her out of the building to the awaiting ambulance, she saw a crowd had gathered. Considering it was late at night, there were an awful lot of people out here. She scanned the faces out of force of habit. Even though the criminals were dead, she still looked around as if more were watching.
She felt her eyes begin to lose focus when she locked gazes with one very large, dark-haired man. He was gorgeous, and immediately her heart reacted to seeing him. She tried to focus better, losing him for a moment as they lifted her up into the ambulance. When she glanced back, she saw his glowing eyes. She blinked. She felt her body tingle and her pussy ache. How odd.
No, it couldn’t be. I must be losing my mind.
Salina lay back onto the gurney and the paramedics strapped her in. She closed her eyes, prepared to head to the hospital, but all she saw was his image. The man in black, dark hair, gorgeous face, and glowing eyes. How the hell could his eyes be glowing? She thought about the scene in the building and the teen with the long, sharp teeth. Had she imagined that, too?
“Sal, are you feeling okay?” the paramedic asked her.
She closed her eyes and blinked them again and again. “I think I’m hallucinating,” she said.
He smiled. “You’re going to be fine. Just rest, and we’ll have you in the ER in no time.”
She tried to do just that, but then she felt a warm sensation encase her body as she thought about the man in the crowd until she passed out.
Chapter 2
“You crazy bastard. You think they’re dead, do you now? You egged them on, and now they want you and they’ll want that pretty brunette you’ve been trying to keep safe. Tell me what the fuck you were thinking?” Jimmy Lannigan, a member of Fagan Pack, asked Reggie Fennigan in his thick Irish brogue.
Reggie ran his fingers through his hair.
“I was focused on bringing those half-vampire scoundrels down. As members of the Carbarone family, it was a sure way to get revenge for what they did to my family. To our family, Jimmy. Those fuckers are the ones who killed Margo, our cousins’ mate. They had a hand in the murders we’re investigating.”
“Yeah, well, Fennigan Pack is aware of what took place here in the States. Two of them are here. Angus and Quinn were following Luka and Centron. They seek their own revenge for the men who killed their mate. Their brothers are scattered all over the world. They haven’t been the same since her death. You know you just pulled that partner of yours into the middle of a Were situation. She’s human. This isn’t good at all.”
“I know. I’ll protect Sal, and she’s pretty damn tough. I want to help my cousins heal, I do. I saw an opportunity and I took it.”
“I understand, but our cousins, Fagan Pack along with their mate, Dani, the Declan brothers, and Ava, are not pleased about this occurrence. Declan Pack believes that Carbarone is up to something. Your partner, a human, shot two highly evil relatives to Carbarone. She now has a bull’s-eye on her forehead, thanks to you, which means we need to provide some serious protection.”
“I’ve got her covered. I also have some of our pack members surrounding her condo right now.”
“That’s not enough. Quinn was at the scene yesterday. He said there were other members of Carbarone’s family in the vicinity. They’ve already taken notice to your partner, Sal. Such an odd name for such a strikingly gorgeous woman. Too bad she wasn’t a supernatural like a wolf. Then she might just be able to take care of herself.”
Reggie swallowed hard. Little did his cousin or the Fennigan or Fagan Packs know that Sal was indeed quite special. She just didn’t know it. She could possibly be more powerful than a healer, like Margo, or a foreseer, like Dani. He swallowed hard.
“What are you hiding?”
“Me? I’m not hiding anything. Why would you ask me that?” Reggie asked. He looked around them, being sure no one was taking notice of them talking.
“You know something. I’m your cousin. You better share with me any info that could bring down Margo’s killers.”
“Jimmy, you do your job and I’ll do mine. You can tell Quinn and Angus where to find me.”
“They know where you are. Angus was in the crowd the other night. I told you he was tracking Carbarone’s men.”
“Well then, tell him he and Quinn are more than welcome to join me for dinner tonight. We can discuss the current situation.”
“You need to watch over your partner, or the next dead body to turn up and give our packs unwanted attention by the human police will be hers.”
Jimmy turned around and left. Reggie took a deep breath and released it. He needed to talk with Sal’s dad. This situation had just gotten a hell of a lot worse because he’d decided to allow revenge to rule his wolf mind instead of focusing on protecting Sal. Pierce Santos was going to really give it to him. Reggie thought about his job and the reason he was stationed in the department from the start fifteen years ago. He had a job to do. He was to ensure that the supernatural weren’t the ones killing people for fun or just because they needed to feed. He was part of a major organization that was being revamped since the goddesses took over the Circle. He could help run this organization if he didn’t keep screwing things up.
In fact, he felt that Sal, if she
were a bit more than just human, could be a definite asset to the project. He hoped that he didn’t just jeopardize his opportunity to become part of the new organization and special crimes unit.
Damn. I really need to get my shit together.
* * * *
Angus, Alpha leader to Task Force Two, Fennigan Pack, stood by the bar along with his brother Quinn. They stood out like always, and not just because of their Irish brogues. But this was a safe location to meet their cousin Reggie. He looked at Quinn. Blond hair, blue eyes, and such a serious expression it nearly matched Angus’s. The rest of their brothers were spread out the last month or so helping to train pack warriors and keep the investigation into underground rogue packs under control. Six months ago they were so angry and distraught about their mate being murdered that there was no talking to them. They wouldn’t take orders but then the higher command initiated their own demands. The Goddesses of the Circle revealed themselves, and the Were community united to fight off the ultimate evil. Now it was back to securing the world, and the civilians who had yet to know of the existence of supernaturals.
“What’s taking him so long?” Quinn asked, drinking his mug of beer. He would love to visit the Irish bar across town, best known to cater to the Irish clan of Were to make them feel right at home as if in Ireland, but it was too dangerous. Too many mixes of Were, vampire, and fairy filtered through the joint. Too many members of Carbarone’s kind, and Angus knew he would lose control. If he had his way, he’d take out all fifty thousand of them, destroying any chances of Carbarone’s pack to exist again. But The Goddess wouldn’t let him. Not the elders, not Samantha nor Lord Crespin, no one. It seemed to him that something else was occurring, and since he didn’t care if he lived or died, he’d attack the situation head-on. When a wolf lost his mate, life just didn’t seem worth living anymore.
“He’ll be here. He’s probably checking on his partner first. Jimmy said that Reggie had her place covered for extra security.”
Task Force Two: Fennigan Pack's Earth Angel [The Men of Five-O #9] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 2