“You okay?” Erik asked as he took a seat beside me at the large, wooden table. “To do this, I mean.”
“I’m fine.”
They brought Masterson in and I was shocked at how much weight he’d lost. He still had the same straggly, flyaway hair. He stared at me.
“I remember you. You took my werewolf away from me.”
Erik cut a glance at me.
“Mr. Masterson, I want to know what you can tell me about the cabal,” I said.
He shrugged. “I don’t know them. They’re pretty…underground. I wanted a werewolf…they said they had one. I paid a pretty penny for him.” I saw the guard’s askance look in his direction. “You took him from me.”
“You think he’s a werewolf?” Erik looked incredulous.
“Of course he is. A highly prized one.”
Fuck! This conversation was not going how I wanted it to at all.
“He survived the purging even though he’s the seventh son!” Masterson shrieked. I had no idea what he was talking about.
I jumped in with a question. “Your sister’s been to your house. She came out from Maine but we can’t—”
“Sister?” he asked. “What sister?”
“You don’t have a sister?”
“Oh…shit. She must be involved with the cabal.” He chewed his lip for a moment. “She was in my house?”
Erik and I were silent. Then I said, “There have been fights at your house.”
He looked astonished. “Not in my house.”
I opened my mouth, but he shook his head. “The caves. Underground caves… There’s a secret entrance at the back of my house. I’m right in the middle of the park forest, you know. All kinds of secret trails and caves there.”
He willingly gave up this information to me, mentioning an ironwood tree as its marker. How ironic… I’d just been thinking about Bardo being re-housed up in Ironwood.
“You tell the DA I helped you!” Masterson jabbed a finger at me. “You owe me!”
“I’ll tell him, I promise.”
We ended our interview and Masterson screamed as he was taken away.
“What was all that about Ludo being the seventh son and surviving the purge?” Erik asked.
“I don’t know.” But I was starting to recall a myth I’d read about Argentine werewolf legends. When I first found out about Ludo’s curse I’d researched the lake he swam across, and the story he’d told me was true. There was also some ancient fable about how in the old days of Argentina the seventh son of a family automatically became a werewolf so families usually killed the seventh son the moment he was born.
But that was a long time ago and Ludo didn’t have a huge family. It was just him and his mom…or so he’d told me.
As I drove back to town, heading to the Masterson property, I called Veo, who bleated about his cancelled press conference. I brought him up to speed about the fake sister and the fights held underground in caves.
“Our guys went all over that property and there was no entrance to a cave.” He sighed. “If you find one, call me.”
“Will do.”
“Don’t go in without backup.”
“We won’t, sir.”
He ended the call. At the Masterson property nearly thirty minutes later, I rang the front door bell and was surprised when a woman answered it.
It all happened so fast I hardly had time to process the chain of events, but the first thing that transpired was that I recognized her immediately as the elegant panhandler.
“You took your time,” she seethed and I looked over my shoulder at Erik. She’d been talking to him.
“Sorry, partner.” He didn’t look it as he hauled off and slugged me. The last thing I heard as my head crashed into the doorframe was, “Six million dollars is too much to pass up .”
Chapter Six
I could hear voices. A man and a woman. I tried not to stir. The voices were close and they thought I was still unconscious.
“We were supposed to bring him in unharmed,” the woman said. I opened my eyes a fraction. I was bleeding…from where? Blood pooled in front of me. “Are they still going to pay me if he’s injured?”
I could see her shoes. Red. The elegant panhandler. Beside her, Erik paced.
“Jeez…I had to do something. I didn’t mean to split his fucking head open. Shit…he’s awake.”
“No, he’s not.” She huffed now. “He hasn’t moved.”
“His breathing’s changed. He’s—”
“Yeah.” The woman’s tone turned harsh. “He’s coming to, no thanks to you. So call Teru now. I want my money. I shoulda let you run me in when you found me. But, oh no…I gotta get fancy ideas about making some fast cash. I tell you, I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all.”
“Shut up.” Erik hunkered down beside me. I kept my eyes closed, which wasn’t hard. My head…my whole body hurt. His ugly tone was one I’d never heard before.
“Make the call,” the woman said. “I gotta get outta here. Assaulting a police officer’s a big crime, baby. And I ain’t doin’ that time. I gotta get my kid back.” She started to crack. “Jesus…I can see the bone in his nose.”
“I’ll call Teru.” Erik moved away from me. “Get his cell phone away from him.”
He moved away from her, too, just as I sensed her coming closer to me.
“Where the fuck you goin’?” she called out, following him.
Cell phone.
I still had hope. In spite of the fire in my head and face, I had the wherewithal to reach for it. I could barely see, my heart pounding in fear. I knew that Erik wouldn’t hesitate to hurt me again. Scrolling through my numbers, I found the one for home and called my mom.
“Your partner’s wife is here,” she said, picking up on the second ring. “She came for coffee. She’s never just dropped in. Seems really nervous. She just got a call and said you’ve been injured and she wants me to bring her to you.” Her voice dropped. “I saw your number and told her it was the morgue and I needed to talk to them. Are you okay, Cav?”
“Ana’s there?” Before she could respond I said, “Mom, it’s a trap. Don’t let her take you anywhere. Shoot her if you have to. Don’t send Ludo here. Erik hurt me, Mom—”
“Cavan! I—”
“I’m at the Masterson house. Call Veo.” Holy shit. I could hear Erik’s feet thumping against the hardwood floors. He was coming back. “Tell him Erik and the homeless woman are part of it.”
Erik was striding toward me now. I knew my life was over. His image started to swim before me. I was bleeding out. “I love you, Mom. Tell Ludo…too.”
I was unconscious before Erik’s foot even kicked me in the stomach. My spirit left my body as he took the cell phone out of my hand.
“Who’d you call, Cavan?” He shouted, looking at my phone. “Shit!” He hurled it across the room. My spirit hovered high above the scene. Man…my nose had split wide open. It was eerie how good it felt not to be in pain. I started to fall back to my body when a new figure entered the room.
I heard Erik shout, “No!” I heard the gunshots.
The world turned black and I awoke with a jolt to Erik’s lifeless body beside me. Shot through the head. Why was I still alive?
I heard the homeless woman’s screams. More shots…then…silence.
“Tell that bitch Ana she better get over here now,” a man said in heavily accented English.
Then I heard another voice. “What about Candice?” the second voice asked. Familiar? Yes. But who?
“What about her?” The man in the accented English had a chill in his tone that frightened me. I opened my eyes just enough to see that the man in front of me looked deranged. His brows met right in the middle.
I knew from my conversations with Ludo that a werewolf who has killed humans develops this…unibrow. This guy must have killed a lot of them because his brow was like a bush leaping from his forehead. I had a horrible feeling it was Cornelius Teru.
“The me
at just woke up,” the second voice said. Holy crap. It was my ex, Vince.
§ § § §
I knew I was dreaming. At least, I thought maybe I was. Maybe I’d died and I’d gone to Heaven, except this was not how I’d ever pictured it. I’d always imagined it to be an endless sweep of lush green meadows. A place of no pain. I’d visualized it since I’d lost my grandparents, and in my heart and mind, Grandma no longer felt the ravages of cancer and spent her days planting and enjoying her yellow roses. My dog, Mitzi, was still alive, running after cars, particularly Grandpa’s.
Grandpa. I’d get to see him again. He could drive once more. It still haunted me how broken he was when the DMV took his license from him. He sat behind the wheel of his ’63 black Lincoln Continental with the suicide doors and moon roof, crying like a child.
“They took my legs from me,” he said when I found him. “They took my bloody legs.”
So, to me, that was Heaven, Grandpa driving, left arm out, waving at people, flowers, me… The moon roof open, Blossom Dearie blasting from the stereo. I’d be on a porch sipping cocktails with Ludo. Mom would be fussing over what to cook for our celestial dinner.
Yeah. All this was Heaven to me.
What I got instead was some sort of a closet. Fitting I suppose for two gay men who’ve had to suffer with secrets their entire lives.
“Cavan…” Ludo’s whispered word was balm to my agonized soul and body. He kissed me and it felt so sweet. My breath caught and I felt his tongue sliding across my lips and chin. “Stay with me, sweetheart. I know it hurts. I never wanted this. Never.”
His tears fell on my face. I moaned because I couldn’t speak. I was naked. So was he…his skin felt so good against mine. His hard cock nestled against my thigh.
Yeah, this was Heaven. Buck naked, my cock in his hand, his cock yearning for my touch. I held him, my eyes opening finally. Even in the darkened space, I could see his gaze burning into mine.
“I love you.” His intense expression ignited something in me. God…he was real. It wasn’t a dream. “Concentrate on me,” he said, “think about us.”
His mouth moved over mine and I felt his hands roaming down my body. The confined space would have been oppressive if I hadn’t been so turned on. I was aware of not being able to fully breathe. My mouth hung open, my nose bloody…pulpy, but I didn’t care. Ludo’s kisses and licks forged a path to my cock where his lips engulfed the head. My arms went out. I tried to steady myself. It was an amazing experience to not be able to see much but feel everything he was doing to me.
He sucked me gently, putting more force into his movements as his tongue ran underneath my shaft. He sought the vein in it and licked harder, pursing his lips against it. Damn! He moved back to the head, sucking me in, his fingers wrapping around my balls and tightening at the base. Sparks fused in my brain. I wanted to come…but I wanted him more. My hands groped in the darkness. Where were we? It was no closet…I couldn’t feel the sides.
Darkness. Surrender. Give in. Die.
Don’t think about that, come for me, Cavan. His voice was in my brain. His mouth was back on my cock head. I cried out as he swallowed me up again, my balls anxious for release. I came, deep in his throat. I heard his soft, slow moan as he coaxed every last ripple of pleasure from me.
And then I saw the light.
§ § § §
“Open your eyes,” a male voice commanded. I felt cold water splashing my face, felt the hot, searing agony of fire jolting through me.
“Yaarrgh!” I screamed. My feet were in agony. Blood poured into my mouth and I opened my eyes. I was hanging upside down, suspended from what looked like a meat hook. When I jerked in reaction to the Taser at my chest, I saw that my feet were chained to the hook. I couldn’t move my hands. They were cuffed behind me. I heard cheers, jeers…growls…and then the man in front of me released the hook and dropped me.
“Bring the cage,” he commanded.
It was Teru. I could tell by his accent now. I fell at his feet, the pain in my head and shoulder excruciating. But I was alive. Alive! Ludo was close now. The quivering joy my body always experienced at his proximity kicked in. I both wanted him here, but feared for his safety.
I thought the cage was for me but I was shocked when I saw little Ky coming toward me, sobbing, confined in it. Beside him, I saw Vince looking ashen, shocked. His gaze turned from mine. He couldn’t look at me. We were surrounded by wolves and men in a very small, tight cave. Tiki-type torches burned in wall sconces. I opened my mouth to breathe.
“It’s all right, Ky!” I called out. The little boy was wringing his hands. It was horrible to see. “Proud of yourself, Vince?” I shouted. He kept his face turned away from me.
“Cavan…is that you?” Ky’s voice was so tiny and frightened.
Before I could respond, Teru barked. “Shut up!” He let out a growl then…a wolf-like growl. “It’s here. The legend of the six… Did you bring the key?”
“Release them and I’ll give it to you.” This was Ludo’s voice. I twisted my body around to look at him. He was magnificent. He stood at the entrance of the cave, shrouded in darkness, wearing jeans and a T-shirt. His gaze seared into me.
“No, no. I’m in charge here and I make the rules.” Teru’s words were followed by growls, grunts, shrieks of laughter. “Here’s how it’s gonna go down. You pick one. The kid. Or the man. And you kill him. The choice is yours.”
The low-level grunts turned into high-pitched whines like dogs on a hunt. The sound was horrible. Ky let out a long, petrified wail.
“Kill me!” I urged my lover. “Don’t let them kill Ky!”
I knew this was a terrible decision for him…if he killed either one of us he’d lose his freedom. He’d be cursed as a werewolf forever.
He stared at me. His whole body morphed and he turned into the were. When Teru changed into a big gray wolf, I realized he was the original wolf that had gone missing from the gallery. Their battle was bloody as they lunged at one another. Teru was bigger, meaner, but Ludo gave him a run for his money. They bounced off the walls. I pushed myself back away from them, but Teru kicked me in the face a couple of times and then I heard the mad scramble of feet.
“LAPD!” a voice screamed. The wolves kept fighting and probably would have kept at it if they hadn’t been so shocked to see an elderly woman in a wheelchair, a strange-looking gun in her hand, surrounded by uniformed officers with shields in front of them.
“Which one is Teru?” my mom asked. Teru flew at her, his feet pounding on the cage.
“That one!” I screamed. She raised her gun and aimed.
“You are not killing my son, asshole!” A haze of bullets shot out of the mouth of her weapon, slamming into Teru’s body. I heard the sickening thud of contact, the screams and wails emanating from him. He fell to the ground, a look of terror and disbelief on his face as he clutched his chest.
“Nail gun, bitch!” my mom declared. “How you like them apples?”
Teru’s mouth moved but no sound came out, he writhed and whined…it was pitiful. And then he returned to human form. Dead.
The cave filled with people. I felt Ludo’s arms around me, his mouth on my throat.
“Get the baby,” I begged. “Don’t let them hurt him!” And then I was unconscious again.
§ § § §
I awoke some time later. I was in pain but by the sights and sound, I was in a hospital, my mother and lover sitting beside one another, watching me.
“Where am I?” I asked.
“Cedars-Sinai.” My mother looked devastated. “Cavan…you almost died.”
I saw the pain in Ludo’s face. “No. I would never have let it come to that. Teru knew that. I had to let him think he was winning.” I could see it was hard for him, but he touched my leg. Not that I could feel it. I saw his hand on my knee above the covers.
“Yes,” my mother said. “I see that, but he still tortured him.” She smoothed the already flat bedding across my body. “I tota
lly enjoyed blowing that fucker away.”
My God. She made me laugh. “Were you this cavalier when you were on the force?” I asked her.
“No,” she admitted. “But I would have been if anyone tried this.” She smiled at me. “My aim is rock solid, which proves you can take the woman out of LAPD but you can’t take the cop out of the woman.”
“When there’s a nuclear war, Mom, I’m following you.”
“Good deal.” She turned to Ludo. “I told you the plan would work.”
He looked agonized. “I had to flush him out,” Ludo said. “I’ve been trying for months to get him.”
“Teru?” I asked. I was only aware then that my whole face was bandaged.
“Yes, Teru.”
“And he’s dead?” I winced in pain.
Mom picked up a white remote beside me and squeezed.
“Vince, too. I made sure of it, but I didn’t kill him.” Ludo glanced at Mom. “She knows everything.”
“Everything?” That shocked me. “What is thing about the six wolves…and you…and the key?”
“Plenty of time for that.” Ludo sounded authoritative. “You want some ice chips? Your lips look so cracked, baby.”
I could tell he was upset, fighting for composure.
“You saved my life,” I said. “Both of you. Ludo…the dream I had—”
“I was with you. I’m always with you.”
“You can explain that one, too.”
He gave me a sweet, dazzling smile. “I will.”
“Where is Ky? Is he okay?”
“He’s fine,” Mom said as Ludo reached across her to rub an ice chip along my lip. “He’ll have no memory of it. His mom just thinks he followed a wolf out of the house. They’ve captured three of the wolves. God knows what LAPD will make of it when they morph back into human form.” She grinned. “God, I love shooting. I shot me a mess of fools back in that cave. I feel young again!”
I couldn’t help laughing.
There were voices. God. It was Veo.
“He’s been having a press conference,” Mom said.
“Of course he has.” I grinned. He entered my room, Ludo rising to block the camera crew behind my sergeant.
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