****
The blistering sun beat down on his head and he swiped sweat with the back of his hand to keep it from his eyes. Dev tried to combat the adrenaline coursing through his body. He couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. What if that bastard was hurting her? Dev looked over his shoulder at the drawing the SWAT sergeant held in his hand.
The cops sealed off the area. This was an upscale part of town; people weren’t used to seeing SWAT vans parked in the street. His eyes scanned the crowd, and stopped. He blinked, trying to remember the face he’d seen in the file that morning.
Pushing through the crowd, he laced his grip tightly around the woman’s arm, and turned her towards him. “You’re Petrova’s sister.
Looking at his hand, her eyes grew wider. She started to speak, but then closed her mouth into a thin line.
“Your brother has a woman inside the house,” Dev said. “You can help us.”
The stately, dark-haired woman shook her head. “I cannot help you. I am sorry.”
Mac caught Dev’s conversation and was now standing next to them. “Are you Inna Petrova?” Mac demanded, the tone of his voice hard as nails.
The woman’s lower lip trembled. Dev held up his hand to silence Mac. “Please,” he pleaded. He waited until her eyes met his. “I know Ivan’s your brother, but don’t let him hurt or rape the innocent woman he has in there.” He gently squeezed her arm for emphasis.
A tear broke from the corner of Inna’s eyes and skittered down her cheek.
Dev continued, “Luci, the woman he’s taken hostage, has never hurt anyone in her life. I have a personal stake here. I love her. Please, help me get her to safety.”
The woman began to shake her head no again, but then she stopped and squared her chin. “It kills me to say this, but Ivan brings shame on our entire family. I will help you.”
The breath Dev hadn’t realized he’d been holding, escaped in a hiss from his lips.
“Get me a field phone,” the SWAT sergeant ordered.
Turning to the sergeant Dev said, “This is Petrova’s sister. She has agreed to help us make contact with him.”
Dialing a number on the phone’s keypad, Inna waited. She shook her head when there was no answer.
“Try his cell,” Dev said anxiously. He held his breath until the woman’s eyes grew wide and she began to speak.
“Ivan… dear God, Ivan!” She broke into their native Russian, and Dev hated the fact he didn’t know what she was saying. He had to trust his gut that she was trying to help. After a minute, Inna stopped and dropped her head. “He will not agree to let her free.”
Dev’s looked to the sergeant, and then reached for the phone, lifting it from Inna’s grasp.
“Petrova. This is Detective Devan Burke of the LAPD.”
There was a thin evil laugh at the other end. “You are the blonde’s cop… I am surprised you found me so quickly. You tried to use my sister as leverage?”
He heard a scuffle and then Luci cry out in pain. If the phone had been made of anything but steel it would have been crushed flat in his hand. Closing his eyes, Dev sucked in a shaky breath.
“Petrova.” When there was no answer he raised his voice. “Petrova! Listen to me. As you know we have the house surrounded. I am your only chance of getting out of there.”
The man’s words were slurred. Good. The bastard was drunk. It would be easier to mess with his mind.
Dev continued, “An ex-con like you, you’ve gotta hate cops. Let’s trade.” Dev said and heard another thin laugh. “Taking a cop hostage will give you what you need to get out of there.” He forgot to add before SWAT takes you down with a head shot. The line was a bunch of crap. A hostage was a hostage, all bets were off regardless. But, if he could get Petrova to take him and release Luci… “Take me as your hostage, and let her go.” The sergeant was already violently shaking his head no, but Dev spoke on. “I’ll come into the house unarmed. Here’s your chance. Her for me.”
“I’m not letting her go.”
“Then you don’t get me. Here’s your chance to do everything to a cop you’ve always wanted to.” Dev’s mouth went dry; for a second he thought he’d hung up.
“I hate cops,” Petrova muttered. “I will wait for you. I have a knife to her throat. If I die… she dies.”
Punching the end call button on the phone, Dev knew what the sergeant would say before he turned to meet his angry gaze.
“What the hell was that Burke? You can’t use yourself to negotiate a hostage release. It’s not the movies… and this isn’t your crime scene.”
“I understand your position sergeant. As soon as she’s free, than you can do whatever you need to. I don’t care if Petrova lives or dies. I’ll leave that up to you.”
“What about you, Burke? He’ll kill you the second she’s free.” The sergeant crossed his large arms over his chest.
“Five minutes.” Dev turned away from him. “I’ll try and get him close to a window, and then you guys can take him out. Nothing’s going forward right now. He’s not willing to negotiate and I can’t take a chance of you storming the place and having Petrova harm her. My stand on this matter isn’t negotiable.”
Devan moved around the sergeant and was halfway up the street before he heard the sergeant barking orders to his men.
Chapter Twenty
“No…no…no…” Luci muttered. She couldn’t let Devan do this. Ivan wasn’t a cat. He wouldn’t play with his prey first. He’d kill Devan as quickly as possible, then try and escape.
The front door creaked open and Luci felt the press of the cold knife blade to her throat as Ivan peered outside.
Devan came striding up the front stairs. He looked fierce, like a tiger ready to rip the man in front of him to shreds. Luci strangled the sob. She hadn’t thought he’d be able to save her in time, but here he was, her dark and brooding angel.
“Open your shirt,” Ivan demanded. “I need to see you have no weapons.”
Devan stopped on the front landing and quickly unbuttoned his dress shirt and spread it wide. His skin gleamed bare beneath the material as he lifted it away from his chest and turned. Raising one leg, then the other, he exposed his ankles. “No guns. Can we get on with this and stop wasting time?”
“I make the rules, not you.” Ivan cut a feather light line over Luci’s cheek. Her eyes fused to Devan’s. A muscle twitched in his tight jaw. She knew he was ready to pounce if Ivan went any further.
Taking the handcuff key from his front pocket, Ivan threw it towards Devan. It hit his leg, landing on the concrete at his feet.
Ivan took a wide step behind Luci, tipping the knife to her exposed throat.
“Uncuff her, then cuff yourself,” Ivan ordered.
Devan nodded once, as he reached for the key and grasped her wrist. His fingers felt hot against Luci’s skin. In a fluid motion, he pushed in the key, and freed one, then the other of her cuffed hands.
As Devan lowered her hand to her side, he brushed his fingers along her cheek. His gaze held hers for a long moment. “I love you.” In those few words he tried to say everything he felt.
Luci’s heart shattered into fragments.
Devan was saying goodbye. Not because he wanted to… but because he had to. For her.
“I love you, too.” She barely got the words out before Devan grimaced in pain. Luci gasped and scrambled to the side. Ivan had moved quickly, slicing his knife into the muscle of Devan’s upper arm. Blood flowered on the material of Devan’s white shirt.
“Love… such a stupid word. Do not talk.” Ivan held the bloodied knife in a threatening pose. “No more. Take the handcuffs, and put them on your wrists,” he demanded, circling with his back to Luci.
“She needs to be all the way out
of this house.” Devan’s brows dipped low in a glower. “Or I won’t do anything you ask.”
“She is free to go. I have you.” Ivan stepped into the front entryway and reached for the open bottle of vodka.
“Go!” Devan turned toward her and barked loudly as he stepped into the house.
His harsh tone made her jump. Devan opened the handcuffs and held them dangling in his hand, staying just of Ivan’s reach.
“I will enjoy this,” Ivan said with a wicked laugh and raised the knife, waving it back and forth.
Luci edged back a step and reached behind her. Dev caught the motion. The shake of his head was barely noticeable, but she caught it. Luci firmly planted her feet.
“Go!” Devan repeated. She knew what he was thinking. He was also trying to convey with his face that she shouldn’t do any of the things she was thinking.
Screw this. She’s finally found a man who loved her. She wasn’t going to let this two-bit Russian Mafia wannabe take that all away.
Luci edged another step back. In the past, fear ruled her decisions. But that wasn’t going to happen anymore. She wasn’t alone and she wasn’t about to leave Devan there with this nut-job.
A panel of the living room windows shattered inward and there was a flash of light. Ivan spun away from her, raising his knife in the direction of the sound.
Luci’s fingers clasped the edge of the raised lacquered box. In a swift move, she swung the weight of it and smashed it against the back of Ivan’s head. The box was heavy, but the wood still splintered. Ivan’s head took the weight of the impact. His eyes rolled up and back, he teetered, then pitched forward face down on the floor.
Luci stood for a second with her mouth open, not believing her plan worked. Anger still pumped through her veins.
“Take that, you creep!” Luci pulled back her foot and kicked Ivan once hard in the ribs, for good measure. She wiped hair and sweat out of her eyes. When she looked up, Devan was smiling.
“Damn girl.” Devan let out a strained chuckle. “I don’t know why I’m here. Looks as though you have everything under control.”
Luci let out a cry of relief, and threw her arms around his neck. “Oh God, he would have killed you!”
“That wouldn’t happen. I’ve got too much to live for. That was really… you shouldn’t have…” he shook his head. “I told you to go.”
“I don’t follow orders well… just like you.”
“You’ve got quite a swing there Ms. Lombart.” Devan kissed her gently on the lips.
Striding two steps, he dropped to his knees and brutally yanked Ivan’s arms behind his body. He slapped the cuffs, which had just been around his wrist, onto Ivan and snapped them closed.
Ivan shook his head as he began to come around.
Leaning low Devan growled between clenched teeth. “The new friends you’ll make at San Quentin will love to add a few of their own tattoos to the ones you already have.” Devan ground the point of his knee into the hollow of Petrova’s back until he moaned.
Yanking the large French doors open wide, Devan waved his hands. The second he was spotted, men ran across the lawn. Feet thundered up the stairs and men burst into the room with guns raised.
The sergeant pushed in behind his men and came to a stop in front of Devan. “We will discuss this matter at a later date.”
“Thank you, sir,” Devan finished, before pulling Luci under his arm. “I take full responsibility for my actions.”
They watched as police and SWAT team members hauled Ivan out the bedroom door.
Mac pushed through, striding towards them.
“What the hell happened to you?” he asked, looking at the blood on Devan’s sleeve.
“He said he loves me.” Luci grinned up at Devan. “Then he was stabbed.”
“Wait a minute… you stabbed him because he said he loves you? I think I missed something here.” Mac laughed, and clapped Devan on the shoulder. “You know partner, there are easier ways to tell a woman you love her. I just went to Frisco for the weekend. You don’t have to put on a dramatic SWAT event to say it.”
“I’ve always been a bit dramatic. Maybe it’s what I needed to get over the hurdle.” Devan pulled Luci to him and dropped his mouth on hers. His mouth felt soft and warm against hers. “I love you,” he whispered again.
She smiled. “See? It gets easier every time you say it.”
“Let’s get that arm of yours cleaned up. You know I hate the sight of blood,” Mac said, grabbing his throat and making fake gagging sounds.
“And you call me a drama queen?” Devan rolled his eyes, making Luci laugh.
“I know where there’s a great hospital to get stitches,” Luci commented. “Would you like me to drive you there?”
“The only place I want to be is at home with you. Can’t you stick some of those acupuncture needles in my arm to hold it together?” Devan pulled her through the crowd.
“I don’t think the needles work that way, but I do have pre-med training and acupuncture can help with the pain. I can try my hand at stitching your arm. You’d be a good guinea pig.” Luci wove her fingers through his as they headed down the marble stairs.
“You can try out anything on me.”
“Such as?” Luci looked up at him.
He whispered in her ear all the things he was going to do to her when they got home. Blood flamed in her cheeks.
“Let’s get out of here,” Devan said with a deep chuckle.
Chapter Twenty-one
Devan clinked his knife against his water goblet. The scent of candles and gardenias filled the reception hall where guests sat around white linen covered tables. Laughter dropped to a hushed murmur as everyone turned to face Devan who stood at the head table.
He’d told Luci before the reception began that he was nervous about speaking in front of a large group. Reaching for her hand, he squeezed it once tightly before grasping his champagne flute. He lifted it from the table.
“Can I have your attention please?” Devan asked.
Luci was thinking how incredibly handsome he looked tonight as Mac’s best man, wearing a black, form-fitting tuxedo and white formal shirt. The gray satin tie was undone and hung loose at the sides of his collar. The top few buttons of his shirt were open, exposing the dark chest hairs peeking through.
She’d never had a Barbie doll to call her own, much less a six-foot-plus hunk detective. She and Devan had been together for nearly four months, and Luci still got a thrill when she thought about the fact that he was all hers.
Devan glanced at her, giving her the feeling he was looking for some kind of inner strength from her.
She winked, and he grinned.
Clearing his throat, he began, “I’m honored that Mac asked me to be his best man. I think I speak for everyone here when I say how very happy we are for them… though some of us had doubts tonight would ever happen. It took Mac a long time to pop the question.”
There was laughter throughout the room, and more clinking of glasses until Mac and Michelle kissed at their guests’ request.
“I’ve known Mac for over five years,” Devan continued. “We didn’t start out as partners.” He tipped his head toward Mac. “In fact, it was pretty rocky between us. We were both fairly new to the detective division. One night, when I was out by myself on a follow-up call, I spotted Mac’s police cruiser at a fast food joint. Not only was he not inside his car, he’d left the motor running and the keys in the ignition.” Dev raised his hands, palms up and shrugged his shoulders. “I mean, how stupid can you be in LA? I couldn’t resist the temptation.”
“Hey!” Mac protested. “I was only gone a minute! I’d called in the order.”
“Well,” Devan continued, “that was all I needed. I turned
the siren on full blast and the lights, locked the door and took the keys. I figured Mac would run out, we’d laugh, and I’d give him back his keys… but when he came out of the restaurant, he took off down the street!”
Michelle gasped in dramatic shock.
“I lived around the corner! I didn’t know it was Dev. I thought it was the local punk kids messing with me!” Mac said, trying to explain his actions. “I knew I was in so much trouble for leaving my car unattended. I ran home to get the spare set of keys in my apartment.”
“Somehow, the captain found out about our little prank. Figuring we were both at fault, he made us partners.” Devan continued with a chuckle. “We didn’t talk to each other for the first week!”
“You never talk anyway,” Mac said, leaning back in his chair and winding his fingers behind his neck.
“I can never get a word in edgewise, with you always yapping.” Devan looked over at Mac. “But from that stupid prank I pulled, I was the lucky one. Because not only did I get a partner, I also got a best friend.” Devan cleared his throat, as emotions played across his face. “All of you know it hasn’t been an easy year for either Mac or me. After the shooting, I had some pretty dark months. That was when I tried to shut Mac and Michelle out of my life…” Devan wiped at his nose. “But they never gave up on me. He and Michelle never stopped calling, or caring about me. They proved to me that they care just as much about their friends as they do about each other. They are rare and special people. I would like all of you to raise your glasses in a toast to Mac and Michelle. May your marriage be filled with as much love as you give to those around you.” Devan raised his glass along with the rest of the room in tribute.
Luci felt a tear skitter down her cheek. Looking out over the banquet hall, there wasn’t a dry eye. People sniffed and brushed tears away with their cloth napkins as they quietly sipped champagne.
Shot in the Dark Page 17