by Temple Hogan
He dug into his jacket, but before he could bring out a weapon, Charlie was all over him, knocking him down and standing over him, growling and baring her teeth.
“Help me,” the man yelled.
His nose was running, and tears wet his thin cheeks. Charlie heard Kermit try to get to his feet then collapse on the broken cement. His dark curses filled the air as he dug into his own pocket.
Charlie growled a warning before locking her teeth over his wrist. She heard a snap, and Kermit screamed again. His friend, seeing the immediate threat from this demon dog was momentarily over, leaped to his feet and ran, yelling for help.
All along the street, people had rushed to see what the noise was about, but none of them came to rescue Kermit, although someone must have called the police because a siren sounded in the distance.
“We’d better go, Charlie,” Phil said, and Charlie reluctantly released Kermit’s wrist.
He wouldn’t be much of a danger now, for his wrist dangled at an odd angle as if broken. She joined her sister in flight down an alley until they found an overgrown bush and hid behind it.
“That was fun,” Phil said, changing back.
Charlie did the same. They looked up and down the alley before leaving.
“I guess we showed Kermit a thing or two about not picking on kids,” Charlie said, thoroughly satisfied with the outcome. She could still taste Kermit’s blood and turned to Phil.
“I don’t have any blood on me, do I?” Charlie asked.
“No, you look beautiful. By the way, you were amazing the way you tackled that bully.”
“You weren’t so bad yourself for a dumb blonde,” Charlie said and linked arms with her sister. “I’m glad you were here.”
“Me, too.”
They passed the place where Kermit had been attacked. An ambulance and a police car were parked nearby. Kermit lay in the street cradling his leg and arm, cursing so much he was scarcely coherent as he tried to give the policeman an account of the incident. His two friends had rejoined him and stood waving their hands as they told the cops about a band of ravenous dogs that had attacked them. Charlie and Phil exchanged amused glances.
“Are you going to tell the policeman to take him in?” Phil asked.
Charlie shook her head. “I’m not in uniform, and they’ll want to know what I was doing down here on my own. Kermit has to go to the hospital, and I’ll alert Nick he’s the one I saw shoot Geronimo.”
“Okay, want some lunch?” Phil asked.
“Yeah, something vegetarian, I’m thinking,” Charlie said, regarding Kermit’s bloody, mangled hand. “I just have to make a call to the station.”
Later, lingering over margaritas, they analyzed what had happened. Charlie had alerted a detective about the whereabouts of the man suspected of shooting a police office. She knew they wouldn’t let Kermit slip through their fingers.
“I hope he doesn’t weasel out of what he did,” she said morosely.
“How can he? You’re an eyewitness, and you can identify him as the one who shot your partner,” Phil pointed out. “That has to count for something even in the convoluted world of police investigations.”
“You’re right,” Charlie conceded. “I think I’ll go down to the station and talk to Nick about it after I go by the hospital.”
“Speaking of Nick…” Phil seized the moment to bring the conversation around to the real reason she’d likely sought out her sister.
“Let’s not,” Charlie said, and Phil looked at her in surprise.
“Oh, you must have it bad, not to want to talk about him.”
“It’s just that this is personal, and I want to keep it that way. You understand, don’t you?”
Phil studied her face and reluctantly nodded. “Yeah, I do. Good luck.”
“Thanks.” She looked around for the waitress. “This one’s on me for all the help you gave.”
With Phil headed back to pick up her stepdaughter from school, Charlie was free to go to the hospital. Geronimo was awake, although still drowsy.
“Hey, partner,” Charlie said, leaning over his bed. “I’m glad to see you’re still with us.”
“Can’t get rid of me that easily,” he mumbled then turned his dark Latin gaze on her. “I don’t know why they shot me. I wasn’t pressing them.”
“Don’t worry about it now,” Charlie said. “Just concentrate on getting well then we’ll go after the bastards.”
He nodded and closed his eyes. She guessed he was asleep before she left the room.
Back at the station, bedlam seemed to have erupted.
“What’s up?” she asked Sam Turner.
“It’s been a madhouse all morning,” he said. “A case of domestic violence turned to murder. She done him in. Apparently, they were close to the Mayor, and there’s hell to pay if she doesn’t get treated with kid gloves. Then there were a couple of robberies across town from each other, and even a dog attack, which has citizens on Lambert Street up in arms. The media got involved on that one, and city hall is screaming its head off at us, like we can control every wild animal attack. The little prick who got bit has a broken wrist and a mangled leg. He’s going to be on crutches for a while.”
At that moment, Nick walked by and, seeing Charlie, paused.
“I thought you were supposed to stay home today, Spencer,” he said brusquely, his gaze stern.
She felt her heart turn over. Even now when he was annoyed with her, she wanted to throw her arms around him. She straightened her shoulders and assumed a professional air.
“Yes, sir, I was, but I had some errands to run and thought I’d just stop by.”
“Once a cop, always a cop,” Sam said. “Besides, we could use her, Captain. We’re shorthanded today.”
“I’d like to get back to work,” Charlie said quickly, grateful for Sam’s intercession.
Nick studied her face, and she wondered if she looked capable enough to convince him. Besides, she didn’t like being treated as if she would break apart at the first sign of trouble.
“All right, Spencer,” he said. “But work in the station. No street duty for the day.”
In her elation, she almost saluted then decided not to push her luck. Nick glared at her and stalked away.
“Oh, sir, I need to talk to you about something,” she called after him.
He paused in a long stride and turned to look at her. “Fifteen minutes,” he said and left without waiting for her response.
Everything about him, from his stern demeanor to his stiff shoulders said he was perturbed with her. Well, so be it. That would probably happen a lot in their relationship, especially if he didn’t drop the helpless female image he had of her. She wondered how he would react when she told him she was a witch. She pushed that chore aside for the moment. Plenty of time for that later. Her own irritation with Nick had passed by the time she headed to his office.
“Sit down, Officer Spencer,” he said, waving toward the straight-backed chair in front of his desk. He sat down as well and looked at her. “What is this about?”
“Well, I found out the name of the man who shot Geronimo,” she said, getting straight to the point.
He looked surprised then his lips tightened. “How did you do that?”
“I have an informant down on Lambert Street. She said she saw the shooting, and she recognized the man who did it. A Mr. Kermit Nolan, if you can believe the name.”
Nick sat back, blinking as he stared at her, then he swept through the papers on his desk, drew out one and read it before looking back at her.
“Were you down on Lambert Street this morning?” he asked sternly.
“Yes, I was. That’s where my informant works.”
“On Lambert Street?”
“Yes, sir,” she answered formally. “And before you ask, I saw the dog attack on Nolan.”
“Were you the one who called in the tip?” His gaze was so piercing that she didn’t know what to say. Certainly, not the truth, at least n
ot all the truth. Not yet.
“Yes, sir, I did,” she said, then to distract him, hurried on with another question. “Did they get his gun to check with ballistics?”
“No guns were found.”
“The bastards. They must have ditched them before the police got there.”
“Without evidence, we won’t have a lot to hold him on.”
“You have eyewitnesses,” Charlie reminded him. “I was there, I saw him shoot Geronimo. There was no provocation or anything. He just pulled out his gun and shot him.”
“I’ll assign a man to stand guard at the hospital, and when they’ve patched him up, we’ll put him in a lineup.”
“In the meantime, he won’t be able to shoot anyone again soon,” Charlie spoke unthinkingly. “His shooting arm’s out of commission.”
“How do you know that?” Nick asked, looking at her in surprise.
“It just stands to reason,” Charlie said quickly, trying to cover her error. “He would automatically use his dominant hand to protect himself, wouldn’t he?”
Nick stared at her, and she sensed he wasn’t buying her noninvolvement. “Charlie, watch your back. You’re a witness, and he could come after you to keep you quiet.”
“I’m aware of that, sir,” she said. “I’ll be careful.”
“I don’t want you to discuss this with anyone outside this department,” he said. “It might put your life in danger. I’ll have Kermit brought in and put in a lineup. We’ll bring in your informant to make an identification as well.”
“You know you can’t do that. Her life would be put in danger.”
“We’ll keep it quiet, and no one will see her in the witness room.”
“Word would leak back out on the streets, Nick. She has two kids and an invalid mother dependent on her.” She raised her chin. “I won’t give you her name. I won’t risk her life like that. Besides, my identification should be enough.”
His lips tightened, and he glared at her then slowly his attitude changed.
“All right,” he sighed. “Just use common sense about this,” he said, and his voice held a softness he hadn’t shown before. “I don’t want word to get out as to who is making the identification.”
“Thanks, Captain,” she said softly. They sat looking at each other until a shadow fell over them. Nick jerked his head up.
“What do you want, Latimer?” he asked sharply as the burly man stepped into the office.
“Sorry, Captain, I didn’t hear voices so I thought you were alone.” His bright gaze slid from Nick to Charlie, and his lips were curved in a leering grin.
“That’ll be all, Spencer,” Nick said, and she got to her feet.
“Thank you, Captain,” she repeated.
Without looking at Ralph, she left the office. He troubled her more and more. Obviously, he thought something was going on between Nick and her, and of course, he was right. The problem was what would he do with those suspicions?
Charlie worked through the afternoon, filling out forms and manning the phones. Just as she was about to leave for the day, word came in that Kermit Nolan had managed to elude the police. She glanced toward Nick’s office, but he had already left for a meeting with the mayor. Although frustrated that Nolan had gotten away, she was glad not to have to listen to Nick’s admonitions to be careful again. She gathered her purse and headed for home. She felt no anxiety that Nolan was out there somewhere. He had no way of knowing that Charlie was the one who was going to identify him, but when she reached her condo, she took extra care to lock up.
Chapter Six
The knock on the door startled her until she realized it must be Nick. She hurried to open it for him. He stepped inside, closed the door and pulled her into his arms. His kiss was warm and insistent, and she forgot all about the lasagna she’d just put into the oven. His hands closed over her breasts, skimmed down her stomach to her crotch then closed over her buttocks to press her closer.
“I’m making dinner,” she whispered, proud of her culinary accomplishments even if they did involve a little witchery.
“That’s not what I’m hungry for,” Nick whispered against her neck. “I can’t get enough of you. I want you now.”
Her own passion flared, sending rivers of heat through her. Her clitoris throbbed with need, and she felt the moisture of her desire in her panties. She went limp, acquiescent in his arms, and he swept her up and carried her down the hall to her bedroom.
“I’ve wanted to do this all day,” he said, standing her up by the bed and divesting her of her clothes.
“Me, too,” she said, unbuttoning his uniform, undoing his belt and the zipper of his pants. She eased his pants down and giggled when they caught on his protruding hard-on. “You are so ready,” she whispered in delight.
“I have been ever since you walked into my office this afternoon.” He shoved her onto the bed, falling beside her while his hands took command of her body and her senses. His fingers teased her nipples until they ached for his mouth. He laughed.
“You’re so easy, Charlie,” he said.
“Only with you,” she answered and knew it was true.
She’d had other lovers, but they’d come and gone from her life with little fanfare. Now here was Nick, who had only to touch her and she was aflame with desire. She looked into his eyes, shoved her hands through his hair, kissed his stubbled jaw and moaned with mounting need. Her fingers swept down to his cock, and she cupped his balls, kneading them slightly with one hand while she caressed his penis. He groaned and pushed her hands away.
“We’re not going that fast,” he said.
Immediately, she began to caress him again but with less urgency than before. If he wanted to go slow, she’d go slow, although she wasn’t sure she’d last very long. She had a need for him that overpowered any of her reserve. He bent over her, suckling her breasts, gently rolling the tips between his teeth while he laved them with his tongue. Her body tightened with electric pulses, and her crotch flooded with cream. Her body readied itself for his penetration, but he had other ideas.
He caressed her with such thoroughness she was stunned at how each part of her body turned into an erogenous zone. His teeth nibbled her earlobe, his mouth moved over her neck, nipping and sucking, until she feared she’d show up at the station the next morning with ample evidence of her evening’s activities, but she didn’t push him away. How could she when every nerve ending clamored for more?
He tasted every part of her and worked his way down to her crotch with a clear intent that made her catch her breath in anticipation. He licked away the cream of her desire then rose and kissed her, driving his tongue deep so she tasted herself and was further enflamed. She pushed him away and took his penis into her mouth, sucking on him hard, swirling her tongue over his head, drawing his essence into her mouth. She coached a trickle of semen from him, but he was holding back, and now he pulled her to him, spread her knees and entered her with one smooth movement.
She drew in her breath sharply as he filled her. Then he began to move against her, slowly, deliberately until her body was screaming for him to go faster, deeper, still he kept her waiting for her release. His eyes shone as he gazed into hers. Then they darkened, and she knew he’d crossed a line of desire he couldn’t recover from. His plunging motions increased, and she felt the friction within her body. She moved with him, striving toward that pinnacle that existed just beyond their grasp. They pumped harder, faster, and suddenly it was there, pushing them over the edge of their world into a vortex of explosive sensations.
She couldn’t breathe. She didn’t need to. She existed in a world of pleasure and delight and supreme satisfaction. She heard Nick’s cries of elation and knew he was experiencing the same as her. She held on to him and rode out the storm of their culmination. Just before she fell into an exhausted sleep, she remembered the lasagna and snapped her finger to turn off the oven.
“What are you doing?” Nick asked drowsily and went right back to sleep.
“What smells so good?” he asked later when he wandered into the kitchen.
Charlie had made a salad and was just taking the lasagna out of the oven. The table was set with everyday dishes, but the glow of candles lent a shine to everything. They settled across from each other and sat gazing into each other’s eyes. Nick reached across the table to take her hands.
“I could do this every day for the rest of my life,” he murmured. “Will you marry me, Charlie, or am I rushing you?”
“Yes, you are, and yes, I’ll marry you whenever you want.”
“Thank you,” he said and squeezed her hand.
“For what?” She looked at him, puzzled.
“For making me so happy, for filling my life as if you’ve always been there, for being you with all your quirky, sassy ways. You delight me completely.”
Tears started to her eyes at his words.
“Then I must thank you as well,” she said.
They forgot about the food as they sat contemplating what life together would be like, then Nick’s stomach growled, and they laughed. Charlie served up the food, and Nick was appropriately complimentary. They talked of many things, filling in blanks in their knowledge of each other, but eventually, their conversation turned to work.
“We’ll get you in for a lineup,” he said at some point.
Charlie put down her fork and regarded him. “You don’t know?”
“Know what?” he said. “I came here directly from the Mayor’s office. What is it I don’t know?”
“Kermit Nolan gave your police officer the slip at the hospital. They don’t know where he is. He’s disappeared.”
“Son of a bitch,” Nick said, and Charlie realized it was the first time she’d ever heard him curse.
He took out his cell phone and put through a call. Charlie cleared the dishes while he talked to someone at the station. Finally, he hung up and turned to face her.