Page 6 of Salvation

I don’t want to argue with Luke. Not at all.

Gabrial is just… well, Gabrial, and Luke is Luke.

It’s just…

It’s a fucking complicated situation.

His blue eyes search my golden gaze as we stare at each other. Finally, he sighs again and stands, saying nothing else. He always does this. When he knows that what he wants to say will upset me, he leaves. It’s his way of dealing with everything.

And the pathetic part is that I know what he’s doing, I know why he does it. And I know that it’s not right… it’s just so complicated.

He leans over, cradling my cheek and I lean into the strength of his hands. These are the hands of a good man. A man who risks his life every single day to protect innocents. Luke is who puts the abusers of a lot of the women and children in this shelter in prison. He keeps people safe. He keeps me safe. He puts away men that break the law… men like… Gabrial.

Leaning his forehead against mine, he breathes deeply, and I breathe in tandem with him. “I need to get back to work. I just wanted to check on you and make certain you’re taking care of yourself.”

Smiling up at him, I lay my hands over his on my face. He smiles back and my breath catches, butterflies dancing underneath my ribs. Raising my face, I slide my lips over his, twice, as soft as delicate butterfly wings, before firmly pressing my lips against his. His lips cling to mine and we kiss sweetly for a minute. When my tongue traces the seam of his mouth and his hands tighten on mine, the kiss getting harsher, he sweeps his tongue inside my mouth. We begin to lose ourselves in the passion between us before he pulls back, breathing rapidly. His hand falls from my face and he smiles at me sexily as he backs to the door.

Of course, he put a stop to it. We were just discussing Gabrial.

It’s not fair or right and you know it, Hope. I can’t stop myself though.

I wave as he reaches it and call out, “Thanks for the lunch, Luke. I appreciate it and the company. You and me. Later this week. Okay?”

He nods and opens his mouth to answer, but before he can, his cell rings. It’s in his hand before I can blink. As he sees the number, his forehead creases and he answers roughly, “Detective Sanchez… What... How long ago… Okay, rope off the area and start talking to the crowd. See if anyone saw anything and will talk. Try to keep everyone at the scene. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

My back straightens as I listen unabashedly to Luke’s side of the conversation. He’s in “detective mode” now. His voice is no nonsense and all business. Something’s happened. He deals with death and violence almost every day. It scares me to death, but he’s a great cop and one of the best detectives in the state. Something has definitely happened.

My mind automatically flashes to Gabrial, but I don’t let myself go there. I make it a point not to go there. I can’t think about things like this. Instead, I stand and pick up the remains of the lunch with Luke, then I start sorting baby items again. Though I keep looking at Luke’s face and listening in on his side of the conversation.

He’s tense. My hands know what to do with the items I’m sorting, even though my attention is on Luke. These supplies are urgently needed, and I need to get them ready to be distributed.

Luke hangs up and grips the back of his neck as I look at him. He’s staring at the floor and his teeth are clenched, grinding together.

I can’t stop myself from asking, “What is it, Luke? A murder?”

His eyes flash to me as if he’s forgotten he was in my office. His back straightens and a wall falls over his face. He brusquely says, “You know I’m not supposed to talk about my cases, Hope. I’m heading out… But yes… a murder. His body was dumped in the street in front of his house… I’ve got to get over there before people scatter and we miss something that could help us.” He mutters under his breath, “Though, I doubt anyone talks anyway…”

My hands are clenched into fists and my nails are cutting half-moon shapes into my palm as I carefully say, “Be careful, Luke.”

He smirks at me dryly and a hint of something that stirs my soul flashes in his eyes before quickly being masked. “I’m always careful, Hope.”

I sigh. “I know.”

He crosses the room in two strides and brushes his lips against mine, slipping his tongue past my lips and stroking my tongue lightly before he pulls back, pressing a quick kiss against my lips. While I’m still wanting more, he turns and heads out of my office without another word. I can hear him barking orders into his phone again as he heads down the hall.

Needing a second to gather my bearings, I sink to the edge of my desk again and breathe deeply as I mutter aloud to the mess of my office, “I know you’re always careful, Luke. I just love you… That’s all.”

After a minute I feel in control again, I stand and get back to work. It’s getting late and I want to distribute this stuff tonight before I leave.

With the radio to keep me company, I dive back into the boxes and create more stacks of diapers and formula.

* * *

This isa typical scene for me. Any given day, I find myself standing at yet another murder scene where someone connected with the dark underbelly of my city is lying there. This time it’s Eli Mascareni, a once prominent and successful restaurateur, who in recent years, rumor has it, fell into the lure of buying and selling drugs. Drugs supplied by one man…

The Kingpin around here is none other than Gabrial DeLucca. My childhood best friend and the other man in Hope’s life.

I can’t even hate him. He’s everything I stand against, everything this badge on my chest allows me to bring to justice, yet I can’t argue with the fact that the people he “disposes” of are usually people that the world is better off without. He is a criminal though and he has no right to play God.

---