Luca was a big man, and even on his knees, he was tall. There was a blood stain on the sleeve of his suit coat. He had to be experiencing some sort of pain, but his first concern was Tammy. Luca was a different kind of man with qualities similar to those of her own man. Since the beginning, Jack had always put her first. She was truly blessed, and so was Tammy.
“She’s good. She has the task of explaining to Jack why I’m here,” Victoria said with a smile.
“Why would you put my woman in danger like that, donna?” Luca responded. “She was probably safer dodging bullets.”
Victoria placed a hand to Luca’s shoulder and laughed. “She’s a tough girl. She’ll be okay.”
“I’m not so sure,” Luca scoffed.
“I’m here to help. Let me see what’s going on.”
Luca nodded toward her left side. Victoria turned and cringed when she spotted Detective Devereux.
Ughhhh!!!
Victoria still had plenty of connections on the police department, but Belladonna Devereux was not one of them. She was as hard as they came. Bella was not necessarily by the book, but she could be immovable. Hell, she had her own book. She was a good detective; one of the best. But to Victoria, her attitude was as stank as they came.
Bella was tall, curvy, and had flawless Native American features. Victoria figured that her disposition had a lot to do with the fact that she was drop dead gorgeous. Maybe she felt as if she had something to prove. Had she not been such a bitch, she would have totally been Victoria’s type.
“Victoria Price,” Bella greeted as she approached.
Victoria rolled her eyes. Bella was Taylor Montgomery’s friend, but she definitely wasn't Victoria’s favorite person. Taylor was super sweet, and Victoria couldn't imagine how she and someone as uptight as Bella had managed to hit it off.
“Storm. It’s Storm now. Hello, detective.”
“Mm-hm, I know,” Bella responded dismissively.
Getting to the point, Victoria pointed toward Luca and asked, “Why is my cousin on his knees, bleeding, and handcuffed like a criminal?”
“Well, Victoria, yourcousinwas armed, he shot at least five men, he’s not an American citizen, and he’s bigger than me. This is why Mr. Savelli is cuffed. Stop acting brand new.”
Had it not been for Luca’s well-being, Victoria would have responded to Bella’s ire with her own brand of stank.
“Bella, I promise you that Luca’s not a threat. It’s clear that he was acting in self-defense. I will vouch for him.”
Bella chuckled. “You’ll vouch for him? You're not even a cop anymore. If fact, I suspect that you may have crossed over to the dark side.”
Victoria, losing her patience, stepped toward Detective Devereux.
“Easy, Price,” Bella said with a condescending smirk. “I’m the only woman that you couldn't beat in the ring.”
“Times have changed, Belladonna. Wanna get some exercise?” Victoria challenged, ready to ugly the detective’s pretty face.
“Not today,” Bella said with a smile. “Maybe tomorrow.”
Bella’s smile was meant to provoke.
Not a good idea.
“Calm down, Price. Your endorsement is good enough for me.”
Bella pulled her cuff key from her front pocket and allowed Luca to stand. Bella wasn't a short woman, but even she shrank next to him. The way she looked up at Luca made the tough detective appear tiny and uber feminine.
“What’s this all about, Mr. Savelli?” Bella asked, waving her hand at the carnage.
“I don't know. A robbery maybe,” Luca responded with a shrug.
Bella smiled up at Luca. Her skepticism was apparent.
