“Oh, come on. You had to expect them to prank the rookie.” After a long sigh, she said, “Okay. What did they do?”
“Someone broke into my locker, stole my car keys, moved my car, and put the keys back. I thought my car had been stolen.”
She laughed. “That’s a good one.”
Good? Luca could barely believe what he was hearing. “Lisa. It wasn’t just that. They tried to make me think I’d forgotten where I’d parked it. That maybe I was crazy and didn’t even own a car. They were trying to humiliate me.”
“And what did you do?”
“I was about to put out a BOLO when they finally told me where they’d put it—and laughed like hyenas.”
“In other words, you played right into their hands.”
“Huh? No! What the hell is going on with you, hon? I called to get a little sympathy, and you’re being…well, very unsympathetic.” He would never call her a bitch—even though she was acting like one.
“Look, Luca. I’ve been having second thoughts…about us. I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a while, and this might not be the best timing, but it’s got to be said. I don’t think you’re cut out for police work. Nobody knows you better than I do, right? By the time you make detective, they’ll have broken you. I don’t want to be shackled to a broken man.”
After a shocked pause, he sputtered, “Why are you telling me this now? I’ve committed to being a cop. Hell, I’ve just had my first shift and it beat the crap out of me.”
“That was your choice. I thought you were just trying to say ‘Up yours’ to your family. I still do.”
“Why would I do that? I have a good relationship with my family, or I did before I said I wanted to be a cop.”
“Okay, okay. Look, it doesn’t matter what your reasons were. I want to see other people.”
And there it was. The bottom had just dropped out of his world.
* * *
Instead of going straight home, Luca parked nearby and started to walk off his hurt and frustration. He wasn’t in the best part of town, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t in the best mood either. How the heck had he gotten to this point in his life? Up until a short while ago, he had been hopeful about his future. Now, he wasn’t so sure. Still wearing his police uniform, he stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets and walked aimlessly with his head down.
Half an hour later, nearing the fountain of the Christian Science Center, a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, he barely noticed the regal elegance of the domed structure overlooking the calm reflecting pool. But in the quiet of the early morning, his ears perked up in sudden alert when he heard a woman’s strained gasp.
He glanced up and saw a young woman standing near the fountain. She was about five six with short, spiky brown hair, wearing a black leather jacket. Neck tattoos and a lot of piercings gave her a bad-girl vibe, but what was even odder was that she was staring right at him, wide-eyed. Then she passed out.
“Shit,” he muttered and ran over—faster than a human could. Worried she could wind up with a concussion, he cradled her head before she hit the pavement. He shook her shoulder and shouted, “Hey! Are you all right?”
Eventually, she opened her eyes. Big gray-green eyes. Unusual. Supporting her back, he helped her sit up.
“What’s the matter?” He was tempted to ask if she’d ever seen a cop before, but that was because he was in a crappy mood. Sarcasm aside, he was trained not to assume what was going on in a person’s brain. Asking open-ended questions would gain more information.
“I…saw blood.” She paused and closed those big green eyes again, taking a deep breath. “I always faint at the sight of blood.”
“What do you mean? You saw an accident or someone get hurt?” Luca gentled his voice in concern. Perhaps she’d witnessed a murder and had a delayed reaction.
She shook her head and reached out to grasp his hand. “Look, this may sound crazy,” she said, “but I’m a psychic. I saw you walking this way, and I got a dreadful feeling. Did something just happen to you? I see auras and have premonitions. Your aura is just…well, terrible. Then I had a vision. I saw you covered in blood.”
Blood? Luca helped her to stand. He believed in psychics—the genuine kind. After all, he was a shape-shifter, and he came from a family of shifters. But there were a lot of charlatans out there.
Given where his head was at after just being dumped by Lisa, he could only imagine what kind of energy he was giving off, let alone his aura…but blood? This chick could just be some wacko.
He folded his arms. “Do you want money to tell me more?”
“No! I’m not like that. I help people. Maybe the accident I just saw is something you can prevent from happening.”
He cocked his head. “You saw an accident? Where?”
“On a side street. It looked like an older part of town. They were just kids. Maybe sixteen or seventeen at the most. It looked like they were drag racing. A little kid rode his bike into the street and he was struck by one of the cars.”
