“I have an idea. But I need to do it now, or it might be too late. You’ve never seen me transform before. Do you think you can handle it?”
* * *
“This deal is going down tonight.”
“No go. We’ve dealt with the Bronx guys before. We want some assurance that their guns can’t be traced.”
“You have my assurance. Where’s the coke?”
“Carla has it secure. It’s pure. She brought it back from Florida. Smuggled in by boat.”
Butts paced back and forth in the alley behind Keene Street Convenience. He looked agitated, nervous. “I want the kid here.”
“She’s with a friend.” Ice leaned against the brick wall, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Call your friend and tell him or her to bring Mandy back here,” Butts growled.
“Why the fuck would I do that? Rocco and his crew are gonna be here soon. The kid would only distract us.”
“I want her here.”
“You don’t run the show, Sergeant Butts.” Ice smirked and gave him a police salute.
“Oh, yeah? One phone call and I could have this place swimming in blue uniforms.”
“Really? Then what would happen to the kid? You forget I know she’s your niece. I know you ordered Mick to run down her mom.”
“I told him to pick them up—not run her off the road and get her killed.”
“Doesn’t matter. She’s dead and Mandy is now in my custody. Safe and sound. One wrong move from you, and you’re the one who’s going down.”
From his perch on the roof, Luca could see everything. He had all the proof he needed—for himself. Nothing to prove a case against Butts though. He was working with the Keene Street Gang—probably had been for a long time, and he was responsible for Patricia’s death. His own sister-in-law. And what did he want his niece for?
“You get that kid here.” Butts pushed Ice against the brick wall in the alley.
Ice shoved him back. “Drop dead.”
“You text whatever whore you have taking care of her to bring the kid here. Now!”
“I’m not handing over that kid. She’s fine where she is.”
“You better make sure she gets lost permanently, or the Tyler Street Dogs might find out you cut the cocaine with baking soda.”
“Man, you are one cold son of a bitch.” Ice crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re not even human. You’re some kind of freak of nature.”
Luca was keeping a close watch on the two men from his perch on the rooftop. He’d missed the meeting with the Tyler Street Dogs…another gang. Shit, all we need is a gang war in the streets.
Butts stopped pacing. “You have no idea what I’m capable of. You think you have the upper hand? Think again. You had your meeting with the Tyler Street Dogs. You got your shipment of guns. Now, it’s time to pay up. I want the money and the kid.”
“You can get your money today. The kid will have to wait until tomorrow.”
“You better get that kid to me today, or your entire operation here, including Carla, is going down.”
Ice glared at him. “You can’t threaten me, Butts. I know all your dirty little secrets.”
“Your bravado won’t be worth shit in court. Who are they gonna believe? A veteran cop without a single blemish on his record, or a lowlife gangbanger? And when your bunkmate is a 350-pound guy named Bubba, you’ll wish you had done things differently.”
Butts turned and rushed Ice, pushing him against the wall. They grappled for a few minutes, and then something strange happened. Luca saw a flash of gold emanating from Butts’s eyes. A fierce growl came from his throat, his hands grew claws, and then his whole body transformed. The wolf cornered Ice, who screamed in fear. He snapped his jaws at the frozen man and then shifted back into his human form. His uniform was a little uneven, but it hadn’t fallen off.
