Intimate Danger (Empire Blue) Read Free Page B

baking.
    “Every pie?” he asked, features tight.
    “I’m afraid so. Dwayne’s out dealing with the bandits now. Pete is running fingerprints in IAFIS.”
    The phone on his desk rang and he thinned his lips. “This should be the mayor. Christ, these damn kids. Annual pranks seem to come in right on time. Every year, right before graduation.”
    She laughed. “Well, it is tradition with the senior class. I still remember when we…” She flashed him a grin, turned to leave.
    “I did not just hear that, Charlie! Keep me updated.”
    She left his office, a curve tilting her lips, and headed out of the building. Her smile died as she remembered what she was responding to. In the small town of Nyack, things like this did not happen. Nestled on the Hudson River and an hour away from New York City, they were close enough to get a few crazies, but never anything comparable to this.
    Charlie slid into her dark gray 2010 Crown Victoria, and the engine roared to life as she rolled down the windows. Lifting the heavy brown curls from her neck, she let the cooler breeze relieve the heated interior and her skin.
    Staring at nothing in particular, she ran through all of the options she could think of that would draw this kind of individual to Nyack. Their town wasn’t any bigger than one square mile. With seven thousand residents, and a picturesque downtown to the village that stepped tourists and villagers back in history, it was a content ed type of lifestyle here. One that had everyone smitten with small town charm.
    To have this guy casting a shadow over the safety and peace of their community?
    She held this case for all of ten minutes and already she had a bad feeling about what was to come.

Chapter Two
     
    The crowbar popped the window with ease. He removed the tool and glanced at the white painted wood. Small splinters warped up from where the grip rested, but was unnoticeable to anyone not paying attention. Adrenaline surged, and his pulse pounded hard in his throat. He paused, his leather covered hands gripping the frame, and listened, waiting for someone to catch him. Minutes ticked in slow motion, wind whooshed by, the river lapped against the shore with lazy ripples.
    No one came.
    Nothing stopped him.
    A few nights ago, he had stood outside the dark-skinned beauty’s window. For days he’d been wrapped up in his own thoughts and his fantasies involving one Detective Lopez. It had held the dark demon inside him at bay. He’d spent hours sating his lust with his own hand and coming up with all the different ways he’d finally approach her.
    Tonight he planned to take things a step further. He’d waited long enough, fought the compulsion for far too long. The couple that owned this house were out of town. He’d made sure of it, had done the usual surveillance and watched this house for weeks before deciding on, and making, his move.
    His lips twitched as he us ed the muscles of his chest and shoulders to pull his large frame inside. He twisted and scanned the darkened room before shifting his legs over the sill and sliding in silence to the wooden floor.
    Rising to his full height, he stretched , feeling energized and humming with anticipation. He pulled the drapes closed with a whisper of softness, small peals of silver balls rolling upon metal. With buoyant steps, he crossed the room, the heavy boots he wore hushed by the rugs laid throughout. He did not need to be so cautious, but those who acted careless suffered grave consequences. He studied, poured over details, read previous instances in which others were caught, and he planned. His emotions did not rule his actions, and in times like this, he thought back to his mother. “You have to hide who you are, my dear,” she said. “Keep it from them all. They won’t understand. You’ll be judged. So baby, do what you have to do, be who you want to be, but do it without anyone knowing.”
    He would not be a statistic.
    He was much too smart to make a