hand.”
Carmen ended the short confrontation. “No one’s to blame. Sergeant Rosen is right, and I don’t want this to go any further. Okay?”
“Well, we need to pick up all the freaks in the city and squeeze what we need out of them.”
The sergeant rubbed his jaw and nodded. “It’s somebody that knows your routine and where you work. Some degenerate that could hurt you, Captain.”
She tried to laugh, but it sounded more like a sigh. “Stop worrying about this. I think it’s a kid. An adult would have already come after me.”
“Freaks like to taunt first.” Gentry pointed to the offensive drawing. “It’s somebody with zero IQ, which makes him even more dangerous.”
“Let’s go.” She turned and headed off to let the evening patrol know she was around. She waited until the sergeant was out of earshot before cautioning Gentry. “Don’t make too big a deal out of this, and don’t make any special report to Genonese. He has enough to worry about.”
“He’s not going to take it worth a damn when he does find out.”
“We’re not going to tell him, are we?”
He didn’t answer, simply straightened his tie before walking away to leave the building.
Carmen was surprised these men were so protective of her. She wasn’t accustomed to being hovered over. The threats to kill her dredged up ugly memories from years ago.
That’ll be the day, you son-of-a-bitch
.
She shivered and hurried to the conference room.
Chapter Thirteen
Don heaved a sigh of relief, grateful to find a table at Anthony’s this late in the evening. The corner restaurant had the best authentic Italian food in Kansas City next to his mom’s cooking. He wished Carmen could have had dinner with him, but her shift had ended an hour earlier.
He frowned, puzzled that she hadn’t called him before heading home.
Funny how he’d erased all other women from his life. Carmen effectively removed every memory of his pussy chasing days and enthroned herself as his woman. He got the feeling she didn’t know how deep in his blood she had gotten. Getting close to her had been a hell of a job, and he still wasn’t sure where he fit in her life.
He sipped the glass of Merlot he’d ordered, groaning softly when Gentry approached his corner table.
“Gentry.” He gestured to the chair across from him. “What’s up?” The detective seemed unusually quiet. He sat down and fiddled with the napkin wrapped silverware on the table. Don shook his head and moved the utensils out of Gentry’s reach. “What’s going on?”
“Redstone talk to you tonight?” Gentry helped himself to one of the breadsticks in the basket.
“I’ve been on duty and I assume so has she.” The question had been innocent enough, but worry turned Don’s nerves to liquid fire. “You want to talk, or do I choke it out of you?”
Gentry held his hands up. “No need for violence, my man.” He glanced around. “It seems some prick has it in for her. Drew a nasty cartoon of her in the men’s john sometime today.”
Don tried to breathe against the squeeze of blood rushing through his heart. “What else?”
“The usual shit. You know, the old standby, I’m gonna get you, and you’ll be sorry.” Gentry gripped Don’s wrist. “Settle down, boy. I’m taking a chance just telling you. She’ll have my balls for this.”
“I’m not going to kill anybody.” Don couldn’t hide his anger, adding finality to his comment. “Yet.”
“Don’t go off half cocked, son.” Gentry pulled out his notebook. “You want to find out who’s got an agenda, you talk to the wakadoos on the street.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that.” Don took several bills from his wallet and threw them on the table before he stood up. “Dinner’s on me.”
Wisely, Gentry didn’t follow him out of the restaurant. Don didn’t want to be bothered. He planned to find the prick foolish enough to threaten his woman. More important, he wanted to be with Carmen to make damn sure no
Carmen ended the short confrontation. “No one’s to blame. Sergeant Rosen is right, and I don’t want this to go any further. Okay?”
“Well, we need to pick up all the freaks in the city and squeeze what we need out of them.”
The sergeant rubbed his jaw and nodded. “It’s somebody that knows your routine and where you work. Some degenerate that could hurt you, Captain.”
She tried to laugh, but it sounded more like a sigh. “Stop worrying about this. I think it’s a kid. An adult would have already come after me.”
“Freaks like to taunt first.” Gentry pointed to the offensive drawing. “It’s somebody with zero IQ, which makes him even more dangerous.”
“Let’s go.” She turned and headed off to let the evening patrol know she was around. She waited until the sergeant was out of earshot before cautioning Gentry. “Don’t make too big a deal out of this, and don’t make any special report to Genonese. He has enough to worry about.”
“He’s not going to take it worth a damn when he does find out.”
“We’re not going to tell him, are we?”
He didn’t answer, simply straightened his tie before walking away to leave the building.
Carmen was surprised these men were so protective of her. She wasn’t accustomed to being hovered over. The threats to kill her dredged up ugly memories from years ago.
That’ll be the day, you son-of-a-bitch
.
She shivered and hurried to the conference room.
Chapter Thirteen
Don heaved a sigh of relief, grateful to find a table at Anthony’s this late in the evening. The corner restaurant had the best authentic Italian food in Kansas City next to his mom’s cooking. He wished Carmen could have had dinner with him, but her shift had ended an hour earlier.
He frowned, puzzled that she hadn’t called him before heading home.
Funny how he’d erased all other women from his life. Carmen effectively removed every memory of his pussy chasing days and enthroned herself as his woman. He got the feeling she didn’t know how deep in his blood she had gotten. Getting close to her had been a hell of a job, and he still wasn’t sure where he fit in her life.
He sipped the glass of Merlot he’d ordered, groaning softly when Gentry approached his corner table.
“Gentry.” He gestured to the chair across from him. “What’s up?” The detective seemed unusually quiet. He sat down and fiddled with the napkin wrapped silverware on the table. Don shook his head and moved the utensils out of Gentry’s reach. “What’s going on?”
“Redstone talk to you tonight?” Gentry helped himself to one of the breadsticks in the basket.
“I’ve been on duty and I assume so has she.” The question had been innocent enough, but worry turned Don’s nerves to liquid fire. “You want to talk, or do I choke it out of you?”
Gentry held his hands up. “No need for violence, my man.” He glanced around. “It seems some prick has it in for her. Drew a nasty cartoon of her in the men’s john sometime today.”
Don tried to breathe against the squeeze of blood rushing through his heart. “What else?”
“The usual shit. You know, the old standby, I’m gonna get you, and you’ll be sorry.” Gentry gripped Don’s wrist. “Settle down, boy. I’m taking a chance just telling you. She’ll have my balls for this.”
“I’m not going to kill anybody.” Don couldn’t hide his anger, adding finality to his comment. “Yet.”
“Don’t go off half cocked, son.” Gentry pulled out his notebook. “You want to find out who’s got an agenda, you talk to the wakadoos on the street.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that.” Don took several bills from his wallet and threw them on the table before he stood up. “Dinner’s on me.”
Wisely, Gentry didn’t follow him out of the restaurant. Don didn’t want to be bothered. He planned to find the prick foolish enough to threaten his woman. More important, he wanted to be with Carmen to make damn sure no
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