Hard Days Knight: Under-Cover Knights, Book 1 (16 page)

“
Y
ou would have thought
they were sorority sisters or something,” Del told Luc while Jed drove toward their next call.

“You’re surprised,” Luc said.

“I guess I am, but I don’t know why, except it seemed our families were so different. Mom told me why she tried to talk me out of going into the police force. It didn’t have anything to do with me, but with my grandfather getting shot when she was six.”

There was silence on the other end for a couple seconds. Luc cleared his throat and said, “I can relate to that. I’m sure it was hard on her at that age.”

Del thought about the first time with Luc, when he’d seen the scar from the graze and he’d said
I almost lost you before I met you…
This connection, the magic that felt so right between them, had started right from the beginning I’m going?.

“I can tell you’re relieved, Del. I’m glad.”

“Yes, I am. It gives me hope about talking to Thomas tomorrow.”

“Why wait until tomorrow? Scoot on over there this afternoon,” Luc suggested.

“I’m, uh, going for confessional tomorrow morning,” Del said, laughing nervously. “Besides you and I need to discuss some things about the postponement of the game from tonight to Thursday. I’ll see you at the gym after I get off. Oh, and I talked to Jed about what you really do for a living.”

“Oh? He was disappointed I take it.”

“I’d call it…dumbfounded.”

“Did you ask if he might be interested in doing some cover modeling?”

Del laughed, “He says he’s not interested. We’ll see. We have another afternoon playing traffic cop.”

“Do you use some of those fancy cha-cha steps I taught you when you’re out there directing traffic? I’d like to see that…”

She groaned.

“Just kidding. Your strong suit is salsa. I’ve got to get back to the shoot. Love ya,” he said quickly and clicked off.

That was the second time he’d dropped that phrase on her. Casual, like a verbal air kiss. Did he realize he’d said it? Did it mean anything to him?

She sighed. Did she want it to mean anything? Oh, she
so
did want.

D
elilah and Jed
had spent the rest of the afternoon on traffic duty again after a pedestrian was struck in the same beleaguered construction zone. Then Del spent an hour in the firing range after work killing time until basketball practice at the gym. With the Tuesday night game postponed until Thursday, she and Jed went over the schedule with Luc so they could stake out the roof again Thursday night in case the perp returned.

To insure the announcement would be seen by everyone, they used community sections of the paper, radio, and bulletin boards at various locations, making it a bigger attraction with prizes to be given away.

Luc was directing the action at the gym instead of shooting hoops. “Good crowd tonight,” Del said.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said giving her a quick kiss. “Are you going to stick around?”

“I’d like to but a certain male cover model has been keeping me occupied and I’m out of clean clothes; it’s laundry night.”

“Now see, if you’d come by Sunday we could have done our laundry together.”

“Luc, lately, you and me in the same room after work yields nothing but a good time.” She smiled. “Not that I’m complaining. By the way, how did the shoot go today?”

He blushed which she found endearing, and irritating. “Mercy was working it today. I forgot we had the muscle mag photo shoot left from yesterday and all of her, um—”

“Blessings?” Del volunteered sarcastically.

“Selling points…were on display. And Roger played it up. It took all day.”

Del wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the details. “Was she a good girl other than trying to seduce every man in the room?”

“She kept her hands to herself at least.”

Delilah nodded and sighed, “I’m ready to get out of this uniform.”

“I could help if you wait ’til around ten.” Luc offered.

“If you show up at my apartment again tonight…” she let the threat hang in the air and he snatched it.

“At your command, my lady cop.” He bowed.

He was there by 10:15.

“
I
thought
I told you I was busy tonight,” Del murmured as he crawled in naked beside her.

“You shouldn’t leave your door unlocked. There are some unsavory elements in the neighborhood that might take advantage of a single woman.”

“Can I count on you being one of those elements?” she hooked her leg over his and pulled him closer.

“Only if you beg?”

She did.

“
I
want
a copy of the announcements. Can you arrange that?” Del asked Luc later as they grabbed a snack near midnight.

Luc grinned, “Sure. You’re sleeping with the guy who writes them up.” He crossed his arms, “Any particular reason?”

“Just keeping an eye out for my guy.”

He wrapped his good arm around her. “I like the sound of that.”

She ran her hands over the broad muscular expanse of his chest, running fingertip across his clavicle and leaned back so she could look him in the eye. “Do you really?”

“You haven’t noticed I’m having trouble staying away from you?” he asked.

She said, “I guess I figured you just had a cop fetish.”

“Let me tell you a secret.” His hand lifted the hem of her short satin gown, raising the hem so he could cup the swell of her breast as he whispered, “I loved the sultry salsa dancing siren in the red dress,” he stroked her hair back to kiss her neck, “but that just confirmed my reaction the first time I saw her in uniform. Those bluebonnet eyes pierced straight into my soul and I knew right then, with the tough lady cop’s foot on my back, I’d never be the same.”

Luc’s head pressed against hers, “Thank God for BE day. I don’t know what I’d have come up with to get you to talk to me again.”

It was sweet words like these and the sincerity behind them that made her smile whenever she thought of him; that, and how he’d looked propped against her pillows, that exquisitely sculpted body leaning over her as she’d clasped his firm buttocks with her legs and urged him closer.

She laid a hand on his cheek and kissed him softly, “Then let me help you stay safe.” She’d known better than to say, “protect you”. He was a man after all. Placing her hand over his heart to make her point, she pressed, “Keep me informed of schedule changes. Whoever did this to you didn’t accomplish their goal. He or she is still out there. Have you had any other ideas? Remember any old girlfriends who might be holding a grudge? Boyfriends?”

“Boyfriends?” He made a face.

She shrugged, “Just speculating…”

“Well, you can stop speculating about that. Do you need convincing?”

She didn’t but she lied and told him she did.

“
B
less me Father
for I have sinned. It’s been…” Delilah stopped and thought back.

“Too long,” Father Thomas offered.

“Uh, yeah—it’s been too long since my last confession. You’re going to make this difficult aren’t you?”

“Do we need the barrier?” Thomas asked.

“It would be easier, but no. What I have to say I should say to my brother, not a wall, no matter how much I’d like to go the traditional route.”

She heard the sound of the door inside the confessional opening and the wheelchair rolled down the handicapped ramp with her brother looking very much the parish priest.

Del’s hands clenched, her fingernails biting into her palms. “Could I ask you for a favor?”

“Of course.” His head tilted, his expression softening.

“Could you remove the collar for about thirty minutes. I’d like to talk to Tommy.”

He chuckled, “It’s not like I have dual personalities or anything,” but his hands rose to unhook the collar and set it inside the pocket of the chair. Heaving himself out of the wheelchair and onto the nearest cushioned pew, he patted the seat next to him.

Her eyes welled as she sat next to him. He held out his arms, “Come here.”

A sob escaped as his strong arms surrounded her. It had been so long. She cried for what had happened to him, for what he’d lost and for the four years they’d lost, distance she’d unwittingly, stupidly put between them. When her tears were spent, she felt wrung out and a bit embarrassed.

“Come on now. You’ll puff up that pretty face.” He handed her a handkerchief, and wiped at his own cheek.

She looked down at it making a face. “You haven’t offered this to anyone else today have you?”

He laughed, “Still my suspicious sister. Blow your nose.”

While she composed herself she studied him. It was as if the times she’d seen him recently she hadn’t
really
seen him. He was still quarterback handsome, the years of controlling the wheelchair building his upper body far beyond his football fitness days. But the biggest difference was inside. She saw it in his eyes. And she remembered why he reminded her of Luc. He was totally at peace with who he was and what had happened to him.

Her hand went to his chiseled cheek. He smiled. “Better?”

“Not until I say what I came to say.”

He nodded, a man practiced at listening.

“I guess you noticed I’ve had a hard time dealing with what happened to you.” Still the only noticeable change in his expression was a slight curve to one side of his mouth. “I mean… how could you not have been mad? Your life changed, your dreams were taken away from you, just like that.” She snapped her fingers, frowning.

“You know why I joined the force. I wanted to find the rest of the gang and the other family members and get revenge.” Thomas’ eyebrow rose but he said nothing, just sat back. “Oh, I called it justice but I wanted…” her hands balled into fists. “Is that why you became a priest so you could deal with it? And did you really…”

“Join the priesthood because I couldn’t have sex with a woman?”

“Damn.” She jumped, “I mean, shoot. I’m confused. We should have had this conversation a long time ago. I—”

“It’s okay, sis. You can tell me every evil thought you’ve had. You can even say that you think I’m less of a man, no longer whole.” His eyebrow hiked.

She opened her mouth to deny it.

“I’ve had all the same thoughts, you know. Rage, even thoughts of suicide. At first I felt like dying, like I was worthless. But I also had to deal with the truth of what I’d been denying before the shooting. I partied pretty hard that last six months trying to convince myself of a different course. I didn’t tell anyone I was considering the priesthood, but it was pulling at me. “I wasn’t sure if I could give up having sex, a family...”

“After the shooting my whole concentration was on therapy and learning how to be a fully functioning handicapped citizen. Eventually I realized I wanted to find out about Jocco Martin—what happened to him and the others in the gang. I went to see him in prison.”

Delilah was speechless. She couldn’t believe she’d known none of this. “What did he say?” The Savages had lived up to their name. Surely he hadn’t apologized to Tommy.

“At first, he refused to see me. Then as I was leaving the prison, the guard stopped me. He said, ‘He’s changed his mind.””

Del leaned forward. “Why?”

“When I sat down in the visitors booth, Jocco said he ‘wanted me to know he was sorry.’ He paused and I thought maybe he’d really had a change of heart; then his eyes turned cold and he said, ‘I’m sorry I didn’t finish the job. One kill away from my reward. Come in here with me. I will finish it, and I can die knowing I am
chaca
.’ Then he spit at the window.”

Del shivered to hear of the hatred Jocco had held for her brother, and all over some rite of passage to a higher position?

“I should have been afraid, Sis, but as his saliva ran down that window, I was reminded of the blood dripping from our Father’s wounds, and overwhelmed with a forgiveness so strong I could not deny it came from Him.”

“What did you do?”

“I waited until he looked me in the eyes, his teeth widening into an obscene smile filled with malice and I told him I forgave him.”

“Did you hear from him again?” she asked.

Thomas shook his head. “He was found dead in his cell that night. He hung himself.”

“So you did…” she used her hands to encompass their surroundings… “this?”

“It was simply a matter of life sealing my path instead of me partying my way through half the women in Louisiana for how ever long until I figured it out.”

Delilah blew out a breath. “I don’t know what to say.” She hadn’t known any of this. “I guess I would have known if I’d bothered to pop in from time to time and not…”

“Sis, that’s a normal reaction. Rage, revenge, and guilt at being the one it didn’t happen to. I knew how you felt. Please stop taking this on yourself. That would be like a New Orleans resident blaming himself for Katrina. If I needed you, you’d be there, just like you know you can count on me, right?”

“Still—”

“Do we need to get back in the confessional so you can rid yourself of the bad feelings?”

“I’d rather not. I’ve come to realize recently how very much I miss our family get togethers.”

“I have too, but that’s behind us, right?”

She let out a breath. “What about Jude?”

“Jude came to me a year after the shooting happened, actually came to the confessional—the barrier, you know—and confessed his part in the gang. He hated what they did to me. His brother forced him to be a part of the gang but he didn’t want to be. They threatened to kill him for not taking the gun and finishing me off. His delay saved my life. He ran away and didn’t surface until after all the Savages were rounded up or killed. For three years he’s been like my little brother.

“And soon… it will be legal.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m adopting him. Mom and Dad offered but the parishioners and the bishop gave me permission so…you’re about to gain another brother.”

“Wow, I have been out of touch. You sure know how to get the most mileage out of an apology visit,
big
brother.”

He grinned. “It’s good to hear that tone in your voice,
little
sister. I’ve missed you.”

“Should be an interesting family reunion on the Fourth.”

“I’m bringing an extra, you should work on your end. I think ol’ Luc is down for the count.”

She just rolled her eyes and stood. Then leaning forward she gave him a hard hug and rubbed her cheek against his. “I love you so much, Tommy.”

“Love you, too, Sis. Drop in anytime and have lunch but beware, I might put you to work behind the steam table.”

“You got it,” she turned to leave.

“Oh, and the sex thing?”

Del spun back around. “A couple of my therapists made sure I knew that wasn’t out of the question. So you don’t have to keep feeling sorry for me.”

“You don’t uh…”

“Miss it? Not really. Come back when you want to take care of that long overdue confession.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said laughing as she pushed through the church doors to the street.

A
fter checking
in at the station, Del called Thomas back to arrange a meeting with Jude and Angel at the church. When she returned to St. Teresa’s, it was hopping. A line of citizens of all shapes, colors and apparent social status circled the block.

The import of what her mother had described sunk in. A thousand people a day. She was looking at four hundred easily and the line was constantly adding more people to the back.

The clamber of dishes and voices, the aromas of chili, spaghetti, and …she couldn’t guess the other items on the steam table with just her nose. The line seemed to have stalled just inside the door. A couple people grumbled that she shouldn’t jump ahead. She explained that she was here to see Father Thomas. She followed several pointed fingers to the main serving area. Thomas was scooping, dipping and slicing the meals up as fast as he could and falling quickly behind. Beside him was Jude serving drinks, and Angel bussing the long tables to make way for more.

“What can I do?” she asked rolling up her sleeves.

“Can you help me serve?” asked Tommy. “Better put an apron on.” He pointed.

She grabbed an apron off the hook, walked behind the steam table and asked the next person in line for their order.

Two hours later, she sat across from Angel and Jude while Tommy mopped up, the steam table already sparkling from a half hour of cleaning.

“Jude, there won’t be any further repercussions from that debacle the other day. I just want to make sure you realize how unwise your actions were no matter how well-intentioned.”

Jude’s gaze avoided hers but she suspected she knew why. Her knowledge of the truth should have made it more difficult to do what she needed to do but ironically, she felt free of the pain and the blame she’d laid at his feet over her brother’s life altering injuries. She wanted him to feel the same, but business first.

“First of all, I’m not saying you shouldn’t step up to keep a friend out of trouble and taking the blame without giving them up shows an
element
of team work, but the bottom line is, Angel, guns don’t solve problems. And Jude, when you need to help a friend, choose the right option. In this case, you could have come to me. Or if you weren’t comfortable trusting me—I get that—you could have gone to Mr. Larue or Father Thomas. Can I trust you to make a better choice next time?” He nodded.

“Angel, if you have a situation you can’t handle would you consider coming to one of us, me, Mr. Larue, or Father Thomas?” He was thoughtful for a minute but finally said, “I guess.”

“Here’s the deal. We tested the gun we took from Angel. If you or Angel had fired it even once, it would have blown your hand off. You were scammed out of a phone for a virtual time-bomb.”

Jude looked at Angel as if to say
I told you so
. Angel said, “I’m sorry, man.”

They sealed their friendship with their special handshake. Del rose. “Don’t you guys have practice tonight?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Jude said.

Ma’am?
Tommy you are making headway, she thought.

“Who are you playing?”

“The Y,” said Angel, animated for the first time.

“Okay, see you then.”

“They scrambled away from her and over to Tommy. More food, she suspected. “Bye, Father.”

He smiled, “Bye, Sis.”