LITMIR.BIZ

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not very original,” even Lucy agreed.

      “Can we talk about this case please?” Lucky said desperately.

      “Absolutely,” Lucy said. “Here’s my late-breaking news. Four more women have come forward since Sydney’s article appeared in the paper this morning. Four.” She shook her head in frustration. “I don’t know why some women don’t report sexual assault when it happens.”

      “Is it our guy?” Syd asked. “Same MO?”

      “Three of the women were branded with the budweiser. Those three attacks took place within the past four weeks. The fourth was earlier. I’m certain the same perp was responsible for all four attacks,” Lucy told them. “And frankly, it’s a little alarming that the severity of the beatings he gives his victims seems to be increasing.”

      “Any pattern among the victims as to location, physical appearance, anything?” Lucky asked.

      “If there is, we can’t find anything other than that the victims are all females between the ages of eighteen and forty-three, and the attacks all took place in either San Felipe or Coronado,” the detective replied. “I’ll get you the complete files first thing in the morning. You might as well try searching for a pattern, too. I don’t think you’re going to find one, but it sure beats sitting around waiting for this guy to strike again.”

      Bobby’s pager went off. He glanced at it as he shut it off, then stood. “If that’s all for now, Lieutenant…”

      Lucky gestured with his head toward the pager. “Anything I should know about?”

      “Just Wes,” the bigger man said. “It’s been a rough tour for him. Coronado’s the last place he wanted to be, and he’s been here for nearly three months now.” He nodded at Sydney. “Nice meeting you. See you later, Luce.” He turned back. “Do me a favor and lock your windows tonight, ladies.”

      “And every night until we catch this guy,” Lucky added as the chief headed for the door. He stood up. “I’m going to take off, too.”

      “See you tomorrow.” Syd barely even looked at him as she turned to Lucy. “Are you in a hurry to get home, detective? Because I have some questions I was hoping you could answer.”

      Lucky lingered, but aside from a quick wave from Lucy, neither woman gave him a second glance.

      “I did some research on sex crimes and serial rapists and serial murderers,” Syd continued, “and—”

      “And you’re thinking about what I said about the level of violence escalating,” Lucy finished for her. “You want to know if I think this guy’s going to cross the line into rape-homicide.”

      Oh, God, Lucky hadn’t even considered that. Rape alone was bad enough.

      Lucy sighed. “Considering the abuse the perp seems to enjoy dishing out, in my opinion, it could be just a matter of time before he—”

      “Heads up,” Syd said in a low voice. “Barbie’s coming this way.”

      Barbie?

      Lucky looked up to see Heather heading toward them. Her body in motion made heads turn throughout the entire room.

      She was gorgeous, but she was plastic. Kind of like a Barbie doll. Yeah, the name fit.

      He wanted to stay, wanted to hear what Lucy and Syd had to say, but he’d saddled himself with Heather, and now he had to pay the price.

      He had to take her home.

      With Heather, there was always a fifty-fifty chance she’d invite him up to her place and tear off his clothes. Tonight she’d made a few suggestive comments at dinner that led him to believe it was, indeed, going to be one of those nights where they engaged in a little pleasure gymnastics.

      “Ready to go home?” Heather smiled at him, a smile loaded with promise. A smile he knew that Syd had not missed.

      Good. Let her know that he was going to get some tonight. Let her know he didn’t need her to make fireworks.

      “Absolutely.” Lucky put his arm around her waist.

      He glanced at Syd, but she was already back to her discussion with Lucy, and she didn’t look up.

      As Heather dragged him to the door, Lucky knew he was the envy of every man in the bar. He was going home with a beautiful woman who wanted to have wild sex with him.

      He should have been running for his car. He should have been in a hurry to get her naked.

      But as he reached the door, he couldn’t stop himself from hesitating, from looking back at Syd.

      She glanced up at that exact moment, and their eyes met and held. The connection was instantaneous. It was cracklingly powerful, burningly intense.

      He didn’t look away, and neither did she.

      It was far more intimate than he’d ever been with Heather, and they’d spent days together naked.

      Heather tugged at his arm, pressed her body against him, pulled his head down for a kiss.

      Lucky responded instinctively, and when he looked back at Syd, she had turned away.

      “Come on, baby,” Heather murmured. “I’m in a hurry.”

      Lucky let her pull him out the door.

      THE PICKUP TRUCK WAS following her.

      Syd had first noticed the headlights in her rearview mirror as she’d pulled out of La Cantina’s parking lot.

      The truck had stayed several car lengths behind her as she’d headed west on Arizona Avenue. And when she’d made a left turn onto Draper, he’d turned, too.

      She knew for sure when she did a series of right and left turns, taking the shortcut to her neighborhood. It couldn’t be a coincidence. He was definitely following her.

      Syd and Lucy had talked briefly after Navy Ken had taken his inflatable Barbie home. She’d stayed in the bar after Lucy had left as well, having a glass of beer as she wrote her latest women’s safety article on her laptop. It was far easier to write in the noisy bar than it would have been in her too-quiet apartment. She missed the chaos of the newsroom. And being home alone would only have served to remind her that Lucky O’Donlon wasn’t.

      Miss Vapid USA was, no doubt, his soul mate. Syd wondered rather viciously if they spent all their time together gazing into mirrors. Blond and Blonder.

      Lucy had volunteered the information that Heather was typical of the type of women the SEAL fraternized with. He went for beauty queens who were usually in their late teens, with an IQ not much higher than their age.

      Syd didn’t know why she was surprised. God forbid a man like Luke O’Donlon should ever become involved with a woman who actually meant something to him. A woman who talked back to him, offering a differing opinion and a challenging, vivacious honest-to-God relationship….

      Who was she kidding? Did she really imagine she tasted integrity in his kisses?

      It was true that he’d protested admirably when she’d accused him of trying to steal his XO’s wife, but all that meant was that he had a line in his debauchery that he would not cross.

      He was hot, he was smooth, he could kiss like a dream, but his passion was empty. For indeed, what was passion without emotion? A balloon that, when popped, revealed nothing but slightly foul-smelling air.

      She was glad she’d seen Luke O’Donlon with his Barbie doll. It was healthy, it was realistic and just maybe it would keep her damned subconscious from dreaming erotic dreams about him tonight.

      Syd took a right turn onto Pacific, pulling into the right lane and slowing down enough so that anyone in their right mind would pass her, but the truck stayed behind her.

      Think.

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