Luca's POV
This girl was too much. When she'd started asking questions about Jimmy Fitzgerald, I couldn't believe I answered anything truthfully. She was a kid for crying out loud, but there was something about Blythe that made her so easy to talk to. Maybe it was her eyes. They were the eyes of someone who had seen more of the world than any kid should. Something haunting hid behind her playful gaze, and I wondered what caused her such pain.
The scent of orange blossoms wafted up my nose, and I smiled softly at the petite child nestled against my shoulder. She was exhausted. That much was obvious. I figured she'd love getting to sleep in one of the plush bed's at Rachel's parents' house. They were the most comfortable mattresses I'd ever seen.
Blythe would be sharing a room with Bekah, and I hoped they got along. Bekah always seemed like a good kid. Even so, I didn't relish facing Rachel while she was on her crusade to keep us together. She'd definitely be clingy and overzealous about the wedding. I grinned as I realized the girl had saved me from a week in hell with Rachel. Just twenty-four hours and I could be on my way to Oklahoma, far from uncomfortable wedding conversations.
My buzzing phone caught my attention, and I shifted carefully to keep from waking Blythe.
"Morelli," I answered curtly, not looking to see who was calling.
"We've got a body."
I stiffened. "When?"
"Last night," Walker answered, all business. "Lou Petriglio, small time con-artist, big time gambler. Married with four kids, and rumor has it, he owed A LOT of money to the Fitzgeralds."
"Passion or business?" I asked, but I already knew the answer.
"Standard Mikey M.O., boss. And we were able to get witnesses saying he and his girlfriend were eating dinner at the restaurant next to the alley only minutes before time of death."
"Girlfriend?" My back straightened as adrenalin began pumping through my body. We'd been trailing most of the guys in the upper echelon of the Fitzgerald empire, and Michael Johnson was definitely at the top of the list. As Jimmy's cousin, and right-hand man, I knew he had to be involved deeply in the criminal workings of the family. He was a well-known player, but oddly, had kept the same girlfriend for the last six months. She must have been deep into the lifestyle if Michael risked a job while she was with him.
"Yeah, we can't find her anywhere, Luca. There were reports of gunfire in her neighborhood shortly after they were spotted in the restaurant. We've got a team checking the building. Something definitely went down there. Her door was busted open and bullet holes are in her walls. Plus, her elderly neighbor is insanely frightened. She refuses to talk to any officers, but keeps muttering something about 'that poor girl'."
"You think she saw the murder?" I asked, thinking the worst. We probably lost another witness, before we ever had the chance to find out what she knows.
"I'd bet money on it. At this point, though, she's probably at the bottom of the Hudson River."
"You don't think she knew what was happening? I mean, Mikey's been with her longer than any of his past girlfriends, and before this, he's never done business with a girl around."
Walker sighed. "I know the facts, Luca, but it doesn't feel like that. What about the bullet fragments and damage at her house?"
I paused, not answering. He was right. Why would the Fitzgeralds attack her apartment if she was supportive of their way of life? The bad part, though, was that when they issued a hit, it rarely ever failed.
"You need to find her, Walker," I growled. "The Captain won't let me come back to deal with this, and I've already got something I have to take care of this week." I ground my teeth together in frustration. "Damn it!"
My sudden outburst caused Blythe to jerk upright, obviously alarmed. She looked at me puzzled, and for a moment, I couldn't catch my breath. How was this girl only twelve years old? At the moment, with her sleepy expression and her unruly hair, she looked like a woman who had been thoroughly ravished. I closed my eyes tightly and shook my head, looking away from the girl. What the hell was wrong with me? I felt like a pedophile, but I knew my opinion of those sick fucks, and there was no way in hell that I'd ever join their ranks.
"Walker, find her! We need to take them down NOW, and this is our only chance," I lectured.
"I'm on it, Luca. The second we locate her, I'm putting her in protective custody, and only you and I will know where she is. Who knows who is working for Jimmy?"
I knew exactly what he meant. During the last couple of years, every time we seemed to find a witness, they were conveniently eliminated. The kills were too convenient, though, so we knew we had a leak. Someone on the force was on Jimmy's payroll, but we had no idea who.
"Keep me in the loop." I looked at Blythe again, seeing her worrying her lip with her teeth. She stared into nothing, completely lost in thought, but I didn't miss the frightened demeanor gracing her face. Suddenly concerned for the girl, I found I couldn't focus on my phone call.
"Will do, man. Hurry back to us." Walker's words pulled me from my errant thoughts. I knew how hard it was for me to work without Walker. We were closer than most partners, and he had become like a brother to me. We worked in synchronicity, two halves of the same whole. There was no man I trusted more in the world. He knew what this case meant to me, and I knew that he would do his damndest to make sure we ended the Fitzgerald regime.
"Thanks, Walker."
I disconnected the call and looked at Blythe. She was still staring blankly at the space of air in front of her, completely lost in thought. Again, I noted that she did not look like a child. Her expression was too world-weary and wise. I wondered what this small girl had seen to make her grow up so quickly.
"Everything okay, Blythe?"
She startled at my words. She looked at me with watery eyes, and my heart clenched. She blinked, and the sad expression was gone, as if it had never been there in the first place.
"I'm fine," she answered lightly, but her words were hollow. "Just waking up still." She smiled at me, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
"Sorry I woke you with my outburst," I apologized, feeling sheepish.
"That's okay," she replied. "I take it you got some news from your partner?"
"Yeah. There was a new development in the case." I'd learned my lesson. I wasn't going to tell her details.
"H-he's looking for someone?" Her answer sounded hesitant, and she appeared to be vulnerable as she awaited my answer.
"Yeah," I murmured. "One of the Fitzgerald's committed a crime last night, and we think there was a witness."
Blythe's tanned skin paled, and she began to chew her lip again.
"A witness? What will you do when you find her?"
"How much did you hear?" I smirked, attempting to lighten the heavy mood surrounding us.
"Not much," she muttered. Her cheeks blushed, and she shifted awkwardly in her seat. "Enough to know that you are looking for a girl that witnessed a crime." She paused and stared into my eyes. Her golden green gaze left me frozen, trapped in the demand of their contemplation. "What will you do with her when you find her?"
Her voice was so timid that I stared for a moment. Clearing my throat, I finally replied.
"Well, IF we find her, we will put her in protective custody to keep her safe until she can testify."
"What if a dirty cop sells her out?"
I chuckled uncomfortably. She had no idea how close she was to the truth.
"You do watch a lot of Law & Order, don't you?" I teased. "That won't happen. When we put her in protective custody, only Walker and I will know where she is. We're not going to risk 'dirty cops', as you put it."
"You trust Walker?" she asked, her wobbly voice betraying the depth of her concern.
"With my life." Realizing she wanted more reassurance than those words provided, I expounded. "He's like my brother, kid. I would trust him with anyone or anything that meant the world to me, and he'd trust me with the same. No one in the world means more to me than Walker."
Oddly, I felt like I'd just laid myself bare to the young girl, trusting her with the innermost parts of me. The bond Walker and I had was practically unspoken. We knew the depth of our friendship and trust, but to tell someone else opened us to attack. I loved my parents, but Walker understood my loss of Ally on a level most others didn't, probably because he had experienced a similar loss in his life, too. My parents had just thrown themselves into work and volunteer events, and they rarely mentioned Ally again. Walker truly was the only person in the world that I would trust to death, and any criminal could use that knowledge to break me.
"It must be nice to have someone that close," Blythe said wistfully. "My sister is a lot younger than I am, so our bond was never that tight."
Again, I stared at the girl. She looked like a child and dressed like a child, but she didn't act like a child. I hoped that Bekah could help the girl act her age...could get her to loosen up a bit. She deserved to experience childhood as it was intended. She didn't need to go through life with such a haunted expression in her eyes, and I determined that it would be my mission to make her lose that troubled demeanor.
At that moment, the bus driver announced our imminent arrival in Pittsburgh, and I smiled at the girl beside me.
"Ready to make a new friend?" I asked.
She looked disconcerted, but nodded her head meekly.
"I think you'll really like Bekah."
I stood and offered her my hand. She slowly joined her small, silky palm with mine, and I began to lead her off the bus to collect our bags.