Page 2 of Craving Vengeance
Shannon watched Nickwalk out the door, sure that if he were to turn and look at her one more time with those dark charcoal eyes, she’d probably melt in an instant. He had the most intense eyes.
She curled into a ball and pulled the thick comforter up around her neck. His masculine scent coated the soft material, stimulating her senses as if his mouthwatering kiss hadn’t already left her completely aroused. She wished he hadn’t had to leave. Another round of lovemaking would have been ideal. She’d had a taste of him, and now she couldn’t seem to get enough.
She giggled at the thought of their rocky start. When she’d first met him, she thought he was the most cold-hearted, egotistical human being she’d ever met. She’d never been more wrong in her life. He turned out to be exactly the opposite. Never in her life had she met anyone so caring, giving, and loving. His rough exterior was just a front he used to shield himself, as a result of his unfortunate upbringing. Growing up on the streets with a drug-addicted mother certainly took its toll on him.
A sense of pride crept through her as she thought about all he’d accomplished; finishing high school on his own after his mother died when he was only sixteen, then going on to college, and becoming one of Milwaukee’s finest homicide detectives. It took a strong person to accomplish such. She admired his strength and determination.
Chapter Two
Spinelli pulled upto the crime scene to find Walker and Marsh already milling around. Several uniformed officers and a few plain- clothes individuals lingered about the area as well. Spinelli edged between his partners to take a look. “You gotta be shitting me. Is that Cupid?”
Walker nodded. “What gave it away? The nude man with wings, the bow, or the quiver full of arrows?” Walker asked.
“Very funny. What do we know? Has he been identified?”
Marsh smirked. “Hmm, I don’t know about you, but I can tell you one thing for sure, I’m not searching him for a wallet.”
Spinelli rolled his eyes and stuffed his cold hands into his pockets. “Are you two assholes about done now? Can we get down to business?” His breath fogged in front of him.
Walker cleared his throat. “A beat cop found him here, just over an hour ago, about 3:45 a.m. The cause of death isn’t blatantly obvious. We’ll have to wait for the pathologist’s report. But judging from the vic’s bluish-gray color I’d guess he’s been here a couple of hours.”
Spinelli glanced at the vic’s body, as it lay lifeless over a small snow bank pushed up against a brick building. Ice crystals sparkled over his murky-colored skin. The air temperature hovered around twenty-six degrees. With the wind chill factor, it was probably in the teens.
“Maybe the poor bastard was so drunk when he left one of the local bars that he passed out and froze to death,” a nearby beat cop offered as he stepped closer to them.
Spinelli eyed the young cop for a moment. “Then what happened to his clothes? I’m guessing if he was in a bar, he would have been wearing clothes, right?”
“Well, maybe he was mugged, and they took his clothes and wallet,” the beat cop stammered.
“So, you’re saying some thug happened by a guy passed out in a snow bank and instead of just taking his wallet, he stole his clothes, too? And then he intentionally left the wings, bow, and quiver full of arrows behind,” Spinelli stated as he shifted his gaze to Marsh. “I suppose that makes sense. What do you think, Marsh?” Spinelli asked.
“I think I would have taken the wings. Chicks dig a guy with wings,” Marsh replied.
“Dicks,” the young officer mumbled before he disappeared into the crowd forming around the perimeter.
Though Cupid’s body had been carted off, Spinelli, Walker, and Marsh lingered at the scene for a while longer, combing the area for evidence. Nothing specific presented itself.
