CHAPTER TWELVE
I whipped my head about and my eyes settled on a huddled mass tucked just inside a nearby alley. It was a young girl about eight, and she was huddled into herself with her legs hugged close to her chest. Her head was buried into her knees, but I could see she had shimmering chestnut hair that trailed down her back.
The sniffles came from her, and a soft, heart-wrenching whimper accompanied them. Every fiber in my being told me to race over and comfort the poor girl. Luca grasped my hand, and I looked up to see he had pursed his lips.
“Stay here.”
“What?” I asked even as he strode forward toward the girl. “Hey!”
I wanted to follow, but the seriousness in his voice warned me that there was something more in this than I could see. Luca stopped at the girl and knelt b
