by Piper Rayne
“You scolded me for putting the lights on.”
“You forget that I then put on the siren.” Patrice is infuriating. Maybe I do want detective, so I don’t have to be partners with someone so bossy and opinionated. “I don’t want Leilani. I want Kamea.”
She smiles and opens her drawer, taking out a Snickers bar. “Good. I wanted to hear you say the words.” She bites off the end.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“I’m just preparing you,” she mumbles then swallows. “Because she’s going to see things that you don’t think are signs. And Leilani is going to use her go-to tactic with you.”
“What?”
“Sex. Her body. The fact that you two fucked like rabbits.”
She’s right, we did, but we never did what I did with Kamea this afternoon. I’m not sure I remember one time Leilani ran her fingers through my hair or looked at me with so much passion. The way my eyes locked with Kamea’s when I was inside her. Her lips up my neck and my hands on her ass. The way she opened herself up and let me see who she is inside. It’s exactly what I’ve always wanted and never got with Leilani.
“Let’s turn the conversation to you,” I say.
But Captain comes by and stands over us, a coffee in his hand. “I hope you two are enjoying this partnership for now because it could be over soon. Interviews are next week and I’m hearing good things about you, Whelan. Don’t fuck it up.” He sips his coffee and walks away.
Patrice’s eyes widen and she smiles. “I guess you’ll be done with our bickering in no time, but get that love life of yours solid and situated before you get promoted. Otherwise, I guarantee you, you’re bound to fuck it up.” She stands and grins at me before heading to the printer.
Detective Whelan. It does have a great ring to it, I must admit.
“You can thank Kamea for giving you an edge.” She sits back down and straightens the papers.
“Yeah?”
“She won over a lot of people at Louie’s retirement party. Other than DuPont and Milliken thinking she was Leilani, everyone loved her. Felt you two were a great couple.”
I tap my pen on my desk. I agree. There’s just something about Kamea that feels right. And Patrice is right—I need to make sure Kamea doesn’t go anywhere and that I don’t scare her off like I did Leilani.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Knox
I get home, and again annoyance flashes through me when I open the door and Kamea isn’t at the breakfast bar, on her computer. Silently, I prepare my omelet like most mornings I get off shift. Sitting down on the couch, I turn the television on low so as to not wake Jax. This was my routine before Kamea came into my life, so it shouldn’t feel as weird as it does right now.
My gaze roams to her room, and my heart sinks to the bottom of my stomach. But I remind myself that I can’t go all caveman and drag her back here. That’s how I’ve lost every other woman I’ve ever loved. Not that I love Kamea. Not yet anyway. But it would be like me to suffocate her before we got to that part.
I cut my omelet, watching the football highlights on the sports channel.
Jax comes out of his room, heads to the bathroom, and I roll my eyes when I hear him piss. At least Kamea isn’t here to witness it.
“What, Kamea moves out and you stop being our chef? Where’s my damn omelet?” Jax plops down on the couch across from me, his gaze traveling to the television.
“Pretty much. I had to act like a good guy to impress her.” I smile at him.
“You’re a cop. Most people view you as a good guy.”
He says that now, but back in the neighborhood when we were punks causing trouble late at night, we didn’t think that highly of cops.
“Kamea and I are going to the old neighborhood tonight,” I say.
His eyebrows shoot up. “Why?”
“Mickey called. He saw Leilani the other night. I think she might be hanging out at Johnny’s. I used to find her there sometimes when we were dating.”
“I remember.” I doubt he’s trying, but if he is, he’s not successful at keeping his dislike of Leilani and her disappearing acts to himself. “When are you gonna stop looking for her?”
“Whenever Kamea wants to stop. It’s her money we’re trying to get.”
He nods, but I’ve known Jax a long time. The look on his face says he doesn’t believe it’s about Kamea.
“What?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I worry you’re about to blow it again.”
I sigh. “Blow what?”
“Your chance with Kamea. She’s the one for you, yet you still want to fix the one who doesn’t want fixing.”
I push away my plate and sip my coffee. “I don’t want Leilani,” I say truthfully.
“Are you sure? Because if you do find her, how do you think it will play out?”
My friends worry about me, which is a great problem to have. Especially when I see a good person like Kamea, who doesn’t have nearly the friend circle she should. I’m fortunate to have guys on my side who have been there since the beginning. Although Jax traveled the world for a while, we still kept in contact.
To answer Jax’s question, I say, “I’ll make sure she either pays Kamea back or gets her ass in for her court date.”
“So you’ll arrest her again?”
“If she’s in the city, it’s not my jurisdiction. And she hasn’t technically missed her court date.”
He nods but holds that smug look, like there’s so much more he wants to say.
“Just spit it out.”
“Are you finished with that?” He points at my half-eaten omelet.
I slide the plate toward him. “Have at it.”
He goes to the kitchen and grabs a new fork before sitting back down across from me. “Listen, I’m not a mind reader, especially when it comes to women. I’ve never really had a serious relationship, but you and Dylan, you guys were meant for the role of doting husband and adoring father. That’s why I don’t understand why the two of you can’t see when you’re about to fuck up a great thing.”
“What do you mean? Kamea and I are already together.”
He blows out a breath. “Leilani is only going to cause a divide between you and Kamea. One the size of the Grand Canyon. Kamea already feels second best to her. Your relationship is new. It’s not going to end well if Leilani makes an appearance.”
“I assured Kamea I want her. That I’m over Leilani.”
He just chews the omelet.
I’m not sure what people want me to do.
Jax must see my confusion, because he says, “I think it’s inviting the devil into your relationship. Leilani is twisted and conniving, and I’ve witnessed you fall for her shit too many times.”
I stand. “Kamea wants her money sooner than later, and as long as she wants it, or until Leilani misses her court date, we’re going to be looking for Leilani.”
“Okay,” he mumbles over another forkful of omelet. “I’m just doing the shitty job of being your best friend. I have to warn you so I can tell you I told you so later. Good luck.”
I walk over to my bedroom door to prepare to shower. “Do you want to come with us?”
“What time? Depends on my appointments at the shop.”
Asshole. He and I both know he’s going to come. He’s just gonna make me work for it.
“Two,” I say.
“I’ll be there.”
Two o’clock comes and there’s a knock on my bedroom door.
“This is the part where we get out of bed,” Kamea says, wiggling in my arms.
But I haven’t had enough of her just yet. She sneaked into my bed after her coffee shift and woke me in the best possible way—naked and sucking my cock.
After a round of sex, I fell asleep to her tapping fingers on her keyboard. Although she snuck out of my room at some point because when I woke, she was where I like to see her—at the breakfast bar. Which spurred me to pick her up and take her back into my bedroom.
“
Let’s go, Whelan, I got shit to do,” Jax calls through the door.
Kamea draws back from me. “Why is Jax coming with us?”
I don’t want to start our relationship with a lie, but this is for her own good. “He wants to go to the old neighborhood. Plus, he might get more information than I would. Most of them know I’m a cop and Leilani made good friends with a few of them during the time we were together.”
She nods. I bring my lips to hers with the hope of getting that look of apprehension off her face. My hand slides down to hers, and I lead her toward my bedroom door. We walk out and I see not only Jax, but Dylan and Rian too.
“What is this, a field trip?” I say.
Kamea’s hand falls out of mine and she goes to Rian, asking about the rest of her day at the bakery and saying how she was working all day on T-shirts for the store.
“Excuse me.” Jax raises his hand. “Are you pushing Rian’s T-shirt order ahead of mine?”
Kamea laughs. “Yours are on their way. Stop worrying.”
Sometimes a tinge of jealousy hits me with Jax and Kamea. They formed a friendship so quickly, it scares me that there could be more.
“What exactly are these T-shirts you ordered and am I going to be pissed when you hand them out?” Dylan asks Jax.
“Let’s get to the train. I gotta be back for my shift,” I say.
We all usher out, but Jax claps Dylan’s shoulder and assures Dylan he’ll love them. I really need to try to pull that information out of Kamea before Dylan does have a problem on his hands. Sometimes what Jax thinks is funny isn’t what everyone else does.
On the train, Kamea sits with me, Rian and Dylan across the aisle, and Jax in front of us. We talk about me playing Santa in two weeks. Jax tells me not to miss it. He’s so protective of Jolie, you’d think she was his daughter. Plus Blanca’s wedding is fast approaching in the new year, and I have my interview for the detective position in two days. There’s a lot of shit going on.
Hopping off the train in our old neighborhood, Dylan clenches Rian’s hand a little tighter, not giving her much space to separate. From what I know, he’s rarely returned here after Winnie’s passing, whereas I have to come visit my parents who still live here.
“Johnny’s?” Jax asks.
I nod, and we head in the direction of a dive bar in the middle of the neighborhood. It’s a well-known fact that Johnny sells drugs in the back while operating a bar for all the older alcoholics in our neighborhood to drink themselves to oblivion.
Leilani took a liking to Johnny, and him to her, the first time they met at a barbecue I took her too. Although I don’t ever hang out at Johnny’s Bar, I found her here twice and she wasn’t trying to get him to sign a petition to save the whales. She was snorting cocaine. It was my first time finding out she even did that, and in retrospect, it made me want to save her more.
All five of us walk in, and Dylan practically keeps Rian behind him. I’m surprised he even brought her.
Jax walks right up to the bar. The man isn’t afraid of shit—not that Dylan or I are. Jax is just more the “let’s get this shit handled right the fuck now” kind of guy. He talks to the bartender and the bartender walks away, returning with his finger up, indicating that Johnny will either be out, or we’ll be invited into the back.
Kamea’s hands tug on mine. As though she can hear my thoughts, she rises up on her tiptoes and whispers, “I don’t think you should be here.”
“Let’s just see if they’ve seen her and we’ll leave.”
Jax orders five beers because if we don’t, it’ll look even more suspicious. We situate ourselves at a table in the corner, and I take the chair against the wall with Kamea on my left. This way I have eyes everywhere.
Johnny walks out looking as though he’s aged ten years since I saw him last—which wasn’t that long ago. He nods to Jax and laughs, finding me at the table.
“I didn’t know the entire gang was here.” Johnny slaps handshakes and pulls us in for hugs. He does a double-take on Kamea, and I make sure he sees my hand in hers. He chuckles. “To what do I owe this visit?”
“We’re looking for Leilani,” Jax says. “Heard she was around here a few days ago.”
“Leilani?” He acts as if he doesn’t remember her. Bullshit.
“You know… Knox’s ex.”
Kamea’s hand goes limp in mine, but I squeeze hers harder.
“Sorry, I haven’t seen her in years. The Polynesian one, right?” He eyes Kamea.
She leans in closer to me.
“Yes. Think hard, Johnny,” Jax says.
“Look at this girl, Phillips, she’s yours?” He doesn’t answer but moves the conversation to Dylan.
“Yeah, she’s mine.”
Johnny exaggerates a look up and down Rian that makes my skin crawl. I can’t imagine how Dylan’s feeling.
“Yeah, we’re out. We’re going for a walk.” Dylan stands and waits for Rian to join him. “Keep livin’ the dream, Johnny.”
They walk out, and Johnny sits at the table. “Listen.” He looks around as if he’s going to give us some top-secret information. “I don’t know where she is. She was here a few days ago, mostly just as a reference for someone. Said the guy could be trusted.”
I nod, understanding that she vouched for someone to be either a dealer or a buyer. Good to know she’s on the straight and narrow.
“But that’s all I got,” he says.
“Who was the guy?” Kamea asks.
Johnny smiles at her, glancing at her breasts then back at her eyes. “Some Wade guy.”
Kamea hits me. “That’s one of them.”
“One of who?” Johnny asks.
Jax leans back and sips his beer. His presence alone intimidates people, mostly because once upon a time he couldn’t control his temper. “One of the douchebags who got her kicked out of her apartment.”
Johnny nods. “That sucks. Is that why you want Leilani? Are you her sister or something?”
“No!” Kamea rolls her eyes. “She owes me money.”
“She has a court date coming up quick. If she doesn’t show, she’ll have a warrant issued for her arrest. And you know who will start sniffing around then…” I lay out the information.
Johnny nods.
So long, Wade and Leilani, Johnny is done with you now.
The door of the bar opens again. I expect to find Dylan and Rian telling us it’s time to go, but it’s not either of them.
“Knox Michael Whelan, you come to this neighborhood and you don’t come to see me?”
“Who’s that?” Kamea whispers.
Jax laughs hard and slaps the table. He stands and beelines right over to her. “Momma Whelan!”
Fuck me.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Knox
My mom hugs Jax as though he’s her son too. After Jax separates from her, she stands there with her eyebrows raised at me. Want to see a grown man cower? Bring his mom.
“Hey, Mom,” I say, rising from the chair and waiting for Kamea to come with me.
My mom’s eyes zero in our linked hands and she glances to Jax for confirmation.
He nods and puts his arm around her shoulders. “Our boy has a girlfriend.” He pretends as though he’s going to cry.
I swear I could punch him in the gut. Instead I give my mom a short hug. She’s too preoccupied with finding out who Kamea is to me to care about it though.
“This is Kamea, my girlfriend.” I mean, she is. We never said we were monogamous, nor have we been together that long, but it feels implied to me. I hope it’s okay that I referred to her as that.
Kamea holds out her hand to my mom. “Hi, Mrs. Whelan, it’s nice to meet you.”
I slide my arm around Kamea’s waist and tuck her against my side.
My mom shakes her hand. “Peggy, please. It’s nice to meet you.” Mom looks around the bar. “Johnny.”
“Hey, Mrs. Whelan.”
“You need to clean up this bar.” She scans the ar
ea, her lips straightening as she takes in more men slumped over on the bar top.
“Yes, ma’am.” Johnny is such a kiss-ass. He fooled a lot of parents growing up, but never my mom.
“Come on, everyone, you’re coming to our house so I can feed you.” Mom ushers us all outside.
“Awesome.” Jax fist-pumps. “This trip just became worth it.”
“Bye, Johnny,” I say. “Thanks for the… beer.”
He nods. We both know this bar is a dead-end to finding Leilani, and part of me feels at this point, we need to stop looking for her.
Walking out of the bar, I shouldn’t be—but I am—surprised to see my dad talking to Dylan and Rian. He’s going on and on about the neighborhood and how this place isn’t making it any better. Says how smart we all were to move to Cliffton Heights. I wish they would’ve followed me, but their jobs are here.
“So, sweetie, tell me about yourself.” My mom links her arm through Kamea’s and walks ahead with her.
Kamea gives me a fleeting look over her shoulder, but she’s safe with my mom.
“Son, why the hell are you hanging around that bar?” Dad puts one arm around me, pulling me into his body. Since he’s about the same height as me and bigger in width now that he’s got more of a desk job, I feel like a kid for the first time in a long time.
“Just looking for someone.”
He stops and lets the others walk ahead. “Again?”
I love my friends and they’ve all been there for me, but it’s my dad who knows every facet of my relationship with Leilani. He said he’d never tell my mom, but I can’t say for sure that he’s kept everything to himself. But he’s my confidant.
I glance up before lowering my voice. “Kamea bailed her out and now it looks like she might skip out on bail. Kamea needs to get the money.”
He nods. “I thought she was out of your life?”
“So did I,” I say.
“So Kamea is friends with Leilani?”
I nod.
“Why can’t you just find a no-drama girlfriend? I swear.” He slaps me on the back.