by Mercy B
Contents
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Synopsis
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
A Mercy Message
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© 2018 Mercy B.
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Published by Royalty Publishing House
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Any unauthorized reprint or use of the material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage without express permission by the author or publisher. This is an original work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Contains explicit language & adult themes suitable for ages 16+ only.
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Synopsis
Both Sosa and Gauge’s worst fears have come to fruition. In the second installment of the Lawlessly in Love series, the two face the most combative circumstances that may prove that their co-existence is impossible.
Sosa, under the influence of possibly losing his freedom indefinitely, makes a split decision to leave his expecting girlfriend behind as he flees the city after finding out some less than commendable information on whom he’d let into his bed, heart, and bank accounts. On the night of the raid at his suburban home, Sosa discovers the leading detective on his case is none other than Destiny Shaw, the mother of Gauge Morrison. No amount of time or experience in the streets could’ve prepared him for the shattering of his heart.
It was loud.
It was boisterous.
It was obnoxious.
It was undeniable.
It was life-altering.
It’s exactly what leads him into his bedroom and encourages him to aim the loaded Glock in the center of Gauge’s forehead.
Discover the statute of limitations on love so divine yet so lawless as two broken hearts fight for revival.
Dedication
I must dedicate this one to myself. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d make it to book two, but here I am. It’s not every day that I can pat myself on the back, because I’m too devoted to tearing myself down about nothing. So in celebration of myself and the hard work I’m putting in for this series, this one goes out to me.
Chapter 1
Gauge
Stale feet, musty tees, over-processed hair, habitual cigarette smoking, and hair gel were amongst the intrusive scents that I had to endure while watching the white walls and waiting to be acknowledged. I’d been held against my will for the last eight hours, sleep haunting me and wishing I’d revisit soon. Thoughts of our final moments flooded in every so often, causing a delayed reaction as I tried finding the missing pieces to complete the puzzle that had been placed in front of me. Perplexed was putting it lightly. I was utterly confused about what had happened, why it had happened, and why I was being accused of orchestrating it all.
Sosa had left so much to the unknown that I was clueless of his dealings, which led me to believe that he was completely out of his damned mind with the accusations he was pinning on me. My mother was the most irrelevant being in my life since the start of it, and assisting her in anything besides a good ass whooping was out of character for me.
Speaking of the devil. I sighed as the door creaked, and two sets of legs graced the room. I’d never admit it, but I was genuinely happy for their presence. On the one hand, they drowned the hideous odors in their potent cologne and perfume. I wasn’t quite sure if either fragrance was decent, but they meshed well to handle the job at hand.
“Some water.” My mom cleared her throat before sliding the large cup of water across the table. “And something for you to snack on.” She placed a second cup on the table, which was filled with a variety of fruit.
Without a word, I accepted both. My throat was charred from the bucket loads of tears I’d cried through the night. The sight of fruit beefed up my hunger nearly instantly. Before grabbing the water, I snagged a kiwi that was sitting on top.
“For the baby.” She nodded toward the fruit. She’d heard my confession in my desperate attempt to summon Sosa. “I won’t be able to sit in this interrogation, being that you are my daughter, which makes me emotionally incompetent to handle—”
“Ha…” I shook my head and demanded that she quit while ahead. “Whoever the fuck is listening on the other side of the window or making the decisions, have you informed them that your daughter doesn’t give a fuck about you, as you didn’t give a fuck about her when you gave up your parental rights? You said to hell with raising the child you’d fucked to make and left to be cared for by a father who didn’t even know how the hell a wipe dispenser worked. Let’s not mention what to do when his twelve-year-old started her cycle and bled out on his couch. I could go about this shit all morning. Emotionally incompetent, bitc—”
“Ms. Morrison,” her partner intruded.
“What?”
“There’s no need to get yourself worked up.”
“Worked up? Y’all got me in this funky ass, cold ass room for hours as if what you were doing is more important than questioning me, so I can roll. All that other bullshit is unnecessary.”
I didn’t recognize my tone, verbiage, or the anger rising within me. My palms perspired and left a sticky residue on the table beneath me. The few nerve endings that remained intact for the duration of my extended wait period had been splintered and shattered without any possibility of reforming.
“Detective Shaw, if we could have the room?” He requested my mother’s absence, which I was thankful for.
“I’m Detective Drummond,” he stated as if I gave a fuck.
Once the room was completely clear, I continued eating the fruit I’d been given. The water was the last to go. Drummond was patient as I took my precious time to complete my serving. After both cups were empty, I leaned back in my seat and waited for his lead.
“Do you understand why you are here, Ms. Morrison?”
“Gauge. My name is Gauge. You raided the home I often rested with my boyfriend. What type of question is that?”
“Just making sure you’re aware of the facts.”
“I am.” I nodded matter-of-factly.
“Good. Mr. Law,” he beg
an, shifting in his seat to get more comfortable as if we were having a casual conversation. This conversation was everything but.
“Sosa. He’d rather be called Sosa.” I didn’t like the way that Sosa’s last name rolled off of his tongue. Besides, I couldn’t agree that he’d rock with being addressed by his last name.
“Sosa,” Drummond corrected.
“Umhmmm.” Again, I nodded.
“How do you know Mr. Law?” Of course, that mattered in the case. Bullshit. How Sosa and I came into contact wasn’t their damned business, so I let him know just that.
“That’s none of your business. Next question.”
“Actually, it is.”
“Well, you’re the investigator, so I will let you figure it out. I’d have to put you and my womb donor out of a job by giving you all of the answers you desire. Next question.”
“Ms. Morrison.” Drummond seemed like a smart man, but he had yet to figure out the fact that I had nothing to offer him and his team.
“Gauge,” I corrected, again.
“Gauge.” He agreed to call me by my first name.
“Again, next question.” He still wasn’t getting that answer out of me, no matter what the hell he called me, and I had to remind him before he asked again.
“Next question then.” Drummond was visibly frustrated, and so was I. “How long have you known Mr. L—”
“Sosa.”
“Sosa.” He nodded, squeezing his lids together while attempting to contain his composure. “How long have you known him?”
“Again, none of your business. Next question.” I began picking off the chipped color on my nails, reminding myself to visit the nail salon if I ever was granted my freedom again.
“Are you planning to answer the first two, first?” We were getting somewhere now.
“I’m not. Not even the ones after that. Save yourself the time.” It was best to be honest in situations as such. It would be beneficial to every party involved.
“Ms. Morrison, you’re facing some tough charges here, and I suggest you cooperate with us so that—” He began to inform me.
“Gauge,” I corrected him again. “And it’s best that I cooperate for what exactly? If you have all of the evidence you need against me, which I highly doubt you have any, then book and charge me. I’m tired, and I’d rather be in a cell than sitting at a table in a hard ass chair that’s causing my back to ache. Can we speed up the process?”
“I… uh…” His hesitation was revealing, giving me all of the details I needed to continue.
“Exactly what the fuck I thought. There aren’t any charges being filed, because you have nothing against me.”
“Actually, we do.” His brows raised, as did his tone. He was feeling himself, and it was obvious.
“Then what are we waiting for. Where are the cuffs? Where’s the cell? I’m ready to lay down.”
He had to know that I wasn’t easily fooled and had once considered studying law. In the midst of my indecisiveness, I became obsessed with the criminal justice system. They’d taken my father’s best friend and the only uncle I’d known at the age of sixteen. In my little mind, I’d graduate college and law school to become a lawyer and free him. That hadn’t worked as well as I thought it would, and I lost interest by the time college was upon me.
“We have twenty-four hours before we must officially charge you.” That was bullshit but very true. It made perfect sense, but they’d need a lifetime to get me to say anything more than I already had.
“Then I have about sixteen left,” I calculated. “Sounds doable.”
The door burst open to the interrogation room and caused my nostrils to flare. A wide chested, cologne covered, expensively threaded-suit-wearing, well-polished, theatrical Caucasian came waltzing in with a toothpick in his mouth and a Chick-fil-A bag in his hand.
“I can hear your stomach from over here,” he bellowed, confidently.
I could sense the immediate shift. Drummond’s authority had diminished. He was a peon in comparison to whoever was offering me the white bag with red writing that nearly everyone was familiar with.
“I’m Jake Goldstein,” he flexed.
“I’m aware of who you are.”
Drummond tapped the pen that he held in his hand taking air notes with against the table.
“Good, then you know my capabilities and my reach. Unfortunately, as much as you think that you’re the only being with rights in this room, I was speaking to my client. Now, if you would excuse us, we have things to discuss.” This cat meant business. His dominance reminded me of a special someone whom I’d fallen head over heels for.
Drummond’s jawline flexed as he diverted his attention back to me. I didn’t make the situation much better, shrugging and smirking while removing the contents of my bag. The waffle fries were calling me. At this point, we were on a first-name basis.
“Any day now,” the Goldstein cat called as he flexed the diamond-crusted timepiece on his arm.
“See you in a bit, Ms. Morrison,” Drummond was sure to include on his way out.
“Gauge,” I replied with a fry in my mouth, still unbothered.
Again, the room was cleared, and I was left with another strange being I’d never encountered before today. His manicured nails and smooth hair revealed that self-care was a priority for him. Pulling out the chair, he took a seat before crossing his legs and leaning back.
“How do you feel?”
Just twenty-four hours ago, no one had known I was pregnant. Now, it seemed as if the entire world was aware of my condition. Frankly, it was a bit intrusive, but I dealt with it. I’d much rather had announced it on my terms and during a better time period than the one I was currently hostage to.
“Alright, I suppose,” I admitted, not knowing exactly what space I was in at the moment. There were so many emotions that I was still trying to process while others were beckoning for my attention as well.
“Good. I can tell you that you won’t be facing any charges.”
“Who hired you?”
Some strange man running to my rescue had me questioning his employer. I wanted to know who’d sent him and if I should even be speaking with him. Though he seemed genuine, you could never be too sure in these types of situations.
“That goes without saying.” He shrugged.
“Have you spoken to him?” I had to know.
There was one emotion I was fully aware of, and that was the sadness that emerged at the thought of Sosa. He was so furious, thinking I’d concocted a plan to take him down. That was untrue, and I needed him to know that so that he could return to me.
“Gauge Morrison, in a few hours, you will be released. I’ll be there to see to it that you get home safely. After you’ve rested, I want you to visit my office so that I can inform you on the next steps required of you.” He ignored my question, so I didn’t probe. “What have you said to the detectives?”
“Nothing.” I was relieved to finish the fries and start on the nuggets I had. Before they touched my tongue, I could already taste them on my buds.
“Good. Hang tight. I’ll see you in a bit.” He pecked the table between us.
“Wait. Can you call my father? Please. I’d much rather he come for me. I’ll still meet you at the office after I’m rested.” I didn’t know him, not at all. It would be a much more pleasurable experience to see someone I loved when I was set free.
Before speaking, he chuckled. “That’s not how this works. I must return in order for them to release you. Otherwise, they’ll push their weight around and try to hold you until you squeal.”
“Well, that would never be because I don’t know anything.”
“Good. I will call your father. I’ll be sure that he is waiting outside of the station to pick you up.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much for doing this for me.”
“I was paid for this catastrophe long before it happened. I’m not doing anything for you. I’m doing this for myself. See you later,
Gauge.”
I wasn’t sure how to receive his final comment, but it hardly mattered. He’d been paid by Sosa, and that was saying enough. After he’d gone, I remained in the chill box until I’d fallen asleep on the table. My body was exhausted, and I could no longer fight the fatigue.
My eyes fluttered hours later, attempting to adjust to the light shining brightly in the room I’d been housed in for what felt like an eternity. The sound of chattering had woken me before I heard the door slam behind whoever had walked inside.
“Ms. Morrison,” my name was called. “You’re free to go home.”
Those were the words I’d been waiting to hear since I’d gotten down to the station. I was unnecessarily detained for just over twenty-four hours, and they still hadn’t heard a peep out of me. While I would’ve protected Sosa to the ends of earth had I known anything about his operation, the truth of the matter was that I had no clue what he had going on. He’d kept me in the dark—and for good reasoning.
My desire wasn’t to understand his dealings, because they’d remind me that the man I’d fallen in love with was imperfect. That was a risk I wasn’t willing to take, knowing that his illegitimacy would be our demise had I known the extent of it all. So I never asked, and he never told.
The grogginess was replaced with anxiousness as I stood from my seat and stretched my body to relieve it of the soreness that was a result of my discomfort. As I exited the room, I encountered the woman who’d given birth to me again. The somberness in her stance made my blood boil. She wasn’t prideful, yet she wasn’t remorseful for her actions. I could see the intent written over her brown skin. My presence had become a problem to her once more. She hadn’t expected me way back then, and she wasn’t expecting me to be at Sosa’s house the night they went in for the arrest.