Love Me Like You Do: Books That Keep You In Bed

by Fields, MJ

  Her face went bloodless, and she glanced my way nervously.

  “Is there ever a legal reason to harass someone?” I whispered to Becky.

  “Debt collectors can’t get charged with stalking if they call you repeatedly since they have a legal reason.”

  “Ohhh.”

  “Please be advised that stalking is a felony. So, if Mr. Montgomery has filed for himself or Caroline or if Deputy Lazar has filed on behalf of herself, then you also are looking at criminal charges. Mr. Montgomery has requested that you attend grief counseling, I’d advise you to consider it. It will show a good-faith effort to everyone.” Judge Mancos flipped through the pages on his stand. “Doctor Montgomery, I wish you and Callie all the best. Everyone is dismissed.” Judge Mancos hit his gavel and then stood.

  “All rise,” the bailiff boomed. Then the judge was gone. I turned to Becky and let out the breath I had no clue I’d been holding.

  “I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

  Twenty-Six

  Sadie

  My feet were kicked up, and I was leaned back on the couch when someone rang my doorbell and Wasabi freaked the fuck out. As I scooped him up to quiet him, the telltale noise of my friends’ laughter hit me, and I cringed.

  “Really?” I asked as I swung the door open wide. “You know that he hates that damn doorbell.”

  “That’s why I ring it, I love hearing him growl and bark. It’s so fucking funny.” Harley reached out and took Wasabi from me before walking into my house. Bridget, Piper, and Kat were following right behind her.

  “I told her not to,” Bridget whispered.

  “Why aren’t you ready?” Piper asked.

  “Ready for what?”

  “Umm, comedy night at Bananas.” Piper bobbed her head like a doggy on a dashboard.

  “Because she’s in the depths of despair. She’s forlorn, prostrated with grief—”

  Kat threw her hand over Bridget’s mouth. “She’s been watching Anne of Green Gables again. Just because Anne has red hair like she does.”

  I cracked up laughing, because she was kind of right. “Okay, give me ten minutes.”

  “Hurry, Adeline, Stella, and the others are meeting us there!” Piper hollered.

  “So, we’re taking over the whole place?”

  “Pretty much.”

  The last time there was an event, Everly, a friend of ours who was with Orange County Fire and Rescue, brought a few other paramedics and firewomen. Then there was the standard group, the original Iron Orchids, which included my sergeant’s wife as well as my lieutenant’s.

  Ten minutes on the dot I walked out of my bedroom wearing deconstructed jeans, my Freebird boots, and a camo T-shirt.

  “I’m not sure whether I want to go hunting with you or fuck you, but you look hot,” Harley said. “Now let’s go.”

  I took Wasabi from her and set him on his bed before locking up.

  Bananas was one of those places that once you learned of its existence it became your favorite place. Sure, their Sunday morning Southern family-style breakfasts were epic, with drag queens dressed in choir robes singing old church hymns, but it was their special events that I loved most, like tonight.

  When we walked in, I could hear them before I saw them. The large group of women were crowded around four large tables. There were exactly five empty chairs left.

  “Hey, sorry we’re late. It was my fault.” I took the blame. “I forgot about tonight.”

  “Forgot? How the fuck you could you forget tonight?” Stella, my sergeant’s sister, asked.

  “Excuse her, our Sadie is feeling a little melancholy,” Bridget cut in.

  “Will you stop with the Anne of Green Gables shit? I’m going to knock the shit out of you.” Everyone laughed.

  “My work here is done. Oh, one more, you seem to be coming out of the blue johnnies.”

  “What the hell does that even mean?” I asked as I pushed her into a seat and then sat far away from her.

  “It means that”—she pointed at me—“you’re now smiling and not so grumpy.”

  We placed our drink orders, and not ten minutes later, our conversations were cut off by the dimming of the lights. When they came back up, one of the normal singers was on stage. “Welcome, I’m Gypsy Rise, it’s like Gypsy Rose but mine”—he looked down at his cock—“isn’t a has been. Anyway, I’m going to be your emcee tonight, and to get you started, let me introduce you to the slut of all sluts.” Harley cracked up laughing a little too loudly. “Honey, it’s a joke, not roll call.” He waited a few seconds for us to quiet down. “As I was saying, she’s a narcissist, a sociopath, and has a below-average IQ. In other words, she’s a really mean Forrest Gump, let’s get it up for Ringo.”

  Ringo was our bitch. He owned Bananas and was one of the gang, and wherever we were, he seemed to be as well. I’d always thought it was just us—meaning me, Piper, and the other deputies. But, no, he was close to all of our groups.

  “Let me say hey to my posse down in front, hey.”

  In unison, we said, “Hey,” back to him.

  Ringo’s voice got louder to pull everyone’s attention to him. “Now, I know that I’m fabulous, which means finding dates is easy, but do you know who has a hard time dating? My younger sister, who is gorgeous. Anyway, she’s tried everything, and online dating is the worst. Every time she meets someone and thinks he might be the one, he lands in jail. Of course, she comes to me crying and expecting me to give her advice. So, I told that maybe she should try the online dating thing when she’s thirteen.”

  “Fucking hysterical!” I shouted.

  When Ringo was finally finished with his set, we jumped up and cheered. I wasn’t being biased, but the rest of them weren’t nearly as funny. “So, bitches, you think we should have comedian night more often?”

  “Yes!” the group shouted.

  Ringo scanned the group but stopped when his eyes landed on me. “Girl, where you been? I tried calling you the other day. I saw you on your bike, but you didn’t answer.”

  “You’ll have to excuse her, she’s—”

  “Shut up!” I shouted at Kat.

  “I’ve had a lot going on, and right now, I’m rezoned to a different area, so I’m not too happy.”

  “Yeah, but I bet you’re happy with that doctor I heard about. When do I get to meet him?”

  “You don’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Dumped me.”

  “He didn’t dump you,” Harley interrupted.

  “Fine. He ghosted me.”

  “No. You chewed him out about other people affecting your job, but he can’t control them any more than you can. Maybe he’s decided you’re better off without him. Have you ever thought of that?”

  I stared at Harley, totally dumbfounded. “Who are you? Since when are you the wise one?”

  “I’m quite the prophetic one.”

  “Pathetic, did you say pathetic?” Piper asked.

  “Ha ha—fuck you.” Harley flicked her off. “Think about it, try calling him. Even if you’re only calling to see how court went.”

  “I’ll think about it. Enough about this, what have I missed? I’ve sort of stayed away from the station. I know it isn’t Kayson’s fault, but I blame him for putting me on radar.” I glanced over at his wife Ariel and mouthed an I’m sorry.

  It’s okay, she mouthed back.

  “We’ve sort of noticed,” Bridget said in regards to my absence. “Harley and my brother are still assholes and driving everyone crazy.”

  “Hey, what’s going on with the Blood Roses?” I asked.

  “The MC?” Harley gave me a strange look, but her attention was totally focused on me. “No clue, why?”

  “I’ve seen several groups of them rolling into the area. I thought maybe there was a rally or something going on,” I explained.

  “I don’t know, I’ll call Ridley,” Harley offered. Harley didn’t talk about it a lot, but her cousin was the vice president of
an all-ladies MC, not the kind of MC we played at, this was a real one. Well, they didn’t peddle flesh or drugs, but they skirted the law and there were a few in the prisons serving life sentences. They had good intentions, defending those who couldn’t defend themselves, but their retribution is what got out of hand.

  “Don’t think I didn’t notice,” Kat whispered.

  “Notice what?”

  “How you shifted topics from you to the MC, smooth, real smooth.” Kat leaned over and rested her head on my shoulder. “It’s all going to work out, don’t you worry.”

  When the night was over and I got dropped back off at my house, I couldn’t get Harley’s words out of my mind. Call Ryan. Maybe.

  Twenty-Seven

  Sadie

  Arching my back, I waited for the pop before I twisted at my waist. I did this at least ten times a day now. All because my job was fucking boring, and sitting on the side of the interstate and clocking cars was not why I became a deputy.

  “Orange County, signal four. Reports of multiple vehicles, probable injuries, high chance fatalities, location I4, eastbound at Michigan. All units responding please report back on channel twelve Charlie.”

  I turned my radio to C band and then channel twelve. “Thirteen twenty-two. I’m ninety-seven in the area.”

  “FD with rescue is en route.”

  “Ten-four.”

  I flipped on my light and sirens and gunned my throttle, zipping around cars as I headed up I4. Traffic was already coming to a halt, but when I saw the first sign of wreckage, I started counting, one, two . . . four, six, eight . . .

  “Thirteen twenty-two, will need additional FD and units, seventeen cars involved, nine have probable life-threatening injuries.”

  “Orange County copies, eleven thirty-two.”

  Then via the main channel, dispatch came over the line and repeated the call out for more units.

  Jumping off my bike, I reached into my saddlebags and grabbed my first-responder kit that contained gloves and CPR mouthpieces and ran to the first car.

  “This one isn’t breathing!” someone shouted, and I stopped and pivoted, looking at the man who’d shouted. He was four cars over, so I made my way to him first. Nearing the crumbled metal, I saw immediately there was nothing I could do.

  “Move on to another car!” I shouted as loud as I could. “Only assist people who can move. You don’t want to cause more damage. If in doubt, shout it out.”

  I let out a sigh of relief at the sound of sirens getting closer, finally there would be help. I lifted the door handle of the gray Maxima, but it was locked so I rapped my knuckles against the glass, trying to get whoever was inside to unlock the fucking door.

  No response.

  Pulling out the orange tool, I tapped the metal end against the window and watched the spider cracks run through the glass before tiny shards fell to the hot asphalt. Then I unlocked the door from the inside and found an unconscious woman lying against the steering wheel. I felt for a pulse, it was strong. Not wanting to move her head, which was resting against the deployed airbag but facing away from me, I ran around to the passenger side to check her. That was the side that had been hit the hardest; there was no way I was going to be able to open this door. I waved to a rescue crew. “I need help over here.”

  With bolt cutters that resembled a large can opener, they cut the doorframe until the hinges gave way and they could peel the door back. While two men worked on the passenger door, two other rescue workers pulled the driver out and onto a stretcher.

  “Sonya, Sonya. Deirdre!” I turned at the shouts. What were the odds that those two names would be tied together? I raced to the woman who was shouting, and for the first time got a good look at the driver of the Maxima. It was Louise.

  “Louise, calm down. Sonya is okay. Rescue is with her now.”

  “You know Sonya?”

  “Louise, it’s me, Sadie.”

  “You’re going to help us?”

  “Of course I am. We’re going to make sure that you get to the hospital.” I took a step back so the paramedics could work, but she gripped my hand like a vise.

  “Don’t go, go check on Sonya, please. She’s all I have left, please.”

  I wasn’t sure whether I was telling the truth or not, but it wasn’t the right time to tell her otherwise. “She’s fine.” I kept trying to make eye contact with Logan, one of the paramedics who was at Sonya’s side. “She’s going to be okay.” Logan finally looked up and mouthed, she’s stable. Thank god. “Louise, let me go tell Sonya that you are okay, I’ll be right back.” Running to the other side of the car I told Logan, “That’s mother and daughter, keep them together and send them to Florida.” I figured with so many injuries people were going to be divided. “Sonya, it’s Sadie.”

  She looked and met my eyes, a C-collar kept her from moving and seeing her mother. Tears welled up. “My mom, is she okay?”

  “She’s fine, banged up but going to be okay. I’ll make sure that your stuff is taken care of, don’t worry. I asked them to send you to Florida Hospital. What’s your dad’s number? I’ll call him.” Sonya was sluggish as she tried to get her brain working enough to rattle off the number.

  “Umm, four, o, seven, umm, four, umm—” I placed one hand on Sonya as I met the eyes of the paramedic.

  “She’s just passed out. We need to go.”

  “Okay, I’ll take care of everything here. If she wakes let her know that I’ve called her dad.”

  “Will do.”

  I watched as Louise and Sonya were loaded and transported off. Rescue trucks came and went, splitting the accident victims between the two trauma hospitals, Florida and ORMC. I grabbed the keys from Louise’s car since I figured that she was like me and her house key and everything else was on the ring. Then I found both purses and threw them onto my shoulder. I rummaged through one and found a phone, but it was locked. Fortunately, when I searched the second purse, that phone didn’t have a security lock.

  Scrolling through the ‘favorites,’ I looked at the names and my heart hurt, figuring that this was Louise’s phone. She still had Deirdre listed. But contact number one was Fred. I called him.

  “Hey, honey, what’s up?”

  “Mr. Hazelton, my name is deputy Sadie Lazar, I’m—”

  “I know who you are, how did you get my wife’s phone?” He didn’t sound angry or as if he hated me like his wife and daughter did, he sounded concerned.

  “They are fine, but your wife and daughter have been in a car accident. I’ve requested they be sent to Florida Hospital and wanted to make sure you were notified immediately.”

  “I’m in Jacksonville, I’m leaving now.”

  “Please drive safe. I’ll take care of everything until you get here. When I’m done, I’ll head up and check on them. I would like to ask if you wanted Ryan to be notified.”

  “Yes. I’ll call him. Sadie . . .”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Thank you, you’re going above and beyond.”

  “It’s my job.”

  “No, this isn’t, and after all they’ve done . . .”

  “Callie loves them, that is all that matters to me.”

  “You are a good woman, Deputy Lazar.” He disconnected, and I headed off to store the purses in my saddlebags then resume with the crash scene.

  Twenty-Eight

  Sadie

  I strummed my fingers on the counter while I waited for the information desk to tell me where I would find Louise and Sonya. Of all the people to be in that wreck, it had to be the two people who hated me more than life itself. I had to face them again because I’d offered to collect their stuff. I was sure the shock from the accident had had time to wear off, which meant they were going to be back to hating my guts.

  “They are on the second floor, the observation area, room two-twelve.” I scribbled down the room number before heading for the elevators.

  Taking a deep breath, I knocked on their shared room before entering. “May I
come in?”

  “Of course,” Louise offered.

  I stepped in but left the door ajar because I didn’t want to be in a position where they could accuse me of anything. “I brought you your purses. I called your husband, and he’s on his way. I also got you the information of where your car was towed; I put it in your purse. You had some shopping bags in the trunk, so I grabbed those for you as well as all the valuables and things that held your personal information. I had to put them in a friend’s squad car since I didn’t have room on my bike, so they are at the station. I can get them and drop them off wherever you need.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Sonya asked.

  “Doing what?”

  “Being so nice.”

  “Because I know you. You aren’t mean people, you’re hurt.”

  “But we’ve been so mean to you.”

  “Let’s not rehash that now. The important thing is you are both going to be fine. Callie and Ryan both care about you, and I hope you guys can work everything out.”

  “They care about you, too,” Louise said, and when I turned to her, there was nothing but pain and regret in her eyes.

  “Callie is wonderful. I miss her.”

  “You don’t see her?”

  “No. When . . . that claim was filed with DCF, my job removed me from all interaction with minors and I was directed to have absolutely no contact with Callie.”

  “But what about when you see Ryan?” Louise asked, as though she believed her actions had not affected us whatsoever.

  “Ryan and I don’t see each other anymore.” Short and simple. If I said any more about it, I was just as likely to burst into tears as I was to fly into a rage.

  “But Ryan really cared about you, I saw it with my own eyes. He hasn’t been this happy in years.” For the first time since I met this woman, Louise genuinely looked regretful.

  If that were the case, then why did she do what she did? No. Nope. I was not going to interrogate this woman after she almost died in a car crash.