by S. Jones
Lucas was not only big in size, but big in personality as well. He didn’t take shit from anyone and consequently, he had a personnel folder that was about four inches thick, filled with complaints from his ‘customers’. He was one of our best undercover officers on the street and got away with more than most. He, on the other hand, attributed this to his charming personality.
He rolled his eyes and leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs. “Nah, just pissed somebody off and got sent to the principal’s office.”
“I’m afraid to ask. What did you do?”
He picked at an imaginary piece of lint off his dress pants. “Some fuck nut was trying to proposition Jasmin.” Jasmin Miller was one of our undercover officers. She was a big reason why our prostitution stings had been so successful.
Sensing that this story was going to get good, I placed my feet on my desk top and settled in for the rest of the ride. “Go on.” I waved my hands in the air signaling for him to continue. I was trying not to sound too eager but most stories that involved Lucas were pure entertainment. I know. I was an asshole.
“The John was a fucking 17-year-old kid and a complete tool. The stupid shit was still carrying his Pokémon backpack when he tried to pay for her services by offering her a 5-ounce bag of marijuana. Dumb fucker pulled it right out in broad daylight on a sidewalk right on Wall Street.”
I shook my head in disbelief. Hearing these stories made me miss my old job even more than I already did. I hated sitting behind this desk, doing paperwork every day, but I knew it was necessary to advance my career.
“So, how did this escalate into you getting written up and visiting my office?”
Lucas’s lip twitched, his eyes were twinkling in amusement. “Well, funny you should ask…” He laughed. “I really didn’t want to arrest the poor kid, so I had him throw his bag of weed on the ground and piss on it. Guess the poor shit was humiliated cause his dick was so small.” He brought his two fingers together to demonstrate the size. “So, when the captain showed up and saw his pecker pulled out and pissing on a bag of weed, I ended up getting in trouble. The kid claimed I forced him, which is not exactly the way it went down. The only thing I did was scare the piss out of him.”
I coughed out a laugh. “So basically, he got himself arrested and you have to take another sensitivity class. Am I right?”
“Actually, no. I’m good. Captain was feeling rather generous today.”
I gave him a pointed look. “Bullshit!” There was no way Captain Turner would have turned a blind eye to the incident. He did everything by the book and made a point to let everyone know that when he was promoted that he was going to clean up all the nonsense that went on in the department. He was tough but fair, and you were glad to have him in your corner when the chips were down. Guys like Lucas made his job more difficult, but he would never let this slide without any type of discipline.
Lucas silenced his ringing cell phone and looked up at me. “Okay. You got me.” He held up his hands in mock surrender. He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one else was listening. “You know how his 85-year-old mother lives with him, right?”
I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to fight the twitch in the corner. Captain Turner liked to hand out unique punishments.
Lucas sighed then plowed his hand through his hair. “I have to fucking watch her next Saturday night so Captain and his wife can have a date night.” He air quoted, “it includes bingo and a sponge bath, man.”
My feet dropped to the floor and my hand flew to my stomach to control the belly laugh. Lucas sat there and glared at me. “What the fuck, Morgan?” He said, holding out his hands. “This shit isn’t funny.” He picked up a piece of paper, balled it up with his fist and shot it at my head.
I wiped my eyes, picturing the look on his face when Captain told him the news. “I’m sorry, man. Look on the bright side. It’s probably been a while since she has been with a man. Maybe you’ll get lucky.”
His glare sharpened. “Fuck you, asshole.”
“Relax,” I said, finally getting myself under control. “She’ll probably pass out after Wheel of Fortune, anyway.”
Lucas blew out a frustrated breath and stood up. “Yeah, that’s what I’m hoping for. Maybe I’ll slip some Benadryl in her Earl Grey tea when she isn’t looking.” He turned around when he got to my office door. “You wanna come keep me company and hold the luffa sponge?”
“As much as I would love to, I have a young hot blonde waiting for me at home. Actually, you gave me a great idea.” I stood up and snapped my fingers like a light had just gone off. “Maybe I can convince her to let me give her a sponge bath, too… you know, right before I put her to bed.”
If looks could kill, I would be a dead man. “I hope your dick falls off.” He said, as he threw me the middle finger and walked out.
Shaking my head, I stood up to go grab some files out of the metal filing cabinet in the corner of my office. I pulled the two case files I had been working on and threw them on my desk. My eyes ran over the first report. It was about a cop leaving a bar in Staten Island who’d gotten caught sitting in his patrol car smoking crack cocaine with a prostitute. The other one involved an officer over in Brooklyn who had a hook into some organized crime. He and his wife had set up gambling operations in six spots in Manhattan and Queens. They were arrested along with her parents, and 10 others, when our investigators had shut down the individual gambling spots and raided their home in Weehawken, N. J. They seized over $100,000 and a half kilo of cocaine, neatly hidden under the bassinet in their baby’s room.
History tells us that there will always be bad cops, but the vast majority of them are honorable and decent. I felt sorry for the ones that made bad decisions when life gave them troubles, but I was happy to shut down someone when they abused the power of their badge. My eyes glossed over the reports when I heard a slight tap on the door. I looked up as my chief walked into the office.
Chief Brown was a short African-American man who had over forty years on the force. His balding head and round beer belly made him look more like a factory worker than someone in charge of the IA department. He was a good guy, and one of the funniest people I had ever met. That’s why when he slid into the seat across from me with a serious look on his face, I knew I wasn’t going to like what he had to tell me.
“What’s up?” I asked, and leaned back in my seat crossing my arms.
Chief played with his lanyard dangling around his neck and folded his hands around his round belly. He was wearing his usual black polo and grey dress pants. “I know you have personal shit going on right now, but I need you to go to Baltimore next Tuesday for the Ramirez case.”
The Ramirez case involved a couple of our officers who’d helped a Mexican drug lord escape during transport. I scratched the top of my head and looked around my desk filled with folders. I was already up to my neck in case files, “I thought Bobby was working that case.”
“He was, but Audrey just had her baby this morning so he took a couple weeks of FMLA off.”
“Shit!” I blurted out. Normally I didn’t mind doing what needed to be done, but the thought of going out of town and leaving Lexi alone was not sitting well with me. I was in a tough spot.
This was my career, and I knew I couldn’t just pick the cases that worked within my personal life and turn down the ones that didn’t. Chief and I were close. He knew my situation and he wouldn’t have come to me if he’d had a better option.
I plowed my hand through my hair. “How long will I be gone?”
“Not sure. You take as much time as you need. Though, I would plan on a couple nights, at least.”
I wanted to tell him no, but Chief had been very good to me. If Lexi’s crazy ex wasn’t out there running around Manhattan stalking her, I wouldn’t give it a second thought. I tried to convince myself that this would all work out. I knew she couldn’t come with me and I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing someone wasn’t there to protect her. Talk
about being split in two. I could always ask Sawyer and Lucas to step in, but beyond that, I didn’t have much of a plan.
The remainder of my day was spent on the phone. By the time 5:30 rolled around, I had gotten a reasonable amount of work done and set a plan into motion for while I was away. Everyone assured me that they would all pitch in and take care of things while I was gone. Lexi had it in her head that she could take care of herself, which made me all the more nervous.
I guess she’d have to learn to deal with it. There was nothing more important to me than her safety and given how unpredictable Colton was, I wasn’t taking any undue risks. I prayed the people I was counting on wouldn’t disappoint. I really had no other choice because I couldn’t be in two places at once.
Chapter Nineteen
Lexi
“Are you sure your sister said not to bring anything?” I asked Brad, for the fifth time as we rode along the Long Island Expressway on our way to a family picnic. Apparently, his sister was a last minute go-with-the-flow type of girl and she had the crazy idea that today would be a great day for a get together. He’d sprung this little family gathering on me this morning. Thankfully, I was able to snag a bottle of wine from his apartment as we were walking out to the car. After all, I was raised in the spirit of southern hospitality and was taught that you never showed up at someone’s house empty-handed.
Brad, never taking his eyes off the road answered me in frustration. “For God’s sake Lexi, will you relax? You’re just meeting my family, not the Pope.”
I shifted in my seat and turned my body sideways to face him. He had been out of sorts for the past couple days, knowing he was leaving later in the week. The argument we had last night about his friends guarding me 24-7 while he was away was still fresh on my mind. I hated feeling like a child and I thought it was a bit of overkill, but it was pointless to argue with him about it, so I let it go.
“Sorry, I guess I’m just a little worked up because I’m meeting your family for the first time.” I’d chosen my favorite light-yellow sundress. It was a little shorter than I usually wore, but the weather app on my phone said it was going to be hot and sticky. I wanted to be comfortable and I would be lying if I said I didn’t like the way Brad noticed my legs when I wore this dress.
He reached over and grabbed my hand, entwining our fingers together. Despite my nerves, I was really looking forward to meeting his family. My heart tugged with memories of my own family. That topic was a little more complicated.
He rubbed small circles around my thumb. “You have nothing to worry about. My mom and Lily are going to love you.” If his mother and sister were anything like him, then I probably had nothing to worry about.
I reached for my purse on the floor and placed it on my lap, looking for a pair of sunglasses. The sun beat down on the windshield, heating up my skin. Brad had insisted on leaving the windows open to allow the fresh air to fill the car. After digging around in my purse, I finally found my Coach sunglasses. There were few things in life I splurged on. Purses were on the top of the list, and sunglasses came a close second.
“So, who else is going to be there?” I asked, slipping my shades over my eyes, and turning to fully face him.
His dark brown hair was mussed from the wind. His short-sleeved blue polo shirt clung to his tempting biceps. Memories of those same muscles flexing over me last night had me squirming in my seat. Everything clenched from the waist down. I forced my gaze to his face, feeling my body grow hot, and it had nothing to do with the weather outside. I curled my fingers into the black leather seat to restrain the urge to climb into his lap.
“It’s just a few people. Don’t worry.” He winked.
“I’m not worried. Just a little nervous that’s all.” I explained trying to play it off as cool. I still couldn’t take my eyes off him. I should have been embarrassed by how obvious I was.
“You keep looking at me like that, and we’ll never make it to my sister’s house.” He raised his eyebrow and shot me a knowing grin. Damn, I was busted. Chuckling, he squeezed my hand, “Not that I mind you eye fucking me while I’m driving, it’s just a little distracting because we are in bumper to bumper traffic right now and neither of us can do anything about it.”
I would never get used to the traffic around here. The craziness of the surrounding drivers made me anxious. I stared into my rearview mirror, looking for a distraction. Brad let go of my hand and the Bluetooth connected to Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me”. Watching Brad bop his head to the song as he sang along with the lyrics was so freaking hysterical. I couldn’t suppress the smile that spread across my face as he danced and gyrated in his seat. I pulled out my phone and hit record as he continued hamming it up for my benefit.
About an hour later, we pulled up to a modest raised ranch home with a huge yard and a driveway lined with cars. He had lied to me. This was more than a ‘few’ people.
“Ready?” He gave my hand one last squeeze before bringing it to his lips and kissing my knuckles. “Trust me. You have nothing to be worried about. I promise.”
“Just a few people, huh?”
Brad chuckled, pulling on my hand. “Believe it or not, when it comes to my sister, this is a few.”
We walked up to the front door and just as Brad was about to ring the bell, the door swung open. A petite woman with long brown hair and familiar eyes greeted us with a huge smile.
“You finally made it!” She squealed, rushing into his arms almost knocking him over. Brad laughed and kissed the top of her head. A blind man could see the bond they shared. It made my heart ache a little knowing I never had that with my own sister.
Brad pulled away, and they both swung their eyes to me. “Lily, this is my girlfriend Lexi.”
Lily smiled at me warmly, putting my mind slightly at ease. She held out her hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Lexi. My brother has not stopped talking about you.”
I snuck a glance at Brad who just smiled and shrugged like it was no big deal, when it fact, it was everything to me. “Thank you, Lily. I feel the same way.”
“Well if it isn’t my long-lost son.” We both turned to see a woman with short, dark hair carrying a toddler on her hip. She set the little girl down on the floor and walked over, pulling Brad into a hug. The obvious affection between them made me smile.
She released herself from Brad’s arms and walked up to me. Her eyes sparkled with kindness. “You must be Lexi. I’m so happy to finally meet you. You’re even prettier than my son said you were.”
Her comment made me blush, but her friendly tone put me at ease. “Thank you, Mrs. Morgan. It’s a pleasure to meet you, as well.”
She rolled her eyes. “Please, call me Kathleen. Only my students are allowed to call me Mrs. Morgan.”
I laughed. “Very well. Kathleen it is.”
“Perfect. Now tell me, how is my son treating you?” Her eyes moved over to Brad. “He better be nothing short of a gentleman.”
“Mom.” Brad groaned. “What the hell…”
She tilted her head and sighed in mock disappointment. “Brad Thomas Morgan watch your language. You’re not too old for me to put you over my knee.”
Brad laughed. “I’d like to see you try.”
She put her hand on her hip, trying to hide her grin. “Don’t test me.”
“Mom, I’m not one of your students. You don’t scare me anymore.”
I was enjoying their playful banter. Kathleen was so different than what I was used to. She was warm and kind where my mother was cool and indifferent. Not that she was mean, she just cared about one thing—appearances. She was nowhere near as relaxed as Brad’s mom. Brad was a lucky man.
“No, you’re not. But if you’d like, I can tell Lexi about Cara Nappi. You remember that story, right? When you dry humped the back of her seat on the school bus in third grade and got sent to the principal’s office.”
Brad threw his hands up in the air. His face turned a bright shade of red. “Okay. You got me. No need t
o get carried away.”
Lily laughed in her hand. “Oh my God. That was the best.”
“Alright, I think it’s time I introduce Lexi to the rest of the family before you both humiliate the crap out of me.”
He gave his mom a kiss on the cheek. She reached out and grabbed his arm as he was walking away. “It’s so good to see you looking so happy.” Her eyes slid over to mine. I bit down on my bottom lip and dropped my gaze to the floor.
“Lexi dear, I know you don’t have any family around. So, if you ever feel the need to have a little girl time, Lily and I love to shop and drink wine. I’ll give you my number. You can call me any time.”
I felt my eyes get misty. I really liked his family.
“Thank you.” I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear that had fallen out of place. “I would love that.”
The little toddler that she set down moments ago started pulling on her leg. She looked down at the little girl with blonde curls and big brown eyes. I couldn’t help but think that was exactly what my daughter would look like if Brad and I ever had kids. “Let’s go find those crayons. Ready, Harper?” Kathleen asked the little girl who looked at her with her whole face lighting up.
“See you in a few minutes, squirt.” Brad said, poking the little girl in the belly. She giggled and swung her arms around Kathleen’s neck as they went off to look for crayons.
Brad grabbed my hand as we walked through the house and he introduced me to the rest of his family. I could easily see myself sliding in and becoming one of them. I pictured holidays with kids running around, and Fourth of July picnics with ice-cream and fireworks. This is what a real home felt like. Even though this small house could probably fit inside my parent’s living room, it resembled everything that truly mattered. My eyes swept across the room at the mismatched pictures over the fireplace and the simple furniture that filled the small space. My family may have been worth a small fortune, but it just showed that you could be poor in different ways.