Code 11- KPD SWAT Box Set

by Lani Lynn Vale

  I let my shirt drop and turned back around to see her eyes now fixated on my crotch, and I barely resisted the urge to cover it with my hand.

  “So,” I said teasingly. “What are you getting on that virgin skin of yours, Nik?”

  We’d talked about it once, a lifetime ago, but times changed. As did opinions.

  Nikki, though, was predictable, proving to me she hadn’t changed a bit.

  “Have you seen those huge-eyed stuffed animal Ty Beanie Babies?” she asked Alison.

  Alison nodded. “Yeah, who hasn’t?”

  Nikki smiled.

  “That’s what I want.”

  I shook my head.

  That woman.

  On our first date together, I’d won her one from one of those machines where you used the claw to grab the stuffed animal out of the overpriced machine.

  She’d fallen in love with it, and I’d started calling her ‘Owl’ later that night as I saw the resemblance between the owl’s eyes and Nikki’s.

  When she’d joked that she was going to get a tattoo of the owl, I’d called her on it, and we’d made a bet that she wouldn’t.

  But then, as time went on, we’d forgotten about it.

  Then things had gone down, and suddenly there was no more Nikki and Michael.

  Well, I’d forgotten about it.

  Nikki, apparently, had not.

  “Do you have a specific one you had in mind?” Alison asked.

  Nikki smiled and dug into her bottomless pit of a purse for her phone, unearthing it after emptying not only her wallet, keys, and a makeup bag, but also a pair of flip-flops, onto the counter.

  I could do nothing but shake my head.

  “That woman.”

  “Oh!” Alison said excitedly. “I love it!”

  Alison was a forty-four-year-old woman with graying blonde hair, but right then, with the way she was giggling like a teenage girl, she could’ve passed for one of the young girls that Peek had just shown out the door.

  “What are you squealin’ about, woman? You know how that hurts me ears,” Peek growled teasingly.

  Peek was fourth-generation Irish.

  He had a thick accent, but when he was talking to his wife, the accent got thicker and thicker as he crooned his sweet words to her. Or yelled at her.

  “How ye doin’, boyo?” Peek asked, slapping me on the shoulder with his large hand.

  Peek was a six-foot four-inch powerhouse that towered over my six foot two frame.

  I wasn’t skinny by any means.

  I had muscle on top of muscle.

  Peek, on the other hand, was a bull where the rest of us were most definitely not.

  He was a volunteer firefighter for the Uncertain, Texas Fire Department as needed, and he worked at his tattoo parlor in Kilgore, Uncertain, and Gun Barrell City on a rotating shift. He was also a member, and president, of the Uncertain Saint’s MC.

  Peek had started the MC a long time ago after the death of his and Alison’s one and only son.

  Apparently it’d been due to drugs, but I’d never broached the subject any further than what he was willing to give.

  I’d met him that first night, twelve years ago, and he’d helped me cope with my decision to leave medicine, as well as my parents’ outrage over the fact.

  He’d also introduced me to the chief of police, Chief Rhodes, on my next shore leave.

  We’d hit it off, and I’d found myself a job with Kilgore Police Department the minute my feet met even earth once again.

  “I’m doing well, Peek. This,” I said, holding out my hand to Nikki, who ignored me as she showed Alison pictures of nephews. “Is Nikki.”

  Peek smiled, moving closer until he was directly behind Nikki with his body turned toward me, remembering just as Alison had. “I’m glad to hear that, boyo. What’re ye doin’ here?”

  Nikki turned when she heard Peek at her back.

  Eyes wide in wonder she said, “I’ve never met an Irishman before.”

  Peek turned to her and gave her a leering grin. “Would you like to?”

  Rolling my eyes, I moved until my arm was around Nikki’s neck. “She’s spoken for, big guy. And I’m fond of Nikki’s eyes,” I said, looking pointedly at an innocent-looking Alison who had the grace to look chagrined.

  A few months ago, Peek had been working on a client, a young female who was getting one of the most-hated-by-Peek tattoos ever, a butterfly, when the young client had grabbed Peek’s crotch.

  Alison, having witnessed the incident, flipped. Then threw the girl and her half-finished butterfly out the front door.

  I’d been the one to take the call when the girl had called to report the apparent ‘assault,’ which was actually just a few scratches on her face.

  “I can’t help that that girl was a dumbass who thought it was appropriate to grab a man’s, a married man’s, crotch,” Alison said stubbornly, before tossing a glare in her husband’s direction.

  “I can’t help that me package is irresistible!” Peek said in his Irish brogue.

  Nikki laughed, covering her mouth to contain her giggles before turning laughing eyes on me.

  “You ready to get that tattoo done, Owl?” I asked softly, ignoring the two bickering people to our sides.

  She nodded. “Yeah, I think it’s time.”

  Chapter 6

  If she even looks at me, I’ll fuck her face up… with my killer glare, and hellacious cold shoulder.

  -Nikki to Lennox

  Nikki

  “Hello?” I answered my phone. I sounded tired.

  I’d literally been in bed for less than four hours, tops, and I was dying to go back to sleep.

  “Nikki?” Lennox whispered softly. “Where are you?”

  My eyes blinked open tiredly, and I rolled over to look at the clock.

  “In bed,” I moaned. “Why?”

  “Uh, because you were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago. You told me you switched with Damon, and neither you or Damon is here, and Joslin’s on a fuckin’ rampage,” Lennox said hurriedly. “She’s telling everyone she can that you’re not here yet. I’ve been stalling, but you need to hurry!”

  “Crap,” I whispered, jolting up out of bed. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

  Pulling a brush through my hair as I went to the bathroom, I hurriedly pulled on clothes and rushed through my morning routine that would normally take forty-five minutes, condensing it down to five.

  Which meant my hair was curly instead of straight like I usually styled it.

  It meant that my makeup was non-existent and my clothes were wrinkled because I’d had to pull them out of a pile of clothes on the foot of my bed that my cat loved to knock down when she could. And it also meant that I was wearing the wrong colored tennis shoes, because I couldn’t find my work pair.

  I was sure I’d get reprimanded for it, but if I’d known ahead of time that I’d get written up for it and nearly lose my job, I would’ve called in sick.

  My phone rang again, and I nearly panicked.

  I was religiously late.

  To everything.

  Birthdays, work, parties, dates.

  If it had a possibility for me to be late, I was late.

  Luckily, it was just my sister, Noel.

  “Nik-Nik, can I borrow your car? I have to have the brakes fixed on mine, and I need to drive Tyler to school,” Noel said pleadingly.

  I rolled my eyes. “As long as you fill it back up with gas and bring it back in time for me to drive home from work later.”

  “Deal,” she said. “I’ll come get it from your work in about ten minutes.”

  I closed the front door to my apartment behind me and started to hurry down the hall to the stairs. “Make it fifteen. I’m running late.”

  She laughed. “Why does that not surprise me?”

  “Watch it,” I teased. “See you later. Be careful today.”

  With that,
I hung up and started to run down the stairs.

  I was going to be later than I’d said.

  Twelve minutes later, I was pushing through the doors of the ER with my bag over one shoulder.

  Since I didn’t have any food in my bag, because I hadn’t had time to make anything last night nor this morning, I stored the bag underneath of the nurse’s station and made my way up to Bryan, the charge nurse.

  “Bryan,” I said, catching his attention. “I’m sorry I’m late. I had a really long night.”

  I didn’t tell him why I had a long night, however.

  And he didn’t ask.

  He nodded. “Don’t make a habit of it, Pena.”

  I nodded, then winced when the movement pulled the skin at my back, reminding me once again of the tattoo I’d gotten just hours ago. And Michael.

  “Bryan, when did we become allowed to wear colored shoes?” a snotty female voice belonging to Joslin, asked.

  Bryan looked up from his charting to Joslin.

  “We’re not allowed to wear colored shoes. You know the rules, white only,” Bryan said, sounding slightly annoyed.

  I walked away, knowing where this was going before I’d even had time to process the fact that Joslin was aiming for me today.

  “But Nikki’s wearing shoes like that,” Joslin tattled like a two-year-old.

  Bryan’s eyes turned to me, taking in my shoes.

  Then quickly turned back to his charting.

  It was the soft throat clearing from Joslin that had him sighing and looking at me.

  “Go change them, Pena,” Bryan said tiredly.

  What the fuck was that?

  “You want me to go home to change them?” I asked for clarification.

  He nodded. “Yeah. Now.”

  I shrugged. “That’s fine with me, but it’s gonna take me another hour or so to get back. I lent my car to my sister for the day. I’m sure she’s already picked it up by now. So I’ll have to call her for a ride home.”

  Bryan growled in frustration.

  “Nikki,” he said, standing up. “Follow me to the break room. We need to talk.”

  Stomach clutching, I followed Bryan out the double doors and down a side hallway that led to our break room, all the while Joslin’s laughing eyes followed me out.

  I refrained from flipping her the bird, but only just barely.

  I was already in trouble, and I was fairly positive Joslin would just tell him what I’d done anyway. So I put on my big girl panties and followed dutifully behind Bryan.

  Once we were in the break room, he sat on the edge of the table and crossed his arms.

  “I’ve already had to talk with the director about your constant lateness,” he said without preamble.

  I pinched my lips closed.

  I had no reason.

  I was late.

  End of story.

  And always would be.

  “I’m sorry,” I said sincerely.

  And I was.

  Not just for past incidences, but for future incidences as well.

  He sighed and rolled his head up to the ceiling.

  “You need to get your ducks in a row,” he said. “I have a feeling that the only reason they’ve kept you is because you’re such a good worker. You’re always staying late, always picking up shifts and willing to move when we ask you to. But that doesn’t make up for the fact that you’re constantly late, and you need to try harder to get that under control, otherwise I’ll be obligated to report this to the director, okay?” he asked, sounding tired.

  I nodded, uncrossing my arms and placing my hands in the pockets of my scrubs. “Sure.”

  I wouldn’t make any promises, though.

  That was just me. I was late.

  “I’ve also had a complaint about you from a few of the staff members for going off on coffee breaks too often,” he said carefully.

  A few staff members my ass!

  It was only one staff member!

  And that was because she’d just come back from sucking some man’s cock!

  Whore!

  “I see,” I said carefully. “And does this staff member happen to have a vendetta against me or something?”

  He blinked.

  “Um, no,” he answered lamely.

  Liar!

  “Well, I only went on one coffee break yesterday, Bryan. And that was right after I had to put an IV into some kid who’d just been shot in the head!” I all but snarled. “Excuse me if I can’t handle that and needed a fucking break!”

  He blinked, surprised at my outburst.

  “I wasn’t aware that was why you’d gone yesterday. I’d only heard what she said to me. I apologize,” Bryan said truthfully.

  Ah-ha!

  She!

  Well, that could only be one person!

  “Stupid cunt muffin,” I muttered as I turned around to leave. “Fucking her way to the top.”

  I stomped my way down the hall, passing the entrance into the ER, and then came to a dead stop when I saw Joslin’s fucking hand on my Michael.

  He was looking at her with concern as she wiped a fake tear from her eyelid, and I lost it.

  It’s hard to say where I came by my temper.

  My papa liked to say that it was my mom’s. My mom liked to say that it came from my dad.

  Wherever it came from, it was legendary.

  However, legendary temper or not, I needed my job, so I had my tantrum in the bay where the ambulances parked instead of in the hallway in front of the stupid bitch.

  “Stupid son of a whore. Puta needs her brain scanned if she thinks she can fuck with me. I’m a Pena, goddammit! And that pendejo has another think coming if he thinks I’m going to stand for this after last night. Motherfucker!” I hissed loudly as I marched out of the sliding glass doors.

  And right into a group of bikers that were looking at me funny.

  In their lead was Peek, and he had a mocking smile on his face that was perilously close to being slapped off.

  “What are y’all looking at, fools?” I snapped, pushing through them.

  They moved, I’m sure some of them trying not to laugh.

  Others, like the tall dark and handsome one with the caramel skin and the laughing green eyes, as well as Peek, didn’t bother to hide the laughs that bubbled out of their throat.

  “What’s got your panties in a wad, Owl?” Peek laughed from behind me.

  I flipped him the bird as I stomped across the parking lot, not missing the fact that through the glass walls that lined the back hallway I could see Michael standing with Joslin, in much the same position as before, but now he had his hands on her head.

  I made it all the way to the parking lot before I realized I’d forgotten that I didn’t have a car.

  Then I saw the shiny Dodge diesel with the black rims and electric blue paint job that Michael had gotten some time in the last year, and bad Nikki came out to play.

  Let’s just say that my brother taught me a thing or two in his time, and with nothing else better to do, I’d honed the skills until I could get into anything, and drive, anything.

  The newer vehicles were equipped with keyless entry, and you had to have a remote in the vehicle to start it.

  Michael, though, had made a whoopsie yesterday.

  He’d told me about a spare key he kept in his toolbox.

  I’d never thought that I’d need to know that… but right now it came in really fucking handy!

  Reaching under the wheel well, I ducked my head above the tire and looked for the black box, finding it within seconds.

  The box came off the metal it was attached to easily enough, but the entire thing was covered in dirt and grease, effectively cover my hand completely in the gunk.

  Not that I cared.

  I was on my way home.

  I’d take my time and come back dressed, really dressed, and take it from there.

  Although I�
�d probably abandon Michael’s vehicle a couple of blocks over from my apartment.

  It wouldn’t do to have him knowing it was me.

  Pressing the unlock button, I opened the door and hauled myself inside.

  “Is there a reason a man has to lift his truck so high?” I muttered to myself, slamming the door.

  Pressing my foot on the brake, and punching the start button, the diesel motor rumbled to life with a quiet purr.

  Looking left and right, as well as at the door where I guessed Michael would come out of if he knew his truck was leaving without him, I pulled out of the parking spot that Michael had so nicely backed into for me.

  Then I was on the road and two minutes from where I’d decided to park my newest acquisition when the red and blue lights lit up my mirror.

  “Son of a bitch!” I said, cursing myself and my stupidity. “You’re always doing this, Nikki. Always with the bad decisions.”

  To make matters worse, it was my stinkin’ brother behind the wheel of the cruiser that was pulling me over.

  His surprise was as great as mine when he saw me behind the wheel.

  It took him a few minutes to speak, but when he did, it wasn’t nice.

  Not that that was unusual for Nico.

  He was a major dick sometimes.

  “You are one stupid bitch,” he sighed.

  I took the nearest thing to me that I could reach and threw it at him, which happened to be a water bottle half-filled with Gatorade.

  He easily caught it and glared.

  “You do know, right, that half the force is now looking for his truck?” he asked with a raised brow.

  I shrugged. “I was mad.”

  He blinked. “You were mad… so you thought it’d be a good idea to steal a man’s truck?”

  “I didn’t steal it. I borrowed it,” I said stubbornly.

  He just shook his head. “Get out.”

  “No.”

  “Yes,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Make me!” I countered.

  I was sitting in the back of Nico’s police car when Michael pulled up twenty minutes later.

  Nico was leaning against the hood, tired of hearing me yell at him, and I was mad.

  I’d probably be fired, too.

  I knew I wouldn’t be arrested for ‘borrowing’ Michael’s truck, but Nico was an ass and put me back here because he wanted to, not because he had to.