“Relax, otherwise you’re going to hurt in these cuffs. I’m sorry, but I have to do my job. I’m taking you in on the paraphernalia, and the smell of marijuana. The K-9 is on his way since you didn’t give me permission to search.”
Taking hold of his arm, I drag him over to the curb, helping him to sit down. He’s quiet as he looks at me with hate-filled eyes.
“Is this the first time you’ve been pulled over?” I ask, trying to make some sort of connection with him.
He sighs. “Yeah.”
“It’s too bad for you that you had a one-hitter and the car smells like weed. Look.” I kneel down to where I’m eye-level with him. “Everybody’s gonna experiment now and again. Maybe you need to blow off some steam. We all gotta do that too, but the fact of the matter is, weed is a drug. It’s illegal here in the state of Alabama, and as a cop, I have to uphold the law.”
“It’s a stupid law,” he mumbles.
While I agree, it’s better for me to keep my mouth shut. “It is what it is, kid. We’ve all been here before. You’re not the first, you won’t be the last.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“No, it’s supposed to help you realize this is a turning point in your life. Where you decide to go from here makes a difference.”
He rolls his eyes. “You’re not my dad.”
“Where is your dad?” I ask as I lean against my cruiser.
“Don’t know.” He shrugs. “Didn’t stick around, but it doesn’t matter.”
There’s something about this kid that makes me want to help him, makes me want to help him believe things can change, that not everyone who has a rough start in life has to settle.
“It does matter,” I argue. “Don’t you want to prove him wrong? Doing this shit isn’t going to do that.”
“How’s he going to know?”
“Him knowing doesn’t matter, it’s what you know.” I push off the car, lean down, and point to his heart. “It’s what you know in here that matters. You’ll know you’re better than him. The best version of you. Someone you can be proud of. Don’t do what you think he might suspect of you, do what you know is right.”
“It’s easy for you to say.”
“Don’t tell me what’s easy. My dad? He was the Chief of Police. Any little thing I did, he knew about. There were no free passes, there was no learning from your mistakes. They were moments in time that should have been learning experiences, but they weren’t. Instead, especially for me and my brother, they were chances for punishment, and the silent treatment.”
“At least he cared.”
“He did,” I admit. “But at the time, it felt a lot different. It took me getting older and seeing it from what I imagine his perspective was.”
“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?”
“No, what I want you to realize is when you get older your perspective is going to change.” I have a seat next to him. “It’s your decision how it changes. Is this going to be the only mark on your record? Or is it going to be the first of more to come? It’s all up to you, my man,” I clap his shoulder as I see Ransom pulling up with Rambo. “Make your choice wisely.”
Ransom and I nod at one another when he gets out of his SUV, opening the back door for Rambo.
“Thanks for coming.” I get up and walk over to him.
“Been a slow night,” he sighs. “Kinda wish I was home with the wife and kid.”
“Whipped.”
He chuckles. “Fuck yeah I am. This the car?” He points to the car in front of us.
“Sure is. Let me know if you find anything.”
I stand back to let Rambo work. He’s one of the most loved members of our force, and I enjoy watching him whenever I can.
“What’s he going to do?” the kid asks.
“He’s gonna tell me if we need to search your car.”
“Man, this is fucked up.”
I ignore what he’s saying, watching Rambo to see if he alerts. When he does, Ransom and I look at one another. He puts Rambo up, telling him what a good boy he is. He slowly walks over to where we are, covering his hands with gloves.
“So,” - he stops in front of us, looking down at the handcuffed teenager - “my dog alerted, which gives me permission to search your car. Is there anything you want to tell us about before we start looking?”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
He’s defiant, and I wish he’d understand all we’re trying to do is help him.
“It’s your decision.” I shrug, motioning over to Ransom. “Go ahead and search it.”
“This could have gone so much easier, all you had to do was tell us what you have. Neither one of us enjoy having to search. I hope you know that.”
“Don’t lie.” He glares up at me. “You get off on this. All law enforcement does.”
“No, we don’t. Maybe some do, but we don’t.”
“Yeah, that’s what they all say.”
“Sullivan, come here for a sec.”
Shaking my head, I go over to where Ransom stands, the back door of the car open.
“Yeah?”
“He’s got four baggies of weed in here. Read him his rights, he’ll be going to jail tonight.”
“Those aren’t mine,” he screams as he hears what we’re saying.
Instead of rising to his irritation, I go over and start the process of arresting him.
No matter how much I don’t want to do it.
Chapter 19
Shelby
“Thanks for coming with me,” I yell at Karsyn over the sound of the live band playing at the only bar in town. She was the first person I thought of when I saw the ad on my social media. Lucky for me, Tucker is working tonight, so she’s my wing woman.
She takes a drink of her beer, a grin breaking out across her face. “No problem. I haven’t been out in a while, seemed fun. I hate sitting at home, waiting for Tucker to come home. My imagination runs wild at all the things that could wrong. Just wait until you and Sullivan get further into it. You’ll know the fear too.”
I almost tell her I already feel the fear. Sometimes I wait to see him pull into the parking lot at the end of a shift, just so I can make sure he’s okay.
We’re standing next to the pool tables when we hear someone speak. “Ladies, would you like to play?”
“Not me.” Karsyn shakes her head. “I’m not very good.”
“What about you, blondie?”
My eyes move over the body of the man speaking to us. He looks harmless, and I don’t get any weird feelings from him. As an attorney I’ve always trusted my gut. Tonight it says this guy just wants a little friendly competition.
“What are we betting?” I wink at Karsyn.
He reaches into his jeans pocket, pulling out a single bill. “One hundred bucks.” He slams it down on the side of the pool table.
“Didn’t bring my purse inside, but if you win, I’ll run out and get it.”
“What do you mean if I win?”
I shrug. “Maybe I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”
He chuckles. “I’d love to see them.”
Going over to the wall, I grab a pool cue off and chalk the tip. “Can I go first?”
“Of course, you’re a lady.”
Many people have underestimated me in my life, and it looks like this guy will be added to the long list. Leaning down I give the cue a hard push and break. Nothing goes in, but I set up my first shot beautifully. “I call stripes. Number one in the left side pocket.” I point to the one I’m going to make.
It goes in with an ease I’m sure this guy didn’t expect.
“Good shot.” His eyes show suspicion he’s been had.
“Was it really?” I reach down to take a drink of my beer.
Karsyn snickers as her eyes meet mine. She had no idea about what I can do with a pool cue, but it’s obvious she’s enjoying herself.
“Three ball right there.” I nod to indicate the corner pocket, before sma
cking the ball hard.
“Go, Shelby!” Karsyn yells in excitement.
Ten minutes later, I miss my first shot. It’s one I didn’t mean to; I took my eyes off the ball for a split second when Sullivan walked through the door.
“What’s he doing here?” I ask Karsyn after I stand up and move back from the pool table.
She makes a noise that says she doesn’t know either. I do my best to pay attention to what’s happening on the table, but instead I’m watching Sullivan as he walks across the room.
It’s nice observing him when he doesn’t know I’m looking.
The man walks into a room like he owns it. His long legs eat up the floor, and while part of me wishes he’d look over and see me, the other part just wants to keep watching.
He slides up to a table full of guys, and I notice a few local first responders. A waitress comes over, and even from where I stand, I can see the way she runs her eyes up and down his body. She’s definitely interested.
“Would it be awful if I went down there and gouged her eyes out?” I ask Karsyn before I take another drink of my beer.
“No, girl, I’d think the same thing.”
“Shit, it’s your turn,” the guy sighs as he back pedals from the pool table.
Since I wasn’t paying attention, him cursing causes me to look at what’s going on back at the pool table. Before I was all about trash-talking and doing the best I could to get his mind out of the game. Now I wanna get done, go down there, and claim my man.
Doesn’t matter that we haven’t claimed each other before. Right now I’m ready to tell the entire world he’s mine, even if the entire world is Laurel Springs, Alabama.
Sullivan
“What’s going on up there at the pool tables?” Caleb asks as he leans over so he can be heard.
This bar is loud, which I’m not entirely used to. In Paradise Lost the bar I liked to go to was mostly outdoors. The live music reverberates off the walls, along with the voices of the patrons.
It’s a scientific fact that drunk people talk louder than they need to. Those of us who aren’t toasted have to try extra hard to hold a conversation. Looking over to where he’s pointed, I crane my head up and around. It’s then that I see a woman bent over the pool table.
I would know the curve of that ass anywhere.
“I’ll be right back, I think I know who that is.” I push away from the table, reach down to grab my glass of beer, then walk to where the crowd has gathered.
“Fancy meeting you here.”
Turning to my right, I see Karsyn.
“Hey.” I reach out, giving her a one-armed hug. “That’s Shelby, isn’t it?” Her back is still to me.
“Yeah, she’s wiping the floor with this guy who greatly underestimated her.”
My eyes eat her up as she walks to the other side of the table. With her pool cue, she points. “Eight ball in the left pocket.”
“You’ll never make it.” One of the guys standing around laughs at her.
It’s going to be a difficult shot. She has to hit it off the opposite side and ricochet it into the pocket.
“Bet you I do.” She grins.
Her eyes meet mine and I flash her a smile. She gives me a slight finger wave, as if to tell me when she’s done handing this guy his ass, she’ll be able to get with me.
Leaning over, she eyes up her shot, and I do my best not to let my gaze drift down to the cleavage sticking out of her shirt. I’m sure every other guy is checking her out to, but this woman? She’s mine.
Mind. Body. Soul.
She’s mine.
Right before she takes her shot, her gaze flits up to mine and she fucking winks. Which goes straight to dick. I swear when the crack of the balls knocking against each other rings out, there’s a jolt that goes through my body. Everybody waits to see if it goes into the pocket, and when it does, the whole crowd erupts.
I can’t help it, I run over to where she’s standing and grab her up at the waist, swinging her around.
“You don’t even know what I won,” she giggles, wrapping her arms around my neck, her legs around my waist.
“Doesn’t matter.” I shake my head. “Any win for you is a win for us, babe.”
Her eyes soften before she leans in to fuse our mouths together. We haven’t been public yet, but that’s all changing in this instant. Her fingers dive into the back of my hair, holding the kiss longer.
There’s wolf whistles and shouts of encouragement before we break apart.
“Here’s your winnings. Good game.” A man hands her a hundred dollar bill.
“Thanks for being a great opponent. It was fun playing against you.”
I let her down, twirling her around once or twice before allowing her feet to hit the floor.
“Where’d you learn how to play like that?”
She grins, looking up at me, her eyes dancing in the dim light. “It’s how I paid for law school.”
I throw back my head, laughing loudly. “You were a pool shark?”
“A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”
Easing my hands into the back pockets of her jeans, I pull her close again. Leaning in, I speak in her ear. “Come on down where I am and join us.”
“Are you sure? We haven’t exactly been open to everyone about what’s going on between us. We haven’t told anyone really. Are you okay with going down there and being the talk of the town?”
“As long as I’m being linked with you, I’m completely okay with that.”
“Same here.”
I grab her hand, leading her down to where I had been sitting before. Pulling an extra couple of chairs over, we rearrange ourselves so Shelby and Karsyn can sit with us. It’s hard not to notice everyone looking at us from their seats at the table, especially when I put my arm around her neck, pulling her in closer.
The waitress comes back, and Shelby scoots in, practically on my lap.
“Do you need anything?” the waitress asks.
“No, I’m good,” I answer, not tearing my gaze away from Shelby.
She doesn’t ask anyone else if they want anything.
“I’d like another beer, please,” Shelby pipes up, holding her empty bottle. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
“I’m about to go off shift.” She ignores her request.
“I bet if my boyfriend here asked you for a beer, you’d move heaven and earth to get it. Sorry you got the wrong idea earlier, but he didn’t come here looking for another woman, honey.”
“Yeah.” I grin, grabbing hold of Shelby’s thigh. “I got the one I want and need right here.”
Chapter 20
Sullivan
“It’s hot as fuck in here.” Cutter runs a hand through his hair.
The Laurel Springs Emergency Response Team isn’t a small group of people, and Cutter’s right - it’s stifling. When we have a meeting with all of us, it’s obvious we need a different space.
“They must have the heat on.”
“On the day it’s almost seventy degrees outside,” Cutter bitches.
“It was chilly up until today. Who pissed in your Cheerios?” I give him a look.
“Dude, I have been up for thirty-six fucking hours,” he grumbles.
“Why so long?”
He rolls his eyes. “Somebody called in and we couldn’t find anyone to take the spot. It’s not like we can run ambulances without EMTs, so I had to stay.”
“Don’t act like you’re the only one,” a voice says from the other side of Cutter’s body.
Moving forward slightly, I glance by him to see who’s talking. “Hey, Devante.” I reach out my hand to shake his. “How you doing?”
“Tired as fuck, just like Cutter, but if you ask him, he’s the only one working more than a twelve-hour shift.”
“Don’t invalidate my feelings,” he argues.
“Jesus,” I sigh. “Nobody’s invalidating your feelings, but you’re not the only one who’s pulling crazy shifts. Every dep
artment has issues at one time or another. You’re not a special snowflake.”
“You two suck.”
“Oh, that’s a mature come back.”
If looks could kill, I’d be dead. Cutter’s mean mugging hard. Instead of standing with him and Devante, I give them a wave. “See y’all.”
Right as I’m walking by the door, I get a whiff of coconut and strawberries. It’s gotta be Shelby about to come in. Opening it, I see her surprised face.
“Hey.” She grins. “Are you on gentleman door duty?”
Leaning in I cup a hand around her hip, before kissing her on the cheek. “Only for you, and maybe Ro if she was here.”
“I’ll allow it.”
This time she tips her face up to mine, placing a chaste kiss on my jawline. Except nothing with us is ever really chaste. Putting my arm around her waist, I direct her to the other side of the room.
“Is there any reason you’re having us sit as far away from Cutter as we can get? I thought you two were close.”
My eyes are drawn to her legs as she crosses them. The skirt she wears inches up farther on her thighs, showing more of the tights covering the limbs.
“Hey,” she giggles. “Eyes up here.”
My cheeks heat with embarrassment. Not because I was caught looking at her the way I was, but because we’re out in public and she may not want this much PDA.
“Sorry.” I shake my head to remind myself where I am.
“It’s okay. It’s nice to know you like looking.” She leans in, her lips barely touching the outer edge of my ear. “Maybe later I’ll wear these and nothing else.”
A groan rips its way from my throat. “I hate that I have to go back to work after this.”
“That’s the best thing about being your own boss.” She laughs. “I get to make the hours. I coulda fit you in, but your loss.”
I love this side of her, we don’t normally get to tease one another. Our time together is limited and it’s as if we don’t want to waste it by saying words that aren’t critical to our conversations. But this? It’s nice.
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