Sullivan (Laurel Springs Emergency Response Team Book 5)

by Laramie Briscoe

  I’m barely paying attention to what they’re talking about until I hear them say fifteen hundred down and then a remaining amount of four thousand dollars. I want to do a double-take, but I try to keep it in, until she’s done.

  We walk out together, and after the door shuts, I turn to her. “That damn thing was almost six thousand dollars?”

  “Wedding dresses are expensive, Sully. You better get used to it for when Shelby wants one.” She elbows me in the side. “I know, I know, don’t rush you. But seriously, Dad’s paying for the remaining balance on it. He didn’t approve of my first marriage, and he more than approves of this one. He and Cutter have a great relationship. This is his gift to us.”

  “Well, that’s gonna make my gift look like shit.”

  She stops and hugs me tight. “My gift from you is that you always have my back, no matter what the situation, and there can never be a price put on that.”

  Chapter 34

  Shelby

  I’ll be glad when this shit is over and I’ll never volunteer for anything like this with the LSERT again. I’d been led to believe there wouldn’t be anyone not vetted, but I guess money is money. Something told me not to do this, but I’m the new one here and I wanna help all my new friends. I’ve had a shitty feeling about this since I got the directions to the dinner tonight. All of our correspondence has been done by email. To be honest, I wanted to get this over with, so I agreed to meet them on the first day they requested.

  It’s not in a part of Laurel Springs I’ve ever been in, and I don’t recall there being a restaurant in the building I’ve been directed to, but I gave my word and here I am.

  “I’m here,” I tell Rowan. “If you don’t hear from me in an hour, send help,” I half-way joke. “I know this is supposed to be a new place, but it doesn’t look open.”

  “Be careful.”

  As I get out of my car, I lock the doors and make sure the pepper spray I like to carry is within easy reach. Slowly I walk up to the front entrance, knocking on the door.

  Glancing in through the glass, I see that work has been done, but this place isn’t ready to be open for business yet. That bad feeling I had comes back with a vengeance.

  Head down, I’m walking back to my car when I feel something grab around my neck. Immediately I go to scream, but a hand clamps over my mouth.

  “Hey, Shelby, you ready for a wonderful time together?”

  I would know that voice anywhere. Frank Gentry.

  Fear radiates all through my body as I immediately begin trying to think of ways to get out of this situation. In Houston I’d taken self-defense courses, but since I’ve moved, I haven’t kept up with them. Instead of instinctively knowing what to do, I know without a doubt, I’m fighting for my life.

  I pick my foot up, slamming it down onto Frank’s. He howls, letting go of my mouth, which allows me to use my teeth to bite him. Taking off, I run for my car.

  “You fucking bitch! You will pay for what you took away from me.”

  I can hear him behind me. He’s taller and faster. All I want to do is get to my car, lock the doors, and try to drive away. I’m close when I feel his fingers in my hair, yanking against the strands, pushing my face down into the concrete.

  Screaming wildly, I turn over, scratching at his eyes, his cheeks, anything I can reach. A blow rocks my head. We fight against one another, me clawing for the pepper spray I made sure was close enough to grab. When I tighten my fingers around it, I pull it out, pressing against the button, aiming at his eyes.

  “You whore, you won’t get away with this!”

  Scrambling to my feet, I rush to my car, opening the door, but Frank grabs hold of my purse. He’s reaching in, trying to get the keys. Somehow I wrestle them out of his hands, and I know immediately I won’t be able to keep him at bay for much longer. There’s only one thing for me to do, in order to buy myself enough time. I use the key fob to unlock the door, and then as he lunges for me, I throw it, as fucking far as I can.

  “You stupid idiot!” He turns, watching for where it lands.

  I have just enough time to get in and lock the doors. Fumbling with my cell phone, managing to dial nine-one-one right as he starts beating on the windows.

  “Help me! Help me!” I scream into the phone, yelling out the address.

  I don’t know where he gets it from, but a rock comes through the driver’s side window and he yanks the phone out of my hand, throwing it in the same direction as my keys. “What are you doing?”

  His fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me out of the car. “Teaching you what it feels like to be helpless.”

  Sullivan

  The mid-afternoon into evening so far has been quiet, which is typically a death-sentence for the end of shift. Glancing at the clock on my dashboard, it reads six-thirty.

  Thirty minutes.

  Then I can go home, get out of these clothes, and wait for Shelby to get back from her dinner. She was supposed to text me when she got there, but I haven’t gotten one yet. When I stop at the next red light I hit, I’ll give her a call to make sure she’s good.

  As I brake to a stop and grab my cell phone, dispatch comes over the radio.

  “Nine-one-one hang up from a cell phone. GPS shows it’s over in the new warehouse district. Emergency services tried to call back and there’s no answer. They heard screaming in the background.”

  I’m three minutes from the location. “Mark me as responding. I’ll be there ASAP.”

  Flipping on my lights and pressing the gas pedal sends my adrenaline rushing. My tires squeal, and I grip the steering wheel as the engine responds. Turning onto the street, my pulse increases because the car sitting there looks like Shelby’s.

  There’s a man pulling a blonde woman out of the driver’s side window. My lights illuminate them, I’d recognize that motherfucker Frank Gentry anywhere.

  Squealing to a stop, I get out, holding my gun on him. “Hands up!”

  “Who are you gonna pick, Sullivan? Your woman, or me?”

  She screams when he pulls her hair, dragging her through the window.

  “Let her go!”

  “Make a decision, Sullivan.”

  “Let her go.” My voice is hoarse, desperation making me willing to do anything he wants me to.

  He yanks on her harder, dropping her on the asphalt. The groan that escapes her throat is pitiful. My eyes and his lock; he knows I’m going to choose her. I’ll always choose her.

  Before I can holster my gun, I take a shot at him, but I know it’s going to miss. My attention isn’t on him, it’s completely on her.

  “Shelby!”

  She’s bleeding and her eyes aren’t open. Fumbling with my radio, I manage to put words to what is happening. “Dispatch, I need an ambulance. Suspect is on the loose, it’s Frank Gentry. Shelby Bruce is the victim,” I choke out.

  “Sullivan, they’ll have someone there as soon as possible.”

  Everyone knows how much this woman means to me. Throwing my radio down, I reach out to check her over. “Shelby, can you hear me?” She groans as I push the hair from her forehead. There’s blood everywhere, and I don’t know what to do first.

  “How far away are they?” I scream into my radio. “She’s not conscious.”

  “They’ll be there within minutes,” dispatch assures me.

  My fear is it won’t be in enough time.

  “Hang on for me, Counselor.” I cradle her head in my lap. “I love you.” My voice is hoarse and I feel uncharacteristic tears pool in my eyes, begging the ambulance to hurry up.

  Chapter 35

  Sullivan

  “Where is Shelby?” Menace asks as I stride back into headquarters, going to the equipment room to load up on what I feel I need.

  “She’s at the hospital. They’re going to keep her overnight. Concussion.”

  I don’t want to speak to him or anyone else. There’s only one thing on my mind and that’s finding Frank.

  “Then why aren’t you ther
e with her?” Menace questions.

  “I have other things to do.”

  “You don’t want to do this.” He grabs hold of my shoulder, stopping me from going any farther.

  “You have no idea what I’m about to do.” I throw his hand off me.

  “No, I do.” He grabs hold and pushes me back against the wall. “I know exactly how you feel. When Rina was pregnant with Kels, she was held at gunpoint by a fellow teacher. I wanted to run in there and grab her, make sure she was okay, kill the fucker with my bare hands. But I couldn’t.” He holds onto my arm. “I had to be off the case, I was too close. In my anger I wanted to go in there and kill everyone, which wouldn’t have done shit for what really needed to happen. I’m telling you as a man who understands your emotions right now, you need to go to the hospital and stay with her.”

  I shake my head. “You didn’t see what she looked like. Blood pouring from her cheek, glass everywhere, bruises all over her face. I can’t let him go and not get retribution.”

  “He will get it,” Menace vows. “But it can’t come from you, Sully. It cannot come from you. Trust us to take care of you. To avenge whatever you need us to. Go to the hospital and be with Shelby.”

  Sighing, I have to admit I understand what he’s saying, but at the same time I hate it. “If I do anything, I’ll be charged?”

  “You will.”

  That’s all I have to hear. My identity is a police officer, I can’t be one if I’m charged. In order to be the best man I can for Shelby, I need to be who I am. And above all I’m an officer of the law.

  “How is she?” I ask my sister as I enter Shelby’s hospital room.

  Rowan responded to the call, thank God, because I’m not sure I would’ve been able to be patient with anyone else while they helped her.

  “She hasn’t woken up yet, but she’s responsive when they do tests. Everyone thinks she should come around soon.”

  I walk over to the other side of her bed, having a seat in the chair. Her face is bruised, purple and blue standing out in stark relief against the fair color of her skin. “Counselor, I’m so sorry.”

  “This wasn’t your fault,” Rowan says softly.

  “It was, I should’ve known he’d do something like this. He was fucking escalating.”

  “No one could have known. You aren’t a super hero.”

  “I’m not, but I keep my family safe, and I couldn’t do it for her.” Reaching over, I grab hold of her hand, squeezing it tightly.

  “I knew you would come.” I hear Shelby croak out. “While I was lying there, I kept telling myself you would come.”

  “Shhh.” I push her hair back from her face. “Don’t say anything. You need to save your strength.”

  “Did you catch him?”

  “I didn’t, but they’ve sent a team to hunt him. They wouldn’t allow me to be part of it. I shot at him, but I missed. I was more worried about you.”

  “You should never think about me before your safety.”

  “Without you, my safety doesn’t fuckin’ matter, Counselor.”

  She moans when she turns her head.

  “Are you okay?”

  “It hurts.”

  “You have a concussion,” Rowan explains. “Let me go get the doctor on call to give you some more medicine.”

  When Rowan leaves, Shelby looks up at me. “I promised myself while I was lying there, I would tell you if I had the chance. I love you, Sully. I love you so much I almost can’t breathe for it.”

  Running my finger down her cheek, I lean in, kissing her softly. “Love you too, Shelby. I’ve never been so scared in my life, and fair warning, I’ll never let you out of my sight again.”

  She cries softly. “I’m perfectly fine with that.”

  The doctor comes in, and I reluctantly remove myself from beside her, but I know without a doubt that’s one promise I’ll keep to my death.

  Two hours later, Cruise comes in wearing his SWAT gear, his gun on his thigh, black soot on his face.

  “Did you get him?”

  He shakes his head. “Frank Gentry burnt his house down. He was DOA. We just bought his body in.”

  Shelby makes a noise in her throat. “I can’t say I’m sorry, but even though he was an ass to Montana, it’s gonna hurt. She lived with him for a long time. Can someone go tell her?”

  “I will,” Cruise says. “It’s the least I can do. I’m sorry you got caught in the middle of this, Shelby.”

  “I always knew it could happen. Thanks for making sure he won’t be hurting anyone else.”

  “Yeah.” I hold out my hand for him to shake. “Thanks for taking care of it for me.”

  “With pleasure my brother, you take care of her.”

  “Trust me, I will.” I have a seat next to her, and vow right now to make sure she’s safe for the rest of her life.

  Chapter 36

  Shelby

  “This is The Café,” I tell my parents as we make the trip down the sidewalk from my office to the place where most people in town go to eat. They’ve been here for almost two weeks. Since I was brought to the hospital and now that I’m home.

  They leave tomorrow, and I finally feel well enough to take them on a tour of Laurel Springs.

  “It’s all so quaint.” My mom grins. “I can see why you love this place.”

  “It’s not hard,” I admit.

  We walk in being greeted by so many people who have becomes friends and family too me in such a short amount of time. Seeing three swivel chairs at the soda fountain free, I lead them to my favorite place to sit. That’s when I notice Ransom, Cruise, and Havoc standing in a group together, cracking up.

  “Hey guys.” I wave. “What’s going on?”

  Ransom giggles as he looks at me. “Your man is in a slow speed chase.”

  “Slow speed chase?” I ask, not sure what he’s saying. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of a slow speed chase.

  “Mr. Honeycutt is refusing to pull over. Apparently Sully has it out for him because he got in the way of a call. He ran Honeycutt’s license and it hasn’t been renewed since seventy-fuckin’-nine.”

  I can’t help but giggle. “So he’s got a vendetta against a ninety-five year old man?”

  “How fast are you going?” dispatch asks.

  “Twenty-five.” I can hear Sullivan say over the radio, sirens blaring.

  “Tell him to let it go.” I roll my eyes.

  Caleb, who is on shift, keys his radio. “Your girlfriend says let it go, Baker.”

  “He’s breaking the law,” he argues.

  “Give me the radio.” I move my fingers in a gimme motion. “How does this thing work?”

  Caleb shows me how to get on, and I shake my head before speaking. “I swear to God, Sully. You arrest him, I’ll have him out in ten minutes. Let him go. He’s lived his life.”

  “Why are you on the radio?”

  “Because this is stupid,” I laugh.

  “I’ll show you stupid.”

  We hear sirens as they come to a stop outside The Café. Turning around, I watch as Sully turns his car off, and gets out, holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

  A smirk plays against the edges of my lips as I watch him stroll in, oblivious to all the eyes looking him up and down. “Is that what’s stupid?” I raise an eyebrow at the flowers.

  “No.” He shakes his head. “I’m the one who’s stupid. Just wanted to let you know I’ve got a good thing, and I’m gonna keep it.”

  Tears fill my eyes before glancing over at my parents. “As you can see, I’m well taken care of here.”

  Dad stands up to shake Sullivan’s hand, before turning to face me. “That’s all we ever wanted for you, Shelby, and. I think we both agree,” - he looks back at Mom - “this is your home now.”

  I nod, launching myself at Sullivan. Best news I’ve heard all day.

  Chapter 37

  Sullivan

  “I love that shirt almost as much as I love you.” I wrap my arms tigh
tly around Shelby’s waist. Since she came home from the hospital, I’ve had her within my reach.

  She wrinkles her nose up cutely at me. “I have no idea why.”

  “Oh you know.” I turn her around in my arms.

  The front of it says Laurel Springs SWAT Team and on the back it says Baker. One day I’ll make her last name the same as mine. We’re in no hurry. For the first time in my life, I’m not in a hurry.

  To prove to my family how much better I am than my brother.

  To do what everyone thinks I should be doing.

  Finally, I’m becoming my own man.

  “You gonna be there at the end?”

  “Oh yeah, hooting and hollering for the hottest guy on the course.”

  I smile, shaking my head. “You’re good for my ego.”

  She reaches up, running her fingers through my hair. “You’re good for me period.”

  “So if we win, does that mean I get to do whatever I want to you?” I rub my nose against her neck.

  “I believe you said something about cooking with nothing but an apron on.”

  “I did.” I clasp my arms around her.

  Since we moved in together a month ago, we’ve had a lot of fun interludes. She winks. “Then you better get busy and win.”

  I kiss her quickly. “Wish me luck.”

  “Good luck, Sully.”

  “Let’s go!” Ransom yells, whistling to get everyone’s attention. “It’s time for us to sign in.”

  Shelby smacks my ass. “Go get me a W.”

  “Will do, babe.”

  Shelby

  “Look at him.” I grab hold of Stella’s shirt. “Walking with that gun like he owns the place.”

  “There’s something about the swagger of these guys. All long-legged, full of cockiness, and so fuckin’ hot.”