Hot Cop Next Door: A Second Chance Romance

by Brooke Noelle

  She shook her head, muttering under her breath. “You were wrong. You made him angry, Savannah. Now I’m really going to be worried about you. You need to take some self-defence classes and buy a gun.”

  “I’m not buying a gun,” I said firmly.

  “Then mace or a Taser. You have to learn how to protect yourself. Don’t make me call your mother,” she warned.

  I burst into laughter. “You’re being ridiculous.”

  “Ha! You just wait until I tell your mother.”

  “My mom already knows.”

  Emma shook her head and wagged her finger at me. “You’re lying. Don’t lie to me. I know you too well.”

  I groaned. “Fine. She knows about some of it.”

  “When is that damn security system getting installed?”

  “I don’t know. My dad said they were about two weeks out.”

  “You don’t have two weeks,” she shot out.

  “Relax. I don’t need you helping me panic. I’m doing just fine on my own in that department.”

  She shoved a bite of salad into her mouth. “So, what’s this with you and Cameron? You seem pretty bummed over the breakup of an engagement that wasn’t even real.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Do you like him?” she asked in a serious tone.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Bullshit. You do too know. Tell me.”

  “I want to like him, but I have so much baggage. He isn’t interested in a relationship with anyone, let alone someone who puts his daughter’s life in jeopardy. I like hanging out with him and he’s really fun to be around, but I know it’s too soon,” I said, longing for the “too soon” part to be over.

  “I don’t think he’s your rebound guy if that’s what you’re worried about,” she stated matter-of-factly.

  “I went from Asher to him. I think that makes him Mr. Rebound,” I pointed out.

  “I guess time will tell. I didn’t get to talk to him a whole lot, but he seemed like a good guy. He’s got his shit together, and he has that one thing every woman looks for in a man.” She winked.

  I raised an eyebrow, assuming she was referring to the size of his dick. “I’m not giving you details.”

  She burst into laughter. “Get your mind out of the gutter! I’m talking about maturity. He’s not old, but he has that wise feeling about him. Trust me, maturity in a man is something I wish I had.”

  I laughed. Jake was a guy’s guy. He was ambitious but not exactly focused.

  “I better get going. I told my parents I would be there by six. They’ll freak out if I’m late.”

  We stood and hugged good-bye before I headed to my parents’ house. I dreaded telling them about the latest with Asher, but I had promised I wouldn’t keep anything else from them. I had hidden the problems with him for too long. When they had found out what had been happening in our relationship, they’d been furious and hurt that I hadn’t trusted them enough.

  I wouldn’t do that to them again, not after everything they had done to get me free of the man. If only their efforts had worked.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Cameron

  I heard the alarm on my phone going off. I thought about ignoring it and sleeping for another hour, but I couldn’t. I was going to spend the day with Lily, even if I had only crawled into bed about four hours ago. I had texted my mom before I went to bed, letting her know I would come by and pick Lily up.

  I didn’t want my mother coming by the house. I wasn’t sure if Asher would be watching or not. The last thing I needed was the lunatic following my mom home.

  I rolled out of bed and quickly sent a text to my mom, letting her know I’d be there in half an hour. I showered and did my best to appear like a member of the living and headed out to pick up Lily.

  “How about we invite Uncle Adam over for a barbecue? It’s a nice day, probably the last warm day of the year,” I said to Lily in the back seat.

  “I want a hot dog,” she declared.

  “Hot dog it is. We’ll pick up some steaks for me and Adam.”

  We stopped at the grocery store and grabbed what we needed before heading home. Before I got her out of the back seat, I checked around the neighborhood, looking for any unfamiliar cars. Savannah’s car wasn’t in her driveway, which I hoped meant she was still at her parents’ house.

  Adam showed up an hour later with a six-pack of beer and a bag of chips.

  “Look what I brought for you,” Adam cooed, dropping to one knee.

  He held up a bag, and Lily came running over.

  “You’re spoiling her,” I grumbled.

  “I can if I want to.”

  Lily looked inside and squealed. “Bubbles!”

  “There’s more,” Adam said, shaking the bag.

  Lily pulled the bottle of bubbles out before reaching in and squealing again. “Chalk!”

  “That should keep you busy,” Adam told her.

  I laughed. It would keep her entertained for maybe an hour. Lily set off, running in circles in the backyard, bubbles streaming behind her.

  “Here,” I said, handing Adam a cold beer from the ice chest by the patio table.

  “Man, have you heard the latest?” Adam asked in a low voice.

  I could tell by the tone of his voice it had to do with work.

  “I don’t think so. What’s up?”

  “That meth house they took down last week. They never did get the guy they believed was responsible. DEA has dubbed him The Cooker. I guess they’ve been on his trail for nearly a year, but they have yet to catch him. He sets up these houses, gets some lackeys to work in the houses, and stays away,” he said.

  “Why didn’t they say anything at the first briefing? Our guys could have been walking into something dangerous,” I growled, hating the lack of communication between the agencies.

  Adam shrugged one of his big shoulders. “They didn’t know it was him until our guys got the evidence.”

  “So now what?” I asked, knowing that wasn’t the end of the story.

  “The guy’s already back at it.”

  “What?” I said, slamming the lid on the barbecue.

  Adam swallowed a chug of beer. “Yep. Already back at it. Chief has been having a lot of closed-door meetings with the guys from the DEA. I have a feeling something big is in the works.”

  “Damn, how did I miss all this?”

  “You’ve been busy.”

  “I’ve been distracted. All this other stuff is moving my focus from the job. That isn’t good,” I said, just realizing how dangerous that really was.

  “You’re fine. Give yourself a break.”

  “Do they have any leads at all?” I asked, hoping for good news.

  “Nothing. Not even a hint. The people that have been taken down with the houses aren’t talking. They are terrified of whoever this dude is. The DEA is working around the clock to find out who he is. The guy knows how to cover his tracks. He’s practically a fucking ghost,” he growled.

  “It’s going to be a joint effort, isn’t it?” I asked, knowing the answer.

  “You know it’s coming. I just hope they do their homework before they send us out to take this guy down. I don’t like going in blind.”

  “Me either. Is this guy dangerous? I mean, they have an idea there is one guy, so they must have some thoughts about what he’s all about. What if he’s just a sleazy drug dealer? They are a dime a dozen. Why is this guy special?” I asked, wanting a clearer picture about what was really going on.

  “They think so. He was down south. They’ve tracked him up here. He’s wanted for murdering an agent along with a string of employees,” Adam said in a low rumble. “The guy is some sort of cartel leader.”

  “Cartel? What are you talking about? How did we jump from meth cooker to cartel?” I asked with irritation.

  “I’m not saying he is a cartel leader; I’m saying he’s on the same level. This is a new breed of drug dealers. They create their own little army of worker
s who are fiercely loyal. When one of them steps out of line, he kills them. Doesn’t that say cartel to you?”

  “Shit. We’ve got to stop this guy. These guys are like a cancer. I wish we could radiate their offices right off this earth,” I growled.

  “I agree. I want the guy caught. We have enough problems in this city without adding a guy like that to the mix.”

  The sound of a car nearby had us both on alert. I followed the sound and saw Savannah getting out of her car. She didn’t look our way and went straight inside her house. I was going to talk to her about that. She needed to be more aware of her surroundings. Asher could have been waiting in the bushes and she would have had no idea.

  “What’s that about?” Adam said, nodding toward Savannah’s house.

  I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “She’s my neighbor.”

  “Neighbor with benefits,” he said with a smirk.

  I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like that.”

  “What would you call it then?”

  I poked at our steaks on the grill before adding more seasoning. “I’m helping her out.”

  Adam let out a deep laugh. “Is that what that’s called?”

  “No. I’m really helping her out. She’s got a crazy ex and needs him to think we’re together. She keeps trying to break up with him, and he won’t take no for an answer. She told him she’d moved on—with me.”

  He nodded his head slowly up and down. “Together, huh? How’s that going to help? Isn’t that like pouring fuel on the fire—you being the fuel?”

  “I hope not,” I mumbled. I looked over at Lily, who was coloring on the sidewalk. “She told him we’re engaged.”

  Adam spit out a shot of beer. “You’re what?”

  I laughed. “It’s just to throw the guy off. We’re not actually engaged. She thought he would take it seriously.”

  “I would hope not. You didn’t even tell me.”

  “I didn’t tell you because there’s nothing to tell. It’s fake, not real. No one knows—only the crazy ex who is apparently not right in the head. He showed up at the bar Friday night and tried to start some shit. It’s why she went home to her parents’ last night. The guy is bad news,” I said in a low voice, making sure Lily didn’t overhear.

  I could feel Adam staring at me. I pulled my sunglasses down, not wanting him to see my eyes.

  “Wow,” he said on a breath.

  “Wow what?”

  “You like her.”

  I shrugged. I didn’t deny it. “That’s not the point.”

  “It is a very important point. You care about her.”

  I shook my head. “You’re reaching. We slept together a couple times. We have a good time together.”

  He smiled, revealing his full set of teeth. “Sounds like a relationship to me. When are you going to admit it to yourself?”

  “It’s not a relationship,” I insisted.

  He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. I knew what he was thinking. I didn’t want to acknowledge the feelings I felt stirring to life. I hadn’t felt that way in a long time and didn’t want to go down that road. I wasn’t ready yet.

  “Can I help with the boyfriend?” he asked.

  “I wish. I’m going to talk with the chief and ask what kind of loopholes there are to get this guy locked up. It’s only a matter of time before he does something drastic. I’m afraid of what that might look like,” I said, believing it was inevitable.

  “Did he threaten you?” Adam asked, his chest puffing up.

  “Nothing I can’t handle. He doesn’t dole out physical threats. He’s too smart for that. You should have seen this guy’s eyes. He’s dead inside. I’ve seen his type before. You have too. He’s the type of guy that holds a baby up as a shield in a gunfight. He’s a world-class loser.”

  My eyes moved to Lily happily drawing figures on the sidewalk. She was humming as usual and seemed completely oblivious to the danger that could be lurking beyond the protection of our quiet backyard. That was the goal. I didn’t want her to know there were bad people out there. I wanted her to feel safe, just like I wanted Savannah to feel safe.

  “What about the neighbor? Is she in danger?” Adam said, clearly catching on to the situation.

  I dragged in a deep breath. “I think so, yes. He went after her with a bat, which is why she’s living next door to me now.”

  “Shit,” he said, shaking his head. “That’s fucked up.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  “I’ll help you keep an eye on her.”

  My gaze once again moved to Lily. “These are about done,” I said, testing the steaks.

  “You’re worried about her,” Adam commented.

  “Huh?” I said, looking over at him.

  “Lily. I know how protective you are of that little girl. You’re worried this ex is going to do something to hurt her. I get it now.”

  I wasn’t going to deny it. Adam knew me too well. When I lost Becca, everything I felt shifted to keeping Lily safe. I got through the grief by focusing on Lily. I had gone overboard in the months following Becca’s death. If I could have wrapped her up in bubble wrap, I would have. I was only finally learning to lighten up and let the little girl play and have a little fun.

  “Let me know if I can help. She seems like a nice girl. She’s certainly easy on the eyes.”

  I laughed. “That she is.”

  I pulled the steaks off the grill, then made Lily’s hot dog with a strip of ketchup just like she liked it.

  “I thought we were going to ask Savannah to come over for a barbecue,” Lily said.

  “Not today, hon.”

  “How come?”

  “Because Uncle Adam is here, and Savannah was at her mom and dad’s house.”

  Lily sighed. “Fine. Next time.”

  Adam laughed. “Am I chopped liver?”

  Lily burst into a fit of giggles. “Uncle Adam! You’re not a liver!”

  We all laughed. Thankfully, Adam let the subject of Savannah drop. I didn’t want to think about any of that. Right now, I was going to spend a nice afternoon with my little girl.

  Chapter Twenty

  Savannah

  I was beginning to feel like I was a prisoner in my own house. I had nowhere to go and didn’t want to go outside and risk running into Cameron. I’d seen him in his backyard yesterday when I’d gotten home. I hadn’t wanted to interrupt him. They had all looked to be having a good time, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and relaxing. I’d felt like an outsider.

  I was sitting on the couch, watching some horrible reality show and generally basking in my own misery, when my phone rang.

  “Hello,” I said on an unenthusiastic sigh.

  “Savannah, it’s Cesar from the studio.”

  I reached for the remote and shut off the TV. “Yes?” I said, trying not to sound too anxious.

  “I’m sorry for the delay, again. I know we’re not giving you a very good impression of our business, but I assure you this isn’t the norm. We are taking on new artists, and things are picking up around here.”

  “It’s okay. Really, I understand,” I told him.

  He was my potential employer. I wasn’t going to critique his office management skills. I was pretty sure that would seal my fate and I would continue to be jobless.

  “Thank you for your understanding. We’d like to offer you the position if you’re still interested.”

  His words took me by surprise. I’d been expecting the same old line about not having enough experience. I had heard it enough times to know the drill. My degree meant nothing. The fact that I was twenty-six and the only job experience I had was my parents’ winery didn’t exactly look great either. Everyone thought I was a spoiled brat who was too lazy to go out and get a real job.

  I pushed aside all the negative thoughts and embraced the moment. I squeezed my eyes and pumped my fist in the air in excitement.

  “Miss Griffith? Are you there?” Cesar asked.

  “Y
es!” I cleared my throat. “Sorry. I mean, yes, I am definitely interested.”

  “Great. We’ll need you to go for a drug test and fill out some paperwork for a background check. It’s just standard procedure,” he assured me.

  “No problem. I can do that today.”

  He laughed. “We’ll set you up for tomorrow. Can you come by and pick up the paperwork you need?”

  “Absolutely,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound too eager.

  “Once the background check clears and assuming the drug test is negative, we’d like you to start next Monday. Does that work for you?”

  “Absolutely!” I said again, feeling like an idiot with limited vocabulary.

  The man had taken me by surprise and quite literally left me speechless. My first job was a big deal. He gave me the information for the drug-testing facility, and we hung up. I leapt off the couch and jumped up and down, squealing a few times before I took a deep breath and dialed my mom’s number.

  “I got a job!” I yelled into the phone when my mother picked up.

  Her screaming on the other end made me laugh. I knew where I got my enthusiastic personality from. With my mom on the other end of the phone, I walked to the mailbox. I wasn’t expecting any personal mail, but I needed to get outside and move. I was too excited to stay cooped up in the house. I felt like shouting from the rooftops.

  “Honey, your dad wants to talk to you,” my mom said.

  My dad got on the phone and was just as thrilled as my mother had been.

  “We’ll send you some of our old stock to celebrate with,” he said with a great deal of pride.

  “That sounds good, Dad. I’ll look for it.”

  The wine my dad held back was some of the best. I was looking forward to celebrating with the winery’s good stuff. I would invite Cameron over for dinner. Or maybe I would have to go to his house for dinner. Either way, I was excited to share some of the family’s wine with him.

  “The security guy is going to be out there next week. How’s everything going?”

  “It’s fine, Dad. Everything’s been quiet since I’ve been back,” I assured him.

  With the phone cradled between my ear and shoulder, I opened the mail and pulled out the stack of pizza coupons and other local ads. It sucked not being able to get mail at my address. It seemed pointless not to. Asher already knew where I lived.