Out to Protect

by Amber Skyze

  “Fuck, Ralph. What is your issue with prostitutes? Why the hell are you making them suffer so much, and what about the male?” Another thought crossed his mind. Maybe there were two killers. A copycat. Ralph could be guilty of the male, but what about the women? He never seemed to have anything against women—nothing Grant ever heard him speak about.

  A lightbulb went off in his head. It suddenly made sense why they had their first male victim—because Grant came out as being gay. Once he told his partner and best friend, Ralph had turned around and killed a guy. Did he do it because he couldn’t kill Grant? He’d be the only obvious suspect after the way he reacted yesterday. He didn’t hide his anger at Grant or his disdain for him being gay. If Grant turned up dead, Ralph would be the first person they questioned.

  “Why, Ralph?” Grant considered reaching for his phone and calling his longtime friend, but thought better of it. He couldn’t tip him off that they were on to him, and in all honesty Ralph wouldn’t confess to Grant.

  His phone rang, and Grant pulled it from the holster.

  Shock and disbelief filled him as he stared at the number. Ralph.

  He wasn’t sure what to do. Should he answer, or should he ignore the call? Fear rocked him to the core. Had he already figured it out? What if he knew they discovered the card and his involvement? He’d be looking for Grant’s blood.

  Curiosity got the best of him, and he answered the call.

  “Hello.”

  “You’re next.”

  The phone went dead in his ear. Grant looked at it in disbelief. His body shook. A cold dread consumed him. Grant was now a target. Ralph wanted him dead. He’d assumed that Ralph wouldn’t be foolish enough to try anything stupid, but obviously he’d been wrong. Ralph had murder on his mind, and Grant was the target.

  He closed the phone and replaced it in the holster. He stood and moved quickly from the spot. He had to get back to the safety of his car. He was a moving target.

  Grant looked over his shoulder a few times as he moved through the brush. Every step he took, he swore he heard someone behind him. Every glance proved him wrong. His heart pounded as he came out to the clearing. Dogs ran rampant at the park. Owners chatted while their canine pals played. Life appeared normal.

  Grant scanned the area one last time before heading to his car. His breathing grew heavy the faster he walked. Had someone called his name? He froze and glanced around. He didn’t see anyone. Fuck, his imagination was playing tricks on him. He had to get a grip on reality. Yes, Ralph had threatened him, but he wouldn’t go as far as to take him out on the street where there were a ton of witnesses.

  “Who am I kidding?” He had no clue what Ralph was capable of. He’d warned Grant that he was next, so he might be crazy enough to do it out in public. Shit, Grant never imagined Ralph capable of murdering anyone.

  He reached his car and climbed in, locking the doors behind him. He leaned back, resting his head on the leather headrest. He closed his eyes and tried to catch his breath. He had to get ahold of himself. Ralph wasn’t lurking in the corners, watching his every move.

  His phone rang, startling him.

  “Fuck. I can’t live my life in fear.” He pulled the phone and checked the number. It wasn’t Ralph, but it looked like it was the precinct.

  “Hello.”

  “Get your ass in here fast,” Chief Heslin barked. “We need to talk now.”

  “Yes, sir.” Grant was once again summoned to the principal’s office.

  A million thoughts went through his mind as he drove to the station. Did they have Ralph in custody? Did he know they were on to him? Would he be waiting for Grant to arrive so he could kill him?

  Grant slammed his palm on the steering wheel. “This is fucking ridiculous.”

  He couldn’t continue this what-if game. He pulled out his phone, ignoring the fact that it was illegal to use his phone while driving. Who would arrest him? He punched in the numbers to Parker’s cell.

  He answered, and Grant knew immediately he was pissed. “Hello.”

  “I need to know if Ralph has been arrested.”

  “No, if you were here like the chief asked, you’d know what was going on.”

  “Have you heard or seen Ralph?”

  “No, Grant, why?”

  “He called and told me I’m next.”

  Parker whistled. “That’s not good.”

  “No, I’m constantly looking over my shoulder. I can’t stand this paranoia.”

  “I don’t think it’s going to end soon. Just hurry and get here. If you see Ralph, try to ignore him.”

  “Ha, easier said than done.” Grant ended the call as he neared the station. He searched the parking lot for signs of Ralph’s car. He didn’t see it anywhere. That was a positive. The pounding in his chest grew louder the closer he came to a parking spot. The thunderous sound filled his ears. If the sun weren’t shining, he’d question whether it was his heart or a thunderstorm.

  Grant made it to the chief’s office without incident. Ralph was nowhere in sight, and others in the office seemed unfazed by his presence.

  Parker sat in the chief’s office, waiting patiently for Grant’s arrival.

  “It’s about time, Matteson. As you know we have a larger issue than originally thought.” The chief shook his head.

  Grant could tell learning this new information had taken a toll on Heslin. The chief admired Ralph and thought of him as one of his best. Learning that one of his longtime officers was potentially a killer had to be difficult. Grant knew he was having a hard time accepting the fact that Ralph could be a killer.

  “I’m not sure I believe it’s Ralph.” Okay, so he was desperate and grasping at strings by denying Ralph’s involvement.

  “Don’t try to sugarcoat the situation, Matteson. I’m not some guy off the street. I’m chief for a reason.”

  Grant hung his head in embarrassment. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself to the chief; he just didn’t want to speak the words out loud.

  “Besides, why in the world would Ralph threaten you if he were innocent?”

  Grant shot Parker an evil look.

  “What, you didn’t think the chief should know? I realize you guys were partners forever, but there comes a time when you have to own up and admit the truth. Your life is in danger. We can’t keep anything from the chief.”

  Fucking Parker. He had to be all noble and do the right thing. Yes, Ralph needed to be caught and taken off the streets if he was a killer, but shit. Grant didn’t want to believe it. Or, for that matter, say it out loud, but deep down he felt Ralph was guilty.

  “So what are we going to do about this?” he asked.

  “I want you and Parker to track him.”

  “Good idea. If he’s involved, we need to get him off the streets as quick as possible.” Grant paced the room.

  “I don’t want Ralph knowing we’re on to him. If we act like everything is normal, we can follow him and catch him in the act.”

  “He must know something if he threatened me. How can I act like everything is normal when he told me I’m next?” Grant took a deep breath, trying to digest the chief’s reasoning.

  “Or he could be talking about something we have no idea of,” Parker said.

  “Now who’s in denial?” Grant slumped into the empty chair. He couldn’t think straight. He couldn’t breathe. This was not what he wanted to deal with today or any day, for that matter. The walls in the room were closing in on him, suffocating him.

  Grant tugged on his collar.

  “This doesn’t feel right. Doesn’t anyone want to even consider another suspect? And what about the possibility of two killers? We could have a copycat, trying to pawn it off on the prostitute killer.” Grant didn’t bother looking up. He stared at the floor, trying to digest what the chief wanted them to do.

  “I can’t see it being Stanley or Susy. Call it a gut feeling. I’ve been doing this too many years. Grant. This is the work of the same person. I realize I’m
asking a lot from you. Tailing your best friend and former partner will be hard, but you need to understand where I’m coming from. I don’t want to involve internal affairs just yet. I want to keep this quiet.”

  “I agree with the chief, Grant. I think this should stay in the precinct.”

  “It’s not in the precinct. It’s only the three of us who know what’s going on and possibly a fourth,” Grant said, referring to Ralph. If Ralph was the killer and suspected Grant was on to him, nothing would stop him from killing again.

  “How about I compromise? You two follow Ralph for a few days, see what you can come up with. If things look like they’re getting dangerous, I’ll pull you and get internal affairs assigned.”

  Grant looked up at the chief. The stress lines on his face showed a man who’d been put in a very precarious position. He didn’t look happy about the decisions he had to make. Grant’s heart broke.

  Much against his gut feeling, Grant relented.

  “Fine, Chief. I’ll do this for a few days. If I get one inkling that Ralph suspects we’re on to him…I’m gone.” And when he said gone, he meant gone. He’d hightail it out of Bristol.

  “Thank you, Matteson. I’d rather not get to that point.”

  Parker placed a hand on Grant’s arm. “I’ll do what I can to keep you safe from him.”

  “Thanks,” Grant said, touched by Parker’s intimate act.

  “It’s my job.”

  Grant’s mouth hung open unable to grasp the quick change in Parker’s attitude.

  “Yeah, I got that.”

  “Get moving.”

  The chief’s command charged the duo from their chairs.

  Grant stormed from the office and through the department. He spied Ralph sitting at his desk. He shot Grant a look of disgust.

  It struck Grant as odd. He expected something more. Something evil. He hadn’t expected disgust. It gave him pause for a moment. Wouldn’t a man who had murder on his mind have a different look on his face?

  “Hey”—Parker nudged Grant’s arm—“let’s get moving.”

  “Yeah, right.” Though Grant felt they should stick around. Ralph was sitting at his desk. Where the hell were they going to go? The person they were supposed to be tailing wasn’t out on the streets.

  Grant gave Ralph one more look, but his former partner wasn’t paying attention to him. Ralph seemed engrossed with his computer screen.

  The last few days had been such a whirlwind of events. He wished he could turn back time and start over.

  “Do you want to go back and see if we can question some of the people we missed?” Parker suggested.

  “Can’t hurt.” Grant turned on his heels and headed out the door into the sunlight. The bright sun blinded him momentarily. He pulled out his sunglasses and covered his eyes. The walk to the car was done in silence.

  Grant’s thoughts turned to Parker’s touch. It’d sent heat radiating through his veins and straight to his groin. In lightning speed Parker had turned him on and off.

  Parker jumped in the passenger seat, and Grant took the wheel. For the first time in ages, Grant didn’t feel like driving. He wanted to be a passenger and get lost in his thoughts. Masturbating hadn’t curbed his desire for Parker. He’d hoped it would make him forget the idea of bending him over the bed and stuffing Parker full of his hard cock.

  With the car started and in gear, Grant stepped on the gas and sent Parker slamming against the seat.

  “What the fuck?”

  “Sorry, Sloane.”

  He eased off the gas and slowed the car. As they pulled out of the parking lot, he glanced into the rearview mirror and noticed Ralph standing in the lot staring in his direction. A chill filled him.

  “Looks like we’re gonna have company soon.”

  Parker turned his head to look out the rear window. “Who?”

  “Ralph. Can’t you see him standing there?” When Grant looked into the mirror again, Ralph was gone. Fuck, the guy scared him. He had the ability to appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. That didn’t give Grant the warm fuzzies.

  “I don’t see anyone.” Parker turned and buckled his seat belt.

  “Well, he was there. Just standing there looking directly at the car. He gave me the creeps.”

  Parker placed a reassuring hand on Grant’s arm again. “It’ll be okay. I’m not going to let him hurt you. I have your back.”

  How did he manage to do that? One minute Parker seemed so guarded, the next so comforting.

  “I appreciate it, Parker. If Ralph is the killer, we’re dealing with the worst type of killer. He knows the ins and outs of the detective work.” They really were dealing with the extremes—the worst-case scenario.

  Parker moved his hand up and down Grant’s forearm. “He’s not going to get to you. I know you look at me like a rookie, but I have expertise. I can protect and serve you and the citizens of Bristol.”

  Grant laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” Parker pulled away as if his skin had been singed.

  “Nothing. There’s nothing funny about this situation. I just think you’re being a bit naive if you think you can protect me or yourself from someone as skilled as Ralph. He’s been around a long time. He’s averted danger on many occasions. Do you know he’s never been shot?”

  “Impressive, but not infallible. Just because he’s managed to outrun a few bullets doesn’t make him Superman. He could be hit by a train tomorrow. He’s not a superhero.”

  At one time, he had been in Grant’s eyes. But Parker was right—anything could happen. It didn’t ease Grant’s fears. If Ralph wanted him dead, Grant would likely turn up dead.

  His body shook. Damn, it was going to be a long day.

  PARKER SILENTLY CURSED. They weren’t in a good situation no matter how he assessed it. If Ralph wanted Grant dead, it meant Parker putting his life on the line for his partner. He knew there’d be a day when he’d have to risk his own life for someone else; he just didn’t expect it to be so soon.

  “Keep a look out for Ralph, please. I don’t want him sneaking up on us. We’re supposed to be following him, not the other way around.”

  “Right.” Parker studied the side mirror, trying to determine if they were being tailed. He didn’t see anything suspicious. Grant was likely being paranoid. He could see the stress written all over his face. That’s why Parker had reached out to him. The only reason he’d shown any sign of comfort toward his partner. What the fuck was he thinking touching Grant in such an intimate way? He had to keep his distance. Yes, he’d do everything in his power to protect Grant, but when it came to being overly friendly, he had to tone it down a notch. He couldn’t risk being outed as the homosexual he was.

  “I don’t see anything, Grant.” He didn’t, but he knew better than to believe there wasn’t the chance they were being tailed. Ralph was smart and a killer. A deadly combination.

  “How do you do it?”

  Parker spun around so he faced Grant. “Do what?”

  “Be super-supportive one minute and cold as ice another?”

  Parker didn’t want to explain his actions to Grant. He didn’t want to explain anything to anyone. He’d been supportive because he couldn’t help himself. Grant made Parker want to be protective. He was attracted to Grant. Parker longed to feel Grant’s lips on his again. Parker wanted to touch him all over. Parker craved Grant so bad he could taste it. Only he couldn’t let his feelings rule his head. One little distraction, and they could both end up dead. One little slip, and he could be sitting in Grant’s shoes. Parker didn’t want the department looking at him like he was some kind of freak.

  “I don’t want to see you stress over this. I understand the enormity of the situation, but stressing over it won’t change the facts. We have to stake out your former partner. We need to have a clear mind. If you’re constantly worrying about Ralph, it will distract you when you need to be on your game. I’m here for you.” Parker shrugged. He didn’t know what else to tell him.
It was his job to protect, and that included Grant. He wouldn’t admit that he wanted to protect him for other reasons. No, Parker planned to keep his growing feelings for Grant a deep secret.

  Chapter Five

  Grant didn’t feel comfortable returning to his apartment. He didn’t know if Ralph would be waiting for him, lurking in the stairwell or even in his apartment. The chief would blow a gasket if he learned Grant left Parker to stake out Ralph’s place alone.

  Parker had insisted. He felt it would be a quiet night. If Ralph suspected they were on to him, he wouldn’t be out killing anyone. Grant had agreed. He felt Ralph would wait a week or two and let the heat die down, unless he was looking for Grant. Then he figured all bets were off.

  He neared the local pizza place where he planned to pick up a pie, stop in for clothes at his apartment, and head to a local hotel when his phone buzzed.

  “Yeah.”

  “Ralph’s on the move.”

  “Shit.”

  “Where are you?” Grant pulled over to the side of the road to talk.

  “He hasn’t pulled away from the curb yet. He’s just sitting in his car. I don’t want to get too close, but I wish I could see what he’s doing.”

  Grant’s phone beeped, alerting him to an incoming call on his other line.

  “Hold on, Parker. I got a call on the other line.”

  “Matteson here.”

  “Watch your back, faggot.”

  “Ralph? Is this you, Ralph?” Fear rocked him to the core.

  The phone beeped. Ralph had hung up.

  He pressed the Talk button and switched back to Parker.

  “Hey, that was Ralph again warning me to watch my back.”

  “Damn, he must be calling from his car. Wait, I see taillights. He’s on the move.”

  “What direction?” Sickness filled Grant. He didn’t want Ralph to be guilty. He didn’t want to have to arrest his friend. He didn’t care that Ralph regarded him as an enemy now; Grant still cared about him. Yes, he still feared Ralph. Given the two phone calls he’d received, he had every right to be frightened. Yet, until Ralph was proven guilty, he wanted to believe the best about him.