Slow & Steady #3: A Shameless Southern Nights Novel

by Ali Parker

  I had a job and man I loved. No matter what we were facing, I had faith we’d make it through to the other side.

  The drive to the library was quick. There wasn't much traffic, and what there was flowed along comfortably. One thing I loved about Cypress Creek was the leafy trees flanking the streets downtown. They created a shady canopy over the street.

  I watched the leaves rustle from the corner of my eye as I drove, tapping my thumbs on the steering wheel to the beat of the radio.

  Sonny going back to work was comforting to me. Another reason for my good mood. We had to get to the bottom of this investigation with his father, but at least when he was at work, he had something else to focus on. I was still worried about his dangerous calls, but that was something else I’d made peace with when I went back to him.

  He was a proud member of the Cypress Creek Police Department. I couldn't change that, and I wouldn't have wanted to. I loved his dedication to his community, to our community.

  I would still be worried about him on every call he went on, but that was the price of loving a police officer. There wasn't a price I wouldn't happily pay to be with the man I loved. Maybe everything just seemed rosy today, but it really felt like I could take anything that came my way.

  When I arrived at the library, I was surprised to find my customer from the other day waiting for me on the steps. The action-adventure seeker was back.

  I smiled when I saw her. It was partly because of her I'd re-evaluated my decision and went back to Sonny. She brightened when she saw me, standing up from the stairs where she was seated and brushing herself off.

  "Good morning, dear. I didn't know what time you opened, so I got here a little early."

  “It’s no problem,” I told her, unlocking the doors and letting her in before I followed. I flipped on lights as we went, curious about what she was doing here so early. “What can I help you with?”

  “That book you gave me last time I was here was wonderful,” she gushed. For an older woman, she walked at a clipped pace and kept up with me as I went to work opening windows and making sure all the lights in the back were on. “I was hoping you might have more recommendations for me.”

  “I always have recommendations.” I wasn’t bragging. I had a serious problem when it came to trying to get people to read books I thought they would enjoy. “Same genre?”

  The woman’s head bobbed up and down as she smiled. “Absolutely. That novel took me all over the world, you know. It was truly amazing.”

  “Happy to hear it.” I led her to the action-adventure section, amused at how homely she looked when all she really wanted was to live a grand adventure. Never judge a book by its cover.

  I smirked at the adage that jumped into my head. In this woman’s case though, it was absolutely true. She wore another homemade sweater today, and she definitely smelled like cookies. Her cheeks were rosy and her hair perfectly curled. I wondered if she still slept with curlers in her hair. I also wondered if she was in the market for one, slightly used surrogate grandchild. I would’ve loved a granny like her.

  As she followed me to the row that housed the books of her dreams, she told me all about the last novel. “I could hardly put it down, I tell you. What about you, dear? You look happier than you did last time I was here. You have some color in your cheeks, and your eyes aren’t so sad. Is anything exciting going on in your life?”

  “I’ve got all the excitement I can handle right now,” I assured her. Running my finger down the spines of the books in the shelf in front of me. I had one in mind for her similar to the one she’d read. I just had to find it.

  She sighed happily. “That’s wonderful news. Would it be too forward of me to ask whether your excitement is related to a man? After all, when you have a good man in your life, you will always have excitement.”

  I laughed. In my case, the excitement really was all because of Sonny. “You know, you’re right. It’s a little forward, but I don’t mind. There is a wonderful man in my life. I don’t mind telling anyone and everyone who will listen about him.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sonny

  The minute I walked into the station that morning, I knew something was up. At first glance, everything looked completely normal, and nothing was out of place. The bullpen was a hive of activity with everyone getting themselves settled after the weekend, and already, the smell of coffee was in the air.

  It might look normal, but it didn't feel normal. On closer examination, I saw that my colleagues weren’t casually chatting like they usually did. They had their heads bent close together and were speaking in voices so low I couldn't hear what they were saying as I walked by.

  Tension hung in the air, so thick I could practically taste it. No one said a word to me about what was going on, but I also didn't stop to ask. It was only once I reached my desk and hung my jacket over my chair that I noticed from the corner of my eye that Chief Harris's office was open but empty.

  I stopped moving completely, my gut starting to churn as I felt blood rush to my head. I missed the takedown. Unless I was wrong about what was so off in the station this morning.

  Trying to keep calm and not make too many assumptions, I crossed the room to the office I'd helped Darren get set up in. His office was empty too. Damn.

  I contemplated joining the cluster of officers around the coffee pot in the break room but then decided against it. Instead, I went in search of Zach and hoped that he had answers.

  The holding cells I passed on the way to the evidence room were empty, but the unmistakable smell of them hung in the air. Like stale sweat and dirt and broken dreams.

  I hadn't been expecting to see Harris in one of them. They would hardly detain him at his own station if he had been arrested. A vision of what he might look like in a holding cell jumped into my head nonetheless, and a wave of sadness crashed over me at the image.

  Another man I looked up to behind bars. What great role models I had.

  Zach glanced up when I entered the evidence room, immediately pushing away from his desk and closing the door behind me. "Did you hear what happened?"

  "I just got here five minutes ago." I glanced down at my watch to confirm what I already knew to be true. "Shift only starts in an hour. I came in early to get caught up on the time I was away. But now everyone seems to be here, and it looks like I missed something big."

  "Something huge," Zach corrected, his dark eyes serious and intent on mine. He rubbed at the scruff on his jaw and jerked his head in the direction of Hanson's office. "GBI took Harris in this morning for questioning. Marched him out of here in handcuffs and everything. I get the feeling he's in big trouble."

  Anticipation and disappointment warred inside me. Anticipation because the first arrest had finally been made in this case. Disappointment because I hadn't been in on it, or even seen it go down.

  "I think you're right. They wouldn't have arrested him in front of everyone if he wasn't. Did they say anything to you?"

  Zach shook his head and threw his arms out to his sides. "I just work here, man. I came in just as it started happening. Haven't spoken to anyone since."

  Zach, like me, was a bit of an outcast at the station. Maclin pulled him out of the field months ago for being unstable, and he had a reputation as a loose cannon. He was a popular guy before all that, but it didn't surprise me to hear he hadn't gotten more information from our co-workers.

  The station was a breeding ground for gossip, just like any other workplace in the continental United States or probably the world, but Zach and I weren't part of the loop. Just like I hadn't asked the others in the break room for information, Zach wouldn't either.

  No. I would go right to the source to get my information on this one. It was better that way anyway, considering the last thing I wanted to deal with was the speculation or embellishment about what really went down.

  I needed cold, hard facts, and I needed them now. "I'm going to try to find out what's going on. I'll let you know."


  Zach still didn't know the extent of my involvement with the GBI, and I didn't want him to know. It was better for him to stay out of it. I saw it in his eyes that day he told me I shouldn't be looking into it either. He was content with letting them do their jobs.

  I couldn't blame him; he'd gotten into enough trouble because of this. Harris had covered for him when Maclin found the files I'd asked him for about my father's case in Zach's car, but if that had gone done differently? No, it was better for him not to know.

  He waved me out and went back to cataloging and inventorying evidence while I slipped out of the room and into an empty interrogation room at the end of the hall. Darren answered my call on the second ring.

  "I know you're still on leave,” he said instead of greeting me. "But we need to sit down for an official meeting. There is a lot we need to talk about."

  "I'd say." I had no right to ask, but I did anyway. "What's the next step now that you've arrested Harris?"

  He sighed heavily and sounded exasperated when he replied. "You've returned to the station from your leave then, I assume. You shouldn't have done that, but we can talk about it later. As for my next steps, the first one right now is to arrange a meeting with you."

  "What for?"

  I desperately wanted information and to be part of the investigation again, but it didn't sound like that was what he was offering me. Especially not if he wanted me to extend my leave of absence.

  "Meet me at the diner in an hour, I'll explain then." He ended the call abruptly after that. I stayed in the interrogation room for a few more minutes, leaning against the wall while I tried to make sense of everything that had happened in the last few months.

  Learning there was something going on behind the scenes with my father's case, the showdowns with my brothers, meeting Niki and falling in love with her, the anonymous threats of people following us, Maclin's harassment and subsequent murder, digging for and finding evidence of the involvement of my chief in all of this and tipping off the GBI—all in all, it was a lot to deal with.

  Just thinking about it all made my head spin. I closed my fist on the wall, pounded it against the hard brick once and then took a breath, composing myself before I walked out. Thinking about the showdowns with my brothers reminded me I had to call Evan, go speak to him. He deserved to know what was going on. Everything.

  No one looked twice when I let the interrogation room door bang shut behind me and headed back to my desk. Grabbing my jacket, I went back out to my truck. It was a strange feeling, knowing there was no one in control of the station at the moment. I was sure arrangements would be made immediately that morning, but for right now, the cat was away and the mice were gossiping.

  I really hoped no one got up to anything in this town today. The police department wasn't in the ideal position to deal with anything but our own drama.

  Darren was waiting for me when I got to the diner, his demeanor friendlier than it had been the last few times we’d met and his posture more relaxed. He pushed a cup of coffee over to my side of the table. "Thank you for coming so soon."

  "No problem. My boss appears to be otherwise occupied today. He didn't notice me leaving." Slipping into the booth across from him, I accepted the coffee with a grateful nod, pulling it the last few inches toward me. "I went back to work today, just so you know."

  He would find out sooner or later anyway. Telling him straight felt like it would save both of us the unnecessary hassle. His lips turned down at the corners, but he nodded. "I figured when you called about Harris. I was going to phone you a little later anyway, just hadn't gotten round to it yet. I've had a rather busy morning."

  "So I've heard," I said. "Speaking of which, did you really arrest Harris?"

  "We did," Hanson confirmed. "He’s in custody now at one of our facilities. We couldn't hold him anywhere in town because we're still not sure exactly how deep all this runs. We're pressing him for the people he’s working for, so hopefully, we’ll know more soon."

  "He give anyone up get?"

  The knowledge that more of my colleagues on the force were caught up in this corruption left a bitter taste in my mouth. I hated to think it was true, and yet I knew better than anyone that it probably was. The sooner we weeded the whole damn corrupt lot of them out, the better. They were sworn to protect this town, and yet they were the ones damaging it.

  Darren shook his head as he sipped his coffee. "He hasn't given us anyone yet, no. We will get answers out of him, though."

  "Okay." There wasn't much more I could say. I would have given anything to have been helping, but my hands were tied in bureaucratic red tape while Hanson and his team had jurisdiction.

  He cleared his throat and gave me the first genuine smile I'd seen from him in weeks. "Harris's arrest was only possible because of that information you gave us. I told you earlier that you shouldn't have gone back to work, but only because I wanted to be the one to let you know I'm putting you back on the force, and I'll be putting your name in for detective. That was excellent work, Sonny. You did well."

  I was stunned. Here I was expecting to get a solid reaming for having gone back to work and instead, he was talking about promoting me. It was unbelievable. "Thank you."

  None of it would have been possible or happened if not for Niki. I had no idea how I was going to thank her yet, but I would have to think of something good.

  "No need to thank me. We recognize the hard work that goes into following vague leads like the one I gave you and turning them into results the way you did. Since you're back on the force, I will also be keeping you in the loop with what happens to Harris. Because of your father’s connection to the case, I can’t have you handling it. I'm not sure yet, but there may be more corruption in this force."

  Chapter Sixteen

  Niki

  A warm breeze spun my skirt off my ankles before it fell again. I turned while I was locking up at the library and admired the tall trees on the street across the parking lot, backlit by the setting sun. Leaves rustled, and branches swayed gently, almost as if nature itself was waving goodbye to another day.

  I sighed, wistfully humming under my breath. My good mood still hadn't lifted. I found looking at the world through these rose-tinted lenses was a welcome change from feeling angst and worry.

  Sonny had texted me periodically throughout the day as promised to let me know he was safe, but I had a feeling he wasn't saying everything yet. It wasn't the same feeling I used to get that he was hiding something from me, but rather he was dropping teasing little hints into his messages.

  Excited to get home, I jogged down the stairs and was surprised to find Sonny waiting for me. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him. He was on the phone and hadn't seen me yet, so I took a moment to simply drink him in.

  His hip rested against the hood of his truck, clad in a fitted pair of dark blue jeans I had watched him put on that morning. A thrill shot down my spine at the knowledge I had about the tight black pair of briefs he was wearing beneath those jeans. I put a stop to that train of thought, knowing if I didn't I would likely try to jump him before we could even get home.

  A plain black button-down shirt rolled to his elbows accentuated his forearms and the way the muscles in them rippled ever so slightly as he gestured with his hands. I didn't know who he was talking to, but he was certainly animated.

  He ran a hand through his black hair, causing a few strands to fall forward and brush the top of his sunglasses. He was a truly handsome man. Rugged and sexy, yet beautiful.

  And that was only the exterior. As gorgeous as he was, it was his heart that captivated me, enthralled me and drew me in. He loved his family something fierce and was passionate about his job, about getting justice and protecting the community that raised him.

  As if he could hear my thoughts or feel the weight of my stare, he turned suddenly to face me. A slow smile stretched across his face, promptly sending another hot thrill through me. I had it bad, and I didn’t even care. He ended his
call quickly and walked to me, scooping me up in his arms.

  "Hey." He breathed into my hair, holding me to his chest in a tight grip. "How was your day?"

  "It was good. Great, actually." Thanks to him. "This is a surprise. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

  "I know." He smirked, releasing me and taking my hand in his. "I wanted to surprise you."

  "Oh?" My heart beat faster at the feel of his strong fingers lacing with mine. I kept wondering how long it would take before something as simple as him holding my hand would stop affecting me, but it hadn't happened yet. I kind of hoped it never did. "To what do I owe this spontaneous visit?"

  "I got some good news today,” he told me, walking me toward his truck. "I wanted to make something special of it. We’ll swing back to get your car later, or I can drop you off in the morning.”

  "That sounds promising. What is it?" My mind immediately conjured images of the two of us lying on a beach somewhere, or up in the mountains together at that cabin he mentioned. A few days alone with Sonny sounded like a glorious prospect to me.

  He nudged my shoulder and pulled open the passenger door of the truck. "I'll tell you over dinner. I made reservations."

  "Reservations?" I wracked my brain, trying to remember if we'd ever been to dinner where he made a formal reservation before. I didn't think so. "Getting tired of my cooking?"

  He laughed and slid into the driver's side of his truck. "Never. I wanted tonight to be different though, do something special for you."

  "Okay." Butterflies fluttered in my belly. No one had wanted to do something special for me in a long, long time. The last I remembered was when my dad took me to get ice cream at my favorite shop in Savannah a couple of months before he passed away.

  "I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I think you're going to like it,” he said with a wink, backing out of the parking space after buckling in. "You might want to get comfortable. It's going to take a little while to get there."