It’s him!
With the girl’s testimony and him being out on parole this little act will put him back away and since he did it in this jurisdiction I know the judge will put him away for good. I know her. She’s a great judge and even better person.
But that’s still not enough.
Lights in windows suddenly spring to life.
Shit, they’re going to see me.
I consider taking off the cuffs and giving him the chance to run. Then if he takes one step what I do to him will be in pursuit and I’ll be off the hook.
But I’m not a dirty cop, I do believe in justice, or the closest thing they can get at this point, for the families.
I bury my knee into his groin and twist it. He screams out in pain and a few seconds later I know he won’t ever be using that thing again.
“Julian!” I hear and I know that voice instantly. It’s Abigail up in her window.
“Go back to sleep. Everything’s okay out here.”
She looks at me like I’m crazy, and I sure as hell am.
Crazy for her and crazy to protect what’s mine.
I see her light switch off and wonder if she’s coming down.
Campus cop cars storm the scene and come out with their weapons drawn.
“Easy, boys,” I say. I hand the P.O.S. over and seconds later I’m hugging Abigail in front of her house.
“What happened? Why are you here?”
“City sanitation,” I say. “Just here to pick up some trash.”
“In my neighborhood. Just randomly.”
“Crazy how things work out sometimes,” I say.
“And crazy how you’re always watching my back, looking out for me,” she says as she looks over her shoulder and sees him being put in the back of a car. She realizes the severity of what was happening now, at least she thinks she does.
Tomorrow the newspapers will blow this up and his background will come out in full.
As much as I don’t want the attention in this case it’s not as bad as it seems.
Why?
Because I’m pretty sure it will convince her that it’s time to move in with the man who’s obsessed with her safety…and everything about her.
We kiss under the glow of the blue and red campus cop cars illuminating the night as I hold her in my arms with the knowledge that she’s safe.
Safe with me always.
CHAPTER 17
Julian
“When I asked you to keep an eye on Abigail you really kept an eye on her. Either that or it sure was one hell of a coincidence,” Andy, Abigail’s dad says.
“Not a coincidence,” I say. “I took the responsibility seriously. And I take it even more seriously now.”
“Well now that you’ve got The Sunset Stalker back in custody it’s probably safe to ease off a little, huh? You look like you could use some sleep, buddy.”
“Sleep is the last thing on my mind right now. We need to talk.”
“First, let me ask you one thing. I didn’t think regular cops had jurisdiction on campus but you were first on the scene. I read the report that was made public. It said you were on a ‘citizen’s stakeout.’ Does that mean what it sounds like?”
“Yes and no. I was staking out the area making sure Abigail was safe. No because it means so much more than that.”
“You were protecting her round the clock?”
“Yes. Always.”
“Dude. I owe you big time. What can I ever do to repay you?”
“Give us your blessing.”
His look hardens and I see the wheels in his brain turning over what I just said. And then as expected he follows up with…
“I don’t understand.”
“Your blessing. I want to marry your daughter.”
He thinks I’ve perfected the deadpan look when it comes to humor.
“Aaaahhh ha,” he laughs and then laughs some more. “You almost had me there,” he says as he slaps me on the back and takes a sip of his beer.
He looks at me and realizes I’m not joking. Not one bit.
I keep my eyes focused on his the whole time. This isn’t humor. This isn’t a game. This is my life and my everything.
“You’re joking right?” he asks.
“No.”
The sound of his beer bottle falling from his hands and clanking off the floor fills the air, but I barely notice it.
I’m keeping my eye on him to catch him if he passes out or grab his fist out of the air if he decides to take a swing.
Wisely he does neither.
“Julian, your adrenaline is high after the arrest. This isn’t what you want.”
“Andy, with all do respect I don’t need anyone telling me what I do and don’t want. I know what I want and it’s only one thing. Abigail.”
He looks at me in a way that he’s never looked at me before. I can’t say I didn’t expect it, and I can’t say I’m not a changed man either.
Ever since I claimed Abigail I’ve been even more intense than I was before, hardly able to believe another level up was even possible.
Actually I’ve been at a whole other level since I pulled her over that day. Since I knew she was at college now, an adult capable of making her own decisions.
And she’s chosen me just as I’ve chosen her.
“I…I…I’m not sure I can,” Andy takes a seat and I see the hundreds of emotions and thoughts he must be having pass through his head in real time.
A full minute goes by and then he looks up at me. I’m expecting him to try something…a tackle, a punch, anything. It’s expected and I wouldn’t hold it against him.
He looks forward again.
“What’s going on?” Kelly says descending the stairs.
“Julian asked to marry our daughter.”
“What?” she says and slides on the stairs hitting her butt.
I rush up the stairs to her and help her down. I get her seated down on the couch next to her husband.
“Can you give us a minute?” Andy says.
I nod and step outside.
Technically their decision doesn’t matter. I’ll ask Abigail to marry me no matter what they say.
But part of caring and obsessing over her made me realize that she needs a good relationship with her parent’s moving forward.
Sure, I can marry her and that’s exactly what I want, but this isn’t about me. This is about her.
My happiness is derived from her and I want her to be as happy as possible and that starts with a good family life with the two people who love her more than anyone on the planet, except for the love I have for her.
I sit down on the front step and wait…and wait…and wait.
CHAPTER 18
Julian
“Would you like to come inside, Julian?” Kelly asks. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“No problem,” I say as I stand up and stretch out my back.
But when I enter the house it’s not just Andy and Kelly sitting on the couch. Abigail is there with them.
“I came in the back. They called me,” she says.
She’s crafty and she’s going to make a great attorney one day soon.
“Kelly says she noticed it at Abigail’s graduation party,” Andy says. “I guess women are way better at seeing the dynamics of personal relationships than men are,” he begins.
He takes a deep breath and continues.
“When it comes out of left field like that it makes no sense at all. At least it didn’t to me. Then as I had some time to digest it it started to make sense…until it made a lot of sense.”
“And when we called Abigail and she came over and let us know that this is what she wants too, then we knew it was real. We trust her judgment and we’ve always trusted you, Julian.” Kelly says.
“You have my blessing, buddy,” Andy says as he stands and offers his hand. “But don’t be surprised it if takes me some time, a lot of time even, to come to terms with it completely.”
“Thank you,
” I say shaking his hand.
Kelly stands and gives me a hug.
“So now you know,” I say looking at Abigail.
“Now I know,” she says.
“Then there’s no point in waiting a second longer.”
I drop to one knee and open the robin egg blue box from Tiffany’s and carefully remove the ring.
“Oh my god!” she says.
“Oh my!” her mother says.
“Whoa,” Andy says.
“Beautiful this is all happening so fast, just like life comes at us fast. And as you progress through college and enter the post-college world things are going to only come at us faster. But right now I want to slow things down. To promise you that no matter how quickly things come at us, and it is us as in our team, I’ll be there with my arms spread wide around you to protect you. I’ll be your human shield. I’ll be the rock you can lean on. And I’ll be your biggest cheerleader for all those victories that I know are coming your way in the future. But right now I want you to give me my biggest victory in my life. I want you to say yes. Yes, that you want to share this life with me and let me be your everything now and forever more. I love you and promise I always will and this ring serves as a symbol of that promise, even though you won’t need it because I’m going to sweep you off your feet every minute of every day for the rest of your life.”
I pause and look up into those beautiful eyes realizing how much happiness they bring me and how much more happiness I can’t wait to give her.
“Will you marry me?”
She nods her head and tears run down her cheeks. Her eyeliner runs just like it did in the rain in the forest. It reminds me of that incredible moment when we danced in the rain and I know I need to dance with her again. Here. Now.
I slide the ring on her finger and then sweep her off her feet just like I promised I would and spin her around the room, carrying her as if we’re dancing until I stop realizing to make this official there’s still one more thing we’ve got to do.
And I can’t wait to do it.
I lean forward and with her in my arms I kiss her like it’s the first time all over again.
I’ve never been so happy in my entire life. Now it’s official for all the world to see.
I’m hers and she’s mine.
She belongs to me…the possessive policeman.
And now she’s officially mine forever.
EPILOGUE
Abigail
Six years later
“We’d love to have you,” the partner at Prescott Partners, the top law firm in town, says.
I almost want to jump for joy right there in front of them, but I know one person’s who’s a bit conflicted.
I hear a deep rumble from Julian’s belly and it’s not from him being hungry. He just ate as in me before we drove over for the interview.
It’s that possessive vibe of his again, and I feel his palm wrap around the back of my neck claiming me in front of my soon to be employers.
Peter Prescott, the head partner, takes a step back realizing he may have awoken a sleeping giant…a grizzly bear he wants nothing to do with.
“And Mr. Armstrong we know you’re also a peace officer I’m assuming we’ll likely be in touch with you from time to time as well once Abigail begins.”
“Police officer.”
“Excuse me?”
“Not a peace officer, a police officer. I make things peaceful but it often takes non peaceful action to do so.”
“Right,” Peter says as I discreetly elbow Julian in the side.
He’s made his point known, not that Peter would have tried to hit on me anyways. Prescott Partners is run by Peter and Samuel Prescott. They married a year ago and I don’t see a woman, any woman, tempting them anytime soon. I’ll tell Julian tonight at home when we celebrate again but I know he’ll still be suspicious.
He’s suspicious of any man around me, never sure of their real intentions.
I think I’m okay looking but not the beauty he makes me out to be. Sometimes all his compliments go to my head, but when I walk down the street I’m reminded there are prettier girls than me.
Not to Julian though.
I’ve never seen him even look in the direction of another woman. He’s always so focused on me and his eyes are always so intense.
When he tells me I’m the most beautiful woman in the world I really believe he feels that way. And it gives me the self-confidence to do just about anything, like finishing college and then starting law school right away. And even passing the bar exam shortly thereafter.
I always wanted to be a lawyer and living with Julian made that happen way faster and way easier than I ever imagined. Part of his possessiveness led him to always make sure everything was taken care of. All I really ever had to do was show up for classes and pass my tests.
And when it came time to study for the bar he set up a room for me at his place where I could really focus without so much as any outside noise.
I passed on my first try, thanks to him.
I laugh thinking back on everything now.
One woman’s possessive policeman is another man’s psycho, over the top wild man.
Luckily for me I know the truth.
He does it all for me purely out of love.
All he ever wanted was for me to be his and I am completely.
He was my first crush and my first love.
And the only man I ever wanted and even after six years of marriage he’s the only one I think about…only one I dream about.
And he’s the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night, because he’s always by my side.
Fulfilling his obsession to keep me safe and spend every waking minute he can with me.
And I feel the same.
I don’t want to miss a second with him. Ever.
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
Abigail
Fourteen more years later
“Hey!” I say.
I turn and see Julian pinching himself after he’s just pinched me.
“I had to make sure this was real,” he says.
“Playa del Amor?” I ask referring to our current location off the coast of Puerto Vallarta. “Of course it’s real.”
“Not just here. You. Me. This incredible life I’ve been given. And these two,” he says pinching Sandy and Randy with one of his large hands.
“Dad!” they say in unison.
“My second favorite word after husband,” he says.
I press myself against him feeling something quite hard in his swimsuit poking me back. Even after all these years I can still make him lose control with desire.
It’s been twenty years after our first holiday. We went to Puerto Vallarta way back then on the break in-between my classes and thought it would be fitting to return twenty years later.
What an incredible run it’s been. And it feels like we’re just getting warmed up.
Sandy is 12 and Randy is 13. We had the kids a year apart right after I started my legal career. I think at first the partners were wondering if my childbirth was going to be a yearly thing. But after two I knew I was finished.
One boy and one girl. Perfection.
And I was focused on becoming a real lawyer. Working real cases and getting results.
It was easier than I though with a husband on the police force to consult with and get non-confidential information from each and every night.
But this holiday is anything about work…with the minor exception of celebrating me making partner at the firm.
And I’m not the only one who’s seen a lot of success lately.
Julian was named captain of the force, which I told him means he can spend more time with me.
He agrees, but he also says it means he needs to be more available to his team and the citizens of our community as well.
I don’t know how he seems to always “find” extra hours in the day but he does. And I never feel like I’m missing out.
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