by Daniels, J.
I am mentally exhausted by the end of the day. The only thing I want to do is hold Mia against me and fall asleep with her. So you can only imagine the surge of disappointment that runs through me when I arrive at my parents’ house and she isn’t there. I grab my phone and dial her number, needing to at least hear her after the day I’ve had.
“Hello?” she answers in that voice that can drop me to my knees.
I smile against my phone and sit down on the couch, aimlessly flipping through the channels. “Baby, I’m at the house and you’re not. It kind of sucks here without you.”
“Oh God, is it after six already? I’m so sorry, babe. Tessa wanted to get our hair and nails done today and I completely lost track of time.” Muffled voices come through the phone and I can tell she’s in a crowded place.
“You called me babe,” I state. She’s never called me anything besides Ben, except for some profanity that I’m sure she labeled me with when she first discovered who I was. Or multiple profanities.
“Oh, yeah, I guess I did.” She laughs softly. “Is that okay? You call me so many different nicknames and I wanted to try one out. I liked babe.”
I shift on the couch, resting my feet on the coffee table. “I like it too.” My phone beeps, indicating that I’m getting another call. “Oh, hold on a second, angel.”
“Okay, babe,” she responds, the obvious smile in her voice.
I press a button and answer the incoming call. “Hello?”
“Hey, Ben. It’s Rollins.” Phil Rollins is another officer that works in my precinct. I don’t see him or his partner much, considering that they worked nights. “Listen, man. You’re gonna need to come down to the 14th block of Canton Street. I just pulled Angie over for drunk driving and she’s got Nolan with her.”
I am on my feet and moving toward the door as soon as I hear Nolan’s name. “What? Is he okay? Rollins, fucking tell me if he’s hurt!” My entire body tenses up and I feel my heart pounding in my head.
“He’s fine, man. I’m about to arrest Angie though. She’s way over the legal limit and she seems to be on something besides alcohol.”
That stupid cunt. I sprint to my truck, not being able to make my legs move fast enough. “Don’t arrest her until I get there. Do you hear me? I wanna see her fucking face before you take her away.”
“Alright, just promise me you won’t be joining her in the back of my car. Keep your shit under control, Kelly. Your son needs you.”
“I’m on my way. Tell him Daddy’s coming. Don’t let him think I’m not coming for him.” I start my truck and hang the phone up, startling at the sound of it ringing again. Shit. I forgot about Mia. “Baby, Angie was just pulled over for drunk driving and Nolan is with her.” My voice cracks at the end. Something could’ve happened to my son. She could’ve killed him.
“Oh my God. Is he alright? Where are you going? I’ll meet you there. I’m leaving right now just tell me where to go.” Now it’s her voice that is quivering. I hear movement and the sound of a set of keys jingling.
I need her. Nolan will need her. I clear my voice and keep it steady. “He’s okay. He wasn’t hurt, thank God. If he was I wouldn’t be responsible for what I might do to that bitch. They’re at the 14th block of Canton Street.”
“Okay. Tessa and I are on our way. Babe, just try and stay calm, okay? Nolan’s probably really scared with all that commotion and he’s going to need you to be strong for him.”
God, I loved this woman. She knew exactly what to say to keep me composed. “Just meet me there, angel. I need you.”
The sound of a car starting comes through the phone. “I know. I’m coming.”
**
There are three cop cars at the scene and an ambulance. People are starting to gather on the street outside their homes but I don’t pay attention to any of that. The only face I see is Nolan’s as I scramble out of my truck and run up to the back door of the ambulance. He is in Rollin’s arms, getting checked out by the paramedic. As I rush up to them, Rollins takes in my terrified state.
“Just a precaution, man. He’s perfectly fine.”
I nod in relief, smiling at Nolan who finally registers my presence. My son grins at me the way he always does. “Daddy! Wook at all da powice carws!”
The paramedic gives me the go ahead to grab him, having finished with the examination. I pull him to my chest and hold him gently. “Are you okay, buddy? You aren’t hurt anywhere?” He looks completely unharmed, but I feel like I am cradling a wounded animal against me. I can hear Angie’s hysterical voice in the distance but I try to block it out. I don’t want to get angry in front of Nolan. I pull him away from me and look all over his face, his arms, and his legs. I’m scanning every inch of exposed skin for some sign of injury, but I find none. “Nolan, you don’t have any boo-boos?”
He shakes his head and looks past me over my shoulder. His face lights up. “Daddy, Pwincess Mia and Aunt Tessa arwe herwe!”
I turn my body and feel a rush of calmness run through me. Mia’s face is streaked with tears but she quickly shakes off her sadness when she sees Nolan. She is either relieved or she doesn’t want him to see her like this. Tessa, on the other hand, looks murderous. “Here, can you take him for me while I go handle this?” I hand Nolan over to Mia and he can’t seem to get into her arms fast enough. She leans into me and kisses me on my jaw before walking toward my truck, her lips pressed to Nolan’s forehead.
Tessa waits until Nolan gets several feet away before saying, “where the fuck is that stupid bitch? She doesn’t deserve jail. She deserves to eat my fist.”
“Calm down, Tessa.” Luke’s voice startles us both, Tessa more than me. He walks past her and joins my side, keeping his eyes on her. “How would you going to jail help out in this situation?” She glowers at him, crossing her arms over her chest as we walk toward the first cop car behind the red Altima.
I can feel the blood rushing in my ears as Angie’s face comes into view, her lower body hanging out of the back of the cop car. Her hands are obviously bound behind her and she is crying hysterically. She seems to cry harder when she senses my presence. And now that Nolan is out of ear shot, I don’t have to remain calm. I push past the officer that is standing right outside the door, not even bothering to register who he is, and bring my face a breath away from hers. I can smell the booze on her and that just fuels my anger. If she was a man, I’d rip her throat out.
“You fucking bitch!” I feel the hands on my shoulders, trying to pry me away from her but they aren’t strong enough. I stay right where I am and she feels every ounce of hate I have for her. “You’re a fucking disgrace. I hope you’ve enjoyed your three years with him, because you’ll never see my son again.” The hands multiply on me and I am slowly being dragged away from a regretful looking Angie. But I don’t care how sorry she is or if she’s sorry at all. There is nothing she can say to make me feel a shred of remorse for her. But the dumb bitch speaks anyways.
“I’m sorry. Ben, I’m so sorry. But you gave up on us.” Her tears come harder. “You gave up!”
I lunge forward and fill my lungs to the max. “There is no us! And I don’t give a shit if you’re sorry! You could’ve killed him! You could’ve killed my son!” She is delusional if she thinks any amount of apologizing is going to help. And the fact that she thinks it will help only enrages me further. “You’re a fucking piece of shit!”
“Ben, that’s enough,” Luke strains in my ear. He has the main hold on me and I am now a good fifteen feet away from the cop car. I see Tessa’s wide eyes and realize I need to calm down. I can’t be like this when I get back to the truck. I’ve said all I wanted to say to Angie and I don’t want to see her face again.
“Alright. I’m fine.” I shrug him off me and walk over to Rollins who is watching the scene.
“Can’t say I blame you for that outburst. I would’ve reacted the same way.”
“What are my chances of getting sole custody of my kid now?” I ask him. Rollins’ w
ife is an attorney that we work with frequently, and he in turn knows more about the system than I do. He also has an ex-wife that took him to court years ago over a custody battle.
He puts a hand on my shoulder and applies mild pressure. “Pretty damn good, man. Especially if the test results come back with more than just alcohol in her system. That on top of the class E felony she’s getting charged with should give you full custody.” I knew under law she was facing up to four years of jail time for having a minor in the car with her. And I figured I’ll have a damn good chance of getting full custody of Nolan. But I wanted to hear it out loud. I needed to hear those words. I wanted certainty.
I nod at Rollins, thanking him before walking back toward Luke and Tessa. She is watching me while he is watching her. And by the look on both their faces, they still aren’t talking. “I’m going to stay at Mom and Dad’s tonight with Nolan. Did you drive here or did Mia?”
“I did. I’ll meet you at home.” She turns on her heel without giving Luke a glance.
“Tessa, come on. Will you at least talk to me for a minute?” Luke calls out. She hears him but she doesn’t respond, not even with a look over her shoulder. He runs his hands down his face and lets out a grunt behind them. “I’ll see you tomorrow, man. I’m glad Nolan’s okay.” He walks away looking defeated which is not a look he wears often. Especially pertaining to women. I feel bad for the guy.
I talk to some other officers before finally walking to the truck. Mia is holding Nolan against her chest in the front seat, both of them asleep. I open her door and pry him out of her hands so that I can put him in his car seat. She stirs at the loss of his weight on her.
“Hey.” She places her hand on my cheek after I settle into the driver’s seat. “Are you okay?”
I turn my face into her palm and kiss it. “I am now.”
She doesn’t ask me any questions on the drive back to my parents’ house. It’s as if she knows I need the silence right now. My brain is working out the possible scenarios that could’ve transpired tonight. All of them involving Nolan injured somehow. My grip keeps tightening on the wheel and every time it does, Mia tightens her hold on my hand. She keeps her other hand on the back of my neck, massaging it gently and relieving the tension that is beginning to permanently set in. When we get to the house, I carry Nolan inside and lay him down in the middle of the bed he sleeps in when he spends the night here. I can’t leave him. Not yet. So I sit on the edge of his bed and watch his chest rise and fall.
I could’ve lost him.
I’d never be able to watch him sleep again. I’d never hear his husky voice ringing throughout the house or see him slaying invisible dragons. I’d have three years of memories to live off of for the rest of my life and it wouldn’t be enough. He is my world, and now because of his mother’s reckless decision, he’s all mine. I’ll never have to miss another moment with him. I’ll never have to beg to see my son on days that aren’t technically mine. And I feel like a complete shit for feeling slightly grateful for the events that unfolded tonight.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
I have no idea how long I sit there but when I eventually get up and turn around, Mia is leaning against the doorframe. I walk over to her and she wraps her arms around my waist, pressing her face to my chest.
“You know if you want to talk about it, I’m here.” She turns her face up and I kiss her forehead.
“I’m glad it happened. How fucked up is that?”
Her hands grab my face. “You’re not glad it happened. You’d never want Nolan to be in any sort of danger. The fact that you’ll probably never have to split your time with him again because of Angie’s poor judgment is a small silver lining. But Nolan’s well-being is the only real thing that matters to you. You’d give up all your time with him if it meant keeping him safe. I know you would.”
I love you.
The words burn the back of my throat, aching to be released. I have no idea how long getting Nolan’s custody arrangement sorted out will take. And I can’t take him to Georgia until that happens. The legal system takes its fucking time when you want it to hurry the hell up. And Mia may have to leave me before I can take him out of the state. Plus I’ll need to get a job lined up out there. It could be weeks, months before I’m with her again. And I won’t make this harder on her. So I swallow those same three words again, not letting them out. Not yet.
I bend down and lift her by her ass, prompting her to wrap her legs around my waist. “I need you,” I whisper against her lips.
“You have me.”
I carry her into her bedroom and drop her in the middle of the bed. “Take all of that off.” She sits up and pulls her dress over her head, revealing herself to me in only a pair of white panties. “Fuck. I need to be inside you, angel.”
She sits back on her hands, pushing her perfect tits out and teasing me with them. “I’m waiting.”
I practically rip my shirt off, and when I start loosening my belt, she lies back and slips her hand into the front of her panties. “Jesus, Mia.” I step out of my pants and move over her, letting my cock drag up the length of her body.
“Get in me,” she pleads, her hand still working between us and her eyes rolling closed.
“Not yet. I need to taste you first.”
Her eyes shoot open with that flirtatious glint and her hand wraps around my cock. “So do I.”
Her panties are torn from her body before I pick her up and position her over me so that she’s straddling my face. I feel her warm breath tickling my cock as I nip at the soft skin of her inner thigh. “Those pretty lips of yours better find themselves wrapped around my dick in two seconds.”
Her soft laugh fills the room. “And if they don’t?”
I lick up her length, not being able to hold out any longer. Her taste fills my mouth and her moan vibrates against my lips. I savor her with my tongue, letting everything fade out around me. I’m a junkie getting his fix. But instead of the hit dulling out my senses, I feel my pulse quicken and my bones begin to vibrate. I’m a fucking king between her legs and when she finally swallows my cock, I grab onto her hips and bury my face into her pussy.
She releases it with a pop and presses down on my pelvis with her hands, her back bowing in pleasure. “Oh my God. I’m not going to be able to focus if you keep doing that.” Her voice breaks with another moan when I don’t let up and her hand takes over where her mouth was.
I groan against her clit before biting down on it gently. She gasps and I release it. “Bend down and suck my dick, Mia. I’m coming in that mouth tonight.”
“Then you’re going to have to let up a little.”
Yeah, that’s not happening. I smile against her. “Nothing could pull me away from your pussy, angel. Put my dick in your mouth and don’t be fucking gentle about it. I want to feel the back of your throat when I’m coming.”
I feel her weight shift and her tongue licks the head of my cock. I’m about to tell her not to tease me when she deep throats me like a fucking champion and scraps her teeth along my shaft.
“Mia!” I grunt out, digging my fingers into her ass. She sucks me like her life depends on it and I flatten my tongue against her clit, stroking it in a rhythm that makes her lips vibrate against my cock. And then it’s about getting her off before me. I alternate between sucking on her clit and fucking her with my tongue, pulling her hips down so hard I’m practically being smothered. I feel her pulse against my tongue and when she releases my cock and digs her nails into my hip, I know I have her. She rocks against me, fucking my face and riding out her orgasm while she softly chants my name. I press my lips once more to her clit before she collapses on top of me, her face now resting on my thigh.
“Sorry. Just give me a minute,” she pants, sliding off my stomach and settling between my legs. She glances up at the smug face I’m wearing and wraps her hand around my cock. “Still want to come in my mouth?” she questions before pressing her lips to my shaft.
I gr
oan as she slides down. “Stop talking and suck my cock, baby.”
Her cheek twitches with a smile. “Yes, Officer Kelly.”
Chapter Eighteen
Mia
The bed is jolting underneath me, bringing me out of my dream. A tiny laugh fills the room and prompts me to open my eyes. Nolan is jumping on the bed and giggling at himself, and when he sees my eyes on him he hops over toward me and collapses on my stomach.
I grunt as his elbow connects with a few of my ribs. Jeez. How can such a tiny body inflict so much pain? After recovering, I rustle his hair with my hand, rubbing his back with the other. “You are a little ball of energy in the morning. Are you hungry?”
He slides off me and scoots off the bed. “I want pamcakes.” His husky little voice is hoarser in the morning. That and his crazy hair are the only thing giving away that he has just woken up. He certainly isn’t moving as slow as I know I will be. Even off the bed, he is jumping around like a jack rabbit.
I sit up and rub my eyes with both hands. “Go wake up Aunt Tessa and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” His little feet quickly take him out of the room and down the hallway while I get dressed for the day. My phone beeps on the nightstand just as I am pulling my hair back into a pony.
Ben: Is the maniac awake yet?
Me: Are you kidding? He’s running on full speed already. :) We’re getting ready to make pancakes.
Ben: He’s probably psyched out of his mind getting to spend the day with you. I’m jealous.
Me: You’ll get me tonight, don’t worry.
Ben: Bet your ass I will. I’ll see you around six.
Me: Can’t wait.
I tuck my phone into my pocket and walk out into the kitchen. Tessa is rummaging through the cabinets while Nolan is playing with her phone on the couch. I snicker at the sight of him browsing ITunes like he’s done it a million times.