How About No

by Vale, Lani Lynn

  I found myself grinning as I walked up to her.

  Stopping in front of her desk, I waited for her to notice that I was there.

  When she finally did look up, I couldn’t help myself.

  “You didn’t know what kind of class you were signing up for?” I asked conversationally.

  She shook her head animatedly, that brown hair of hers falling into her eyes as she did.

  I wanted nothing more than to reach up and push it away from her face.

  “The counselor that signed me up for classes said that a lot of students took a criminal justice class when they needed to get full credit hours. So, I thought, why not? I’m not sure they take this one, though,” she admitted. “I’m thinking that counselor was new or something, because it seems like this is a more advanced class, and you have to build on stuff you learned in previous classes to perform well in this one.”

  She was just the cutest thing.

  I shrugged.

  “Yes and no,” I admitted. “Yes, it helps to have those other laws and rules to fall back on, but really this is more of a hands-on, what-to-do-in-certain-scenarios lab. It’s not a to-take-this-class-you-must-take-the-prerequisites-first type of class, which is likely why the computer system allowed her to put you in here in the first place. It is, however, a more advanced class. Not really something you’ll be able to use in your career if you’re not planning on pursuing law enforcement as a profession.”

  She laughed. “Uh, no. I’m majoring in website design and computer programming, so, um, not law enforcement.”

  “No,” I laughed out loud at her answer. “I don’t think you’ll need this course, but you’re more than welcome to stay if you want.”

  She shrugged. “I might give it one more class, but honestly, it seems kind of advanced for, well, me, and I’m not sure that I want to take it. I’m more of a sit on my butt and watch the world around me type of person.”

  My lips twitched. “Nothing wrong with that, darlin’.”

  Her cheeks flushed again. “Well, I guess I better go. I have an hour until my next class, and I’m hungry.”

  I felt my heart leap. “You want to grab a bite to eat with me? I swear, I’m not a serial killer or anything.”

  Her laugh surprised both her and me. “No, I wouldn’t think that a cop could do both, but for some reason I trust you. As long as you’re not doing sushi for lunch, I’m down.”

  I’d never eat my favorite food again if it got her to go with me.

  “No sushi,” I promised.

  Her smile was captivating. “Then that’s a yes.”

  It was a yes for a whole lot of other things, too.

  The day after our lunch, she said yes to a date. Two weeks after our first date, she said yes to being my girlfriend. Eight months after our first date, she said yes to becoming my fiancée. And six months after that, she said yes as she became my wife.

  Chapter 1

  You’re not a snack if everyone has had a bite. You’re a free sample.

  -Fun Fact

  Landry

  Two and a half years ago

  “No, Wade,” I snarled. “It’s not just that easy.”

  He frowned. “What are you talking about? I realize that it’s tough, and it’s going to hurt, but baby, this is your sister! Your sister is your family. Your blood. You can’t just leave her in need.”

  That was when I felt everything inside of me still.

  “The first time I donated bone marrow to my sister, I was a toddler. Barely the age of two and a half,” I said, almost in a whisper. “The second time, I was four. The third? Seven. Do you see a pattern, Sergeant?”

  Wade frowned and tilted his head to the side, confusion spreading over his face.

  “My parents had me to be their donor baby,” I whispered. “They never wanted me. I was never allowed to be a child. I was a useful object to them.”

  Wade looked startled. “What do you mean by not being able to be a child?”

  I laughed maniacally.

  “I’m saying that I was bred to be their baby’s saving grace,” I hissed. “And I’m not doing it anymore. My sister is an asshole. My father’s a conniving bastard, and my mother is the biggest bitch known to man. Don’t you think that there’s a reason that I’ve never spoken of them?”

  He looked at me like I was crazy. “Honey, you told me that you had a falling out. But this is your sister.”

  I looked over at where my sister was sitting out on the front porch, silently crying her big, fat crocodile tears.

  She’d always been good at them.

  There was a time when I was younger that all she had to do was get that look on her face, and I’d be scared shitless.

  Because if Lina wasn’t happy, nobody was happy, least of all me.

  There was always going to be hell to pay if a single tear fell down Lina’s perfect cheek.

  Lina also looked like a little China doll. She had perfect blonde curls, soft, milky white skin, blue eyes the color of a crayon, and she was tiny.

  I, on the other hand, was none of those things but short.

  I had brown hair to her blonde, brown eyes to her blue, freckled skin to her perfect complexion, and when I tried hard, I was also skinny.

  Except, lately, I had been drinking beer and having the time of my life—living it like I’d always wanted to live it.

  “I won’t do it,” I refused again, sounding petulant now.

  I knew he didn’t understand.

  Deep down, Wade was a really good man.

  He’d experienced a lot in his life. He was a cop and had seen some very bad things.

  But, what he did not have, was a bad family.

  His family was awesome. His mom was the best mother in the whole world, and his dad was the kind of father I’d only ever dreamed of having when I was younger.

  God, even his brother was the best.

  He had no clue what it was like to hate your family like I did.

  Hell, the only reason he hadn’t heard of them sooner was because my sister hadn’t gotten sick enough to need me.

  Had she, Wade would’ve learned the truth about who my family was a hell of a lot quicker.

  “I’m going to tell her that you’re thinking about it, and we can discuss it more later, okay?” Wade offered. “I don’t want you to make any hasty decisions because you’re overreacting.”

  Overreacting?

  I wasn’t overreacting.

  Not even close.

  “Whatever, Wade,” I muttered, feeling defeated. “Go do what you have to do. I’m going to bed.”

  Wade went outside, and through the front windows, I saw Wade sit down and talk to Lina like she was a glass doll.

  She wasn’t.

  She was hardcore. She was manipulative. She was…hugging my husband.

  I stiffened when she threw herself into my husband’s arms, and what did Wade do when that happened?

  He wrapped those arms of his that were supposed to be wrapped around me and pulled her in tight.

  That’s when I knew I wasn’t going to win the battle.

  ***

  Three weeks later

  “Why isn’t your family here?” Wade asked, sounding concerned.

  I snorted and turned my head on the pillow so it wasn’t facing him anymore.

  The last three weeks had been a lesson in control.

  My parents and sister had put on good acts. They’d brought Wade into their arms and showed him just how nice they could be.

  They’d put on the perfect show, and their efforts made Wade doubt me and everything I’d told him over the last few weeks to try to enlighten him to just how awful of a family I really had.

  “Maybe I should call them,” Wade offered.

  I held my tongue.

  The nurse poked me in the hand as she started an IV, and I closed my eyes and started to count to ten.

  By the time I got down to
five, I was fairly sure that I wasn’t going to throw up.

  “I’ll be back. I’m going to call them,” Wade murmured.

  He disappeared out of the room, and I took a shaky breath.

  “You might want to give me some valium,” I offered up. “If you don’t, I’m going to throw up, and you’re going to have to put a new IV in because I’m going to freak out.”

  “Nervous?” she asked.

  I swallowed so hard that I felt my throat burn. “Yes, sort of.”

  Not nervous, per se, at least not about the procedure anyway.

  I was, as always, nervous about the pain.

  The last time I’d felt the pain of this operation was seven years ago. Seven years to try to put the past behind me.

  But I should’ve known better. The past never stayed in the past.

  And I was born to endure the pain.

  Pain that only got worse each and every time this procedure happened.

  So, no, I wasn’t nervous about the procedure itself. I just wasn’t looking forward to the rest of it.

  Or what I was going to do after—or where I was going to go.

  All I knew was that I wasn’t going home, or anywhere with Wade.

  “Would you mind giving this to that man after the procedure has started?” I asked, handing her a thick envelope.

  The nice nurse took it and grinned. “Sure thing, ma’am. I’m only a student nurse, though. I won’t even be able to give you the meds you asked for without talking to the nurse supervising me today. But I’ll let her know about your medication request and give the envelope to that man when you’re taken back.”

  I looked at the student nurse’s nametag. “Phoebe. That’s a pretty name.”

  Phoebe smiled. “My sisters and I were named after the witches off of the old TV show, Charmed.”

  I grinned. “Did they use all the names?”

  I loved Charmed.

  “No, just three. Pru, Piper, and Phoebe. My mom wanted four, but life got in the way. In other words, no Paige for them.”

  I found myself smiling despite the turmoil of emotions churning in my gut over my impending procedure and what I knew would follow.

  “Too bad.”

  Phoebe tapped my shoulder. “I’ll see you soon.”

  I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep, hoping that by the time Wade got back, I would have had my dose of medication that would make me no longer care about what I was about to do.

  ***

  Wade

  “What is this?” I frowned at the thick envelope that the little nurse had just handed me.

  “This is something your wife gave me to give to you once she was taken back.” She paused. “I don’t know any more than that, sir.”

  I opened the envelope, still pissed off that her family wasn’t here. They didn’t even answer the phone when I called and weren’t here to see their daughter before her surgery. Hands shaking at how angry I was, I unfolded the papers.

  The first thing I read stole the breath straight from my lungs.

  FINAL DECREE FOR PETITION FOR DIVORCE FOR CAMP COUNTY JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT.

  Chapter 2

  Of all my mistakes, you were the mistakiest.

  -Text from Landry to Wade

  Wade

  6 months ago

  “Do you know why I pulled you over?” I asked carefully.

  I mean, other than the fact that you moved in with my ex-wife the moment that I moved out.

  The man offered up his license and registration but didn’t respond, and I was actually kind of thankful for that.

  Had I known it was him, I might very well have just let him go without pulling him over, because who wanted to talk to the man that was sleeping in his bed with his wife—ex-wife?

  Not me, that was for sure.

  I was an upstanding officer of the law. I was a biker. I was a good man.

  Until it came to this guy.

  And when I just so happened to observe the man that my ex-wife was sleeping with speeding like a motherfucker, I pulled him over because it was my duty to keep the citizens of this town safe.

  “Here,” Kourt Chamberlain said politely.

  I took them and walked back to the SUV that I used and slid back inside of it.

  The cool air conditioning hit my face like a soft caress, and I blew out a few quick breaths to try to regain my control.

  After running the good doctor’s information through the computer, I wrote him out a warning and walked it back to the car.

  All the while I wondered if I was going to be able to control myself long enough to hand the warning ticket over.

  I did.

  Barely.

  “Keep your speed down,” I ordered.

  Kourt nodded his head at me and offered me a slight head tilt before rolling up his window and driving away.

  I stayed there long enough to wish that someone would T-bone his car and kill the bastard, then got back into my patrol car and drove back to the station.

  The five-minute drive there, I tried to distract myself with thoughts of what I was going to do that day.

  I had a witness that I needed to speak with, I had a few reports that I needed to type up, and I needed to call my insurance company and pay for the next six months of my truck insurance.

  Landry fresh on my mind after stopping that bastard made me remember that she somehow was able to get better rates than I’d ever been able to get. When I’d asked her once shortly after we were married why she was always able to get discounts, she’d laughed and told me that being nice goes a long way.

  And it was true.

  Being nice did go a long way.

  But, so did beating the shit out of people that pissed you off. I’d love nothing more than to string Kourt Chamberlain up by his testicles, and then put him near a fire ant bed while dousing him in sugar water.

  My phone rang, and I groaned as I picked it up, thankful for anything that would distract me at this point.

  “Hello?” I answered without checking to see who’d called.

  “Um, yeah,” the tweaker that I was supposed to be meeting in a half an hour tittered. “This Wade?”

  He knew it was me just like I knew he was Raoul Karding.

  “Yes,” I answered, trying to conceal my impatience. “How can I help you, Raoul? We still on in half an hour?”

  He made a grunting sound. “Yeah. Just wanted to make sure you’d be here.”

  I sighed. “Yes, Raoul. I’ll be there. Just like I am every single time you ask.”

  Raoul grunted. “Okay, bye.”

  I rolled my eyes and hit End on the touch screen of the SUV’s hands-free display, and then drove the rest of the way to the station wondering about why Raoul was so goddamn twitchy today.

  I thought we’d gotten past the point of him thinking I was going to bail on him.

  He’d been my contact in a child trafficking ring case for going on four weeks now, and it’d gotten to the point where I thought we’d established at least a modicum of trust.

  “Hell,” I muttered darkly, getting out of the SUV.

  The moment my feet hit the ground, I heard someone call my name.

  “Wade!”

  I looked up and grinned when I saw Landry’s sister, Lina, standing on the sidewalk next to the public library, two doors down from the police station that I was seconds away from walking inside.

  “Hello, Lina,” I said warmly.

  Lina and Landry were polar opposites.

  But Lina was sweet, and despite my being in a shit mood from having to deal with Landry’s new man, I tried to conceal that when I went over and wrapped one arm around Lina in a side hug.

  She felt nothing like Landry.

  In fact, everything about this woman was totally different. I didn’t even see a resemblance between the two of them.

  That’d always surprised me.

  From the moment that I’d firs
t met her, I’d often wondered who Landry favored more. I wasn’t sure that it was either of their parents. I could see Lina’s resemblance with her mother, but Landry was everything that the other three weren’t.

  “How are you, Wade?” Lina asked, grinning wide.

  I let her go and stepped back, putting my hands in my pockets.

  Despite my not being married to Landry anymore, I still felt awkward if I happened to run into Lina or her parents around town when Landry wasn’t around. The few times it had happened, I remembered the words that had spewed out of Landry’s mouth the day that I confronted her on not donating her bone marrow to her sister.

  And each time, I wondered if I hadn’t pushed her in to making that decision, would we still be together.

  “I’m doing okay,” I admitted. “How are you? You’re looking much better.”

  I was okay with the fact that Landry and I weren’t together anymore if it meant that Lina got to live.

  It sucked. It sucked so bad that sometimes I felt that I could hardly breathe.

  But when another person’s life was at stake, I would choose life over happiness any day.

  Which was likely my downfall.

  I was a protector and always would be. I was just sad that Landry never understood that.

  “I’m feeling better.” Lina shrugged. “I’m going to the doctor next week to make sure that I’m still cancer free, but I have high hopes that I’ll be okay.”

  I did, too.

  I didn’t want to give up my marriage for nothing.

  “Well, I better go. I have to go turn in my traffic stop book and get a new one,” I grinned. “Take care of yourself.”

  Lina smiled and leaned slightly toward me.

  I didn’t move as she placed a chaste kiss on my cheek before saying, “Take care of yourself, Wade.”

  I didn’t wait to watch her walk to the car.

  Maybe if I would have, I would’ve seen the woman just a few cars down from Lina’s, glaring murderously at me. A woman that wasn’t supposed to care whether I was getting kisses, whether they were from that woman’s sister or not.

  But I didn’t stay.

  Instead, I walked to the station and turned my ticket book in.

  Then I walked right back out because I had a few things that I was being forced to discuss with Raoul. Such as what he knew about the murder of the senator who died some time ago and who had been responsible for it—even though my hunch said that it was closely related to the case that I was currently investigating.