Ripple (Persy & Sully) (Seaside Valleria #2)

by Marianne Knightly

  Persy nodded. “That’s part of it.

  “You’re bonkers.”

  “Millie!”

  “Sully looks at you like he wants to devour you, and I’m not just talking about in bed. He likes you. He wouldn’t have asked you out otherwise. If he didn’t care to learn more about you, he would’ve been civil to you after you slapped him, because that’s the kind of guy he is, but he probably would’ve kept his distance.”

  Huh. Could that be true? “I suppose.”

  “Don’t suppose. Accept it.”

  “But I suck at dating. I wasn’t that great at it the first time. I basically married the second guy I ever went out with, and that ended. I’ll probably screw this up.”

  Millie gave her arm a quick rub and a squeeze. “Just be honest with him. Be yourself with him.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “One thing I’ve learned is that if the guy doesn’t want you for you, he doesn’t really want you in the first place. It’s not so much to ask for, you know? Wanting a guy who accepts you and doesn’t want to change you…it’s not too much to ask. If Sully can’t give you that, I’d be disappointed.”

  Her heart sank. “In me?”

  Millie rolled her eyes. “No, in him. Hector really respects him, and I know he’d be disappointed, too. Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Men always expect women to change—I know that firsthand—but they never change themselves. The thing is, though, if a woman has a good man, she doesn’t need him to change. And he doesn’t need to change her, either.”

  Persy thought back to her marriage. She had tried to bend herself into everything she was supposed to be but, in the end, it hadn’t been enough. She hadn’t been enough. Though her ex had been a decent guy, thinking on it for the last several years, she’d realized she’d been the one to do all the changing in their marriage. It had been expected of her, hadn’t it?

  Sully was different from her ex in a lot of ways. He’d never asked anything of her—except sex—until recently. She’d avoided emotional attachments for so long, she wasn’t sure how to handle it, or handle Sully.

  Feeling uncomfortable with thoughts of her past and possible future sparring in her head, she changed the topic slightly. “You’ve got a good man, don’t you?”

  Millie smiled. “I got lucky. I had a really shitty life and I got lucky with Hector.”

  “Think I’m the lucky one, baby.”

  They turned and saw Hector leaning against the bedroom doorjamb, his arms crossed.

  She sat up quickly while Millie’s cheeks turned pink. “Eavesdropper!”

  He gave Millie a devious grin. “I’ve always wanted to know what women talk about when men aren’t around.”

  “Hector! How much did you hear?”

  “Just the last bit you said.” He chuckled and walked over to Millie, then leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “I wasn’t planning to listen, baby. I needed some fresh socks, and didn’t have any backups downstairs, so came up.”

  Millie’s face softened. “You want me to get them? Do you need help in the pub? I can—”

  “No, thanks, baby. Just give me a minute and you two can get back to talking.”

  Hector turned to Persy. “And you.”

  She blinked. “Yes?”

  “If Sully’s an asshole to you, let me know and I’ll kick his ass.”

  “You don’t need to—”

  “Yes, I do. You’re family.”

  Her chest tightened. No one had wanted her as part of a family for a very long time. Her ex and her family had basically disowned her, and her so-called friends had sided with her ‘family’, proving that she’d had no one when she needed it most. She wasn’t sure what a ‘family’ was anymore, since every definition she had contained family members who fucked her up emotionally.

  Hector didn’t fit into that category, but she was still wary of being part of any family after having been rejected by her own so brutally. “We’re not family.”

  “We are. You’re at the Seashell, you’re part of my family. Even if you quit, you’re still part of my family. We take care of each other.”

  “Hector—”

  “Just think of me as a big brother.” He leaned over and kissed her head, and her chest tightened even more.

  Oh God. She couldn’t let his unbelievably sweet words penetrate her. She had to stay strong and keep her walls up. She was afraid of what might happen if those walls came down. Would even Hector consider her part of the family then?

  Yet, Hector knew about her past, to a certain extent. He knew the worst thing that had ever happened to her and didn’t seem to blame her for it. In fact, everyone—except for Hector and Millie—had looked at her differently when they’d found out.

  So, maybe she could let those walls down a little. Hector and Sully were friends. Could that mean that Sully, once he heard about her past and learned about her, might react as Hector had? Or would he reject her like the others had? What if he heard her story and suddenly decided she wasn’t the sensual woman he wanted to have sex with and started treating her differently?

  Then again, didn’t she want him to treat her differently? Less like a one-night stand and more like a forever-stand? He was already treating her like that anyway, asking her out for a date instead of just sex, but what if he changed his mind once he learned more about her?

  One thing was clear: she was really fucking confused.

  While she’d been thinking, Hector had gotten something from his dresser, and had gone into and returned from the bathroom. When he came out, Persy noticed he wasn’t limping as much as before. He kissed Millie again and headed out.

  “Does he often need to change his socks?”

  Millie shook her head and stood up. “He was changing his prosthetic socks, not foot socks. Now, I think you should stay here tonight.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’ve had a tough day and that’s what friends are for. If you want, we could have a totally relaxing night. Drinks, a movie, dinner. You can crash in the spare bedroom, too. Well?”

  The thought of going back to her apartment alone with nothing but her own thoughts and fears and memories was a little overwhelming right then. “I think I’ll take you up on that. Hector won’t mind?”

  “Of course not. You just heard him: you’re family.”

  She held her breath, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening. Maybe being alone in her apartment, where she could be emotional without anyone seeing, might be best. Keeping things private had helped her keep her distance over the last several years.

  Millie started putting some clothes back in the closet. “I’m just going to check on the food situation. We may need to get Frannie to make us something, but I can run down and grab it.”

  She shifted off the bed. “Maybe I should just go home. I don’t want you to go to any extra trouble.”

  “It’s not trouble when it’s family.” Millie paused, hanger-filled clothes in her hands. “Actually, it’s not trouble when it’s family you like. Since I’ve got plenty of family I hate, I just wanted to make that clear. We like you.” She smiled and returned to the closet.

  She had a point. Persy had grown up with one definition of what family meant, but maybe now she could create her own definition. Millie was a lot different from Persy’s real family, but Persy considered her more family than her blood relatives. With Millie, she didn’t have to be afraid of showing emotion, or of being rejected when she did.

  Because she wouldn’t be rejected at all.

  A spark of hope burst inside her. It was the first time in too long that she’d felt any kind of acceptance.

  No. She wouldn’t hide away with her feelings. She’d spend some time sharing them with Millie tonight, then tomorrow she’d deal with Sully.

  Sully shut his locker door with a slam. It wasn’t an angry slam. It was merely an annoyed slam, seeing as several fellow officers were laughing at him.

  They contended they were laughing ‘w
ith’ him but, as he wasn’t laughing, he knew that to be patently false.

  “I can’t believe you got slapped in front of the princes! One of them’s our future king!” Rod burst out laughing again.

  Sully regretted his decision to tell the story, but he knew it would get around sooner or later, and it was better if he told the true version from his lips than the exaggerated version someone else might come up with instead.

  “I heard the Cap already knows about it and he’s looking for you,” Joe said in a sing-songy voice.

  Sully knew that officers ribbed each other. It was just as true in the Garda in Dublin as anywhere, and he wasn’t surprised to find the same in Valleria. But someone taunting him like that in a sing-songy voice was someone likely to get punched in the face.

  His ma would call that behavior immature.

  Since he was trying to prove his mother wrong about a variety of things including that, he kept calm.

  He turned and leaned against the locker, his arms crossed over his chest. He waited as Andrew, Joe, and Quiet Will—who, despite his nickname, was actually the loudest in the bunch—joined in, too.

  At least the female officers had their own locker and changing rooms; if they were here, they’d be teasing him much worse than the men.

  “I haven’t heard such a bout of laughter from this room since the video of Officer Pewter diving headfirst into a pile of garbage made its rounds online.”

  Everyone snapped to attention, despite their various stages of undress. Sully had already changed into civilian clothes, but the others—in the middle of switching out shifts—hadn’t finished yet. But, when the Captain walked in, you stood tall and straight, no matter where you were or how you were dressed.

  Andrew—also known as Officer Pewter—curled his lips in disgust. “I caught the criminal, didn’t I, sir?”

  Captain Leplan stood at loose attention, his long, lean body straight but not stiff. His mocha face remained even while he spoke. “That you did. You caught the purse snatcher, who also tripped into that massive pile of garbage. Of course, seeing as the criminal wasn’t going to be running anymore, you could have restrained him after pulling him out of the garbage instead of diving in after him.”

  The crowd started snickering.

  “And surely the woman whose purse was snatched was very appreciative, although she decided she didn’t like the purse all that much once she caught the sight and scent of all that garbage on her bag.”

  More snickers.

  “I believe that’s also on the video, correct?”

  Andrew slumped slightly. “Yes, sir.”

  “You know, I think I might just watch it again. Perhaps I will, after I watch another video which started circling today.”

  Snickers and smiles fell away to wariness. Sully knew without the Cap saying a word that he was referring to him. He’d only wondered what had taken him so long to mention it.

  Cap turned to him, all mirth gone replaced by strict business. “My office, Sullivan. Five minutes.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The Cap gave everyone a cursory glance then turned and walked out.

  Shit. He hadn’t wanted to see if there’d been a video posted. During his shifts, there hadn’t been time, and during his breaks, he’d avoided checking. Now it was coming back to haunt him.

  This was the last thing he wanted to deal with today. He wanted to get home and catch up on some sleep before his date with Persy tomorrow night. But, if the Cap decided he needed to be punished, the possibilities were endless. He might have another night shift or another double, or, worst case scenario, he could send him back to Ireland before the end of his assignment, and therefore be forced to leave Valleria immediately.

  “Shit!” He finished stuffing his backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

  “The video I’ve got looks pretty tame,” Rod said. “Anyone else got anything?”

  “It’s just you talking to the princes.”

  “I’ve got one of you talking to a girl. She the one who slapped you?” Joe turned his phone’s screen to him.

  Sully walked over and saw the back of Persy’s head and his face in clear view. Then he slapped Joe on the back of his head.

  “Hey!” Joe rubbed his head. “What the hell was that for?”

  “To knock some sense into you. That’s a woman, not a girl.”

  “Same difference.”

  Sully quirked a brow. “If you think a girl is the same thing as a woman, we should have a conversation.”

  Joe scowled. “You know what I meant.”

  “It’s still wrong. Calling a woman a girl is belittling and disrespectful. Not to mention, as a cop, you shouldn’t describe anyone so flippantly.”

  Joe’s chest puffed up. “What did you just say?”

  Andrew stepped between them. “Cool it, both of you. Sully, you need to get to Cap’s office. Joe, you know Sully’s right so just shut up and take in what he’s teaching you. He’s a good fucking cop and you know it.”

  “Thanks, Andrew,” Sully murmured. Being called a ‘good cop’ was one of the best compliments a cop could get. Being a good cop meant being a decent one, and one who worked hard and worked for the right reasons: for loyalty, for honor, for integrity, and for the people.

  “Don’t mention it. Now, get going. If you’re late, Cap could have all our heads.”

  Sully nodded and, with a last nod to Joe, he headed out. He got to the Cap’s office with barely a few seconds to spare.

  Cap was behind his desk, scribbling away. When his secretary showed Sully in, he barely glanced up but gestured to the seats in front of his desk. “Have a seat, Sullivan.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Cap finished writing, then put his pen down and leaned back in his seat. He linked his hands together over his stomach and stared Sully down.

  Sully was proud of himself for not fidgeting under his gaze.

  After several seconds, Cap spoke. “There are some videos of you circulating today.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Would you like to explain what happened?”

  Sully had notified his commanding officer as soon as he’d left the Seashell earlier. He had no doubt that his CO had told the Cap what had happened. “I’ve been seeing a woman who works at one of the local pubs, the Seashell. I went by to see her during lunch and she was upset about something—not necessarily something that I had done—and slapped me. She apologized. Their Royal Highnesses Princes Alexander and Lorenzo, as well as Princess Liliana, were in attendance. I spoke to the princes, sir, and the princess did not seem upset, nor did she seem to notice what had happened.”

  “Did you behave inappropriately? You stated she slapped you, yet the cause was ‘not necessarily’ you. Why do you assume that?”

  Sully’s jaw clenched and he forced it to relax. “No, sir. I can assure you, I did not behave inappropriately, nor have I abused my position as an officer of the law.”

  “I didn’t say you had abused your position.”

  “No, sir, but you did imply it.”

  Cap’s eyes narrowed. “Careful, Sullivan. I wouldn’t put words in my mouth.”

  “Sir, I was defending my honor as an officer, not impugning yours as a captain.”

  “Hmmph. Well, the videos I’ve seen don’t show any slapping. The press office has been searching for photos or stills, but haven’t found anything of that sort, either. Though the video descriptions allude to a slapping incident, there’s nothing in the videos that show it. Therefore, most of the videos show you speaking to—I assume—the lady in question, as well as the princes. There is little or no audio, and none of what’s being said is heard. All in all, while the videos are circulating, they are not the runaway hit that Pewter’s video was.”

  Sully’s brows furrowed. If the videos weren’t an issue, what was really going on? “That’s a relief, sir.”

  Cap straightened in his chair and began digging through a stack of folders on his desk. “Yes, that is good new
s for you, considering what we were planning on offering you.”

  The hairs on the back of his neck pricked up. “Were planning, sir?”

  Cap apparently found the right folder, and the corner of his mouth quirked up. “Whether we still are depends on you. Take a look.”

  Sully took the folder Cap was holding towards him and flipped it open. It took him a full minute to figure out what he was really looking at.

  It was a contract. An employment contract. For him to stay in Valleria.

  Permanently.

  “Sir?”

  “We were very impressed with your assistance in the robbery case several months ago. You were instrumental in determining the real culprit and motive behind the robberies and related crimes. The head of the RHB spoke very favorably of you as well.”

  Sully had been drawn into the Robbery-Homicide Bureau’s investigation into the robberies when Millie, Hector, and the Seashell had become victims. The masterminds behind the robberies had turned out to be Millie’s half-brother and father, and others. Seeing Millie, sweet woman that she was, harassed and even physically attacked had spurred the entire bureau, even his division of street cops, into a major push to find the culprits.

  “I worked with several RHB officers to solve that case, sir.”

  “That you did. However, you were the only one to connect the dots between the string of robberies and the physical attacks taking place, and correctly identified the suspects for both as the same men.”

  “I see, sir.” Normally something like this might be a note or commendation in his file, but this sounded like a permanent relocation. But what had the Cap meant about the offer being ‘up to him’?

  “You’ll notice that contract isn’t signed, so it’s not an official offer yet. But I wanted to let you know of the possibility, so you could start considering whether this may be something you’d want. If you’d like me to get the Chief to extend an official offer for you, I’d need you to be on your best behavior. Yes, this video issue might turn out to be nothing, but I can’t ask the Chief to sign it if you become a liability in any way. Understood?”