by Drake, J. L.
Loud chatter and cheers erupted from around the table. It seemed some people were on board. A man with a Gibson started to sing Ed Sheeran’s “Don’t.” I was lost in thought when a hand slipped around my arm. My head snapped over to Ronnie, who leaned over.
“Wanna get out of here?”
“Like I’ve said a hundred times, Ronnie, I’m not interested, and will never be interested.”
Garrett suddenly straightened in his seat, and out of the corner of my eye, he gave me a look and cleared his throat. I looked up to find Emily by the door, wearing a shocked expression. I yanked my body free and cursed.
“Happy birthday, Johnnie.” Emily forced a grin and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
“You’re here, and that’s all that matters, McPhee. Here, take a seat.” He looked over at Ronnie, then plastered a smile on before he looked back at her. “I’ll grab you a chair.”
“Let me get a drink, and I’ll be right back.” She patted his shoulder as she headed to the bar.
Ronnie started to laugh. “So, who’s the blonde bimbo in the red bottom heels?”
The entire table went silent. “That woman is our family, Ronnie,” Riggs explained with an icy chip to his tone. “She also happens to be Connors’s girlfriend.” Ronnie looked over at me, then the corners of her mouth turned up ever so slightly. Shit, she was gonna cause trouble.
I pushed my chair away from the table and went over to the bar where Emily waited for her drink. I leaned in behind her and trapped her with my arms the way I always did.
“Hi,” I whispered and resisted the urge to kiss her shoulder. “Did class run long?”
“No.” She thanked the bartender, then turned to face me. “I came home early, went for a walk along the beach, and ran into Travis. He invited me over for a drink.”
I closed my eyes and tried to remember to be fair and not judge. “I see.”
“I was going to leave earlier, but he asked me to stay because he gets lonely over there by himself. So I stayed thirty extra minutes then went home, changed, and came right here.”
I could tell she was proving to me that she has nothing to hide. “Well, that was nice of you.”
“Yeah.” She sipped her drink. I hated how we were right now. I missed her and hated to feel so on edge with her. “So, that’s Ronnie?” I nodded and kept my eyes locked with hers. I had nothing to hide either. “She’s pretty.”
“She’s crazy,” I shot back. “I don’t trust her.”
“That makes two of us,” she muttered into her glass.
I reached for her waist and pulled her closer to me. I needed to touch her or I was going to burst. She rested her free hand on my chest. “Look at me, baby.” I put my finger under her chin and slowly raised her face, but it was impossible to read. “I miss you.” Her eyes closed as if my words hurt. “I hate this.”
“It hurts when the person you love doesn’t trust you, doesn’t it?”
“Are you trying to punish me?”
“No.” she shook her head. “I would never do that to you, Seth. It’s just interesting that you’re in my shoes for once.”
I grabbed her hand and led her to the back of the bar. I pointed at my buddy, and he nodded at his office knowingly. Once inside, I pushed her up against the door, then my hands flew to either side of her head and locked her in.
“What is happening to us?” I whispered and kept my eyes on hers. “Whatever this is, it needs to stop.” She suddenly stepped forward, grabbed my shirt, and pulled me down to her lips. I wanted to get lost in her, toss her over the desk, and remind her of all she’d missed out on since she’d left me. Instead, I pushed her gently off me, which was one of the hardest things I’d ever done, as emotions battled inside me. “Please, Em, we need to talk about this.”
“Why?” She untied the rope that held her dress together and let it fall to her sides. I blinked at the new red and black lingerie that pushed her plump breasts upward. It was a beautiful sight…Oh hell, she had garters on. My tongue darted out and licked my dry lips. I felt hungry for her. She lowered my hand and placed it between her legs, and I nearly crumbled with the heat that poured off of her. She was wet, turned on, and ready to go. I couldn’t help when my fingers twitched at her opening. Her lips quivered with anticipation as one finger slipped past her lace panties and between her soaked folds. Her eyes closed as her head flopped back against the door. I stepped closer and hooked her leg over my hip and ground my erection into her. Her hands were everywhere, but mostly at my belt, and she undid it in record time.
I let her have her moment but my head was in a fog. I needed to clear it. I didn’t want to have sex until I knew we were okay. The only progress we’d made was that we were two horny adults who needed release now!
“Two,” she demanded. She wanted more. I slipped three fingers in, only to hear her to moan louder. “Yes!” I couldn’t take it anymore. I removed my fingers and held myself at her opening. “Seth!” she begged, nearly in tears.
“Do you believe me that nothing happened with Ronnie? That I never kissed her back?” She nearly bucked with frustration. “Answer me,” I demanded.
“Yes!” She pushed on my shoulder, which made me let go and step back. “Yes, dammit, I believe you!” She ran her hands through her hair, then she pointed at me. “Do you trust me with Travis? And don’t say you don’t trust him, because if you truly did trust me, you’d know that nothing would happen, and if he did try anything, you have to trust that I’d tell you.”
“I do, baby. I have an odd way of showing it, but I do.”
“All right,” she said quickly as she paced the room. “Now what?”
I grabbed her waist, picked her up, and sat her on the desk. I pushed between her legs and fisted her hair. “Now I take back what’s mine.” I snapped the fabric on her panties and thrust inward until I was fully in the woman I loved.
***
Avery
They’d been gone a while. I could see the door to the office from where I was. Ronnie eyed the door too. Little did she know that Seth was more than likely banging Emily on the owner’s desk. Fuck! I’d need to step up my game. Obviously, they were stronger together than I thought.
The moment Emily stepped out of the office, she fixed the strap on her dress. That was a dead giveaway. Fuck me…I glanced at Ronnie, who saw it too. I leaned over so only she could hear.
“Welcome to how they work.” I rolled my eyes. “They’ll be at each other’s throats by tomorrow. Besides, Emily is interested in someone else, and it’s only a matter of time before he finds out.”
She shook her head. “Wait, she’s interested in someone else? Why don’t you tell him?”
“Have you met Connors? He’ll have to figure it out on his own. He suspects her neighbor, Travis.” Her eyes lit up, and I could see the excitement spread through her. “Between you and me, that’s why she was late tonight.”
“How do you know this?”
I went for a look of secrecy and leaned back in my seat. “I’m over there a lot, and I see it. Travis is like a dog in heat just waiting for her to see the light and be with him.”
Ronnie grinned just as the two returned. “I like a challenge,” she murmured. I caught Campbell’s look before he dived back into conversation with Johnnie. This made me a little nervous. Was I getting sloppy? I thought back and traced my steps perfectly. No, nothing was left untied. I sipped my drink and wondered what was going through Campbell’s head.
Throughout the rest of the night, I observed Seth and Emily trying to catch up with where they were in their relationship. It was easy to see she hated Ronnie, and Seth wouldn’t make eye contact with the woman, so I could still use her, but I thought I needed something bigger…
***
“Alex, I need you now! Come home…alone!” Jims’s voice rang through my tired ears. These twelve hour shifts were long, and working nights was killing me. I waved goodbye to my partner, hopped in my car, and headed home to see what was wrong with J
ims now. I was starting to realize he may have some sort of mental disorder.
Our apartment was quiet, and all the lights were off but the one in his bedroom. “Jims,” I called out as I scanned the room. “Jims, I’m here.”
“My room,” he called. I rounded the corner and froze on the spot. Jims was naked, fully erect, and hovered over a dead woman’s body. “I got a little rough.”
“Is she…?”
“Yeah, she’s dead. I need you to help me get rid of her.”
“What?”
He stood and pulled on his jeans and t-shirt. “This is one of the reasons you became a cop, Alex. Don’t puss out on me now, boy.” He started to wrap a blanket around the woman. I should have been freaked out, but I wasn’t. In fact, I didn’t really feel anything. I moved to help, and we carried her out of the apartment and put her into the trunk of my car. I didn’t speak when we hit the road, and he directed me to a nearby landfill. We traveled a fair distance into the site, and finally he found a spot that satisfied him. We buried her in the trash. I removed my knife and carved the gang sign for the local Crips who patrol the next city over into her arm.
Jims took the knife; he knew I hated germs.
This happened several more times before I found out the main reason Jims got me to join the police force.
I woke with a start when the sound of thunder boomed all around me. I reached for the gun under my pillow and noticed the clock read five a.m. I sagged against my headboard. Since the bar last week, something had been on my mind and I wasn’t sure what it was. I felt paranoid. I never felt paranoid. It was something to do with Campbell, the look he gave me. It was like he heard me with Ronnie. Heard me spreading rumors. I closed my eyes and tried to drift back to sleep.
“All right, that’s fucking creepy.” I laughed and held the clear mask to my face as I peered into the mirror. “So, you just went in and got them to make a mask that looks like your face?”
“Yeah.” Jims shrugged and lay on my bed with a bottle of Jack between his legs. He loved his whiskey. “Thought you could fuck with some people for me. They won’t be able to tell who you are, but they’ll know I’m behind it. Fucked up, right?”
“A tad, yes.” I tossed it back to him. “You want to tell me now, or make me wait some more?”
He shrugged again as he took a long sip, then he wiped his mouth along his arm. Jims had zero manners, and it drove me crazy.
“I found him.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. I had been waiting for this moment for almost a year, since Jims found me. “You mean him, him?”
“Yeah.” He tipped the bottle back with a grin. “We’re moving to California, and you’re joining the OPD.”
“Holy shit.”
***
Seth
The sun was bright, and I wasn’t in the mood to deal with the little shits who decided to rob the market on Second Street. Garrett and I dispensed with them quickly, gave them a warning, and headed out to pick up a late lunch.
We parked at the top of the hill and dove into our sandwiches while we watched the city move about with its business. I loved that we enjoyed the quiet together. We both liked to let our minds wander. No awkwardness, just comfort.
“I had a date last night,” Garrett said through a bite. “She’s a hot little thing.”
I grinned with a cheek full of turkey. I loved this side of Garrett. He seemed interested in someone for once. “Yeah, what did you do?”
“Went to dinner then a drive-in.” He shrugged. “She’s fun.” I wrapped up my sandwich paper. “How’s Em?”
I sighed. I knew we weren’t that great. “All right, I guess.”
“The bumps will smooth out soon, just weather the shit until it does.” He chucked his water bottle into the bag and handed it to me so I could toss it in the trash can next to my window. “Are we still on for tonight’s dinner? Philly is excited to meet everyone.”
“Seven o’clock,” I confirmed just as a call came through. Garrett rolled his eyes when we realized the two shits we just let go tried it again at the same store. “All right, I’m done with them.”
An hour later the kids were in juvie and I was wiped out. The ratty old chair groaned when I dropped my exhausted body onto its four rusty legs. “Ice!” Riggs chucked an ice pack at me as I let out a sigh. I just wanted this day to end. I held the ice to my shoulder where one of the kids decided to drive a pipe into it while the other attacked Garrett from behind. Needless to say, they were behind bars for a while. “What did the medic say?”
“Just bruising, nothing major.”
Campbell made a show of looking all around, then stepped a little closer. He opened a file for me to see. “Look, I don’t wanna start anything, but I have a bad feeling Avery may be pushing Ronnie at you.”
I glanced up and saw we were mostly alone. “Why would you say that?”
Campbell rubbed his face. I could see this bothered him. He looked uncomfortable to even talk about it. “Just something I saw at the bar last week. I don’t know, it was strange, call it a hunch. I’m just giving you a warning because I know you and the missus are going through a rough patch.” He cleared his throat. “We all know the truth about Ronnie, but she’s a crazy one, and I honestly don’t think she’s going to back off just yet.”
Avery came up behind us, and Campbell snapped the empty file closed. “Just once I wish someone would come up with a better answer than ‘it wasn’t me,’” Avery complained, then looked at Campbell. “Well, see you guys later.”
“The dude sneaks up like a snake,” Campbell hissed as he rubbed his chest. “Christ! Anyway, I’ll see you later. Just keep what I said in mind. ”
“Yeah, thanks.” I headed over to Garrett, who was still in the locker room.
“Everything all right?” He pulled a green t-shirt over his head. I shook my head to let him know I wouldn’t talk about it here. “Tonight, then.” I nodded and hurried to change.
***
Emily
“This is pretty amazing, Emily.” Jake looked out my patio doors. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Montana, but this is something else.” Jake pointed to the water when Graham came out of the bathroom. “Private access to a beach!”
“Different from our mountains, that’s for sure.” Graham hugged him from behind. “You wanna live here?”
“Maybe.” Jake sighed.
“You wouldn’t be able to leave Savannah.”
Jake shrugged with a grin. “Or Liv. Her pretty little eyes have me under her spell.”
I grinned at Pete. I knew he felt the same way about me. If you had me, you got Pete. It was just how things were.
“How are Savannah and Cole doing?” I asked while I washed my hands.
“Really great. Though Cole has become even more protective of her now that she’s picked up some shifts at the bar again. She just needs a little break, and work is good for her.”
“You mean good for you.” Graham laughed and gave Jake a kiss on the cheek.
“I miss my bestie, so yes, I’m happy she’s back. Whatever, she brings in amazing tips, and it draws the Blackstone boys out of the woods. They all come in and check on her.”
Graham teased, “Yes, those Blackstone men are something else.”
Jake laughed as he stepped outside. “I’m going to go feel the water before I get myself in trouble.”
Graham ran to catch up. He took Jake’s hand and gave it a little kiss as they made their way down to the beach.
“So, my love, tell me who killed Mr. Green in the library?” I bumped Pete out of my way as I reached for the seasoning. He jumped up on the counter and swung his legs. “Come on, spill it!”
I laughed. I found it funny Pete loved my criminal class. “So, Don is found on the side of the road. It looks as though he jumped from the roof of the office building, there’s no sign of a struggle, but his glasses were still on.” I waited to see if he followed.
“So he committed suicide?�
��
I shook my head as I sprinkled the salt over the steaks. “Wouldn’t you take off your glasses before you jumped?”
He smiled when he saw my point. “Nicely played. So, who killed him?”
“Well,” I minced the garlic clove, “after all the evidence was gathered, it turns out he made a bad business deal and lost his company millions.”
“Oh, so it was his boss?”
“Can you pass me the green onions?” He did, and I continued. “Well, actually, no. He was our first suspect, but it was almost too obvious.” Pete leaned in and waited. “He had three missed calls from some woman, but not one from his wife. He had been missing for forty-eight hours, and when the police questioned her, she said they were having some problems. Anyway, turns out the dead guy was having an affair, and when his bad deal was realized, he went up to the roof to think. Meanwhile, his wife connected the dots and found out he was cheating, so she went to his work to confront him on it. She found him on the roof, because she knew he often went there, apparently. So after a heated discussion, she ended up pushing him off.”
“Oh, so Mrs. Green pushed Mr. Green off the roof.” He laughed. “Damn, I’m missing a great class.” He suddenly stiffened, and I felt an immediate mood shift. “Your friend is here.”
“Who?” I looked over and saw Travis on my patio.
Pete looked unhappy. I knew I wouldn’t like what he was about to say. “He makes me nervous, love. I think he might be homophobic.”
“Why?” I didn’t see that in Travis.
“Just watch.” He hopped off the counter.
“Knock, knock,” Travis called from the open door. He smiled wide when he saw me, but I did notice it dropped a little when he took Pete in. “Hi, just wanted to see what you were up to today.”
“Hey, I have some company coming over tonight. Beer?” He took the bottle and thanked me.
Pete wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “I’m gonna go check on Jake and Graham.” He kissed my cheek. “Be right back.”