by Mia Taylor
“Silas, you’re making me uncomfortable,” Melissa sighed and he peered at her, his mouth agape.
“Uncomfortable? How?” he demanded, his cheeks growing warm.
“You’re looking at me like I’m a specimen under a microscope or something. Is there something stuck in my teeth?”
He forced a smile and shook his head, his pulse racing.
“I need to ask you something,” he told her before he could lose his nerve. “Will you have dinner at my place tonight?”
Shock painted her face a swirl of red and white. Melissa’s front teeth closed over the curve of her bottom lip and she nodded but as she tried to speak, no words came out.
“My sister will be there,” he assured her, rushing on to make the invitation seem less bizarre, but if anything, Melissa’s face twisted into more confusion.
“Oh.”
“It’s nothing formal,” August continued. “I was just talking so much about you and she’s staying with me. I thought, since we’re partners and everything, that we could get together for…”
He stopped speaking, recognizing that he was rambling, and rolled his eyes skyward as if seeking help.
“Listen,” he exhaled. “I know it sounds weird and you don’t have to come, obviously.”
“I want to come.”
There was no hesitation in her response and August felt his heartrate speed up slightly.
“Great. I-I’ll text you the address. Like I said, it’s totally casual.”
“What can I bring?” she asked and he stifled the answer he wanted to give.
“Just yourself,” he replied softly. Their eyes met across the scarred Formica countertop and August knew then that he was in over his head.
“How does this work?” Melissa asked and he arched an eyebrow in question.
“How does what work?”
“Dating inside the office?”
He began to choke on the French fry in his mouth and Melissa gawked at him before pounding on his back with a closed fist.
It took him several minutes to regain his breath and when he did, he was met with Melissa’s confused but frosty stare.
“Did I say something wrong?” she demanded and he shook his head.
“No,” he sputtered. “It just went down the wrong tube.”
“There’s only one tube,” she countered and he had to laugh.
“Come on,” he said before she could bring up the question again. “We should get back to work.”
He grabbed his hat off the table and ambled toward the door, knowing that Melissa was right behind.
Dating. Is that what we’ll be doing?
Whatever it was, August knew one thing for certain—he had no idea what to expect.
~ ~ ~
After their shift was finished, August texted his personal number and address to Melissa.
“Eight, okay?” he told her when they parted and she nodded, a sudden wariness appearing on her face.
Is she having second thoughts?
The idea filled him with dread.
“You’re sure there’s nothing I can bring?”
“Nothing,” he insisted. “Just show up hungry.”
They parted ways but instead of returning to his car parked in the back lot, August made his way to his cubicle and sat down, looking around furtively even though he knew he wasn’t technically doing anything wrong.
Still, he felt like he was betraying Melissa’s confidence somehow as he pulled up her personal file and began to read through it.
He’d already gone through it once but that was before he’d realized how connected he was to the woman. When he’d seen it previously, his mind had not been about knowing the person behind the paper.
The information was the same as it had always been.
Graduated second in her class at the academy, stellar student, excellent shot. Psych looks good. Only child, mother deceased three years ago.
The files were ungratifying to read because they didn’t tell him what he wanted to know the most.
Who are her parents?
That was going to take more research and, glancing at his watch, August knew he had a bit of time before Amber started calling down his phone, telling him to pick up items at the grocery store on the way home.
He typed in the name he had on file for her mother.
Lisa Stark.
CODIS gave him nothing of an outstanding criminal nature but a search through MICT showed that indeed, the Starks had moved around more than any small child should.
He worked the system further back and looked into hospital records for Lisa and his brow furrowed.
There were countless visits to hospitals and while he couldn’t read the records, it was clear that Lisa had been very sick, gauging by the amount of time she’d spent in hospitals. The knowledge filled August with dread.
If she died of illness, she’s not one of us. Lisa Stark couldn’t have been a shifter.
That would certainly explain why Melissa didn’t know the truth about herself. Her mother had probably found out that her father was a shifter, something that August had already considered.
I need to find out about Melissa’s father.
“Hey, Silas! How’s it going with the newbie?”
He turned his head guiltily, his face flushing as Sergeant Walker approached, clapping his shoulder heartily. “I heard she’s already making a name for herself as a hostage negotiator.”
Sarge laughed at his own joke and August forced a smile, hoping that his superior didn’t notice the file on his screen, but it was asking too much.
“Uh oh,” Walker sighed, noting the information immediately. “Are you looking into her background already? Does she need an assessment with the shrink?”
“NO!” August growled with more ferocity than he intended. “No, she’s fine. She’s great.”
He closed the screen and shook his head.
“She mentioned being estranged from her father and I was wondering if he was one of us.”
It was a lie but it was one which would explain why he was looking through the personal files of his new partner.
“I haven’t heard if he was,” Walker offered, moving away from the desk. “Hey, you up for a drink? It’s trivia night at Barlow’s.”
“Another time,” August said, jumping up from his chair. “I’ve got dinner plans.”
Walker paused to give him a sly look over his shoulder. “Oh? Hot date?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.
“Something like that,” August managed to choke out. The sudden thought of his sergeant and all the other detectives in his squad knowing that he was interested in a rookie was overwhelming him.
You’re getting a little ahead of yourself, he scoffed. You haven’t even had a proper date with this woman and you’re already filling out HR forms about a relationship which might not even be feasible.
Yet no amount of reason could smother the excitement growing inside him as he hurried out of the precinct and got into his car.
Amber will help me make sense of this, he thought. Together we’ll show Melissa her real potential.
He wondered, then, why he couldn’t shake the sense of foreboding which seemed to shadow him all the way home.
Chapter Seven
Blackmailing Bastards
Cara looked at her skeptically.
“I feel weird about letting you go to this thing,” she confessed. “I mean, you just started there, he was angry with you on the first day and now your training officer is inviting you over to dinner. At his house? With his family?”
“I know it sounds weird, Care, but it feels right. Although…”
She trailed off and studied herself in the mirror, unsure if she should finish her thought.
“Although what? If you’re feeling weird about this, you shouldn’t go,” her roommate insisted, the concern on her face clear.
“It’s not that I feel weird,” Melissa assured her. “I mean, I know he’s technically my boss and all, but it do
esn’t feel wrong. He wouldn’t pursue this if it was wrong, right? He’s the one who’s always going on about doing things properly and listening to his sage advice.”
She laughed softly at the image of being scolded by her T.O. Cara didn’t find it nearly as amusing.
“Melissa, I’ve never seen you like this. You’re usually more cautious about men.”
“He’s not just any man, Care. He’s… special.”
She winced at the sound of the word, knowing it was corny, but there was nothing else she could use to describe how August made her feel when they were together.
“Then why did you hesitate earlier?” Cara insisted. “Something’s not sitting right with you.”
“I guess I’m just nervous about it. I mean, this is all so Derek Sheppard, Meredith Gray, isn’t it?”
“No,” Cara corrected. “They didn’t know what they were getting into before they got involved.”
“Care, why do you always have to be such a killjoy?” Melissa sighed, turning her face back toward the mirror to check herself out. “Just be happy for me.”
“I am happy for you—as long as he doesn’t do anything to mess it up.”
Melissa shot her a wry smile.
“I’ll pass along the message,” she replied.
“I think I should come with you,” Cara said, and for a moment, Melissa entertained the idea. After all, August would have someone on his team. It was only fair that she had someone on hers.
This isn’t an “us” versus “them” thing. Jesus, Melissa. Stop letting Cara freak you out.
To her relief, her cell chimed from the bed and Melissa snatched it up, grateful for the distraction.
“Is he cancelling?” Cara asked snidely.
“No…” Melissa replied slowly. “It’s Louis.”
“Wayland?” Cara asked in disbelief, reaching for the cell to read the text, but Melissa held it away from her.
“What does he want?”
Nervously, Melissa ran her tongue over her lower lip and reread the message.
I have a proposition for you, Officer.
“No idea,” Melissa replied truthfully but the flipping in her gut told her that nothing good would come of whatever Wayland might want.
“What does it say?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Melissa sighed, tossing the cell back onto the bed. “I’ve gotta go. Wish me luck?”
“You don’t need luck when you’re good, Liss, and we both know you’re good.”
The friends exchanged a warm smile and Melissa grabbed her purse and cell, heading toward the door. No sooner had she made her way into the hall than the phone chimed again.
I know you read the message, Liss. Call me. Now.
He’s got some balls ordering me around.
She stood outside the apartment, debating what to do. If she ignored him, he was apt to keep texting.
As if reading her thoughts, the phone dinged again and with an exasperated sigh, she unlocked the device and dialed out.
“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to like that?” Melissa demanded when Louis answered.
“My new business partner, of course,” Louis replied smoothly and Melissa wasn’t sure whether to laugh or snort.
“Louis, are you high right now?”
“Come to the club,” he instructed. “I need to discuss some things with you.”
This time there was no doubt what to do and she guffawed loudly in his ear.
“Louis, maybe because I saved your ass on Monday, you think that we’re friends or something, but I assure you, we’re not. I don’t just drop everything and run to you when you say.”
“Melissa,” he sighed. “You’re making it sound like you have a choice in the matter.”
Anger replaced her grim amusement. “I’m hanging up now, Louis. Lose my number.”
“If you hang up, I’m going to drop off a little video at the police department. It’s the 22nd you work at now, isn’t it?”
Cold slid down Melissa’s spine. “What video?” she demanded, but even before he spoke, she had a terrible feeling she knew exactly what he had on her.
“I think you remember a time when you and my brother had a little fling in the office at Portia, what, two, three months ago?”
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” Melissa choked. “You perverts taped it?”
“Don’t be crass, Melissa. There are cameras in the office for security. It’s not my fault if you were too drunk to notice them… that time or any other time you and Andrew screwed around in there.”
She swooned slightly at the memory.
He’s right. I knew. I just didn’t care. And now it’s going to bite me right in the ass.
“What do you want, Louis?” she growled, barely recognizing her own voice.
“An allegiance,” he replied smoothly. “Nothing more.”
“An allegiance? What the fuck does that even mean?”
“Like I said, I need you to come down here and hash out the details. I’ll pour you a martini, okay?”
He disconnected the call, leaving Melissa trembling with the phone in her hand.
That blackmailing bastard! Both of them! What could I possibly give them?
With a sick feeling of dread in her gut, Melissa pulled the phone back up to her eyes and texted August.
I’m sorry. Something came up. Not sure if I can make it.
She waited for a minute for a response but from what she could see, he hadn’t seen it.
Gritting her teeth, Melissa threw her cell into her handbag and stormed toward the elevators, her palms sweating.
Let’s get this over and done with with the Waylands and maybe I can still salvage dinner.
She didn’t have high hopes for the rest of the evening.
~ ~ ~
As promised, Louis was waiting for her with a martini in the office but Melissa was not in a socializing mood.
“Sit down. You look beautiful, by the way. Did I interrupt your plans?”
“Shut up, Louis. What do you want for those tapes?”
“You’re making me nervous standing there with your arms crossed,” he cooed at her. “Please, have a seat.”
“How nervous are you going to be when I slap a set of handcuffs on you and bring you in for blackmailing a police officer?” Melissa barked back.
To her annoyance, he only shrugged nonchalantly.
“I’m no lawyer,” he confessed. “But you’ll have a hell of a time making that case, what, with no evidence. Oh, not to mention if there was evidence, all of your co-workers would see it. Nah, I don’t think you’re going to do that. Sit down, Melissa. We’re friends, remember?”
Instantly, she saw August’s face appear in her mind’s eye and a shiver of shame flooded her body.
So what? It’s a sex tape. Everyone has a history. I didn’t do anything illegal.
“Tell me what you want.” She spoke through clenched teeth and Louis shrugged again.
“Fine,” he sighed. “If you’re going to be difficult about it. We’ll get right down to business. I’ll keep your little scandal with my brother a secret but you need to do us a little favor.”
“And what would that be?”
“Well, as you might know, Portia has been under some scrutiny over the past couple years. We’ve been plagued with unfortunate circumstances—”
“Cut the shit, Louis and spit it out.”
“I’m worried that the CPD has us under surveillance. I suspect we might even have a mole inside our operations.”
Melissa smirked at him. “Well if you’re only being ‘plagued by unfortunate circumstances’ and not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about, do you?”
Louis lost the grin and leaned forward, his eyes flashing with malice. “Melissa, I don’t think you understand the gravity of this. Andrew and I have invested every penny we have into this establishment. It’s only started doing well and I’m not letting some overzealous cops ruin our success.”
> “What does any of this have to do with me?” Melissa demanded even though she had a terrible feeling she knew exactly where Louis was going.
“I’ve been hoping to find someone with eyes and ears inside the department who could help us out,” Louis told her flatly. “And now I have.”
“I’m not doing shit for you,” Melissa snapped. “Do whatever you want with the tape. It’s embarrassing, yes, but it’s not illegal.”
“Hm.” Louis stared at her pensively, a small smile toying on his lips. “I imagine it’s hard being a hot, woman cop. No one takes you seriously as it is, huh?”
“You’re not getting in my head, Louis. If you want to send the tapes, go ahead. I’m out.”
She spun to leave but his voice rang out to stop her.
“It’s really not that simple, Liss.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No, hon, and I’ll tell you why.”
Louis rose and reluctantly, Melissa turned back to look at him, a baleful expression on her face.
“Let’s say, hypothetically, my brother was doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing through Portia.”
Melissa’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t give a shit what you idiots do through here.”
“You should, hon, you really should.”
Call me ‘hon’ again and I’m going to put you through that aquarium, Melissa willed him silently. Do it. Give me a reason.
“Let’s say, again, hypothetically, Andrew ran drugs for some of our better patrons and has been for a while.”
“Are you seriously looking to get arrested? Because, Louis, it’s starting to sound like it.”
“And let’s say,” he continued as if Melissa hadn’t spoken, “you were sleeping with my brother. A cop. A rookie cop with no money and student loans to pay off.”
Blood began to drain out of her face. “I-I wasn’t sleeping with Andrew. We had a couple drunken flings. I had no idea what you morons were doing.”
“Hm. I wonder if the D.A. will see it that way.”
It’s not just the tapes. It’s my entire career and maybe my freedom.
“You see why this might pose a problem, then?”