by D Scott
"Call me after your nap."
I smile up at him. "I will."
With that, I turn and head up the driveway. I feel him watch me as I make my way to the side door of the house. He’s still standing in the same place when I turn and blow him a little kiss before slipping inside. I quickly bypass the kitchen and head to the living room window that looks out into the front yard. I watch as my deputy walks back to his car and slides his big body inside before starting it up and backing out of the driveway. I give him a little wave, watching as he pulls off until his car is no longer visible. Then I turn away from the window with a sigh, absentmindedly caressing my still flat stomach.
I gently rub over our child's resting place and internally promise to tell Gavin soon that we have a little one the way.
Chapter 10
Gina
Monday
A loud crash has me jolting awake.
I look around for the noise but my door is shut so all I can see is the space within my room, which is empty except for me.
Huh, Greg and Gordon must be awake.
Usually my brothers aren’t even awake by the time I leave for school — especially if they get home well after I’m in bed — but more ruckus from outside my door is a quick giveaway that they’re up.
When another crash practically shakes the house’s foundation I hop out of bed to see what’s going on. I pull on a pair of shorts before throwing open my bedroom door to hunt down the source of the noise. But one step out of my room and into the hallway and my mouth drops open at the mess. There’s stuff literally everywhere — to the point that it looks like we’ve been ransacked.
I hear Greg swear from the living room and walk that direction, but the sight of an even bigger mess has me stopping in my tracks. The living room is completely destroyed, from the couch cushions to the upside down coffee table to the few picture frames strewn all over the floor.
“Greg, what the hell?”
I look to the kitchen and see more of the same — all the cabinets are open and there’s cans and food containers covering the counters in disarray. I look back towards my brother, who’s recklessly digging through the side table, not acknowledging my presence.
“Greg!” I shout his name a second time when he doesn’t answer.
He pauses in his mad search and turns his head. “What?” He snaps out.
“I asked what the hell you’re doing — why are you destroying the house?”
He shoots me an angry glare. “Why don’t you ask cop boyfriend,” he grits out.
“Gavin? What does he have to do with this?”
Greg’s jaw clenches and unclenches a couple times before he moves away from the side table and turns towards me. He crosses his arms and narrows his eyes.
“See I knew you screwing a cop would come back to fuck us all over. Now look at us. Shit has hit the fucking fan and it’s up to me to fix—“
I cut him off. “There’s no need to throw insults, just tell me what the hell is going on. Why is the house turned upside down?”
“Seriously? That’s your first fucking question?” He stares at me like I’m an idiot.
I throw my hands up in exasperation. “Well, what the hell is supposed to be my first question? I asked you what the hell is going on and you have yet to tell me!”
He tilts his head towards the hallway where our bedrooms are.
“Look the hell around. Notice anyone missing?”
I knit my brows. Of course I noticed Gordon’s not home, but what I don’t know is why.
“Where’s G?”
“Again, why don’t you ask that cop of yours?”
Jeez this is so damn frustrating, why the hell are we talking in circles?
“Dammit, Greg, just tell what the hell is going on! Where’s G?”
Gavin looks away and lets out an angry breath before looking back at me.
"He's in lockup."
And just like that my whole body shuts down. "What?" I ask quietly.
The silence between us is unsettling.
"You heard me — he's in lockup." His voice is hard and I have to physically force myself not to recoil at hearing that my oldest brother is in jail.
"What — when — why —” I pause and take a breath. “How did this happen?"
His jaw clenches for all of two seconds and then he goes off.
"How the fuck do you think? Cops got a tip and our warehouse got raided, and now, thanks to your man Gordon is done!"
"What do you mean? How could this have anything to do with Gavin? We weren't even in town this weekend!"
"For fuck's sake, Gina, please don't tell me you're that damn dumb. Do you really think your little trip out of town has nothing to do with what went down?"
"How could I? I don't even know what went down!"
"I just fucking told you! We got raided! All of our stashes were hit, and not just us. A lot of other people we deal with got hit too. You really think your little cop boyfriend knew nothing about it?" I start shaking my head before he even finishes.
"That's impossible, we weren't even home. Besides Gavin knows how much you guys mean to me, he'd never hurt me like that."
I flinch when Greg lets out a sarcastic laugh that sounds more like a bark.
“Your badge springs a trip on you the same weekend we get raided. You say he’s second in command to the sheriff and you really think he didn’t know about it? That he had nothing to do with it? You need to wake the hell up, little sis. Your boy knew what was going down and he lured you out of town to make it easier to bust us.” He shakes his head. “Shit, it was probably his plan from the beginning.”
Again I shake my head as I wrap my arms around myself. “Gavin wouldn’t do that—he loves me.” My words are soft and even I can hear the doubt creeping into my voice.
“Well if you’re so confident in your man then you can stay with him, because I’m out.”
I frown at that. “Wha—what do you mean?”
“I mean, I’m out. I’m getting the fuck outta this podunk town. I’ve got some contacts in the city that’ll help me out and I’m gonna take it from there.”
“You’re gonna leave and move to Dallas? What about Gordon?”
“What about him? He’s a grown man that can take care of himself. You think I’ll be of any help to him by going down the station for a visit? No. They’ll lock my ass up in a cell right next to his. The best thing we can do is get outta town, send him some money, and find a kickass lawyer who will take his case.”
"Wait — we? As in you and me? Leave town?"
I know I'm asking a lot of questions but I can't help it, I'm so overwhelmed. I went to bed on cloud nine only to wake up in my own personal hell.
Dammit, this can't be happening.
"Yeah, Gina, we need to leave town. ASAP."
I shake my head once more.
"You can't expect me to just leave town. What about school, or work, or my friends?"
Okay, so I don't have a lot of friends but I have some.
"What about em? It's not like you can't finish school somewhere else or get a job in the city. And if your friends and that cop boyfriend of yours are worth staying for, then by all means stay. But I'm getting the fuck out — today."
God, this is so much to take in.
I look around the room desperately, as if an answer to our problems will suddenly appear out of thin air but no dice. Greg looks like he's growing more agitated by the second and I'm not far behind. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to take several deep calming breaths so I don't stress out the baby.
When I open my eyes, I’m feeling slightly calmer than a moment ago.
I hold my hands out as if that will somehow slow down the crazy train that Greg is currently on. "Okay, look, just stop for a second. There's got to be another way to handle this besides skipping town and leaving Gordon to fend for himself. He's our brother — there's got to be something we can do. Maybe Gavin ca
n help? I can go down to the station and see if he can talk to the sheriff or something?"
The look on Greg's face turns skeptical and I can tell he's not buying my idea. Granted, hearing it out loud made it sound a lot dumber than I originally anticipated, considering the sheriff has never been a fan of my brothers and their business activities — but it's all we've got right now.
I look to the clock on the wall before looking back at Greg. "I've got a little time before school, I'll run over to the station and see if there's any chance of getting Gordon some help and I'll call you once I have some news. Just...don't do anything crazy. Wait for my call."
I don't wait for his answer as I dash out of the living room and back down the narrow hall to my room. I throw the first clothes I can find and then rush to the bathroom to hurry through my usual regimen. Not even five minutes later I'm sprinting out of the house and over to my car. I throw the door open and crank my car up before I'm even fully settled inside, and once I'm backed out of the driveway I head down the street in a hurry.
I make it to the police station in ten minutes and I launch myself out the car once I park and cut the engine. I run through the lot and up the stairs of the station, throwing open one of the glass doors and hurrying inside. I haven’t been here since the weekend I met Gavin, so I’m not entirely sure where his desk is. I was a little busy being upset the night I got arrested to pay much attention to my surroundings, not to mention the station is surprisingly large and difficult to navigate, so now I’m just hoping luck will be on my side and I’ll find him quickly.
I try walking down a few different hallways that don’t require restricted access but I come up with nothing. I walk deeper into the building and come across a set of locked frosted-glass double doors, and I groan in frustration. I turn and lean against the wall. Looking down at my watch, I see that I’ve been searching for almost fifteen minutes. Then I get the bright idea to pull my phone out and call Gavin instead. I know his number by heart so it only takes me a second to dial it, but just when I’m about to hit the call button the double doors next to me fly open.
An angry looking pregnant woman comes storming through the doors followed by some guy in a police uniform. It only takes me a few seconds of watching them to realize that they’re married. She’s furiously waddling away from him ranting about how being pregnant doesn’t mean she has to be bedridden at home all the time like she’s some sort of invalid. Meanwhile, her husband is trailing behind her pleading for her to calm down for the baby, but she just shoots him a glare every time he mentions her ‘fragile state.’
I rub my flat belly and smile as I picture Gavin and I in their place — him trying to corral me when my hormones are making me feisty.
I watch the couple for another moment, temporarily forgetting my reason for being at the station until the double doors are about to shut. I reach out and catch one of the handles, sighing in relief when I’m able to pull the door back open. I slip inside and flatten my back against a nearby wall as I scan the space. It’s a petty large area and there’s people everywhere. It’s easy to tell the cops from the criminals though, considering they’re the only ones cuffed to the desks, and most of the cops have on uniforms. There’s a few people walking around in street clothes and a couple big guys in suits but for the most part the room is a sea of uniforms, which is why it takes me a few minutes to spot Gavin. When I do, his back is towards me and I can only see the back of his head, but seeing him already has me feeling better and my body starts to move towards him automatically.
My progress is halted though, when a brunette in a killer outfit comes out of nowhere and hops herself up on Gavin’s desk. I freeze in place as she plants her backside on the wooden table top — sitting so close to him that her leg is brushing up against the arm of his chair. I’m so stunned that I don’t even look up at her face right away, but when I do, I recognize her instantly. She’s the same woman I saw Gavin having lunch with at the mall weeks ago, only this time instead of wearing a crop top and tight jeans, she’s got on a black fitted button down blouse that’s tucked into a pair of perfectly fitting black high waisted slacks. Her long dark brown hair is pulled up into a sleek pony tail, and her deep red lipstick perfectly coordinates with the color of her pointed toe pumps.
I scan over every inch of her and my heart sinks even further when I see a badge clipped to her hip, and I realize they probably work together. But the way she’s sitting next to him now, smiling at him flirtatiously, looks anything but professional. Seeing it has my stomach clenching, and I rub my hand over my belly protectively.
I watch the woman lean towards Gavin and say something. His head leans back a little, but I can’t see his reaction since he’s turned away from me. Judging from the way she’s smiling and laughing though, I can only guess he’s doing the same. She leans towards him and says something else, and when he reaches over and squeezes her leg my heart completely drops and tears fill my eyes.
I turn and sprint back through the double doors and into the main area of the station, barely able to see where I’m going. I keep running until I’m back outside crying next to my car. I sob as I shakily pull my phone from my jacket pocket and send Greg a quick text, too upset to making a phone call. I don’t wait for his reply as I slide into my car, wipe my eyes, and turn on the engine. I force myself to take deep breaths as I maneuver my way out of my parking space and through the station parking lot.
By the time I’m back on the main road and headed towards home, tears are steadily streaming down my face even as I do my best to sniff them away. I turn the radio on to help drown out my thoughts, only every station I turn to somehow makes me feel worse. The hip hop station I usually listen to is playing a rap song about a rapper getting busted in the past for selling narcotics — the jazz station is playing a sad melody — the pop station is playing a song about cheating boyfriends — the R&B station is playing a song about broken hearts — and the sports station’s regularly scheduled program is currently being interrupted by a breaking news segment regarding the big drug bust by DPD that took down a lot of major players and couldn’t have been made possible without officer Olivia Santorini going undercover, and feeding them information from on the inside. Tears continue to fall as I shut the radio off and drive the rest of the way back home in silence.
By the time I park my car in the driveway, my tears have stopped, but my eyes are now swollen and red. I give them one last wipe then quickly exit my car and hurry into the house. Greg is still in the living room tearing the place apart looking for stashed items when I walk in. He turns to look at me but I keep my eyes diverted.
“I’m gonna go pack some stuff, let me know when it’s time to leave. I’ll figure out school and work on the way.” He jerks his chin in response and then I continue down the hallway to my room. I shut my door and immediately the tears come back in full force. I cry quietly to myself as I start to move through my room blindly grabbing things to pack.
But this time, I don’t try to wipe the tears away — I just let them fall.
Gavin
One Week Later — Monday
I slam my locker shut and drop onto the wooden bench in a heap. I drop my head in my hands and rest my elbows on my knees as I half heartedly attempt to shake myself out of my foul mood.
It’s been a week since Gina left and I’ve been grouchier than a damn rattle snake.
I’m dripping with sweat from the hard workout I put myself through but it didn’t do anything to ease the tension in my body. I mutter a string of curses and force myself to take several deep breaths.
Several voices enter the locker room at once, and I recognize them as fellow officers from the station, but I don't bother to look up at their approach. A couple of the guys clap me on the shoulder as they pass by but I just grunt in response, barely acknowledging them.
"Shit, what crawled up his ass and died?" John asks, as if I'm not sitting three feet away from him.
"Beats me," Scotty answe
rs to my left.
"Same shit that's been up his ass since last week." Bobby answers arrogantly, and my jaw clenches. There's a moment of silence before he speaks again, and when he does, it feels like my teeth may crack from how hard I'm clenching them. "You guys seriously don't know?" There's a pause, neither John or Scotty say anything. Bobby scoffs sarcastically. "Why don't you ask him about the pussy he's tapping lately?"
I don't even think, my body just reacts.
By the time the red haze clears I've got Bobby shoved up against the lockers. "Say another fucking word about her and I'll fuck up your pretty boy face," I growl.
He tries to shove me off but I'm so pissed he barely moves me an inch. There's a taunting look in his eyes, and seeing it has me pressing him harder into the lockers — keeping him pinned with my elbow at his neck.
His eyes narrow as my jaw audibly clenches. "What? You got a problem with the boys knowing about the little chocolate dime you've been playing house with?"
The red haze suddenly comes back in full force and my fist connects with his jaw a split second after he gets the last word out. He pushes off as I lift my arm for another punch, but then John and Scotty are in middle of us, trying to keep us apart.
I try to push them out of the way as I lunge for Bobby, my entire body seething with anger. "Don't say another fucking word about her," I roar.
A trail of blood escapes from Bobby's mouth as he tries to push his way towards me. "What's the problem, Brooks? Afraid to let everyone know that you were fucking a teenage drug-pushing bi—" I cut him off with a roar and lunge again but another set of arms latches on to keep me back, and suddenly the sheriff's voice is booming through the limited space.
"What the fuck is going on in my locker room?"